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BLUEGRASS ICON RELEASES 5-CD CAREER-SPANNING BOX SET
 The Del McCoury Band |
Imagine if Bob Dylan holed up in a studio for a few weeks with a red-hot band to record a 5-CD retrospective of his career. Well, no less excitement should be accorded Grammy-winning bluegrass icon Del McCoury, because with Celebrating 50 Years of Del McCoury, to be released May 12, that's exactly what he did.
Elvis Costello recently commented, "Del gives hope to everybody... To keep the purity that you need to do this kind of music, and the drive and energy, that takes a special kind of guy." Added son Ronnie McCoury, who with brother Rob, form the backbone of the band, "Keeping up with dad is a challenge. He's like a jazz musician — he doesn't go into specifics when we play live or in the studio because he believes in spontaneity, which, if you listen closely, really comes through on the set."
Celebrating 50 Years of Del McCoury is a journey through time and tradition, as expressed by a true American roots artist whose musical education begins at the side of the Father of Bluegrass Bill Monroe, matures and grows as Del influences the likes of Jerry Garcia and Alison Krauss and then comes full circle on the set's final disc as the master is in turn influenced by his students.
Recorded in a series of marathon sessions, Celebrating 50 Years of Del McCoury features more than 30 new recordings of songs from Del's first 40 years of performing and an additional 18 from the Del McCoury Band's most essential tracks of the past ten years.
Celebrating 50 Years of Del McCoury features a 12-page full-color booklet full of rare family photos, in addition to a companion CD, a 14-track companion CD titled By Request which consists of, in Del's words, "the songs people shout out for us to play night after night." For more information, including a complete track list and purchasing info, visit here.
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