Mountain Fever has released a debut single from Calm Before The Storm, their first album with south Alabama’s Delta Reign.
The track they’ve chosen is the old favorite, Columbus Stockade Blues, but not the way you’re used to hearing it. They give the song a bluesy, swing feel, with their trademark mix of Scruggs-style banjo, western guitar sock rhythm, soaring fiddle and jazzy bass behind Benita Murphy’s vocals.
Last night, Benita shared a few words about how they came up with their version.
“I had always liked the sound of Columbus Stockade, especially when we used to play it with a friend who did it in a minor key.
I went looking on YouTube and, low and behold, found Jimmie Davis doing it, and discovered that he has credit for writing it too. I liked the feel of his arrangement, and though we don’t do it exactly that way, I went for that feel. We added some harmonies, to make those a little different.”
Here’s a piece of audio from the single.
Columbus Stockade Blues: [http://traffic.libsyn.com/thegrasscast/columbus_stockade.mp3]
In addition to Benita on guitar and vocals, Delta Reign consists of her husband Pat Murphy on banjo, George Mason on fiddle, and Josh Faul on bass.
Calm Before The Storm is set for an October 9 release. Radio programmers can download the single now from Airplay Direct.
