Five years ago, my wife and I were at The Station Inn in Nashville, and John Meyer was the headliner. We didn’t know John, but he endeared himself to us when he gave his wife and kids a heartfelt shoutout. Standing in the limelight at one of the world’s iconic bluegrass venues, John did not draw attention to himself; he praised his wife and kids and thanked the Lord for them. Smart man.
When John asked me to review his new album with Mo Pitney, Cherokee Pioneer, on a real vinyl record player, I was quick to oblige.
I found a turntable and listened to the album in one sitting. The first song, Banjo Picker (In A Bluegrass Band), had me on my feet dancing hillbilly style in a way that surely would have mortified my children. Old Friend had me thinking of the few who are my closest friends and have stuck with me through thick and thin. Like John, my wife and Jesus were at the top of the list.
The album is not preachy but unashamedly points to the One who brought Mo and John to the table of forgiveness.
The Pitney Meyer band’s first single, That Sounds Lonesome, was released in July 2024. While it was not included on this album due to the limited space on vinyl, That Sounds Lonesome was the perfect “setup” for Cherokee Pioneer. As John said,
“Traditional bluegrass has a long and proud history of ‘lonesome’ songs. And we love them. But the last line in the song raises questions: ‘That sounds a little TOO lonesome to me.’ Many get stuck in lonesome but never get out.”
Lonesome bluegrass reflects a lonesome life, where “it is always winter, but never Christmas!”
John shared, “There is a way in which we can abide in that lonesome, ‘woe-is-me’ place and never quite move past that. The songs on this record are an intentional journey to move to the culmination where forgiveness, meaning, and community can be found – in Christ.” But this album was not written for “holy rollers,” but for everyday folk.
The late Ralph Stanley confessed to Ricky Skaggs, “Rick, I have been singing about Him all my life, but I never knew him.” Ricky lovingly introduced Ralph to the Lord right then.
The Trail of Tears acknowledges our complex, ugly history with native peoples. It offers a chance for reconciliation and redemption—and a choice to come and meet Him at the table of forgiveness.
On the Trail of Tears, hear the voice
Of the Cherokee who’s crying in the wilderness.
Pioneer, you have a choice to come and meet Him at the table of forgiveness
. . . Earth cries in wait for what was lost now to be found.
In a long season of pandemic and division, the Pitney Meyer band has given us a gift of hope: Thank you, Mo Pitney (guitar, vocals), John Meyer (banjo, vocals), Blake Pitney (bass and double bass), Nate Burie (mandolin, vocals), Jenee Fleenor, and Ivy Phillips (fiddle).
This project was recorded in the old-time way at Johnny Cash’s Bon Aqua, Tennessee cabin, directly onto tape without computer editing, auto-tuning, copying, pasting, multiple takes, or AI fakery. The tapes were mixed on analog equipment and mastered directly to vinyl. John said, “This is a very rare process nowadays, and only a few people in the nation can still do this direct-to-vinyl method.”
The sonic quality of the vinyl is rich and warm. Whatever the process might give up in high polish, it gains by having honest, natural songs. I listened to the album on vinyl and CD, and the difference was striking. Imagine the difference between an AI generated photograph of your grandbaby versus seeing him in person, face to face. Cherokee Nation is a face-to-face album.
Why go through all the hassle of recording without computer assistance, overdubs, or autotuning? John said that they wanted to make something authentic, not artificially perfect.
Mo added…
“We forced ourselves to think of the best performance of the whole band, not when a single member is presented in the best light. At first, it was painful, but you began to become free from having to ‘self-edit.’ You had to believe that the whole is more important than a shining solo performance.”
I asked Mo and John what their kids’ favorite songs are on the album. Their young sons, Zane and Elliott, especially love Banjo Picker (In A Bluegrass band), Bear Creek Clay, and The Trail of Tears the most—brilliant little bluegrassers.
But there are other songs that, while not as foot-tapping, are equally beautiful and important. Old Friend has a deeper meaning. Mo and John are unashamedly best friends, bosom buddies, pals, and amigos, much like King David and Jonathan were in the Old Testament. But the friend motif suggests something bigger than two pickers being best buddies. Jesus is the friend who is closer than a brother, who will never forsake you through thick or thin.
Blue Water features John’s silky-smooth lead vocal and stunning harmonies. But the song wasn’t written to showcase vocal talent. Blue Water’s words reflect Psalm 42, and the deep place in our hearts that has to cry out to our Maker for healing. This song hit me personally because, as a college man, all this sounded like religious folly until my freedoms and choices took me down into a deep pit. While desperately searching for peace and meaning, Deep called to deep. The Lord met me at the table of forgiveness.
White Corn Graves, a haunting story of rural children killed and buried by their own mother, literally filled my eyes with tears.
Rivers of Living Water and Lord Sabbath are what the old timers called “sacred” numbers. They directly point the listener to Jesus Christ, who freely offers drink for the thirsty and rest for the weary.
Cherokee Pioneer is the gospel in song. The thoughtful lyrics engage both the mind and heart. If you are not yet in a place to receive those words, enjoy the music as it is, but know that Deep still calls to deep.
