Banjo player and vocalist Frank Evans has released the first single from his debut solo album, a kind-hearted look back at the great Roger Miller in T.J.’s Last Ride.
A native of Toronto now living in Nashville, Frank made his name as a member of Canada’s Slocan Ramblers, a group he just recently departed to pursue other opportunities. He is currently touring with Bronwyn Keith-Hynes, and performs and records regularly in Nashville with a variety of artists.
Evans says that a tribute to Miller was definitely on his list for this record.
“I’ve been listening to Roger Miller since I was a kid—from the Robin Hood soundtrack to always having a ‘best of’ tape playing in the car—which is why I wanted to include one of his songs. T.J.’s Last Ride felt like the perfect choice: it has the kind of river-gazing imagery John Hartford might write, paired with the mournful, heartfelt tone of a Stanley Brothers song about a dear friend who has passed on.
When I brought it into the session, the whole band unanimously agreed not to overthink it and to let the song speak for itself—and it did. We played it three times, and the version you hear is almost entirely the complete third take.
It was a real honor to have such an incredible band on this track: Casey Campbell on mandolin, Mike Bub on bass, Justin Moses on dobro and tenor, Shad Cobb on fiddle, and Jake Stargel on guitar.”
We get a fine look at Evans and his take on contemporary bluegrass with this tasty track. It’s a good’n.
T.J.’s Last Ride is available now from popular download and streaming services online. Radio programmers are invited to contact Evans online to get an airplay copy.
