The Wronglers with Jimmie Dale Gilmore: Heirloom Music (Neanderthal)

Jimmie Dale Gilmore possesses one of the most distinctive voices and when deployed on lachrymose ballads he can tear your heart out. But this is an odd and old time project, Gilmore out front of a band of mixed abilities (interesting, but not interesting enough) and performing mostly songs from the Thirties and Forties, some of which come from bluegrass, others from blues and country.

And they all dress in garb from what looks like the 1880s.

Certainly there are some nice interpretations here -- I'm Thinking Tonight of My Blue Eyes, I Wonder Where You Are Tonight -- and when Heidi Clare comes in with aching backing vocals (In the Pines) things hit a peak.

But there are also plenty of fiddle songs of no great import.

And odd and largely unaffecting project.

Incidentally, banjo player/singer Warren Hellman in the Wronglers is a self-made billionaire (previously a president at Lehman Brothers) and a bluegrass aficionado. That might be more interesting to you than some of these old time songs.

Looking for more and better Jimmie Dale Gilmore, then try here.