Fans of traditional music become so accustomed to the longevity of favorite bands that it's easy to imagine they'll always be around. Jim and Jesse had been performing mostly good-old-fashioned bluegrass since 1947, combining top-notch harmony and Jesse McReynolds' fancy mandolin work. It came as... [+] Expand

Fans of traditional music become so accustomed to the longevity of favorite bands that it's easy to imagine they'll always be around. Jim and Jesse had been performing mostly good-old-fashioned bluegrass since 1947, combining top-notch harmony and Jesse McReynolds' fancy mandolin work. It came as shock to the bluegrass community, then, when Jim McReynolds died of cancer on December 31, 2002. 'Tis Sweet to Remember serves partly as a memorial and partly as Jim and Jesse's final project. Jesse McReynolds is joined here by Luke McKnight (his grandson), Matthew Allred (Jim's son-in-law), and Charles Whitstein for a dozen songs performed in the classic bluegrass style. Jesse McReynolds delivers fine versions of "As Long as I Live" and "Grin and Bear It," but the real excitement gets started when he's joined by McKnight and Allred for some good harmony on the choruses. The album is solid, but Jim McReynolds' tenor, an essential component of the brother's distinct sound, is missed. To compare, one only has to listen to "Tennessee" and "She's Running Wild," the two songs on which his vocals have been lifted from early recordings. 'Tis Sweet to Be Remembered is a fine tribute to a great singer and one of bluegrasses' most long-lasting bands. ~ Ronnie D. Lankford, Jr., All Music Guide [-] Collapse

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