Mountain Tradition by Clay Jones, released in 2005, documents a Kentucky-rooted banjoist working squarely in the Scruggs-style tradition at a moment when that approach was being pulled in many directions by progressive and newgrass influences. Jones plays with clarity and drive, and the album functions as a committed defense of three-finger bluegrass banjo in its most direct, unadorned form. The supporting cast is drawn from musicians sympathetic to the traditional approach, and the repertoire leans on the classic bluegrass songbook rather than new compositions. For collectors and listeners interested in how the Scruggs tradition sounded in the hands of a skilled regional practitioner in the early 2000s, Mountain Tradition is an honest and capable record.
Tracklist
- 1 Salt Creek alt version 3:48
- 2 Gonna Settle Down alt version 3:38
- 3 BF05 2:39
- 4 Road to Columbus alt version 2:39
- 5 Ride the Wild Turkey alt version 3:10
- 6 Blackberry Blossom alt version 2:39
- 7 Mississippi Sawyer alt version 2:04
- 8 Under the Double Eagle alt version 3:47
- 9 Black Mountain Rag alt version 2:40
- 10 Clinch Mountain Backstep Source Recording 3:27
- 11 Lonesome Ruben 3:32
- 12 Cold Sheets of Rain alt version 2:31
- 13 Big Mon alt version 2:53
