Alan Bibey – photo © David Archer
The bluegrass music community lost a mandolin legend in September 2022 with the passing of Herschel Sizemore. With a musical career spanning over half a century, Sizemore left his mark as a member of such groups as Jimmy Martin & the Sunny Mountain Boys, Del McCoury & the Dixie Pals, the Shenandoah Cut Ups, and the Bluegrass Cardinals, among several others. Sizemore was also known for his innovative mandolin stylings and his influence on several generations of pickers, including modern mandolin master Alan Bibey.
Bibey has now sought to honor Sizemore’s legacy with a new release from Billy Blue Records, Uncle Herschel. The upbeat instrumental is, of course, heavy on the mandolin, with appearances not only from Bibey but two other mandolin greats, Ronnie McCoury and Sierra Hull.
According to Bibey, he has wanted to record a tribute to Sizemore for quite a while.
“I’ve long thought of writing a song in honor of my dearest friend and mentor, Herschel Sizemore. I had the title in my head and eventually came up with a melody that I believe he would love. Having my great friends, super mandolinists Ronnie McCoury and Sierra Hull join me on the recording was a blessing. Herschel loved harmony and so do the three of us. Recording the song was a total blast, and I think the result reflects the beautiful spirit of the session.”
Joining Bibey, McCoury, and Hull on the track are several other top notch musicians. Ron Stewart handles banjo duties, Aubrey Haynie is on fiddle, Jeff Huffman plays guitar, and Zak McLamb is on bass. The tune has a rich, full sound, with some excellent three-part mandolin harmony.
In addition to the newly released song, Bibey will also be honoring Sizemore with a concert at the Floyd Country Store in Floyd, VA, on August 22 at 7:00 p.m. The tribute concert will feature Alan Bibey & Grasstowne along with New Standard Bluegrass. Spencer Blankenship, the mandolin player for New Standard Bluegrass, studied under Sizemore for a number of years and like Bibey, counts him as one of his biggest influences.
Sizemore is one of a very few musicians whose tunes have become standards in the genre. In time, Bibey’s new tune may join that list. The melody is reminiscent of something Sizemore would’ve played or even created. Although the musical stylings of McCoury, Hull, and Bibey are all distinct, each player pays homage to one of history’s greatest mandolinists in fantastic fashion. Long live the memory of Herschel Sizemore.
Uncle Herschel is available now for download and streaming from a variety of popular online services. Radio programmers can get the track at AirPlay Direct.
