You Gotta Dig A Little Deeper

On his latest CD in a long career (his first for Rounder), bluegrass/gospel legend Doyle Lawson touches upon the subject of old age in the moving “Saving Grace,” about a man watching his wife of 40 years succumb to Alzheimer’s disease. He might have white hair, but Lawson still sings like a young man, bursting with mesmerizing power and enthusiasm. You’d never guess he was 61 years old to hear him, except that his vocal skills are so impeccable and beautiful, you might wonder how—other than through sheer time in—he could have gotten so polished. Together with his band Quicksilver, Lawson delivers an album of—dare I say—sheer perfection. The four-part vocal harmonies of Lawson, bassist Barry Scott, guitarist Jamie Dailey and banjo player Terry Baucom are truly the most stunning you’re likely ever to hear. “Oak Valley Girl” (“Thought I saw you/ But you’re not around/ I must have been dreaming again…”), with Lawson also on “guitbro,” is so heartwrenchingly beautiful that if it weren’t followed by the snappy “When I’m Knee-Deep in Bluegrass,” I might still be weepy.