2026 was a monumental year for family, friends and fans of Carter and Ralph Stanley. Not only were they inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame, but it also marked eighty years since the brothers embarked on their professional career in music. With the idea of introducing the Stanley Brothers’ body of work to today’s listeners, Alison Brown and Garry West assembled an all-star cast of bluegrass, country, and Americana artists to present fresh takes on the classic material that has been become part of the canon of the bluegrass and mountain music tradition. The resulting effort, Where The Soul Never Dies: Celebrating 80 Years of the Stanley Brothers on Compass Records, accomplishes this goal without question.
The opening track, If I Lose, features Billy Strings along with Drew Emmitt of Leftover Salmon. Considering how much reverence Billy carries for bluegrass of earlier generations, it’s only fitting that he’s featured on one of the more traditional renditions found on this project. Along with Strings on guitar and lead vocal and Emmitt on mandolin and harmony vocals, they are accompanied by Alison Brown on banjo, Jason Carter on fiddle, and Todd Phillips on bass.
Bound To Ride provides one of the album’s most poignant performances as it’s one of the final recordings from country legend Dolly Parton, to whom the album is dedicated. With backing from the First Ladies of Bluegrass (Brown on banjo, Becky Buller on fiddle, Sierra Hull on mandolin, Molly Tuttle on guitar, and Missy Raines on bass), this track carries spiritedness and fun throughout.
Another country legend that participated was Willie Nelson. Featured alongside Sierra Ferrell singing the gospel standard, I’ll Fly Away, this has by far one of the largest and most intriguing supporting casts which includes Alison on banjo, Stuart Duncan on fiddle, Trey Hensley on guitar, Rob Ickes on resophonic guitar, Matt Rollings on piano and organ, Garry West on bass, and Josh Day on drums.
There’s two selections in particular that are most appropriate on this album. One is Ridin’ That Midnight Train, which features Jim Lauderdale, a friend and collaborator of Ralph Stanley for many years. Here he is accompanied by the Travelin’ McCourys consisting of Ronnie McCoury on mandolin and harmony vocals, Rob McCoury on banjo, Cody Kilby on guitar, Alan Bartram on bass, and Christian Ward on fiddle. Another track, Mother No Longer Awaits Me At Home, features Ralph Stanley II and Tim O’Brien with backing from II’s recent configuration of the Clinch Mountain Boys: Curtis Coleman on banjo, Alex Leach on guitar, Stanley Efaw on fiddle, and Randall Hibbits on bass.
Pardon Me Stranger is a modernization of Carter and Ralph’s How Far To Little Rock. Featuring Ed Helms and Steve Martin, both accomplished actors, comedians, and banjoists in their own right, this amusing and mildly irreverent take is one of the album’s true highlights. Helms and Martin are accompanied by Alison Brown on banjo and guitar, Stuart Duncan on fiddle, Tristan Scroggins on mandolin, and Garry West on bass.
Ralph’s Banjo Special is another strong highlight. Featuring three extraordinary banjoists, Alison Brown, Gena Britt, and Kristin Scott Benson, each of them take their respective solos on Ralph’s Gibson Style 5 Mastertone banjo. With backing from Deanie Richardson and Kimber Ludiker on twin fiddles, Tristan Scroggins on mandolin, Justin Moses on guitar, and Missy Raines on bass, this is a powerful rendition of a tune enjoyed by countless admirers of Ralph’s banjo picking.
As eloquently stated in the album’s liner notes, “the music the Stanleys made keeps moving forward because the people who love it keep ‘playing it forward’.” Where The Soul Never Dies: Celebrating 80 Years of the Stanley Brothers not only brings new renditions of Carter and Ralph’s material, but shows how generations of musicians will continue to play it forward.
