The Blue Ridge Partners with Al Elliott - Church In The Mountains

(Old Homestead OHS-90091) 1983

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Although this was Al Elliott's final LP to be released, there's a few indications that it was recorded around 1978. The band's line-up on the rear cover is listed as including Jim Bullock (bass) and Jim Miller (fiddle), but it also includes a note thanking Virgil Shouse for the "outstanding bass playing" on the album. This credit, along with the absence of any fiddle on the recording, suggests that the album was recorded around the time of the 1978 The Blue Ridge Partners (with Al Elliott) LP, and only released much later after Jim Bullock & Jim Miller had joined the band. This would also explain why the catalogue number OHS-90091 appears to be released out of sequence compared to the other Old Homestead LP's.^[1]

The material is mostly familiar Gospel fare, particularly to Stanley fans, with ten of the fourteen songs either being cut by the Stanley Borthers or Ralph. The other four were also recorded by The Louivin Brothers, Jim & Jesse, and Goins Brothers... The title track, The Church In The Mountains threw me a bit, but is actually a re-named version of Don Reno's Mountain Church.

The band are in comfortable territory throughout with tight vocal harmonies, and excellent backing.

The album includes one instrumental - a fab banjo led rendition of When The Saints Go Marching In.

Highly recommended.

• Albert Elliott: mandolin, lead & tenor vocal
• J.R. Gibson: guitar, lead vocal
• Jerry Keys: banjo
• G.C. Matlock: lead guitar, baritone vocal
• Virgil Shouse: bass

Other artwork / related images:

[1] OHS-90083 through to 90096 all seem to have been released in 1978, except for 90089 (1981) & 90091 (1983), with 90090 possibly being unreleased.