One Morning in May documents Joe Val and the New England Bluegrass Boys in a 1971 recording that stands as one of the finest products of the New England bluegrass scene. Joe Val — born Joseph Valiante in Everett, Massachusetts — was a mandolin player and tenor singer of the first order, capable of hitting and sustaining the high, lonesome notes that define the most demanding passages in bluegrass vocal tradition. The New England Bluegrass Boys gave Val an ensemble worthy of his ambitions. The album appeared on Rounder Records, the Cambridge-based label that became crucial infrastructure for the acoustic music revival, and it helped position New England as a genuine center of bluegrass activity.
Tracklist
- 1 Comin' On Strong 2:56
- 2 What Can I Do 2:45
- 3 Live and Let Live alt version 3:07
- 4 Come Walk With Me 2:31
- 5 Do You Live What You Preach 2:44
- 6 I Never Will Marry alt version 2:53
- 7 Where the Old Red River Flows 2:47
- 8 Trials, Troubles, Tribulations 3:09
- 9 I Don’t Believe You’ve Met My Baby alt version 2:20
- 10 One Morning in May 3:27
- 11 Dark Hollow alt version 2:53
- 12 Ginger Brandy 1:59
- 13 My Brother's Will 3:46
- 14 Sparkling Brown Eyes 3:06
- 15 The Little Paper Boy 3:13
- 16 You'll Be Rewarded Over There 2:26