June 21 has been announced as the official release date for a second set of bluegrass covers of classic songs from legendary 1960’s-70’s British pop-rockers The Moody Blues. The first, Moody Bluegrass, hit in 2004, combining the chart hits from the album’s namesakes with a crack bluegrass rhythm section and some of the most celebrated vocalists in our genre.
Moody Bluegrass Two…Much Love mines this same vein, and is again produced and overseen by mandolinist and Gibson luthier David Harvey. And again like Moody Bluegrass, remaining members of The Moody Blues have wholly-embraced the project and have contributed to its production. Justin Hayward, John Lodge, and Graeme Edge each provide lead vocals to one of their songs, along with bluegrass luminaries like John Cowan, Peter Rowan, Ronnie Bowman, Sam Bush and Ricky Skaggs. There is also a track with lead vocals from the late and much-lamented Harley Allen.
Here’s a complete track list, with the featured artists:
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Instrumental support comes from a bevy of Nashville super-pickers: Alison Brown, Charlie Cushman, Keith Little and Barry Crabtree on banjo; Stuart Duncan, Fred Carpenter, Daniel Carwile and Aubrey Haynie on fiddle; Tim May on guitar, Andy Hall on resonator guitar, David Harvey on mandolin and Andy Todd on bass. Harmony vocals come from Alison Krauss, Jill Snider Crabtree, Patty Mitchell, Russell Smith and others.
Harvey created a video during the tracking sessions to explain a bit about the project.
Full details are available online, along with CD pre-orders.
