Sunday, October 20, 2013

Hillbilly Jazz Rides Again - Vassar Clements


    Hillbilly Jazz Rides Again was the second (of three) Vassar Clements albums that fused the Bluegrass ("New Grass" actually) genre with the old-time Swing sound.  There's a Benny Goodman song (Airmail Special), as well as a Duke Ellington one (Caravan).  The album came out in 1986.  I picked it up somewhere for $6.99.

- Tracks  (favorites in pink) -
01. Hillbilly Jazz
02. Don't Hop, Don't Skip
03. Airmail Special
04. Say Goodbye to the Blues
05. Swing Street
06. Woodsheddin'
07. Be A Little Discreet
08. Your Mind Is On Vacation
09. Caravan
10. How Can I Go On Without You
11. Triple Stop Boogie
12. Take A Break

   The album cover is in fantastic shape - no signs of wear; but a cut-out corner at the top.  The record had no skips, and the scratches were few enough to where I removed them manually.  I don't know that I'd call it Jazz, but then again, trying to categorize any Vassar Clements music is always a challenge; he simply defies being confined to a single genre.

    If you wiki Vassar Clements, you'll see he has put out of sh*tload of LP's, but you rarely find them in used-record stores.  This is the 6th one I've come across, and as with any of his albums, the musicianship is superb.

    I first became acquainted with Clements on the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band triple-LP album, Will The Circle Be Unbroken.  One of these days I'll have to convert that one as well.

    Of the 12 tracks listed above, I'll probably take Airmail Special and Be A Little Discreet and make YouTube videos from them, most likely within the next couple months.  I've already collected the images for the slideshow, so it's just a matter of putting it together.

    To close, this is a fantastic Vassar Clements album, but all of his LP's hit me that way.  If you run across it, pick it up and give it a spin.

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