Mountain Home Music has released another track from their upcoming duo project for Benson, the husband and wife team of Wayne Benson and Kristin Scott Benson. Both perform regularly with top touring acts in bluegrass, Kristin on banjo with The Grascals, and Wayne on mandolin with Russell Moore & IIIrd Tyme Out. The Grascals are based in Nashville, and IIIrd Tyme Out in Georgia, so the two live in South Carolina where they are raising the teenaged son.
Since both Wayne and Kristin are primarily instrumentalists, they needed to bring in a number of friends to add vocals to this album, and they have enlisted Mickey Harris from Rhonda Vincent & The Rage to voice this latest single, Red Mountain Wine. Harris worked for a time with Kristin in Sally Jones’ band, so they are buds from way back.
The song comes from an unlikely source, Cajun country-rocker Floyd “Gib” Gilbeau, who had released it in the 1970s just before he became a member of the Flying Burrito Brothers. But Wayne says they actually got it second hand.
“This is an old song that a lot of people have done, but we know it from the Lost & Found. I believe one of Kristin’s banjo students was playing it as part of her band, similar to the Lost & Found cut. Then, Kristin had the idea of speeding it up and turning it into a barnburner.”
She says that it suits their instruments perfectly.
“This one is straight-ahead bluegrass with plenty of mandolin and banjo playing. Uptempo and lots of fun to play!”
Rounding out the session were Cody Kilby on guitar, Paul Watson on bass, and Jim VanCleve on fiddle.
Have a listen…
Whew… that didn’t take long!
Red Mountain Wine from Benson is available now from popular download and streaming services online. Radio programmers can get the track via AirPlay Direct.
