Mountain Home also has a new single from Nashville singer, songwriter, and mandolinist, Ashby Frank, with newgrass superstar John Cowan and bluegrass crooner Ronnie Bowman joining in. It’s another from Frank’s current project, Leaving is Believing.
They have chosen a remake of the Tom Paxton folk anthem, Where I’m Bound, which The Country Gentlemen brought to bluegrass back in 1970. Ashby sings it a bit higher than Charlie Waller’s cut, and he has slowed it down a touch, with he, John, and Ronnie each taking a verse. All three join together for the chorus.
Frank tells us that this track feels like a full circle moment, as both Cowan and Bowman were heroes to him as he was learning to play, and fate ultimately found him working and touring with them both.
“I was a huge fan of Ronnie’s work with The Lonesome River Band from the first time I heard them at the Denton Bluegrass Festival, and then I had the pleasure of working with Ronnie in his band when I was around 18 or 19 years old. Now a few decades later, I’m so fortunate and proud to get to perform alongside him with The Likely Culprits. We actually just spent a week together teaching at DelFest Academy.
As for John, I grew up listening to him on New Grass Revival Records and then live at MerleFest. I finally got to work with him on the road here and there starting in 2019. He’s truly one of the best in the biz. We just returned a few weeks ago from performing in Czechia, so I guess the stars couldn’t be more aligned for the release of our version of this classic song to radio.”
With Ashby on mandolin, other pickers include Travis Anderson on bass, Seth Taylor on guitar, Thomas Wywrot on banjo, Jim Van Cleve on fiddle, and Joshua Hunt on percussion.
Check it out…
Where I’m Bound, and the full Leaving is Believing album, are available now from popular download and streaming services online. Audio CDs can be ordered directly from the artist.
Radio programmers will find all the tracks at AirPlay Direct.
