Nitty Gritty Dirt Band – Will The Circle Be Unbroken, Vol. III

If you’ve ever sat to listen in the center of an acoustic session, you know the aural bliss of hearing pure tones straight from the players’ instruments and singers’ voices. Imagine the sounds possible surrounded by the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band — along with a rotating cast of Jerry Douglas, Emmylou Harris, Taj Mahal, Sam Bush, Jimmy Martin, Earl Scruggs, Alison Krauss and a host of other stellar bluegrass, country and blues artists. While imagination is always good, you can actually have this experience with a copy of Will The Circle Be Unbroken Volume III and a good pair of headphones.

Thirty years after the fervent sessions for the original Will The Circle Be Unbroken album, another circle recently formed at Scruggs Sound Studios in Nashville, intent on revisiting the first record’s loose and raw acoustic vibe. While the bristling energy of culture-clash-gone-right can never happen again like it did in 1972, Will The Circle Be Unbroken, Volume III is similarly energized by the musical commonality of those gathered.

With a circular unplugged setting, the impromptu nature of the recording environment created by producer Randy Scruggs and engineer Ron Reynolds adds another comfort level to the proceedings. Chatter between songs gives a glimpse of spontaneous studio interaction, helping conjure up the vibes that must have been in the room with such a crew.

Anchoring the circle again is the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, with banjoist John McEuen back in the fold alongside Jeff Hanna and company. Returning guests from the 1972 sessions are Earl Scruggs, Vassar Clements, Doc Watson and Jimmy Martin. An additional roster of guest vocalists and pickers includes the Nashville Bluegrass Band, the Del McCoury Band, Ricky Skaggs, Alison Krauss, Josh Graves, Willie Nelson, Matraca Berg, Sam Bush, Iris DeMent, Johnny Cash, June Carter Cash and many more. A new generation is represented as well, with Doc Watson’s grandson Richard, John McEuen’s son Jonathan, Jeff Hanna’s son Jaime, and Randy Scruggs Jr. celebrating and expanding on their families’ bluegrass and country music traditions.

Only two cuts from the 1972 album are revisited among the two discs and 28 songs here. “Will The Circle Be Unbroken” is a natural choice for a grand finale, the lead vocals spread among the contrasting tones of Krauss, Taj Mahal and Doc Watson. Richard Watson joins Doc for another take on “I Am A Pilgrim”, a standout guitar and vocal piece on the 1972 record and here as well.

The album is full of sweet moments, expected and unexpected. Jimmy Martin still tears it up on “Hold What You Got”, and Sam Bush shines in a vocal and mandolin turn on Carter Stanley’s slow mourner “Lonesome River”. The unexpected moments, though, show that the circle is expanding in concentric rings, including Jaime Hanna paired with Jonathan McEuen on Gary Scruggs’ “The Lowlands”, and Matraca Berg joining Emmylou Harris on “Oh Cumberland”.

Progressive bluegrass explorations abound on “Return To Dismal Swamp II”, with particularly hot picking by Jerry Douglas and Tony Rice. Nevertheless, tradition still carries the day here. That’s what this project is all about, and has been since the first one.