Uncle Earl

Waterloo, Tennessee (Rounder)

Originally begun as a project of K.C. Groves and Jo Serrapere in 1999, Uncle Earl has since congealed into a female bluegrass supergroup around Groves, Kristin Andreassen, Rayna Gellert, and Abigail Washburn. Like 2005’s She Waits for Night, the g’Earls’ latest seamlessly weaves original string tunes and old-time ballads, reveling as much in archiving as progressing the tradition. Led Zeppelin’s John Paul Jones, as producer, captures their looseness and versatility on the twangin’ “D & P Blues” and playful Cajun romp “Streak o’ Lean, Streak o’ Fat,” featuring Washburn shouting lines in Chinese, Gellert’s fiddling electric, and Washburn’s banjo, which remains unmatched in contemporary old-time music. “My Little Carpenter” recalls Gillian Welch, who contributes drums on “The Last Goodbye,” and Ola Belle Reed’s exceptional “My Epitaph” is resurrected in a haunted, Old World dirge. With Waterloo, Tennessee, the g’Earls have found a home.

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This article appears in April 27 • 2007.

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Doug Freeman has been writing for the Austin Chronicle since 2007, covering the arts and music scene in the city. He is originally from Virginia and earned his Masters Degree from the University of Texas. He is also co-editor of The Austin Chronicle Music Anthology, published by UT Press.