Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver – Life Is A Story
by Christian Lamitschka for Country Music News International
- Kids These Days
- Little girl
- Life Of A Hardworkin ‘Man
- Life To My Days
- I see a heartbreak comin ‘
- Guitar case
- What Am I Living For
- Bluegrass Blues
- Derailed
- Love Lives Again
- Cry Across Kansas
- Drivin ‘It Home
After newcomers were the focus here in the last few months, today we are turning to an “old hand” in the music business, namely Doyle Lawson, who was born in Tennessee in 1944.
Today he is the head of the group “Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver” as a mandolin player, singer and producer, but his musical career began as early as the 1950s.
At that time he was a regular listener of the still existing country radio show “Grand Ole Opry”, where he became aware of the mandolin playing of Bill Monroe who is considered the father of “Bluegrass” music.
Inspired by this, Lawson began teaching himself to play the mandolin at the age of 11, followed by guitar and banjo.
In 1963 he moved to Nashville, where he played in various groups, first on the banjo, then later on the mandolin.
In 1972 he joined the “Country Gentlemen” and spent eight years with them.
After he left that band, he formed “Doyle Lawson and Foxfire”, which after a name change became “Doyle Lawson and Quicksilver”.
They were signed by “Sugar Hill Records” and in 1981 the bluegrass and gospel album “Rock My Soul” was released, followed by the second album “Heavenly Treasures”.
More studio albums, almost every year, followed and the band also appeared at various festivals, such as the “Tottenham Bluegrass Festival” in Canada, or the annual Doyle Dawson & Quicksilver Festival in Denton, North Carolina.
Lawson and his musicians have also received numerous awards, for example, the Grammy nomination for the album “In Session” in 2015.
As a Christian, Doyle Lawson combines the two styles “Bluegrass” and “Gospel” and now presents a new album in this genre with “Life Is A Story”.
Banjo and mandolin are Doyle’s trademarks and he uses them very intensively, especially on the tracks “Kids These Days”, “Life Of A Hardworkin’ Man”, “Derailed” and “Cry Across Kansas”. Songs like “Life To My Days”, “Love Lives Again” or “Guitar Case”, an impressive guitar title, showcase the virtuosity and depth of the artist.
The earthy “bluegrass blues” has its very own musical note.
The music seems very coherent, you won’t find any breaks in style here.
Lyrically, the album is about love, loss, tragedies and triumphs that run through all of our lives and thus also conveys a coherence in terms of content.
Overall, an interesting project that positively stands out from the crowd.