Bringing bluegrass at its finest, Yonder Mountain String Band never ceases to impress its fans. Taking tradition and adding a little flavor of their own, their music captures the infectious joy of bluegrass rhythms, making a live Yonder Mountain show an addicting experience. Fortunately, a temporary treatment was administered Tuesday with the release of Yonder’s first two disc set “Mountain Tracks Vol. 3.”
The CDs together contain a 23 track collection of live recordings from the 2003 Kinfolk Celebration in Lyons, Colorado, a yearly tribute to the band’s faithful fan base, better known as the Kinfolk. Highlights from each day of the festival were compiled to create the two disc set, resulting in a two hour collision of Yonder Mountain bliss.
Not wasting any time, the band fires up the crowd by opening their first set with “Bloody Mary Morning,” an energetic tune that exposes the fire of Jeff Austin on the mandolin. The set list then progresses through a colorful mix of mostly familiar Yonder tracks, many of which include the accompaniment of special guests to the band. Several songs receive beautiful treatment from the fiddle, giving their music even more allure. A particularly notable moment from the fiddle opens the second disc with an enchanting and deeply toned composition. The mellowed beauty stretches through a few hypnotic minutes before jumping into that traditional foot stompin’ Yonder Mountain sound. A beautiful melodic quality is especially worthy of recognition on “Too Late Now” and “Kentucky Mandolin,” both off the second disc. The run of each instrument through such fervent compositions takes listeners to a bluegrass utopia.
“Mountain Tracks Vol. 3” comes full of personality. Adding to their already colorful sound, the band plays with such animation and really gives listeners the true taste of a live show. Sporadic comments by the band, as well as random vocal sound accompaniment paints the picture of a band genuinely having the best time of their lives. A few slightly raw moments in sound quality might prove problematic to some, but such is the inevitable result of live music played with such passion and joy.
The two-disc set is an exciting release. Nothing can really compare with a live show, but “Mountain Tracks Vol. 3” does come close. The spirit of the collection effectively captures the feel-good attitude and happiness of the band, as well as the crowd. Priced like any other single disc CD, the set proves a really great deal, considering that you get two full-length servings of Yonder Mountain. Faithful fans, keep on goin’, and let “Mountain Tracks Vol. 3” take you there.