Since his days with the King of Bluegrass, Jimmy Martin, Paul Williams has been renowned for the heady combination of deeply emotional singing, understated mandolin work, and extraordinary songwriting that resulted in bluegrass standards including "My Walking Shoes," "Ocean of Diamonds," and "You Don't Know My Mind."
With his latest Christian bluegrass release, Just a Little Closer Home (review copy courtesy Rebel Records), Williams brings all those talents to the table, but delegates some of the responsibilities to stellar songwriters and his talented band, The Victory Trio. The result is a thematically unified and thoroughly delightful CD full of new bluegrass gospel music delivered with a generous helping of traditional mountain soul.
Songs of Faith
It's no accident that the CD is titled Just a Little Closer Home. Home -- on earth and in heaven -- is the predominant theme.
Three songs describe a feeling of alienation from earthly existence -- in spite of its many blessings -- and a deep longing for a permanent home with Jesus.
On the a capella track, "I'm Longing for Home," the quartet sings praises to the blessings of family, friends, and prosperity, but confesses that they won't be satisfied until they reach heaven "where no goodbyes are spoken/No pain will be known."
Williams and guitarist/vocalist, Dan Moneyhun, swap deeply felt lead vocals on the title cut, which celebrates each new day as a day that brings Christians closer to reunion with Jesus. That reunion is the subject of the traditional-style "What a Meeting in the Air" The warm, rich tone that guest Kevin Jackson coaxes from his fiddle complements Williams' ringing tenor perfectly.
"Anywhere is Home" and "The Lord Still Lives in This Old House" come from two drastically different viewpoints, yet reach the same conclusion. The former, invigorated by resonant harmonies and Jerry Keys' propulsive banjo picking, is about a man who has no home. By contrast, the latter is a beautiful country gospel tribute to the joys of a long-time home on earth. Yet, both agree that only real home they have is with Jesus.
The narrator of "The Best Time of My Life" is just as eager for his home in heaven. But, as someone who used to "feel all alone" because "it seems that nothing goes right," he tells others who feel the same way that Jesus is "telling you something is wrong." In the wake of this realization, the narrator is having "the best time of my life" celebrating the fact that Jesus has saved his soul.
With "Someone Made the Sandals Jesus Wore," from bluegrass tunesmiths Tom T. and Dixie Hall, Williams celebrates the vital place that every Christian has in the body of Christ. "Do what you can do/And He will never ask for more," he sings, going on to offer suggestions:"You can work to make the bad things right/Light on little candle in the night/You can tend the sick and you can/Help to feed the poor."
Paul Williams and the Victory Trio
With "He Answered My Plea," Williams adds another composition to his formidable list of songwriting credits. He shares the lead vocal spotlight with Dan Moneyhun on this rousing, a capella gospel shouter.
Williams is equally generous with the songwriting spotlight. Victory Trio bassist, Susie Keys, contributes " There's Still Time," a poignant slice of country gospel that invites listeners to question the direction of their own lives when "we hear someone's story/Makes us wonder about our own."
Dan Moneyhun lends his songwriting talents with "I've Been Set Free." Once again, he turns in a simple, moving lead vocal, joined by William's soaring tenor and Adam Winstead's rock-solid baritone on the choruses, making for a jubilant close to the album.
Bluegrass Gospel From a Master
Though Paul Williams has been playing bluegrass for decades, his work remains fresh via an unwavering commitment to emotional and spiritual truth. Never content to rest on their laurels, Paul Williams and the Victory Trio have produced another Christian bluegrass classic in Just a Little Closer Home.
Sources
- Skinker, Chris. Liner Notes for Jimmy Martin and the Sunny Mountain Boys by Jimmy Martin and the Sunny Mountain Boys. Hamburg, Germany. Bear Family Records,1994.
- Liner Notes for Just a Little Closer Home by Paul Williams and the Victory Trio. Charlottesville, VA. Rebel Records, 2010.
Diane Amov - Bluegrass singer/songwriter and classically-trained flautist who has written on bluegrass and American roots music since 2005.
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