Anticipation has been running high since the announcement in February that acclaimed banjo player and singer Gena Britt of the GRAMMY-nominated ensemble Sister Sadie had been signed to pre-eminent bluegrass label, Mountain Home Music Company. Now, the veteran artist is releasing her first single for the label, a new rendition of an under-appreciated favorite that, like Britt herself, brings together past and present in the service of a compelling musical vision.
Written by acclaimed bass player Marshall Wilborn, “Goodbye to the Blues” was first recorded by the legendary group in which he served, the Johnson Mountain Boys and then again by his wife, Bluegrass Hall of Famer Lynn Morris, with whom he joined forces after his JMB stint. Marrying a bluesy mid-tempo groove to a succinct lyric that turns the downcast refrain of its first two verses:
Bad news, bad news
I say hello to the blues
into the hopeful one that ends the final stanza:
Good news, good news
I say goodbye to the blues
it’s a deft piece of writing that exemplifies the strength of the genre in which Britt has forged a decades-long career.
Says Britt, “I’m so excited about ‘Goodbye to the Blues,’ and the amazing band that helped me bring it to life in the studio. What an absolute dream band!”
Indeed, the band which Britt assembled for the project is filled with talent, from the Del McCoury Band's Alan Bartram (bass, harmony vocal) and fiddler Jason Carter, to John Meador (guitar, harmony vocal) formerly of the GRAMMY-nominated Authentic Unlimited (whose Jesse Brock appeared on Morris’s recording of the song) and mandolinist Jonathan Dillon (Junior Sisk Band, Red Camel Collective). Still, the spotlight shines brightest on Britt’s expressive voice and the banjo playing that’s earned her multiple IBMA Banjo Player of the Year nominations — along with a special treat that solidifies the through line of tradition that informs her work:
“With the help of one of my best friends Tina Steffey, we were able to pay tribute to the great Lynn Morris's clawhammer banjo playing from her original cut. I’m a huge Lynn Morris and Marshall Wilborn fan and I hope everyone loves this as much as I do.”
"Goodbye to the Blues" is streaming in Dolby Atmos spatial audio on Apple Music, Amazon Music and TIDAL. Listen to it HERE.
