Tony Rice - Night Flyer: The Singer Songwriter Collection (CD, 2008)

by Joe Ross, 09/14/2008

Bleugrass singer-songwriters are oft maligned.

Perhaps it's because there are so many bluegrass guitarists out there singing with tedium about their personal relationships and experiences that none of us really care about. And then there are guys like Tony Rice who have built a signature sound around masterful guitar, comfortable vocals, provocative lyrics, and intriguing storytelling. The title cut on "Night Flyer" comes from a John Mayall blues album, and Tony Rice also covers fascinating material from the likes of Joni Mitchell, James Taylor, Mary Chapin Carpenter, Ian Tyson, Bob Franke, Norman Blake, Phil Ochs, Tom Waits, John Starling and of course Bob Dylan.

The majority are from Tony's previously-recorded albums. He takes songs from successful singer-songwriters in their own right and then arranges them to blend with his own dynamic instrumentation and vocals to fully tap their sensitivity and emotional qualities. One of the three previously unreleased tracks, "Never Meant to Be" is Tony's own composition that captures the sadness and anger felt after the breakup of a long-term marriage. Another of the three, "About Love," comes from Larry Rice's pen and, like the other, features harmony vocals of Kathy Chiavola and Jimmy Gaudreau. Some cuts feature minimal or laid-back harmony vocals, but don't expect a copious amount of that on this singer-songwriter material. It's also not banjo-centric bluegrass and Bela Fleck's five-string only appears at track 16, Jerry Reed's "Likes of Me." Instead, this release reinforces Rice's reputation as a serious folksinger of heartfelt songs, and the album closes with the third previously unreleased cut -- Tony singing Tom Waits' "Pony" accompanied only by Jon Carroll's piano.