Bluegrass singer and multi-instrumentalist Luke Shamblin is back at it after almost a decade away from recording with a new single.
Luke tells us that after he left Melvin Goins in 2013 he returned to school to obtain his Masters in Education, and has been working as a college softball coach and academic advisor. But you can never get away from bluegrass; it will always lure you back in!
While still in West Virginia he worked some with Buddy Griffin, but is mostly doing fill-in work since moving to North Carolina.
For this new release he has chosen a classic sentimental song, The Sweetest Gift (A Mother’s Smile), which has become a standard in bluegrass and traditional country music. First recorded in 1946 by James and Martha, it was written by James Coates, and subsequently covered by The Blue Sky Boys, The Seldom Scene, The Johnson Mountain Boys, and more recently, The Gibson Brothers, among many others. It was also included on the classic Trio album in 1987 by Dolly Parton, Linda Ronstadt, and Emmylou Harris.
But Shamblin tells us that it was yet another cover of this number that first attracted his attention.
“I grew up with the Judd’s version of this song, but fell in love with the Hazel & Alice and Johnson Mountain Boys cuts.”
On this new recording we have Luke on mandolin and lead vocal, with Corey Hensley on guitar and tenor vocal, brother duet style. Corey also added bass to the single.
Here’ a taste…
The Sweetest Gift (A Mother’s Smile) by Luke Shamblin is available now from popular download and streaming services online.
Shamblin is headed back into the studio this winter to complete a new album. More news on that soon.
