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Curley Lambert with The Goins Brothers - Blue Grass Evergreen

(Old Homestead OHS-90072) 1976

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Former (& future) CMB, Curley Lambert joined The Goins Brothers in March 1975 and this LP was cut in Spring 1976 at Lowell Varney's studio in Crum, West Virginia.

Liner notes for this one are by noted bluegrass historian and author Ivan M. Tribe, who also had an article on Curley Lambert published in the Feb. 1976 issue of 'Bluegrass Unlimited' entitled "Curley Lambert: Bluegrass Evergreen". The title of the album & magazine piece, refer to Curley's lengthy duration as a bluegrass sideman with Bill & Mary Reid, Bill Clifton, Flatt & Scruggs, Charlie Moore & Bill Napier, Masters Family, Chief Powahatan, Charlie Moore & The Dixie Partners, and last but not least - around five spells with the Stanley Brothers / Ralph Stanley. (He'd later serve another period with Ralph towards the end of 1976 / early 1977). Melvin would often introduce Curley on stage as one of the "bluegrass evergreens".^[1]

Curley sings lead on two tracks (Flatt & Scruggs' Why Don't You Tell Me So & Merle Haggard's Swinging Doors - both with harmony by Melvin & Ray). Melvin similarly provides lead vocal on Are You Washed In The Blood, with Lowell Varney guesting on bass vocal. The other material is performed as instrumentals with a mix of lesser known tunes like Maple Sugar, early Merle Haggard (I Walk Alone), bluegrass oldies (Daybreak In Dixie / Rawhide), gospel (What A Friend), and old-time (the Delmore's Gonna Lay Down My Old Guitar).

Buddy Griffin adds some nice autoharp on What A Friend; overdubbed fiddles on What A Friend / Fire On The Mountain; and lead guitar on Gonna Lay Down My Old Guitar.

Curley Lambert's mandolin playing is as consumate as ever and fits well with Buddy Griffin's expressive fiddle work & Ray Goins' no-nonsense banjo. It's notable that in Ivan Tribe's 'Bluegrass Unlimited' article he comments on how "Curley's mandolin has helped to give the current Goins Brothers band an excellent instrumental quality."

The Appalshop Archive has some video footage of the Goins Brothers with Curley Lambert from the Wise County Shriners Bluegrass festival: including a 1975 performance (also with Country Comfort and the Outdoor Plumbing Co.); a 1976 performance (also with The Marshall Family); and a 1977 performance featuring a young Charlie Sizemore on lead guitar. Although the video windows are quite small, they can be viewed full-screen once a video has started playing.

• Curley Lambert: mandolin
• Melvin Goins: guitar
• Ray Goins: banjo
• Conley Goins: bass
• Buddy Griffin: fiddle, lead guitar, autoharp

^{[1] eg. see the band introductions at the 1975 Wise County Shriners Bluegrass festival.}