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**** Rose Maddox

ROSE MADDOX SINGS BLUEGRASS

(Capitol)

Among the latest batch from Capitol's aggressive reissue program of classic country recordings is this debut bluegrass album by Louisiana Hayride alumna Rose Maddox. She was already a fixture of the country-music touring circuit, performing with the Maddox Brothers since the '40s, when this 1962 session took place at the urging of Bill Monroe, who's one of two mandolin pickers on these 12 songs.

Maddox has a strong, urgent voice, with a handful of gravel at its hardest edges, and a penetrating quality that could cut across the deepest Appalachian valleys. Most important, she just sounds sincere and unrestrained, as though she were putting every ounce of her heart into the lyrics -- the way Magic Sam sang the blues. And no matter how often you've heard vintage offerings like "Cotton Fields" and "Rollin' in My Sweet Baby's Arms," her zealous performances and ringing voice make these versions feel definitive. Besides, the line-up is all aces. Although Maddox is not part of the bluegrass pantheon, this album should be; it's essential for any serious country fan.

-- Ted Drozdowski


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