Part 2 BLUEGRASS- The Best Bands You Never Heard in Your Life

www.bankesters.com

http://www.harmansbluegrass.com/home.html

www.theexpeditionshow.com

Three more bands that appeared at The Aledo Bluegrass Festival were; The Bankesters, The Harmans & The Expedition Show.

The Bankesters (pronounced in three syllables (Ban kes ters) are a family band consisting of Mother (Dorene) & Father (Phil), three of their four daughters (Alysha & Emily, & Melissa Triplett) & the oldest daughter’s husband (Kyle Triplett). They are all fine singers. The youngest daughters appear to be about 13 and 15. The youngest plays mandolin and fiddle, the second youngest (featured in the above video) plays fiddle, mandolin & claw hammer banjo. Their self titled CD is excellent. It is very sweet and smooth, without ever becoming boring or cutesy. The producers created an album that is as near to perfection as I can imagine – a perfect showcase of this family’s talents. Many of the songs probably would have to be categorized as modern Christian music, but they are presented in a completely unpreachy, this – song – has – a - message – if – you – want - it manner which perfectly fits the family’s attitude. There is old fashioned bluegrass too; a great vocal / instrumental medley of the old fiddle tune “St Anne’s Reel” & notably Ralph Stanley’s creepy “I Am the Man Thomas” (The resurrected Jesus confronting Doubting Thomas). Another very dark gospel tune is the great “Water Grave” which equates suicide by drowning, with baptism by submersion. One of the band’s mentors is country song writing legend Tom T. Hall, founder of the CD’s

Blue Circle

label.

The Harmans hail from Bethalto Illinois, a very small town where they run the sales barn. Obviously, it is another family band. Their leader is their father Mike, formerly banjo player for Alison Krauss. Highlights of their performances included a Mexican gunfighter ballad called “Gunfighters Lament”, appropriately Leroy Van Dyke’s “The Auctioneer”, & a finale of “John Hardy” which featured the band playing their instruments behind their backs. The CD I got, ”Timeless and True” features a vocal duet with Ms. Krauss, the afore mentioned “Gunfighter’s Lament”, and surprisingly, a bluegrass remake of The Orleans old 70’s pop hit “Dance With Me” (Remember “Dance with me, I want to be your partner, can’t you see, the music is just starting, night is falling and I am calling, dance with me”) The remake sounds shockingly similar to the original.

The Expedition Show were the headliners from Nashville. They were formerly The Williams & Clark Expedition before Clark quit. Their leader is banjoist / songwriter  Blake Williams who played banjo with Bill Monroe for ten years, followed by another ten years as bassist for Mike Snyder, followed by ten years with The Expedition. Surprisingly, they were the most low key band of the weekend, but they are a fine band, and a little extra listening effort revealed Blake is an incredibly ornate back-up banjoist. I like their self titled CD even better than the live performances. It is available on i-Tunes, so check out the song clips!

Next time, my heroes, Monroe Crossing!