Punch Brothers have released a second music video from their next album, Hell on Church Street, their tribute album to the late Tony Rice.
This new project, set for release on January 14 of next year, is the Brothers version of all the songs from Tony’s legendary Church Street Blues album, released in 1983. Widely acclaimed as his most personal recording, it features Rice on guitar and vocal, with no other accompaniment expect on a pair of instrumentals when there was a second guitar. Hell On Church Street features reimagined versions of all twelve tracks, done in the inimitable Punch Brothers fashion.
All members of the group were deeply influenced by Tony Rice as they grew as players, but the connection is especially keen for guitarist, Chris Eldridge. As a boy, Chris spent a good bit of time with Tony, as the guitar icon was close friends with his father, Ben Eldridge, of Seldom Scene fame. In fact, Rice is responsible for Chris’ nickname, referring to him as “Critter” when he was always underfoot as a youngster. Then in college, Critter had the opportunity to spend several weeks studying one-on-one with Rice at his home, which Eldridge has said was a defining moment in his developing musicianship.
Today’s latest release is a static video for Any Old Time, a Jimmie Rodgers classic from 1930, sung by Chris Thile who also plays mandolin, with Noam Pikelny on banjo, Gabe Witcher on fiddle, and Paul Kowert on bass.
As you might expect, it differs substantially from Tony’s cut, but is infused with the manic energy and virtuosic performance that has been a Punch Brothers trademark from the start.
Check it out…
Any Old Time is available as a single from popular download and streaming sites, and pre-orders for Hell On Church Street are likewise enabled online.
