The Country Gentlemen Reunion Band has announced the release of their self-titled CD on RadioTherapy Records, a new label established by Martha and Eddie Adcock.
The Country Gentlemen Reunion Band features Randy Waller, son of Charlie Waller, who, like his father, sings lead and plays guitar; Eddie Adcock (banjo, lead and baritone vocals), Tom Gray (upright bass, bass and baritone vocals) and Jimmy Gaudreau (mandolin, lead and tenor vocals). They have been making several personal appearances, most notably to mark the 50th anniversary, last year, of the formation of the original Country Gentlemen.
Adcock, Gaudreau, Waller & Gray – The Country Gentlemen Reunion Band (RTR-CD-001) has 13 tracks, four of which, including the opening song Widow Of The Glade, are by the late lamented Randall Hylton. Remember the Country Gentlemen’s other ghost stories? Well, this is a modern counterpart to Bringing Mary Home. Older songs to get the Country Gentlemen treatment include I Hope You Have Learned, Grave In The Valley, Little Box Of Pine, Sundown And Sorrow and Some Old Day.
Other notable numbers are White Line Fever from Merle Haggard, Sweet Georgia Brown and a jazzy new instrumental composed by Gaudreau, El Doggo.
Co-producer Martha Adcock comments …..
“After Monroe, if anyone can be said to have turned bluegrass in a new direction, it was without a doubt the ‘Classic’ Country Gentlemen: John Duffey, Charlie Waller, Eddie Adcock and Tom Gray. No one else did as much to re-popularize and reinvigorate the genre, taking it to city-folk audiences, and onto hip college campuses, to large theaters and coffeehouses, and eventually to Carnegie Hall. Their musical creativity, individually and synergistically, coupled with their hip irreverence and loose attitude onstage, was a quantum leap from the past, and it brought about a sea change in bluegrass, a dramatic expansion of the genre.”
Tom Gray adds …
“Eddie, Randy, Jimmy and I started playing a few dates together as the C.G.R.B. with the purpose of recreating the ‘Classic Country Gentlemen sound by those closely associated with creating it.”
This new CD is a welcome addition to the catalogue of recordings in the classic Country Gentlemen’s style.
There isn’t a website for RadioTherapy Records at the moment, but they are working hard to set that up. MP3 audio samples may be made available also.
For more information about the Country Gentlemen Reunion Band and Radio Therapy Records, write them at PO Box 219 Lebanon, Tennessee 37088-0219
They can also be reached by phone (615-443-7135 or 615-476-8786) or email.
