Leftover Salmon – The Nashville Sessions

Colorado’s Leftover Salmon describes its music as “polyethnic Cajun slamgrass,” a phrase that’s not exactly attractive to either hard-core bluegrassers or alt.country aficionados suspicious of jam bands and hippies. The former — especially those with an unbending hostility to drums and electric basses — may not find much in this album to change their minds, but the latter (as well as more flexible bluegrass fans) are likely to find it a pleasant surprise.

Produced by Randy Scruggs, a pioneer of ’70s bluegrass-rock, the band’s second release for Hollywood features guests ranging from Earl Scruggs to Lucinda Williams to Bela Fleck to Waylon Jennings. From the opening “Midnight Blues”, featuring appearances by Ronnie and Del McCoury, it’s clear that, image notwithstanding, the Salmon fellows know their stuff; mandolinist/vocalist Drew Emmitt, who penned the tune, matches his picking and singing right with the high-powered guests, while the rest of the band lays a tasty (and tasteful) McCouryesque groove.

Taj Mahal follows with a recap of his “Lovin’ In My Baby’s Eyes” with help from dobroist Sally Van Meter, and again, the band falls into line behind the guest. It’s not until the third cut, the Latin/reggae tune “Dance On Your Head” (with guests Bela Fleck, Reese Wynans and Jeff Coffin), that Leftover Salmon asserts its own identity.

It’s a sensible, effective approach — support some guests, get support from others — and it gives the album an enjoyably loose, almost kaleidoscopic flavor. Jennings shines in his brief turn on “Are You Sure Hank Done It This Way”, which starts off gently acoustic before revving up on the outro. Williams and accordionist Jo-El Sonnier are up-front on a rockin’ version of her tune “Lines Around Your Eyes”.

Wynans, Fleck, Randy Scruggs, Jerry Douglas, Sam Bush and John Cowan incorporate themselves in varying degrees on more Salmon-centered numbers such as “Breakin’ Thru” and “On The Other Side”. Though he is an icon of traditional bluegrass, Earl Scruggs continues to defy expectations as he has done for almost 30 years by making an appearance on Salmon banjoist Mark Vann’s “Five Alive”.

A star-studded affair like this can fall short if the guest list turns out to be merely decorative, or if it overwhelms the host’s identity. To Leftover Salmon’s credit, The Nashville Sessions avoids both pitfalls and delivers a solid, substantial set of musical collaborations.