Buddy Miller records as a frontman sparingly -- the last time was in 2009 with wife
Julie Miller on the stellar Written in Chalk. He does far more performing and producing, the latter including
Patty Griffin's
Downtown Church and
Robert Plant's
Band of Joy offerings. For The Majestic Silver Strings,
Miller recruited guitarists
Bill Frisell,
Marc Ribot, and
Greg Leisz to join him on a program of classic country songs and a couple of originals. The four guitar players are joined variously by guest vocalists including
Griffin,
Julie Miller,
Shawn Colvin,
Emmylou Harris,
Lee Ann Womack, and
Ann McCrary, and the rhythm section of drummer
Jay Bellerose and bassist
Dennis Crouch. The program is a revisioning of tunes from country's canon that sound timeless against the original material. It is without nostalgia. The dreamy opening notes of "Cattle Call" (inextricably linked with the legendary
Eddy Arnold) make it obvious that something special is unfolding.
Frisell and
Leisz play waltz-time intertwining leads as
Ribot adds a requinto and
Miller a mandoguitar through a lengthy intro before adding his grainy, crooning voice. The spunky "No Good Lover" is a swinging blues with
Frisell and
Ribot trading licks before
McCrary duets with
Miller.
Lefty Frizzell's "I Want to Be with You Always" boasts gorgeous guitar slinging, but is eclipsed by the sensual vocal duet between
Griffin and
Miller. The reading of
Roger Miller's "Dang Me" is radical:
Chocolate Genius takes the vocal, making it slippery and silvery atop a spooky, swampy nocturnal blues.
Elizabeth Cotten's standard "Freight Train" is given a shuffling yet swinging rag treatment with all four guitar players trading fours and eights.
Womack contributes two fine vocals: in the forlorn, gauzy "Meds" (written by
Ribot) and the heartbreaking "Return to Me," which aches with longing; it's underscored by lovely acoustic work from
Ribot on a nylon-string guitar,
Miller playing baritone and rounded off by
Leisz's steel with
Frisell comping.
Miller and
Ribot duet on a barely contained stomping four-guitar read of the
George Jones classic "Why Baby Why."
Julie and
Frisell wrote the closer, "God's Wing'ed Horse," which is arguably the most nakedly tender, moving piece on the record. She and
Buddy duet as
Frisell,
Ribot, and
Leisz wind around one another like vines throughout this intimate gospel song. The Majestic Silver Strings is one of those rare "supergroup" projects that works -- as much by its understatement as its savvy choice of material and excellent performances. [Enclosed in the package is an accompanying DVD that includes a "making-of" documentary with concert footage and a video for "Why Baby Why."] ~ Thom Jurek