What Really Matters

Personnel: Larry Stephenson (vocals, mandolin); Danny Stewart (bass voice, acoustic bass); Kevin Richardson (guitar); Kenny Ingram (banjo); Aubrey Haynie (fiddle).
Audio Mixer: Ben Surratt.
Recording information: Compass Sound Studio, Nashville, TN (10/2011); The REC Room, Nashville, TN (10/2011).
Photographer: Dreama Stephenson.
Singer/songwriter and mandolin picker Larry Stephenson has one of the most soulful voices in all of bluegrass, and although he sings contemporary tunes, they're all delivered with timeless arrangements that hew closely to the traditional sounds that first attracted him to the music in his youth. With the help of co-producer Ben Surratt, he's crafted a sound that's a perfect balance of contemporary polish and down-home, back porch spontaneity. His road band -- Kenny Ingram on banjo and harmony vocals, lead guitarist and singer Kevin Richardson, and Danny Stewart on bass and bass vocals, joined here by fiddler Aubrey Haynie -- supplies a subtle muscle to the tracks that keeps the focus on Stephenson's compelling vocals. Woody Guthrie's "Philadelphia Lawyer" features a guest lead vocal from Sam Bush and a lively performance from the ensemble with outstanding solos by Richardson and Haynie that add to the song's arch feeling. Merle Haggard's "Seashores of Old Mexico" sounds like a folk-pop hit from the '70s; there's a hint of ragtime in the arrangement of "You're Too Easy to Remember," with Haynie contributing some smooth, blues-drenched fiddling; while "Before I'm Over You" sounds like a cross between Texas swing and a '60s AM country radio hit. The album's one original, "God Will," is an inspirational tune featuring the band's smooth Southern gospel harmonies, Ingram's tasteful banjo, and short sharp instrumental interludes by Stephenson, Haynie, and Richardson. The diversity of styles and arrangements here is most impressive, and there's not a single weak track on the album. ~ j. poet