NWBN Jan 1999: Suzanne Thomas, Don Rigsby, Jim Hurst, Missy Raines, Bill Evans at Palo Alto

A Sizzling Evening With
Suzanne Thomas And Friends

By Jean Brandon.
This article was published concurrently in the Northern California Bluegrass Society's monthly Bluegrass By The Bay (BBB), January 1999

Fotos: Copyright © D.Brandon May be used if permission requested

Derek and I were well over our jet-lag and well into our San Francisco vacation when we arrived as guests of Michael Hall and The Redwood Bluegrass Associates to see Suzanne Thomas, Don Rigsby and Friends, which was being hosted by the RBA at the Unitarian Universalist Church in Palo Alto, California.

We arrived early, as instructed, and were welcomed enthusiastically by Michael. He then introduced us to everyone, including Suzanne and Friends, then sat us down to an excellent Chinese Buffet, courtesy of the organisers.

After the meal Michael took us to see the Church Hall where the concert was being held. This truly amazing venue, with excellent acoustics, was a beautiful modern structure with lots of mellow wood and stained glass. The venue was dry, of course (as in ‘no beer’) which in our experience is not unusual over here!

This special, one-time only tour consisted of Suzanne Thomas (Dry Branch Fire Squad) on guitar, clawhammer banjo and lead vocals; Don Rigsby (Lonesome River Band and Longview) on mandolin, fiddle and lead vocals; Jim Hurst (Jim Hurst & Missy Raines, Claire Lynch and the Front Porch String Band and The John Cowan Band) on lead guitar and lead & harmony vocals; Missy Raines, (Jim Hurst & Missy Raines and Claire Lynch and the Front Porch String Band) on acoustic bass and Bill Evans (Dry Branch Fire Squad) on bluegrass banjo and harmony vocals. Missy (Melissa) is the 1998 IBMA Bass Player of the Year!

Jim, Don, Suzanne, Missy and Bill at Palo Alto.
Photo D.Brandon copyright © NWBN

I’d been really looking forward to this concert, being a great admirer of both Suzanne Thomas and of The Dry Branch Fire Squad. I was looking forward to seeing her perform with the other luminaries, who are all great talents in their own right. And I wasn’t disappointed! Together they made a tight cohesive unit - one could be excused for thinking they had been together forever!

The concert cracked off in high gear with Happy in My Home Far Away followed by It Breaks My Heart To Be Leaving This Land with Suzanne on lead vocals. A great version of Gone, Gone, Gone followed, with spine tingling harmonies! A Stanley Brothers classic, three-timey number, Hemlocks and Primroses, featured Don Rigsby on lead vocals. So far the concert was as Bluegrass as it comes - a purist’s delight with Jim Hurst’s big, beefy guitar solos (He’s a bit good isn’t he?) and Don Rigsby’s spine-tingling ‘High Lonesome’ lead vocals and harmonies.

“J.D.Crowe picked a ‘Five’ on this one” (on the C.D.) announced Don, introducing On The Wings Of Angels. On the next offering, Heading Home, ethno-musicologist Bill Evans actually played, well, er, to quote Derek: “He played more right notes than I would’ve done, but not as many as I’d have liked...”

Suzanne’s powerful, steely, lead vocals on Your Silver Tongue and Gold Plated Lies reinforced my opinion that she’s the best female Bluegrass vocalist I’ve ever heard. Her singing definitely isn’t the sweet, pale blue stuff I’ve heard from several female contemporaries. Great harmony from Don Rigsby on this one.

Here the direction changed slightly to spotlight the various sub-sections of the band.

Missy Raines and Jim Hurst played a duet, dedicated to Jerry Reed, on Jim’s own composition Swamp Reed with some spectacular guitar from Jim and great strummed bass from Missy. Not Bluegrass but nonetheless First Class! Next came Missy’s ‘product’ (own composition!), Jersey Pants. Definitely swing influenced that one!

When Suzanne sang, a capella, the great self-penned song Memories That Bless And Burn, inspired by a quotation on a tombstone, you could’ve heard a pin drop. Don Rigsby followed this in similar vein with another a capella Gospel song (No 429 from the Thomas Hymnal) Higher than I. Don is most definitely a singers singer. Tremendous stuff!! Bill Evans was showcased next playing the title track from his solo album, the instrumental Native and Fine. He followed this with Old Time Music, It’s Better Than It Sounds

Suzanne finished the first set with Just A Few More Days Of Sorrow or Mother Will Be Waiting There. Great frailing banjo from Suzanne and superb fiddle from Don on this one.

The interval gave us an opportunity to meet more people and chat to the musicians. I treated myself to the C.D. Suzanne Thomas and Friends, the promotion of which was the purpose of this present tour. Is Suzanne still with Dry Branch? “Heck, yes, none of us have given up our day jobs, this is pure Fun!” though Bill Evans is not in a ‘day-job’ band right now.

Don sings in the wonderful concert hall
Photo D.Brandon copyright © NWBN

The second set cracked off with Sweetheart of Mine, great high-lonesome singing and soulful fiddle from Don Rigsby, then another of Suzanne’s own songs From The Point Of View Of Ruby Jane followed by a hard-driving Ralph Stanley Bluegrass banjo tune. Next Jim Hurst with some great picking and singing on Tall Pines. The evening wouldn’t have been complete without a real old time tear jerker - Don gave us God Needed My Mother. The harmonies on this one sent shivers up my spine! The Showcase section finished with another great song by Suzanne, all lovesick blues and whisky, titled You’re Doin’ me Wrong Jim Beam

The show continued with Poor Ellen Smith and some solid banjo from Bill Evans - a Lily May Ledford song Red Rocking Chair with some fine frailing in ‘mountain minor’ tuning - and great mountain style vocals from Suzanne. One from Don Rigsby from his solo ‘project’ (don’t they make CDs any more?) Little Spirit Man about preacher Billy Wright, then some electrifying guitar picking from Jim on the Bill Monroe mandolin tune Bill Hawks. Next came the lovely old hymn What Wondrous Love Is This

Missy and Jim did another very modern swing-style duet, the Jerry Reed tune Reedology - such great bass playing from Missy! I Miss The Mississippi And You saw a spot of yodelling from Suzanne and a tasty guitar break from Jim (Emmy Lou, eat your heart out!)

After the title song from the CD, Dear Friends And Gentle Hearts, (which is a Chris Stewart song about the death of Steven Foster) they finished with a dedication to Roy Husky junior, Over To Glory Land. Of course they weren’t going to be allowed to get away without an encore so they dedicated the civil war song Faded Coat Of Blue to the late John Duffey.

With eleven songs and tunes in the first set and sixteen in the second set we certainly had superb quality in quantity. A very memorable evening!!

Updated 23rd Jan 1999