These days, there’s no doubt that bluegrass has made a major move into the mainstream. Its populist appeal is evident in the fan following generated by such newgrass stalwarts as Old Crow Medicine Show, Greensky Bluegrass, Trampled By Turtles, Town Mountain, Steep Canyon Rangers, and any number of other ensembles that have helped transition traditional sounds into new and dynamic approaches, that not only provide ideal festival fodder, but music for the masses as well..
There’s no greater evidence of bluegrass’ ascendancy than the “Pickin’ On” series, which takes classic catalogs by prominent rock bands and reinterprets them with a specific roots regimen. The Beatles, the Stones, Bruce Springsteen, The Eagles, and Lynyrd Skynyrd are among the many artists and ensembles that have been given that treatment by Iron Horse and CMH Records. So while a makeover of music by The Doors might seem unimaginable in terms of concept — not to mention the actual effort itself — this particular entry works remarkably well.
It might have seemed inexplicable at first, at least in theory. Nevertheless, the players involved — guitarist and vocalist Vance Henry, mandolin player and harmony singer Tony Robertson, bassist and baritone vocalist Ricky Rogers, and banjo player and harmony singer Andy Richardson — manage to make Doors standards such as Break On Through, Love Her Madly, Roadhouse Blues, Hello, I Love You, Riders on the Storm, and Touch Me sound as if they were actually borne from bluegrass basics. The combination works so well in fact, one might imagine that Jim Morrison and company had an alternate option in mind had their initial rock ‘n’ roll ambitions never come to fruition.
Of course that scenario could only exist in an alternate universe. However, now, some 55 years later, that fantasy actually comes to life, courtesy of the Iron Horse band’s craft and creativity. In that regard, Pickin’ on the Doors opens up new portals of possibility.
