“When he came to ask about making an album, we were seriously blown away,” says C.J. Lewandowski, mandolinist of Grammy-nominated bluegrass outfit The Po’ Ramblin’ Boys. The “he” mentioned above? Well, that’s Mr. Americana, himself, Jim Lauderdale. “It was really validating—Jim Lauderdale calling us to do a bluegrass album,” says Lewandowski. “We must be doing something right,” says one of the genre’s most promising young torchbearers who saw Lauderdale perform many times throughout his upbringing in Missouri.
On September 15th, the makes-perfect-sense pairing of Jim Lauderdale and The Po’ Ramblin’ Boys will release The Long And Lonesome Letting Go, a twelve-song LP of all-new Lauderdale co-writes—half of which was written with Po’ Ramblin’ Boys guitarist Josh Rinkel. Other co-writers include 10-time IBMA Award winner Becky Buller, North Carolina old soul Joe Newberry, well-traveled producer/songwriter Jimmy Ritchey, and rising young guns Logan Ledger and Alex Leach. Whether as co-writer, bandleader, master of ceremonies, or musical ambassador for musical styles or states, Lauderdale has been one of Americana music’s all-time great collaborators. And The Long and Lonesome Letting Go stands as one of the best collaborative works in his 36-album discography.
Today, Lauderdale and The Po Ramblin’ Boys shared the album’s lead-off track, “Long And Lonesome Letting Go,” another co-write, this time with prolific writer and seasoned multi-instrumentalist, Bob Minner. Joining the already-stacked lineup is one more unmistakable voice; that high tenor of Bluegrass Hall of Famer Del McCoury. “I felt like that song ought to kick off the record, and somebody in Po’ Ramblin’ Boys said, ‘You know, Del would sound great on this,’” Lauderdale says. “Of course! So we reached out and luckily he was available. It didn’t feel right to just have him on the chorus, so he and I switch off a few lines in the verses. I’d never gotten to record with Del before, so that was a real treat.”
Fans can hear the uptempo heartache of “Long And Lonesome Letting Go” right now at this link or at No Depression where “Long And Lonesome Letting Go” is in their Bonus Tracks column.
Jim Lauderdale and The Po’ Ramblin’ Boys will both be headed to this year’s IBMA World Of Bluegrass conference in Raleigh, North Carolina, performing The Long And Lonesome Letting Go tunes together as well as separate sets of their own original songs. For more information, please visit worldofbluegrass.org.
The Long And Lonesome Letting Go Tracklist:
Long And Lonesome Letting Go (2:43)
She’s On A Different Train (2:31)
I’m Only So Good At Being Good (4:13)
You Fell Off The Face Of The Earth (2:51)
Last Resort (2:50)
Ghost Of A Rose (3:51)
Darkness Is The Other Side of Light (2:41)
If I Could Only Get My Heart To See (2:20)
That Was When We Were Together (2:40)
A Better Place (2:36)
She’s The Light (3:31)
Drop The Hammer Down (2:35)
Jim Lauderdale Tour Dates:
AUG 26 SAT Tønder Festival Tønder, Denmark
SEP 1 FRI Four Corners Folk Festival Pagosa Springs, CO
SEP 2 SAT Lulu's DownstairsManitou Springs, CO
SEP 3 SUN Jim Lauderdale w/Songs From The Road Band Denver, CO
SEP 10 SUN Bristol Rhythm & Roots Reunion Bristol, TN
SEP 14 THU The Barn Columbus, MS
SEP 15 FRI Duling Hall Jackson, MS
SEP 17 SUN Docie's Dock Fort Walton Beach, FL
SEP 20 WED Vine Grove Bluegrass Festival Vine Grove, KY
SEP 29 FRI IBMA Bluegrass Live Raleigh, NC
OCT 5 THU Suwannee Roots Revival Live Oak, FL
OCT 5 THU Boot Barn Hall at Bourbon Brothers Gainesville, GA
OCT 12 THU Gram Parsons Guitar Pull and Tribute Festival Waycross, GA
OCT 17 TUE Jim Lauderdale live at People's Brewing Lafayette, IN
NOV 10 FRI 04 Center Austin, TX, United States
NOV 11 SAT Jim Lauderdale with special guest Tony Ramey Richardson, TX
NOV 16 THU The Franklin Theatre Songwriter Series: Sierra Hull, Jim Lauderdale, Bobby Tomberlin, & Lillie Mae Franklin, TN, United States
NOV 17 FRI Jim Lauderdale LIVE Paducah, KY, United States
FEB 4 SUN Outlaw Country Cruise 2024 Andover, FL, United States
FEB 15 THU Tractor Tavern Sunny Sweeney Seattle, WA, United States
Po’ Ramblin’ Boys Tour Dates:
AUG 26, 2023 Bower's Mansion Bluegrass Festival New Washoe City, NV
AUG 31, 2023 SamJam Bluegrass Festival Piketon, OH
SEP 1, 2023 Delaware Valley Bluegrass Festival Woodstown, NJ
SEP 2, 2023 - SEP 3, 2023 Jackpine Jamboree Birnamwood, WI
SEP 14, 2023 Music on the Town Dandridge, TN
SEP 15, 2023 Eckert's Folk and Bluegrass Festival Belleville, IL
SEP 16, 2023 Bulls & Barrels Family Weekend Campbellsville, KY
SEP 22, 2023 Pigeon Forge Bluegrass Festival Pigeon Forge, TN
SEP 30, 2023 IBMA World of Bluegrass at Red Hat Amphitheater Raleigh, NC
OCT 16, 2023 Gatlinburg Craftsman's Fair Gatlinburg, TN
OCT 17, 2023 Gatlinburg Craftsman's Fair Gatlinburg, TN
OCT 18, 2023 Gatlinburg Craftsman's Fair Gatlinburg, TN
OCT 19, 2023 Bluegrass Island Music Festival Manteo, NC
NOV 3, 2023 The Rex Galax, VA
