Bluegrass & White Snow cover

Bluegrass & White Snow

Patty Loveless

Album · 2002 · Epic EK 85967

Bluegrass & White Snow: A Mountain Christmas (Epic EK 85967) was released on 29 October 2002, the year after Patty Loveless’s acoustic album Mountain Soul. Her husband, Emory Gordy Jr., produced it and plays guitar or acoustic bass on every track except the two with the Nashville Mandolin Ensemble. It was recorded at Hound’s Ear Studio and the Sound Kitchen, and Justin Niebank engineered and mixed it.

Most of the first half is familiar carols, several with guest singers. Jon Randall sings the duet and plays mandolin on “Joy to the World,” with Emmylou Harris on backing vocals. Rebecca Lynn Howard is Loveless’s duet partner on “Little Drummer Boy.” Claire Lynch and Trisha Yearwood sing harmony on “Silent Night” and “The First Noel,” and Amy Grant and Vince Gill sing on “Silver Bells,” where Gill also plays mandolin. The Nashville Mandolin Ensemble backs “The First Noel” and plays “Carol of the Bells” on its own. Stuart Duncan plays fiddle, mandolin or mandocello on nine tracks, and Rob Ickes adds Dobro to three.

A banjo comes in for Tex Logan’s “Christmas Time’s a-Comin’” and for three new songs Loveless wrote with Gordy. Blake Williams plays it on “Christmas Time’s a-Comin’” and “Santa Train,” Alan O’Bryant on “Christmas Day at My House,” and Steve Gibson on the title song. On the first three of these, Tim Hensley plays mandolin, Deanie Richardson plays fiddle, and Hensley and Carmella Ramsey sing the harmonies. On the title song, Dolly Parton and Ricky Skaggs sing harmony and Skaggs plays mandolin. On “Beautiful Star of Bethlehem,” Jon Randall plays mandolin and sings harmony with Ramsey, and Duncan plays fiddle. The album reached number 2 on Billboard’s bluegrass albums chart and number 20 on its Top Country Albums chart.

Tracklist

  1. 1 Away in a Manger Source Recording Traditional, James R. Murray · key C · 89 bpm · 3/4 2:52
  2. 2 Silent Night Source Recording Joseph Mohr, Franz Xaver Gruber, John Freeman Young · key F · 84 bpm · 3/4 3:13
  3. 3 Joy to the World alt version 2:12
  4. 4 Carol Of The Bells - Instrumental 2:37
  5. 5 The First Noel Source Recording Traditional · key Eb · 94 bpm · 3/4 2:17
  6. 6 Little Drummer Boy (with Rebecca Lynn Howard) 3:55
  7. 7 Silver Bells Source Recording Jay Livingston, Ray Evans · key F · 99 bpm · 3/4 3:21
  8. 8 O Little Town of Bethlehem Source Recording Phillips Brooks, Lewis Redner · key C · 33 bpm 3:46
  9. 9 Christmas Time's a Comin' 3:37
  10. 10 Santa Train 2:58
  11. 11 Christmas Day at My House 2:26
  12. 12 Beautiful Star of Bethlehem alt version 3:22
  13. 13 Bluegrass, White Snow 3:21

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