
Though Kody Norris has been active in bluegrass music for well over a decade, The Kody Norris Show’s star has been steadily rising. With continuous wins at the annual SPBGMA convention for their high energy stage show and instrumental prowess, the group has proven to be a fan favorite. Their latest release, Highfalutin’ Hillbilly on Rebel Records, does a powerful job of capturing all the elements of The Kody Norris Show that fans have come to know and love.
Highfalutin’ Hillbilly kicks off with The Auctioneer, a song that should be familiar to most listeners. Originally recorded by country singer Leroy Van Dyke in September of 1956, it has been a staple of Kody’s live performances for many years. This opening track does the perfect job of leading the listener into this album with its fast paced energy all throughout, as well as stout twin fiddling provided by Ron Stewart. Along with Norris on guitar and lead vocals, the group also consists of his wife Mary Rachel-Nalley Norris on fiddle and mandolin, Josiah Tyree on banjo, and Charlie Lowman on bass. The Kody Norris Show is joined by Tony Creasman, who furnishes subtle percussion all throughout the recording.
The following track, Blue Ain’t The Word features Mary Rachel on lead vocals. Cowritten by her and Kody, it’s a high octane traditional bluegrass song about facing life alone after getting a divorce. Josiah Tyree and Charlie Lowman both supply strong harmony vocals on this track.
In the Circle by Larry Chunn is a beautiful autobiographical piece about Kody’s journey from a little boy in Mountain City, TN playing a Western Auto guitar to performing on the hallowed Grand Ole Opry stage as a young man. With references to so many legendary bluegrass and country artists throughout, this song truly exemplifies how much this special moment meant to Norris.
Silver Eagle by Jake Landers and Ben D. Johnson, tells a sad tale about a man losing the love of his life as she runs off with a musician of fortune and fame. With incredible vocal harmony and beautiful twin fiddling from Mary Rachel and Jason Barie, this song perfectly fits the traditional sound of The Kody Norris Show.
Mississippi Squirrel Revival, popularized by Ray Stevens in 1984, is rendered here in a bluegrass fashion by banjoist Josiah Tyree. With excellent comedic delivery, this is a song that will surely become an audience favorite if it hasn’t already.
San Antonio Stroll is a dreamy song that was first made a hit by country singer Tanya Tucker in the 1970s. Accompanying Mary Rachel on harmony vocals is Gena Britt, Jaelee Roberts, and Deanie Richardson of Sister Sadie. Richardson also provides fiddle on this track, allowing Mary Rachel to utilize her abilities on mandolin.
Tennessee and Ramblin’ Around perfectly capture the essence of who Kody Norris is as an artist. The former was first recorded by one of his greatest influences, Jimmy Martin, in August 1962. Once again featuring Ron Stewart on fiddle, this modern rendition of a bluegrass classic is one that the King of Bluegrass himself would approve of. The latter is an original by Kody that finishes out the recording on an energetic note. It’s a song which shows Norris’ capability of creating new material with a nod to tradition.
When tasked with listening to Highfalutin’ Hillbilly, the central question on my mind was “will this recording capture the same level of energy the Kody Norris Show performs with on stage?” The answer to that question is a resounding yes!