The Boys in Hats & Ties (Rebel REB-CD 1838) was released on 12 October 2010 and was the first Big Country Bluegrass album for Rebel. Tommy Sells and his wife Teresa formed the band in Troutdale, Virginia, on 7 January 1987, and its earlier records had come out on Heritage, Heartland and Hay Holler.
The title song was written by Tom T. Hall and Dixie Hall with Don Rigsby, a tribute to Lester, Earl, Ralph, Carter, Bill and the other “boys in hats and ties” who laid the foundation for the music. Bluegrass Today reported in February 2010 that Rigsby had been considering a concept album of traditional bluegrass, but that his own recording went in another direction; when Dixie Hall sent the song to Big Country Bluegrass, the band rushed into the studio to cut it. A single of the title track was getting strong radio play before the album came out.
The album’s credits list Tommy Sells on mandolin, Teresa Sells on guitar, Johnny Williams on guitar and lead vocals, Jeff Michael on fiddle and lead vocals, Lynwood Lunsford on banjo and Alan Mastin on bass. Mastin was killed in an automobile accident in May 2010 while returning from a show. Wes Easter recorded the album and mixed it with Tommy Sells, and John Eberle mastered it.
The fifteen tracks mix band originals with traditional favorites. They include the instrumentals “Black Mountain Special” and “Top Hat Ramble,” and songs such as “Foggy Old London,” “Wreck on the Highway” and “Pages of Time.”
Tracklist
- 1 The Boys In Hats And Ties 2:30
- 2 All The Way To Nothing 2:24
- 3 Black Mountain Special 2:28
- 4 Music For The Soul 3:02
- 5 Prodigal 5 2:51
- 6 The First Rose 2:48
- 7 Pages Of Time 2:42
- 8 Lonely Old Man 2:44
- 9 Top Hat Ramble 2:20
- 10 You Don't Have Far To Go 3:00
- 11 Yesterday I Didn't Know 2:11
- 12 Foggy Old London alt version 2:33
- 13 Wreck On The Highway 2:48
- 14 Rendezvous 2:26
- 15 I'm Gonna Walk The Streets Of Gold 2:24
