Curly Seckler - That Old Book Of Mine (CD, 2006)

by Donald Teplyske, 01/11/2006

Under-familiar to most casual bluegrass listeners, those most devoted to bluegrass music history are well aware of Curly Seckler’s contributions to the genre. He is truly a founding uncle of bluegrass music, having played with Charlie Monroe, Flatt & Scruggs, Jim & Jesse, and Mac Wiseman, and having continued the Nashville Grass after Lester Flatt’s death. He is a member of the IBMA Hall of Honor, and is revered by other bluegrass legends including Doyle Lawson.

This impressively packaged reissue collects material from an outstanding 1971 recording with the Shenandoah Cut-Ups titled Curly Seckler Sings Again. These eleven tracks are supplemented by five tunes recorded with Willis Spears in 1989, taken from the album Tribute to Lester Flatt. The music, ranging from standards like ”Salty Dog Blues” and “Don’t This Road Look Rough and Rocky” to less familiar fare such as Bill Monroe’s “Remember the Cross” and Seckler’s own “What’s The Matter Now”, is of another era and yet timeless.

While Seckler is a more than capable lead vocalist, he is best known as a tenor singer, something very much in evidence here. On the 1971 numbers, Billy Edwards (banjo) takes the lead on many, with Seckler’s rich tenor soaring over the top. Tater Tate (fiddle), Hershel Sizemore (mandolin)) and John Palmer (bass) provide the instrumental accompaniment alongside Seckler’s guitar.

By 1989, Seckler was singing only tenor, with Spears’ powerful voice in the lead position. Seckler plays mandolin on these tunes with Spears handling guitar, and Seckler’s vocal contributions are again flawless. Rounding out these sessions are Ron Stewart (fiddle), Larry Perkins (banjo), and Phillip Staff (bass.)

All instrumentation on this album is well recorded and of the quality most often associated with classic, traditional bluegrass music. No one gets to flashy, with the focus on the melding of voices with smooth harmony. This is especially evident on “Give Me The Roses While I Live” and “No Mother In This World.”

Having had the pleasant honor of hearing the now 86-year old’s still powerful tenor recently in Nashville at the IBMA’s World of Bluegrass, this recording is a testament to the man’s talent and legacy. Along with the more recently recorded Down In Caroline (Copper Creek), That Old Book of Mine is a welcome, essential bluegrass music release.

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