KIRK SUTPHIN & RILEY BAUGUS
Long-Time Piedmont Pals
Old Blue Records 705

www.oldbluerecords.com
www.rileybaugus.com
 

The title of this CD by Kirk Sutphin & Riley Baugus is particularly apt. The two met on their grade school bus. Riley was bringing his violin for music class and Kirk was carrying his fiddle for show and tell. Thus began a beautiful friendship.

As kids they spent many hours on Tommy Jarrell’s porch and learned tunes from the Round Peak master as well as from Fiddlin’ John Rector and Dix Freeman. They have appeared together on many recordings but this is the first set as a duet and it’s long overdue!

Long-Time Piedmont Pals can easily serve as primer for the Round Peak style of old-time music. The tunes, though every last one a standard, are played with a clarity and drive that even the most seasoned player will find appealing. Besides selections from Tommy Jarrell, the CD includes fine renditions of tunes and songs from Kahle Brewer, Ward Jarvis, Fields Ward, Fred Cockerham, Ernest East and Oscar Jenkins.

The recording is simple and clear with many vocal tunes sung much more clearly than the source recordings. Let’s hope that Riley and Kirk don’t wait quite so long to release another set of wonderful duets. Not to be missed!

— Tom Druckenmiller