Chris Hillman: Out of the Woodwork

By Graham Lees

IN 1997 CHRIS HILLMAN, Herb Pederson and brothers Larry & Tony Rice released an album of bluegrass music. The name of that album was Out Of The Woodwork, which was widely acclaimed in the country music press, selling well with eachof the artistes own legions of fans. 1999 saw the second release from this quartet being a self-titled album (read the review).

The names of Rice, Rice, Hillman and Pederson have been synonymous withcountry music and bluegrass for over three decades. Hillman and Pederson were crucial figures in the development of country-rock and NewGrass, joining together in the formation of the Desert Rose Band in 1980.

For Herb Pederson's part hehas played with the Pine Valley Boys; Vern Williams and Ray Park and replaced Earl Scruggs when he had to go in hospital in 1967. Pederson joined The Dillards in 1968, before joining bluegrass ensemble Country Gazette in the early 70s. He has been in demand as a session banjo player by many big name artistes, such as Linda Ronstadt, Emmylou Harris, John Denver, Gordon Lightfoot and James Taylor and more recently a member of the popular West Coast bluegrass outfit the Laurel Canyon Ramblers.

Chris Hillman started out as a musician at the age of 14 and turned professional at the age of 18. His credentials include bands such as Scottsville Squirrel Barkers, the Blue Diamond Boys, The Hillmen, Byrds in 1964, Flying Burrito Brothers, Souther and the Hillman Furay Band in the 70s and, of course, the aforementioned Desert Rose Band.

Tony Rice has generally become regarded as the most important guitarist in the history of bluegrass. He is a flat-top picker very much of the Norman Blake and Doc Watson school, but at the same time has a sense of timing and rhythm that sets him apart from most other players, while older brother Larry is one of the top mandolin players and a fine vocalist. In the mid 60s brothers Tony (then 12 years old), Larry (15 years of age) and Ronnie had their own band The Haphazards, playing coffee houses, auditoriums and hootenannies at places such as the Ashgrove, the Troubadour and the Ice House, a folk club in Pasadena, California. Their father Herb Rice had a successful bluegrass band by the name of The Golden State Boys, playing mandolin with a regular slot on used-car-mogul Cal Worthington's show Cals Corral, broadcast live out of Los Angles. Tony and Larry later became the Rice Brothers andin the early 70s played with J.D.Crowe's New South Band.

Around 1963 at a bluegrass and folk festival held at the Ice House, over 40 bands took part throughout the weekend. They were mostly new bands with members aged between 12 and 21 years. Both the Haphazards and the Golden State Boys were playing the festival and it was here that Larry and Chris Hillman first met. Chris Hillman was appearing with the Scottsville Squirrel Barkers and was keen to catch the Golden State Boys as he hadspent countless hours with his nose pressed against his parents TV, watching these legends of bluegrass. Chris was particularly impressed with Larry's mandolin playing and traded licks with him backstage, forging an everlasting friendship. Hillman also impressed the Golden State Boys with his mandolin picking and they invited him to join them a few years later, replacing Vern Gosdin.

The state of folk, bluegrass and country music was changing, with young players experimenting with various styles and raiding the song-bags of bluegrass, folk, pop, blues, jazz and rock, bringing about the new sounds of country rock, folk rock and NewGrass. Names such as Gram Parsons and Emmylou Harris have become synonymous with the changing face of country music in the early 70s.

The wheel has now turned full cycle and Chris Hillman has come back to his bluegrass roots. In the summer of 1995, the Rice Brothers and Pedersen's Laurel Canyon Ramblers played at a festival in Grass Valley,California. Reminiscing about the halcyon days at the Ice House, the three friends wondered why they and Hillman had never come full circle and recorded an album together. This brought about their first recording in 1997, Out Of The Woodwork and in 1999the self-titled Rice, Rice, Hillman & Pedersen album.

Chris Hillman almost died after suffering from a liver disease a year or two ago and says that when you get that close to death, you develop a wonderful respect for life and everything around you; fortunately he is now completely cured. Chris says that he is singing with a choir on Sundays at a Greek Orthodox Church. Tony Rice has also had a few problems and has been unable to sing for a few years.

The groups debut album, Out Of The Woodwork, was dedicated to Clarence White another great bluegrass musician, who was tragically killed in a hit-n-run accident while loading equipment in a club parking lot on the 15th July 1973 at Palmdale, California. I reviewed Rice, Rice, Hillman and Pedersen in the NWBN, January 2000. Work has already started on a third album and hopefully it will be released sometime in the year 2001. I for one, look forward to it!

Graham Lees, Dewesbury, W.Yorks Write to | Website

1st Dec 2000