When Byron Berline passed away on July 10, 2021, the world lost a musical giant. Though perhaps the most-recorded fiddler in bluegrass music history, Byron added his fiddle to countless recordings in many styles of music. From his landmark recording debut in 1965 with The Dillards on their Pickin’ and Fiddlin’ album, to his stint as a member of Bill Monroe’s Blue Grass Boys, to recording with the Rolling Stones in 1969, Berline blazed a trail that only ended at his passing. The list of artists with whom he recorded reads like a “Who’s Who” in music, from Henry Mancini to Bob Dylan, and includes names like the Byrds, the Band, Rod Stewart, Elton John, James Taylor, the Doobie Brothers, and so many more. Byron Berline was even a member of Stephen Stills’ Manassas, and the Flying Burrito Brothers, a band that spawned his own group, Country Gazette, who performed at the first Walnut Valley Festival in 1972. Berline’s bands that followed included Sundance, the L.A. Fiddle Band, Berline, Crary & Hickman, California, and the Byron Berline Band, all of which have performed at Winfield over the years. No fiddler is more associated with this festival than Byron. Shortly before he got sick, Byron sent me his new album, Early in the Morning. To my way of thinking, this project is a masterpiece. It’s a three CD set, and includes 63 fiddle tunes, all composed by Berline. Each of the CDs has its own theme. The first one is called “Old Time,” and the tone is set with the title track, “First Thing in the Morning,” with just Byron’s fiddle and tapping foot, in the style of his dad, Lue Berline. But by the second tune, “Call of the Wild,” the entire Byron Berline Band kicks in gear and it’s off to the races. Berline’s nephew, Barry Patton, shines on several tracks with his world-championship bones playing. Having 22 “old time” fiddle tunes in a row might sound boring to some, but these tunes are all so different from each other, and the band has such excellent arrangements, that they demand repeated listenings. The second CD in the set is called “Bluegrass,” though almost any of the songs on the album could easily fit into a bluegrass programming format. This set of 22 tunes starts with an uptempo number called “Kickin’ the Can,” that features the twin fiddles of Byron Berline and Greg Burgess. Before bluegrass music became so song-oriented, bands almost always would record one or two instrumentals on an album. Any one of these songs would have been a standout track on such an album. Though the front of the album lists only Byron Berline, make no mistake. This is very much a band album and features hot picking all the way around, especially Billy Perry on banjo, and the fine flatpicking guitar of Thomas Trapp. Some tasty mandolin picking is added on some tracks by Berline, himself. The songs on the bluegrass set are done at a variety of tempos and all are interesting. The final track on that CD is a tour de force tune called “Train Wreck,” that recalls the feel of that other fiddle, train song, that many of us just call OBS.
Set three is labeled “Swing,” though most of the songs could also fit into the bluegrass category. My favorite track is “Russian Concussion,” which also seems to be the favorite of the programmers of Bluegrass Junction on Sirrius/XM. The Byron Berline Band has always flavored their live sets with a good dose of western swing, and this CD gives them the chance to really show off their hot licks. There are special guests scattered throughout the project, but especially on the third CD. The set starts with a hot fiddle and piano tune called, appropriately, “Fiddle My Piano,” and showcases Nashville’s Tim McDonald on the ivories. Up next is “BB Boogie,” which features the entire band, along with Rushad Eggleston on cello. It’s not often you hear a boogie lead played on the cello. Jens Kruger, Tommy Emmanuel, and Tim McDonald all guest on “Satisfied” and on “Troubadour,” which is certainly one of the highlights of the entire project. “International Hornpipe” also features several guest pickers, including Clinton Pelletier on guitar, Rushad Eggleston on cello, and Alan Munde on banjo. Ned Luberecki plays banjo on three tracks; one on each CD, and the legendary Jay Dee Maness adds his tasty pedal steel in just the right places. If you only like music with vocals, this album may not be for you because there is no singing on it anywhere. But if you like interesting, creative instrumentals, based around the playing of one of the greatest fiddlers of all time, I can’t recommend this project highly enough. If you play the fiddle, this album is an absolute “must have!” I suspect that some of these tunes will eventually be played in festival jams. So, pick up this album now and be the first to learn them. You’ll thank me when you see me next year at the 50th Walnut Valley Festival.

Orin Friesen