Hailing from Oshawa, Ontario, Mike “Boomer” Boyd has been an active part of the Canadian bluegrass scene for many years. His debut recording, simply titled Bluegrass, is a collection of bluegrass standards alongside a few songs plucked from the country repertoire.
The opening track, California Cottonfields, is most notable in bluegrass circles due to the Seldom Scene’s rendition on their landmark 1975 album, Live at the Cellar Door. Here it’s rendered as a duet with Boomer and his longtime collaborator Jeff Ellis, who provides vocals as well as mandolin, guitar, banjo, and bass. Nine of the fourteen selections have Ellis handling all the instrumental duties, which he is fairly capable of.
Song For Life is the first of a few country songs interpreted in a bluegrass vein on this recording. Written by Rodney Crowell, it’s the first track to feature Luann Barton on harmony vocals, who currently performs with Boomer and Ellis in the Boomer Boyd Ensemble. The John Conlee classic, Rose Coloured Glasses, features nice vocal work from the trio as well.
I’d Like To Wander Back comes from the catalog of the late Ron Spears. It’s rendered really nicely here between Boyd and Burton, as is the traditional favorite, More Pretty Girls, credited to Woody Guthrie.
The real surprise on this effort is Six Days On The Road. Popularized by Dave Dudley, it’s performed here in a driving up-tempo fashion with great intensity. It’s an excellent contrast to previous versions that have been recorded over the years.
Redwood Hill is one of several tracks to feature the backing cast of Ellis and Burton alongside banjoist Mike Kraft and resophonic guitarist Larry Stevens. While not the strongest rendition of the song, this particular recording features excellent banjo work from Kraft.
While the track listing of Bluegrass is fairly run-of-the-mill, Mike “Boomer” Boyd does a nice job interpreting these songs. More importantly, he surrounds himself with instrumentalists and vocalists who each bring their own perspective to these well-loved standards.
