From David Grisman, to Byron Berline and Chris Thile, among others, California has been home to some of bluegrass music’s strongest talents. One such artist, the Crying Uncle Bluegrass Band, is a youthful unit garnering recognition for their identifiable take on bluegrass and acoustic jazz music. The group’s latest album, I Still Remember June from Engelhardt Music Group, puts their instrumental prowess and compositional ability on full display.
The project’s opening track, Roland was written by mandolinist Teo Quale as a tribute to his grandfather. With catchy instrumental lines surrounded by changing time signatures throughout, this piece is a brilliant example of the otherworldly musicianship contained within the ensemble. Along with Teo on mandolin and his brother Miles Quale on fiddle, the Crying Uncle Bluegrass Band also consists of Andrew Osborn on bass and Ian Ly on guitar.
16/16 is the band’s homage to their hero David Grisman, who wrote and first recorded the piece with his legendary quintet in 1977. This is another example of Teo’s mastery on the mandolin, as is the closing track, Song For My Mother, which he penned.
I’ll Be Here Either Way, and the title track, I Still Remember June, are both lyrical pieces written by Teo. The former is about one’s growing weariness and indifference to emotional mind games while the latter is a slow waltz, describing feelings of happiness and nostalgia for one’s younger days. Though the Crying Uncle Bluegrass Band is primarily known for their incredible instrumentalism, these two songs show their talents from a lyrical and vocal standpoint.
The Sun Won’t Go Down written by Americana favorite, Jim Lauderdale, finds him as a guest performer alongside the group on this song. His chemistry with these four men is immediately evident, making for one of the recording’s true highlights.
I Still Remember June is an enthralling project. While the Crying Uncle Bluegrass Band has always been known for their dynamic instrumentalism, this recording shows evidence of their growth as singers and songwriters. It’s yet another ingredient to bring to an already powerful formula.
