The Woodys Telluride to Tennessee Mellifluous aural titillation abounds in Telluride to Tennessee, the third CD from Michael and Dyann Woody, a sparkling husband-wife duo sporting spectacular harmonies. It sure makes one wonder, how come there aren't any male-female duets on country radio stations anymore?. . Mixed sex duets are a proud foundation of country music, gaining wide notice with the Carter Family 77 years ago and enduring until recently, when, for some reason, radio and the labels decided they were an unnecessary part of our musical heritage. Thus, if you enjoy hearing a man and woman singing together in the mode of Porter and Dolly, George and Tammy, Conway and Loretta or even Garth and Trisha, kindly place Michael and Dyann Woody into your player. It won't be long before they ooze into your heart and soul as they have moved into mine. What's not to like about Telluride to Tennessee? It's got choice songs (all but three written or co-written by Michael), superb acoustic picking from 'A-List' players, sympathetic production by the Woodys themselves and sharp, spot-on engineering from Pat Hutchinson. Then, when Dyann and Michael's evanescent harmonies ease in, they meld in your mind like a wet glove caresses your hand. Country as frog-giggin', tuneful as the best sibling harmony, The Woodys have raised the stakes above even Teardrops and Diamonds, their sterling 2003 European release, now set for U.S. issue in late July via Scena Records. As Robert K. Oermann noted of the Woodys self-titled 1998 debut, 'This is the sound of two hearts beating in time.' To that I'd add it's also the sound of two voices entwined in a space all their own. At times they veer so smoothly into Everly Brothers territory it's musically eerie, f'rinstance on their take of 'He's Back and I'm Blue,' a Michael co-write for the Desert Rose Band (#1, 1988). The Woodys also lead you into Gram and Emmylou land with 'Sin City,' aided by Parsons' co-writer, Chris Hillman and his running mate, Herb Pederson. Before they're done, The Woodys will also take you some places only they have found, like the spiritual joy of 'Fork in the Road,' penned by Michael and Fred Koller. Echoes of Loretta Lynn suffuse Dyann's lead on the title cut, one of three Woody co-writes. Or try Michael's humorous tale of rock and roll discovery, 'Bop Shebang.' Before your ears can properly digest it's whimsical charm (and Pat Flynn's dazzling guitar ride), they're into a stunning remake of Whitey Shafer's timeless masterpiece, 'That's The Way Love Goes.' The sonic delights from the players are too plentiful to mention but here are a few moments of peerless pickin' for ears properly perked. Dig on Ronnie McCoury's mandolin interplay with Flynn's guitar on 'Greener Pastures.' Scott Vestal adds his delightfully propulsive banjo touches to 'Hillbilly at Heart' and Tammy Rogers' mandolin well nigh steals the show on 'He's Back and I'm Blue.' Not to be outdone, Al Perkins adds his dobro virtuosity to 'That's The Way Love Goes', adding just the right touch of wistful world-weariness. The thirteen songs on Telluride to Tennessee take you on a journey through a plethora of emotions and a smorgasbord of country's musical settings, from Cajun to California, mountain bluegrass to hard core Texas honky tonk. In the end you feel doggoned good and you're ready to hit the button for track one. Mark my words, this is prime stuff! -- John Lomax III.
