Track Information

Liner Notes

In the bluegrass music culture, a band described as "traditional" is often a group of young musicians who perform music written before they were born, or who are hoping to sound like their heroes.  There's certainly merit in that - great music lasts forever, and most musicians want to experience for themselves the sound that excited them in the first place.

The Wildwood Valley Boys are certainly traditional in that respect, but they are also different: although the music they play is primarily new, it has the flavor of an earlier time.  This can be attributed not only to the music, but to the all-important "timing" that differentiates bluegrass from all other kinds of music, and the understanding of classic bluegrass they bring to their work.  "Who recorded that song the first time?" some might ask, when in actuality they ARE hearing it for the "first time."

Listeners may find themselves in the same situation as those who heard bluegrass music in its infancy, in the late 1940s and '50s, as they discover with delight the Wildwood Valley Boys approach that has youth and vigor and an old-fashioned innocence unaffected by popular music and modern culture.

Their music has that original sound: honest, forthright, touching, and powerful.  That is not to say you'll hear a duplicate of the work of Bill Monroe or Flatt & Scruggs, the Stanley Brothers, or any of the other greats; these boys sound like the Wildwood Valley Boys and, someday, they will have their own imitators.

The songs on this CD are ballads that engender mental images as clear as photographs - love stories, small town legends, broken hearts, patriotism - that could be true (some are) and could have happened yesterday or generations ago.

The Strong, passionate voice of Tony Holt, hauntingly reminiscent of that of his father, Aubrey Holt (of the Boys From Indiana) in his youth, rings with conviction.  He is joined by David Long, tenor, and guest (and cousin) Harlan Gabbard, baritone, in harmony that is flawless, yet maintains its freshness.

Tony's own "I'm Not The Drifter," for instance is a "true song" in the Monrovian sense, with Harlan's mellow Dobro Kickoff echoed in the trio's explanation of the long lasting effects of an early, secret love.  On "Jeremiah Callahan's Medicine Show," a nostalgic look at a traveling pitchman (written by Marvin C. Davis, who's other compositions include "Bootleg John" and "Rain"), the trio sings almost as one voice, alternating with Tony's lead on verses.  Backup here, by banjo player Wes Vanderpool and guest fiddler Aaron Till, is outstanding but never overwhelming.  You can hear every word.

And the words are important.  Most of the songs in this collection were written by Aubrey Holt, arguably on of the best and most prolific, songwriters in the music business.  Reflecting the deeply felt philosophy of the man, his songs were the mainstay of the Boys From Indiana's repertoire for years and have been recorded by numerous artists in both bluegrass and country fields.

"The Spirit Of America," written in the late 1980s, could have been a World War II song, or might reflect a more recent surge in patriotism.  Telling of truckers, farmers, miners, and carpenters working to build a strong country, it is the ultimate "song of the working man."  The fiddles' rich harmony weaves among the words and the echoing, "...Spirit of America, may Old Glory forever fly" of the choruses creates an unforgettable picture, like a 1940s newsreel, in which the American Flag is superimposed over shots of people at work.

David Long's intense, Monroe-style mandolin sets the tone for "The Big Man From Rosine," an homage to Bill Monroe, in which quotes and phrases from Monroe's work and lush triple fiddles evoke memories of his style and stage presence, ending with a bit of "Blue Moon Of Kentucky."  It's a powerful song, impeccably performed.

"Forever True" begins with a wedding and a young couple looking hopefully toward a long and happy life together and wonder what the future holds.  Up-tempo and showcasing mandolin, banjo, and fiddle, it sounds as if it were written - and performed - in the 1950s.

The clever lyrics of "Big Time Johnny" and its bouncy pace lead the listener to expect a good-time song in the Flatt & Scruggs tradition, fortified by an Uncle Josh Dobro break and a Benny Martin-style fiddle touch, but this one has a sting in its tale.  Tony sings lead throughout, with guest Aubrey doubling on tenor and baritone on  the concluding trio for that "blood harmony" so much sought in bluegrass and country music.  Perhaps the most amusing song ever written about a suicide, this is based on an old Southeastern Indiana legend.

In "Sweet Loretta," Tony sings about the love of a pair who marry young and hope to grow old together, but the wife dies early, and the husband is bereft.  A true song, as lovely as it is sad, gently accompanied by guitar and Aaron Till's warm fiddle.  The trio echoes the title to express the storyteller's feelings throughout his life.

For a complete change of pace, a "shuffle-beat" song Aubrey wrote in 1958 that would have been perfect for Ray Price, "Making Memories" has fiddles and Dobro creating the period sound, with Wes Vanderpool's tasty banjo backup adding the bluegrass touch.  Tony Holt's remarkable voice has all the ache of Hank Williams', and the close harmony on the trios helps to make this song as memorable as its title.

Most backward-looking songs picture a saintly family gathered around, but "If I Could Just Hear Daddy" is more realistic, as it examines the good results of discipline properly applied to a naughty child, who later misses his father and even the punishment he meted out.  It's a witty, true song, with a point, and perhaps a bit of experience adds to the telling.

"Talking In My Sleep" sees love from the point of view of its victim, with breakneck banjo throughout, and terrific mandolin, Dobro, and fiddle punctuation that that create a dancing mood.  There are great quotes from Flatt & Scruggs here, and the number might well have been one of theirs.

One would think that once Merle Haggard had done a song, it would be done, but in this recording of Sonny Throckmorton's "The Way I Am," Tony's voice shows all the heartbreak and maturity of a singer twice his age.  Wrapped about with strong mandolin and fiddle, and with a trio that brings tears to the eyes, this song of everyday struggles against frustration touches a chord in every dreamer.  It is beautiful.

It's nice to end with inflection on your musical roots, and the Wildwood Valley Boys' version of the classic "When You Are Lonely" is lovingly crafted to honor their forebears.  You'll hear touches of all your favorites here, in the banjo backup, and the mandolin and fiddle breaks, with the Dobro as an "added attraction," but the Flatt / Monroe duet of the original, with Chubby Wise's fiddle playing the baritone part, is done as a straight trio, as strong as you could wish.

A word about bass playing: there's no obvious bass on any of these recordings, no "walking" and no slap-rhythm, just the under-lying, driving pulse that provides the solid foundation for the other instruments and the voices; without it, the rest of the music would crumble. Kevin Kehrberg does it just right.

The Wildwood Valley Boys are a disparate group, from different parts of the country and with different backgrounds: Tony Holt, lead singer and guitarist, comes from Indiana, and a musical atmosphere few are lucky enough to claim; mandolin player-tenor singer David Long, from Southwest Pennsylvania, developed his Monroe-driven style with Coal Train, among others, around Pittsburgh.  Kentuckian Wes Vanderpool, nephew of well-known banjo player Dale Vanderpool, has been banjo player in the Wildwood Valley Boys for more than four years and has also worked with Melvin Goins and with the Bluegrass Thoroughbreds.  Kevin Kehrberg, who now makes his home in Lexington, Kentucky, is originally from Newton, Kansas, and has played various TV and radio dates both there and in the Pittsburgh area.  Guest Dobro player Harlan Gabbard Shares Tony's family background, and was for a number of years part of the band; guest fiddler Aaron Till brings to this recording an extensive experience, notably with country singer Mark Chestnutt.

These young musicians are, indeed, all very individual but brought together as the Wildwood Valley Boys, they have force, enthusiasm, and talent that have rarely been seen in combination since the first generations of bluegrass music.

Marty Godbey
Lexington, Kentucky
May, 2003