Bluegrass mandolin master Jesse Brock has released another single from his upcoming album, Streamliner, expected in July from Sound Biscuit.
This time it’s Black Rock City, a coal mining song from by Aaron Bibelhauser and Mark Brinkman, featuring Greg Blake on lead vocal.
Jesse dedicates this track to the memory of a songwriter who was a long time supporter of Appalachian miners.
“Emoting the hardships of coal mining in its hey day, this song reminds me of an old friend no longer with us, her name, Hazel Dickens. She was an advocate for West Virginia/Kentucky coal miners who were treated unfairly. I’d like to dedicate this to her memory. I was also privileged to have backed her up on several performances in the ’90s. This song offers a look into the darkness of that era’s American laborers, and how they persevered over such.”
Jesse is on mandolin and guitar, with Russ Carson on banjo, Josh Swift on reso-guitar, and Barry Reed on bass. With Blake singing lead, Brock adds harmony along with Jason Carter on this driving mid-tempo number.
Black Rock City is available now from the popular download and streaming services. Radio programmers can get the track via AirPlay Direct.
