Donal Dineen’s Sunken Treasure - Ralph Stanley: a farewell to the master of bluegrass

Among the plethora of musicians who departed this mortal coil in 2016, one of the most important was Ralph Stanley. His passing didn’t get a lot of attention as brighter stars fell at a rate of knots, but he was a giant in his own world of bluegrass.

He played and wrote music at the same steady pace for over six decades without massive commercial success or failure ever throwing him off course, but his central role in the soundtrack to the Coen brothers film O Brother Where Art Thou? cast the spotlight on him and he enjoyed late career fame thereafter.

There was an unmistakable tone and texture in Ralph’s voice that once heard was never easily forgotten. It was one of those voices that wasn’t just impressive but left an impression. Hank Williams’ had the same quality. That high and lonesome pitch was layered with all manner of meaning and feeling.

A whole world of sorrow could be summoned with a simple twist of phrasing. Stanley’s was different again in that he managed to sound old even when he was young, adding gravitas to every note. His voice had authority and a whole lot of mountain soul.

Stanley was born in the Clinch Mountains of Dickenson County, Virginia. His mother played the banjo and his father was fond of singing old church hymns around the house, so it was no surprise when Ralph began to lead the congregation in a Primitive Baptist hymn. From that moment on for Ralph and his older brother Carter, music became a way of avoiding hard labour in the sawmills where their father worked and the coal mines where their stepbrothers toiled.

Bluegrass itself really only emerged after the second World War when Bill Munroe added a banjoist and lead guitarist to his band, and suddenly a far more rhythm-centric version of country was getting dancer’s feet tapping at the hop.

The Stanley Brothers began their tours of church gatherings and local county fairs performing a version of that Munroe sound. This didn’t go over too well with Munroe, so gradually the Stanleys began to play to their strengths and forge their own style. They enjoyed considerable success and were not work shy, performing an average of 200 shows a year. Ralph’s voice was unquestionably the jewel in their crown, and when Carter died in 1966, Ralph continued to record and perform right up until 2014.

This eponymous album was recorded in 2002 by the venerable producer T-Bone Burnett. It represents the perfect testimony to the raw power of Stanley’s voice. The gentle arrangements and gorgeous guitar playing of Norman Blake provide a peaceful atmosphere for Ralph to deliver his most spiritual set of songs. Everything is in its right place. Belief tumbles from his tongue with a serene grace. Everything that set Ralph Stanley apart is captured here. T-Bone was the man for the job.