For the past few years, Dolly Parton has wisely made large strides in shedding her "corn-pone, big knockers" image and has began to concentrate again on songwriting and performing.
It is a wonderful turning around. "Grass," her second solo album in the last two years, showcases her tremendous singing, performing and songwriting (don’t forget she wrote the now standard "I Will Always Love You") in a number of bluegrass staples that, with a strong supporting band, take her right past her image and back to her Tennessee roots.
Until recently, probably the best place to find the strength of Parton’s voice was on her trio recordings with Emmylou Harris and Linda Ronstadt. Perhaps as a result of that, she has reconfigured (no pun intended) her career, and it has shot sky high.
With a stellar cast including Jerry Douglas on dobro, Sam Bush on mandolin and Stuart Duncan on fiddle, Parton absolutely smashes through covers like Billy Joel’s "Travelin’ Prayer" and Lester Flatt’s "I’m Gonna Sleep with One Eye Open." Originals like "Steady as the Rain" and "Will He Be Waiting for Me" rank with the best she has ever written.
Get past the image and run out and buy this record.
- Mark T. Gould
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