Wings to Fly

CD Roundup by John Wolfe
(from Powe'r Pickin', a publication of the
Colorado Bluegrass Music Society)

Roadside Theater
Wings to Fly
Copper Creek CCCD-0208

And now for something completely different, Roadside Theater's play, Singing on the Mountain, presents a celebration of the Scots-Irish music and culture that settled in Appalachia. Wings to Fly is the 17-song CD of the music that supplements the play.

This is entirely fresh, contemporary work, but it captures the heart and soul of the Celtic roots and the foundation of traditional old time mountain music. The ballads and songs allow the story to unfold using occasional narratives, accompanied by fiddle or banjo, to segue from one song to the next. It is an ambitions and satisfying production, along the lines of Emmylou Harris' The Ballad of Sally Rose or Michael Mile's The Magic Banjo.

Instrumentalization naturally leans toward the traditional, but varies as the story progresses through time and space. There are numerous highlights, including "America," with its droning Irish accordion and mandolin accompaniment, and "Sun's Going Down," which employs a button accordion to create an intense, trippy backdrop for the intense vocal message.

"I Might of Wrote it Down" has a Tex-Mex feel, and if I were Ron Short (who wrote every song) I would get this piece into Freddy Fender's hands before it's too late. The honky-tonk piano, tasteful use of electric guitar, and drum kit might initially seem out of place. But the tune works so well, and the arrangement is dead on, adding variety and depth to the whole. We are reminded that The Carter Family's "On Border Radio" work was not that far afield from the swirling tejano sounds that spawned the uniquely polka-flavored country music Fender pioneered.

The performers of Wings to Fly come from the land about which they sing so proudly. "I Will Arise" is performed a capella, recreating the sound and soul of a back hills country church. It is followed by the country flavored, tongue-in-cheek "You Can't Run," with a chorus that says "you can't run when the lord calls you . . . it's no long distance call when God speaks your name."

Wings to Fly is completely unique, timeless work, and if we can't get the Roadside Theater to Colorado, their CD will give us something to sink our teeth into for now.

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