Before Drew Emmitt began playing "polyethnic Cajun slamgrass" with Leftover Salmon in 1990, he was the lead singer and mandolin player for the Colorado-based progressive bluegrass group the Left Hand String Band. On his solo debut, Freedom Ride, Emmitt revisits the bluegrass of his pre-Salmon days and gets a chance to play with some of the musicians that inspired him to take up the mandolin all those years ago. The guest artists include Peter Rowan, Randy Scruggs, legendary fiddler Vassar Clements, and former New Grass Revival members Sam Bush and John Cowan, whose own John Cowan Band supplies the accompaniment. Most of the songs are Emmitt originals, which he salts with a handful of cannily chosen covers like J.J. Cale's "If You're Ever in Oklahoma" and Bob Dylan's "Tangled Up in Blue," which Emmitt recasts as a bluegrass breakdown complete with twin fiddle lead breaks and banjo solos. Freedom Ride is not as eclectic as Emmitt's work with Leftover Salmon, but the focus and intensity of the performances more than make up for the lack of extended jams. --Michael Simmons

Product Description

The first solo album from the dynamic lead singer Leftover Salmon. This is amust have for all Leftover Slamon fans, newgrass and bluegrass fans!