Joe Isaacs – Dreaming Of Home

Patriarch and founder of bluegrass gospel family group the Isaacs, Joe Isaacs stuck out on his own several years ago. Despite his background, his first solo CD has no gospel songs; instead, with the help of a strong cast that includes a son (Ben), a daughter (Sonya) and a clutch of bluegrass heavy-hitters such as Aubrey Haynie, Jim Van Cleve, Rob Ickes and Carl Jackson, it’s a surprisingly strong bluegrass album that underlines his abilities as a traditionally oriented singer, songwriter and banjo player.

Like many other bluegrassers of a certain age, Isaacs has a familiarity with the classic country repertoire, so bluegrass classics such as “This Weary Heart You Stole Away” and “Lonesome Old Home” are mixed with songs such as “We Must Have Been Out Of Our Minds” and “There Goes My Everything” (sung with Jack Greene, who made it a hit). Vince Gill pitches in on two of the album’s five originals, “Wasted Years” and “America Our Home”, but otherwise the vocal focus is on Joe, his family members, and frequent duet partner Stacy York. Given his age and occasional health problems, one is prepared to cut Isaacs a little slack, but none’s needed; without exception, his readings are graceful and compelling.

With plenty of enjoyable instrumental and vocal combinations and a central figure capable of pulling them together into a coherent whole, Dreaming Of Home is what one might call meat-and-potatoes bluegrass. There’s nothing new here besides the performances themselves, but there doesn’t need to be.