With
Windy Days and Dusty Skies,
Joe Carr and
Alan Munde have pulled off a tight and traditionally reverent bluegrass album. This is to be expected, however, for the two men aren't only great players -- both are renowned musicians whose collective resumé boasts stints with
the Country Gazette,
Jimmy Martin,
Sam Bush, and Roanoke -- they are also scholars of the form. Both are professors of bluegrass music at South Plains College in Texas. And besides recording ventures, they have co-authored the book Prairie Nights to Neon Lights: The Story of Country Music in West Texas. For
Windy Days and Dusty Skies, the two have brought along pickers such as
Beppe Gambetta,
David Grier, and Gerald Jones, as well as Ed Marsh,
Roland White, and Randy Howard. Besides tracks by
Carr and fiddler Marsh, the album boasts traditional numbers and a fine run through "Texas Blues," which is well known as a standard for Texas swing pioneer
Bob Wills. This album is an excellent showcase for
Munde's vaunted banjo skills and the formidable flat-picking of
Carr. Don't expect any front-porch looseness, however; this is tight and technical playing. ~ Erik Hage