[rating=7.00]
As the banjo picker in his dad Del’s legendary Del McCoury Band, there’s hardly any need for introduction; Rob McCoury is undoubtedly bluegrass royalty. With decades worth of shows under his belt and countless recordings mastered to tape, both with the family band and his own offshoot, The Travelin’ McCoury’s, Rob has perfected both the technical prowess demanded by traditional bluegrass connoisseurs, and learned to let loose with the improvisational sparks appreciated by the more liberal jam band scene. Surprisingly, though, this marks his first foray into proper solo recording, though it’s an idea he’s admittedly kicked around in his head for quite some time. His album, the appropriately named The 5-String Flamethrower straddles both sides of his repertoire, offering creatively nuanced takes on tracks from some of bluegrass’ most revered artists, those that Rob has both worked with and looked up to as he’s made his strides towards the top of his musical perch.
Loyal fans of the genre will recognize many of the names that assist McCoury throughout the album’s tidy 40 minute running time. Whether by pitching in on vocals or instrumentation, or by lending their tunes for interpretation, there’s a lot of starpower on display. In addition to papa Del, there’s the Osborne brothers- both Sonny and Bobby- (“Siempre”, “Jericho”, and “We Could”), the ol’ Nashville regular Larry Perkins (“Northwest Passage”), and the esteemed J.D. Crowe (“Blackjack”). And, no banjo showcase would be complete without a nod to Flatt and Scruggs. Here, McCoury and company glide things effortlessly along with the breezy classic, “Foggy Mountain Chimes”.
Far from a novel statement or an aggressive approach to action, The 5-String Flamethrower is simply pure, unadulterated bluegrass knocked out by one of the finest pickers on earth. Purists can play the album and be amazed by the prowess and attentiveness paid by McCoury and his accomplices. Casual listeners can turn it up and watch as their productivity increases and their mood rises with cheerful glee. As usual, Rob McCoury delivers, this time with his name front and center on the marquee.
