Carolina Moonrise from Jim Lauderdale

Carolina Moonrise - Jim LauderdaleJim Lauderdale is set to release his 21st recording on September 25, a new bluegrass album called Carolina Moonrise.

Like his previous grass projects, Jim has again teamed up with Randy Kohrs, who produced and engineered, and also provided reso-guitar. And like Jim’s most recent prior release, Reason And Rhyme, Randy assembled a crack band of Nashville super-pickers, using the same bunch for each track to get a “band feel” in the studio.

Assisting are Scott Vestal on banjo, Josh Williams on guitar, Tim Crouch on fiddle, Jay Weaver on bass and Aaron Ramsey on mandolin.

Jim said that he again collaborated with his favorite lyricist, a legend in American music.

“I am very excited about this record. I got to write the whole thing with one of my all-time heroes, Robert Hunter. Randy Kohrs really outdid himself as a producer and it was incredible to work with these fine players.

This has been an overall great experience.”

Robert Hunter is perhaps best known for his songwriting output with The Grateful Dead, having written or co-written some of their most enduring numbers (Friend Of The Devil, Uncle John’s Band, Sugar Magnolia, Truckin’). His association with The Dead dates back to Jerry Garcia’s early years as a bluegrass musician, where Hunter played guitar to Garcia’s banjo.

For Hunter, a fondness for bluegrass remains, something he exercises in his collaborations with Lauderdale. Carolina Moonrise marks their fifth project together, and surely not the last.

The album is set to release during World of Bluegrass, and we’ll try to corral Jim next week for more details.

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About the Author

John Lawless

John had served as primary author and editor for The Bluegrass Blog from its launch in 2006 until being folded into Bluegrass Today in September of 2011. He continues in that capacity here, managing a strong team of columnists and correspondents.