April 19, 2005
Boston Globe Live Review:
MUSIC REVIEW
Mountain music icon shows peak form
By James Reed, Globe Correspondent | April 19, 2005
''This great man," Ralph Stanley said in his tongue-in-cheek introduction, ''was given the Living Legend Award by Congress." There was a moment for applause, and then the list of accolades went on for a few minutes -- reminding the audience that during a 59-year career, Stanley has become bluegrass's ultimate icon.

Not that there was any need to state the obvious. Stanley's fine singing and masterful, albeit brief banjo picking at Sanders Theatre on Saturday night made it clear: At 78, he is one legend who is not resting on his laurels.

Standing no taller than his 12-year-old grandson/mandolin player, Nathan, Stanley was diminutive in stature yet a tremendous presence onstage. He could be humble, as he meticulously introduced all six of his superb Clinch Mountain Boys and allowed them a lengthy solo. He could be the court jester, as he set up jokes for his bandmates and tried to poke his cough-drop wrapper into his grandson's cowboy hat. Mostly, though, Stanley played the evening's elder statesman of American mountain music, one who could also definitively interpret bluegrass, old-time, and gospel.

Just as he did on the soundtrack for ''O Brother, Where Art Thou?," Stanley turned ''O Death" into a spine-tingling a cappella spiritual that could curl toes with the plea ''Won't you spare me over till another year?" He sang bright tenor harmonies on ''Rollin' in My Sweet Baby's Arms," a duet with his son, Ralph Stanley II, taking the lead. Stanley played banjo on only one song, explaining that he was recovering from carpal tunnel surgery a few weeks ago. You would never have known it.