While he's been a member of two of the most influential American rock bands of the 1960s,
the Byrds and
the Flying Burrito Brothers, and enjoyed significant success on the country charts in the '80s with
the Desert Rose Band, at heart
Chris Hillman is a sideman; he's a great musician and capable songwriter who is more interested in serving the song than serving his ego, and to his credit his best solo albums sound like the work of a well-polished ensemble rather than a star who has built a band around himself.
Hillman may take the lead vocals, play some fine mandolin solos, and provide a bit of star power on this album, but it's significant that on
At Edwards Barn he shares top billing with guitarist
Herb Pedersen, a longtime friend and collaborator of
Hillman with an impressive resume as a studio musician and former member of
the Dillards and
the Desert Rose Band. It's also telling that this live album was indeed recorded in a barn in Nipono, CA during a concert staged as a benefit for a local church; there's a warm and casual feeling to this music and the interaction with the audience, though the playing is never less than expert and the arrangements are precise and span the various stages of
Hillman's career with skill.
Hillman and
Pedersen are joined by three expert musicians who they've worked with before, guitarist
Larry Park, fiddler
David Mansfield, and bassist
Bill Bryson, and the ensemble plays with the light touch and emotional gravity of a top-notch bluegrass ensemble, even when tackling such
Byrds classics as
"Eight Miles High" and
"Have You Seen Her Face." The attitude of
At Edwards Barn is genuinely modest, but the beauty of the music is not;
Hillman,
Pedersen, and their cohorts tackle their back catalog with enthusiasm and estimable skill, and this is as quietly satisfying as anything
Hillman has put his name to since the end of
the Desert Rose Band. ~ Mark Deming
