Mountain Home Music Company is set to release another single tomorrow from its Bluegrass at the Crossroads project, a band scramble sort of recording where members of various bands and solo artists are grouped into unexpected ensembles. They have intentionally matched musicians from the more traditional side of bluegrass with those of a more progressive bent, and the results have been quite impressive.
Tomorrow’s release is for On The Lonesome Breeze, a song written by Travis Book of Infamous Stringdusters and project producer Jon Weisberger. Travis takes the lead vocal as well, supported by Lonesome River Band banjoist Sammy Shelor, Wayne Benson of IIIrd Tyme Out on mandolin, Carley Arrowood on fiddle, and Joe Cicero of Fireside Collective on guitar. Book plays the bass as well, with vocal harmonies provided by Arrowood and John Cloyd Miller of Zoe & Cloyd.
With the exception of Benson and Arrowood, none of these artists have ever recorded together, precisely the sort of interactions Mountain Home was after in these sessions.
Travis recalls how this one came to be written.
“One of the first times I met Jon, more than ten years ago, he suggested the hook and soon thereafter we wrote On The Lonesome Breeze. I jumped at the chance to help bring this song to life, and I loved being a part of Bluegrass at the Crossroads — the recording session is already the stuff of legend!”
Jon picks it up from there…
“I’ve loved this song ever since Travis and I wrote it. When I put this session together, it came to mind right away — and I knew not only that he would turn in a great vocal, but that it would be a chance to really underline what can come from bringing together these masterful musicians from different backgrounds: a memorable recording, and a lot of fun in the studio, too. Making good music and building community are what Bluegrass at the Crossroads is all about!”
Here’s the track.
On The Lonesome Breeze will be available as a single tomorrow, April 30, wherever you stream or download music online. Radio programmers can get the track now from AirPlay Direct.
