Country Mike Blog

Traditional Tuesday's: Joe Diffie goes Bluegrass

Mike Sudhalter  |  September 20, 2011

Joe Diffie's "Homecoming" was a welcome one.

You've got to think that just about every traditional country music artist would like to record at least one album that's a tribute to their roots.

Sure, they've got to think about getting established first. There's the record companies, the Top 40 Country charts. The touring, the 200 shows per year.

But when it's time to get out of the proverbial Country Music Rat Race, there's often some music recorded that's very close to the heart.

Joe Diffie has always had a traditional bent, so it was really cool to see him record a Bluegrass album, titled "Homecoming."

Patty Loveless may be the best mainstream country artist to record Bluegrass music, but Diffie would be a great Bluegrass duet partner.

"Tall Cornstalk" is especially rollicking (even by Bluegrass standards), "Fit For A King" - which Garth Brooks recorded on his "Sevens" album in 1997, is a pretty good Bluegrass ballad.

There's a tie for the best song on the album, between "Route 5, Box 109" - which is as close to a Bluegrass Homecoming as you can get - and "Hard To Handle," where Diffie truly shows his sense of humor with a Bluegrass cover of the Black Crowes hit.