By his own reckoning — and those of many observers — it took Mason Via a relatively short time to assert his stature as a mover and shaker within the current crop of bluegrass up-and-comers. Of course that’s to be expected given that he honed his chops as a member of Old Crow Medicine Show’s touring band, earned a Grammy nomination for his contributions to that band’s widely heralded album, Jubilee, and achieved additional notoriety when he scored his own success as a competitor on American Idol. Nevertheless, his credits don’t end there. He also had his songs covered on highly coveted albums by Molly Tuttle and the Del McCoury Band, achievements which culminated with the release of New Horizons, his solo debut.
Nevertheless, his new self-titled album on Mountain Fever Records finds him returning to his roots, inspired by the music he heard while growing up in Appalachia. Although his parents had separated, Via spent time with each of them and absorbed the influences gleaned from his family’s fondness for bluegrass, and a solid rootsy regimen.
Via is helped in this endeavor by an all-star instrumental ensemble, one that in includes Aaron Ramsey and Jim Van Cleve, both formerly of Mountain Heart, on mandolin and fiddle respectively, Jason Davis on banjo, Jeff Partin on bass and resophonic guitar, Kyser George on guitar, and Brooks Forsyth and Nick Goad contributing their harmony vocals. Ramsey co-produced, engineered and mixed the record, imbuing the overall effort with the authority and credibility that Via was out to obtain.
Notably too, Ronnie Bowman and Junior Sisk make cameo contributions on Oh Lordy Me, while Bowman reprises his role alongside Rhonda Vincent on Mountain Lullaby.
The star power is impressive of course, but it doesn’t diminish the work that Via did in selecting the songs for this particular collection. The material was recorded live, ensuring a certain spontaneity would remain intact.
The strategy clearly paid off. Traditionalists will appreciate songs such as the aforementioned Oh Lordy Me and Mountain Lullaby, while those who appreciate the ability to bend boundaries ought to find favor with Melt in the Sun and Falling, each of which invest contemporary credence in a string-band setting. The tender tapestry woven into Wide Open, Hey Don’t Go, and ‘Til I Don’t Love You Anymore provides some further engagement. The rambling refrain and sheer charm of Fireball allows that track to speak for itself, while the surging sound of There Goes Another One makes for one breathless encounter.
Through it all, melody and musicality are kept a constant. Consequently, it’s a credit to Via’s skill and savvy that he’s been able to maintain such a high bar so early on. It’s those admirable intents that enable this effort to fuse past and present so effectively.
