Mountain Home Music has a new single this week from Benson, the husband-and-wife duo of Wayne and Kristin Scott Benson. She is the five-time IBMA Banjo Player of the Year who picks with The Grascals, and he is the award-winning mandolinist with Russell Moore and IIIrd Tyme Out, of 25 years standing.
Kristin has also received Grammy nominations with The Grascals, and is the 2018 recipient of the Steve Martin Banjo Prize. With IIIrd Tyme Out, Wayne has been awarded the IBMA’s Vocal Group of the Year award seven times.
Despite their long service in the bluegrass world, they have never recorded together under their own names, despite having played alongside each other on other people’s projects. But Mountain Home is bringing that to an end this year with a debut album from Benson that finds the two paired musically as well as familiarly.
This second single is a grassed up version of Oh Me Of Little Faith, written and originally recorded by Christian artist Matthew West in 2015. Kristin and Wayne have brought in Heath Williams to sing, a church friend who first introduced the song to them. The Bensons are further supported by Cody Kilby on guitar Jim VanCleve on fiddle, Paul Watson on bass, and Tony Creasman on drums. Mickey Harris provides harmony vocals.
Both of the Bensons are delighted with the result.
“This might be my favorite cut we’ve done so far,” says Wayne. “Heath Williams knocked the lead vocal out of the park, and it’s a song that really means something. Kristin loves to play banjo on anything with this kind of feel. It’s fun to arrange because you can just let it glide along while the lyrics do all the work. I was happy with how it turned out.”
And Kristin says, “I related to Oh Me Of Little Faith as soon as I heard it. Some people may know the story in Mark where a desperate father tells Jesus he believes, but asks for help with his unbelief. There are a fair amount of songs that reference that, including bluegrass ones, like Ron Block’s There is a Reason. But I always thought, ‘That’s not all I need help with! I need help with everything else too!’ That’s exactly what this song is about.”
Have a listen to the track.
O Me Of Little Faith will be available on Friday, April 15, from popular download and streaming services. Radio programmers can get the track now via AirPlay Direct.
