The announcement of the Bluegrass Cardinals’ induction into the Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame last year was met with widespread celebration, particularly from those who are longtime fans of David Parmley. Along with his father, Don Parmley, David cofounded the Bluegrass Cardinals, who throughout their twenty five year run became one of the most beloved bands in acoustic music, in large part due to David’s lead vocals.
In recognition of both the group’s induction and the 50th anniversary of the group’s self-titled debut album, David Parmley wanted to release a recording that honored the Bluegrass Cardinals’ legacy. The resulting effort, Cardinal Tradition (Now and Then) on 615 Hideaway Records is a collection containing contemporary material performed in the style of the Cardinals, as well as beloved favorites from the band’s vast catalogue.
The opening track, Turning Acres Into Rows, is one of the new songs on this release. Written by Mark Brinkman and David Stewart, this piece focuses on life working on the farm, a topic that was central to the material of the Bluegrass Cardinals. Accompanying David on this track is Cody Kilby on guitar, Scott Vestal on banjo, Ronnie McCoury on mandolin, Tim Crouch on fiddle, Evan Winsor on bass, and Mike Rogers on drums.
One new selection that definitely could’ve been a Bluegrass Cardinals song is No Empty Chairs In Heaven. Written by Rick Lang and Jack Shannon, this features Parmley along with two of his former bandmates, Larry Stephenson and Don Rigsby on harmony vocals, displaying one of the hallmarks of the Cardinals that fans came to know and love.
It wouldn’t be a proper Bluegrass Cardinals tribute album without some fan favorites and several of those are included as well. I Wonder Where You Are Tonight and Rollin’ Away both feature Del McCoury on harmony vocals, and are both incredibly strong performances.
Another big highlight is Mountain Laurel. First released on the band’s 1979 album, Cardinal Soul, this new version features former member Don Rigsby on tenor vocals. Many first heard Rigsby sing this song with the Bluegrass Cardinals on the TV show, Reno’s Old Time Music Festival, in the early 1990s. With the clip of that performance garnering over 8,000 views on YouTube, it’s great to have a proper studio recording of Don’s rendition available.
While David Parmley could’ve easily done an entire album of the Bluegrass Cardinals’ greatest hits, he instead chose to uniquely honor them through contemporary material performed in that vein alongside material that many love and hasn’t been overdone.
Cardinal Tradition (Now and Then) will please fans, both new and old, of the legacy Parmley and his father created with the Bluegrass Cardinals.
