Larry Sparks - Where The Sweet Waters Flow

(Old Homestead OHS-90035) 1973/4

---

After Ramblin' Bluegrass, Larry was reported in early 1973 to have been recording a Gospel album for Starday^[1]. Financial difficulties at the company meant however that the project never came to fruition, so presumably this LP was recorded in it's place.

In the liner notes, Tim Maynard is mentioned as playing banjo, so it must have at least partially been recorded in 1973^[2] but it wasn't reviewed/mentioned in 'Bluegrass Unlimited' until Dec. 1974 (after The Footsteps Of Tradition had also been cut & released). The album review in 'Bluegrass Unlimited' says that "Two recording sessions appear to be represented here with Tim Maynard playing banjo on the first and Dave Evans on the second.", however the liner notes only mention Tim Maynard, Wendy Miller and Art Weidner.

Although uncredited, all of the tracks on the LP feature sterling fiddle work, that is undoubtedly the work of former CMB Ralph 'Joe' Meadows. He'd recorded with The Goins Brothers in Feb & Aug 1973 and was mentioned as having joined Larry Sparks in the Mar. 1974 issue of 'Bluegrass Unlimited', one month after Dave Evans. The same news-item also mentions that Wendy Miller had rejoined the group too.^[3]

I'm not familiar enough with the banjo style of Dave Evans or Tim Maynard, to tell who plays on what, but the tenor vocal on the Don't Turn Him Away, Me And Jesus and There's Room At The Cross sound very much like Dave Evans.

Line-up quibbles aside, the album is a fabulous soulful affair full of bluesy guitar and fiddle work; with plenty of gutsy banjo, and superb vocals by Larry.

The title track, Where The Sweet Waters Flow is one of four songs written by Larry & Bernice Sparks. It kicks off the album perfectly with Larry's guitar and plaintive vocal augmented by Joe Meadows mournful fiddle. The other tracks co-written with Bernice, are also quite strong, with Don't Turn Him Away having a neat guitar break; Jesus Is The Rock featuring another great solo vocal on the verses & harmony on the chorus; and There's Room At The Cross featuring an Earl Scruggs' style guitar break & tenor by Dave Evans.

Larry also wrote I'll Meet Him There which is an uptempo number with some great intermingling backing on mandolin, banjo and fiddle.

More familiar tracks include a spirited rendition of the Flatt & Scruggs classic Get In Line Brother; the old hymn Where We'll Never Grow Old; and a faced paced version of What Kind Of Man, which Larry wrote with Ralph Stanley on the Over The Sunset Hill LP.

The album also features three fine instrumentals: What A Friend, Wayfaring Stranger and When The Saints Go Marching In. The later in particular features some gutsy banjo / mandolin, lead guitar & fiddle, with the other two being more laid back renditions.

There really isn't a duff track on the album, even the version of Me And Jesus (which I normally hate) sounds good, with a well thought out arrangement. The only drawback is the LP surface noise... which on the two copies I've heard is not good. The album is however on Spotify, and this I think will have a better sound.

One 45 was released from the album: Where The Sweet Waters Flow / I'll Meet Him There (Old Homestead OHM-5030) 1974.

The album was released with two different covers. The artwork for the most common purple cover with a drawing of a church spire, seems to have been inspired by the cover to Carl Story & The Rambling Mountaineers - 'Good Ole Mountain Gospel Music' (Mercury Wing SRW-16291) 1964^[4]. The less common version features a photo of Larry standing in front of a country church door.

Larry later re-recorded What Kind Of Man on I Want To Be Like Jesus (2001) and I Don't Regret A Mile (2008); he also re-cut Jesus Is The Rock on The Rock I Stand On (1994); and Where The Sweet Waters Flow on 40 with The Isaacs.

• Larry Sparks: guitar, lead vocal
• Dave Evans: banjo, tenor vocal
• Tim Maynard: banjo, harmony vocal
• Ralph 'Joe' Meadows: fiddle
• Wendy Miller: mandolin, harmony vocal
• Art Weidner: bass

Other artwork / related images:

[1] the 'General Store' section of 'Bluegrass Unlimited' Mar. 1973 edition.
[2] Dave Evans was reported to have joined the band in the Feb 1974 'General Store' section of Bluegrass Unlimited, so the LP must have been recorded before then, and probably at least two months before given typical magazine production schedules. An advert for Larry & the Lonesome Ramblers in the same issue refers to them as "Recording Artists of Starday-King Records".
[3] 'General Store' section of 'Bluegrass Unlimited' Mar 1974.
[4] https://www.discogs.com/master/647335-Carl-Story-The-Rambling-Mountaineers-Good-Ole-Mountain-Gospel-Music