The Grascals & Friends

The Grascals’ latest CD, The Grascals & Friends, features the group performing several duets with close friends. These friends include: Brad Paisley, Dolly Parton, Dierks Bentley, Joe Nichols, Charlie Daniels, Tom T. Hall, The Oak Ridge Boys and Darryl Worley.

The band is made up of Terry Eldredge and Jamie Johnson on guitar, Terry Smith on bass, Danny Roberts on the mandolin, Jeremy Abshire on the fiddle and Kristin Scott Benson on the banjo.

The album features 13 different tracks:

1. Tiger By The Tail (with Brad Paisley)
2. Folsom Prison Blues (with Dierks Bentley)
3. Pain of Lovin’ You (with Dolly Parton)
4. I Am Strong (with Dolly Parton)
5. Louisiana Saturday Night
6. The Year That Clayton Delaney Died (with Tom T. Hall)
7. White Lightning (with Darryl Worley)
8. The Devil Went Down To Georgia (with Charlie Daniels)
9. Leavin’ Louisiana In Broad Daylight (with The Oak Ridge Boys)
10. Mr. Bojangles (with Joe Nichols)
11. Hank Williams Jr. Medley – Born To Boogie / All My Rowdy Friends Are Comin’ Over Tonight
12. Cracker Barrel Swing (Instrumental)
13. I Am Strong (Bonus Track) Featuring guest appearances by Dolly Parton, The Oak Ridge Boys, Darryl Worley, Charlie Daniels, Terri Clark, Randy Owen, Steven Seagal, Tom T. Hall, Joe Nichols and Ansley McLaurin

They’re all country classic hits, but The Grascals gave them a bluegrass twist. My personal favorite is “The Devil Went Down To Georgia” because the harmonies really add to the song and give it a different sound from the original. I also enjoyed the spin on “Folsom Prison Blues,” and Brad Paisley was the perfect pick for “Tiger By the Tail.”

I did enjoy hearing the bluegrass version of these classics and think they did a great job; however, nothing beats the originals.