When Junior Sisk decides to take a step back and assess his
musical direction, one must never question his motives again.
Simply put, Brand New Shade Of Blue is the record Junior has
been wanting, needing to make for years. “When I first started
performing professionally, my goal was always to present
traditional bluegrass,” says Junior. “With the loss of so many great,
traditional Bluegrass artists of late—Ralph Stanley, James King,
Dave Evans, and Melvin Goins—I really want to make a strong
effort to keep their sound alive, as well.” That opportunity
presented itself organically when Junior’s long-time band,
Ramblers Choice, had a change in personnel at the end of 2017.
“When Jason Davis and Kameron Keller moved on to create a
new band, I really felt like it was the perfect opportunity to regroup
and put more focus on my original goal. I’ve had these songs
stashed away for a while and they were perfect for this record.
They are modern songs featuring a traditional vocal treatment.”
Junior may very well have made one of this year’s best albums,
possibly the best of his career, with Brand New Shade Of Blue.
To do so, he relied on the help of some stellar vocalists who fit his
own style perfectly. Del McCoury sings tenor on “The Guilt Was
Gone,” a sure-fire vocal collaboration that is well overdue. The
sweet songbird voice of Heather Berry Mabe melds with Junior’s
Appalachian sound like none other and creates a match made in
heaven for a duet on “Backwards And Forwards.” And who better
to bring a soulful duet vocal on “God Did Good” than Marty
Raybon with his brother Tim joining in to create a three part
harmony structure. Songwriting stalwart Tim Massey, who has
contributed several great tunes to Junior’s repertoire over the
years, sang tenor on his self-penned “Honey Do List.” And another
award-winning writer, Daniel Salyer, equally known for his high
lonesome sound, rounds out the bulk of the harmony on the
project. But one of the best collaborations is that of Junior and The
Lost And Found’s Allen Mills on “By Now I Would Be Dead.” Noone
performs tongue-in-cheek songs better than Allen Mills and
bringing him into the mix on this song is pure genius. But for all the
highlight tracks featuring guests that make this album special, the
standout star continues to be Junior with his heart for a song that
shows every time he opens his mouth to sing a note. Brand New
Shade Of Blue is quintessential Junior Sisk music and an album
that bluegrass enthusiasts will no doubt embrace with open arms.
Friends, Junior Sisk is back!
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