In the aftermath of last fall’s Hurricane Helene and the devastation it brought to east Tennessee and western North Carolina, fiddle and mandolin ace Andy Leftwich and Mountain Home Music Company responded with the release of his soulful instrumental adaptation of the beloved traditional American gospel ballad, “Talk About Suffering.” Now, as a harbinger of springtime and its renewed vitality, Leftwich is back with “Highland Rim,” an energetic tune that reminds listeners once again that he — and his talented ensemble mates — are among those at the very forefront of roots music’s leading virtuosos.
From the rapid-fire counterpoint arpeggios of its opening to its slam-bang ending, “Highland Rim” is a high-powered romp that marries the energy and power of bluegrass classics to the dazzling picking served up by the genre’s modern masters. This time, award-winning guitarist Cody Kilby (Travelin’ McCourys) gets the ball rolling before Matt Menefee’s banjo, along with mandolin and fiddle — both played by Leftwich — offer the intricate melody’s opening statement. Underpinned by driving bass from Byron House (Nickel Creek, Robert Plant), furious solos from Kilby, Menefee and Leftwich speed by, carrying the listener along in cascades and whirlwinds of notes that somehow retain the shape of Leftwich’s melody from start to finish.
“I’ve always loved the intensity of a fast paced instrumental,” Leftwich offers, “and we hold nothing back on this one. Named after a raceway close to home where I grew up, I thought this one perfectly described the rush that you get from going fast! I wanted a song on this new project where we can go absolutely bananas, and I feel like we captured it on this one!”
"Highland Rim" is streaming in Dolby Atmos spatial audio on Apple Music, Amazon Music and TIDAL. Listen to it HERE.
About Andy Leftwich
Four-time GRAMMY®-winning instrumentalist Andy Leftwich began playing the fiddle at the age of six, entering his first contest at seven and winning the National Championship for Beginners at the age of twelve. By the time he was a teenager, he had appeared on the Grand Ole Opry and “Music City Tonight” with Crook and Chase, and had established a reputation as a winning contest fiddler throughout the Southeast. At 15, he capped off his contest career by winning Winfield, Kansas’s Walnut Valley Old Time Fiddle Championship, one of the most prestigious contests in the country. At the same time, with mandolin and guitar added to his arsenal, Andy began playing professionally, and before he finished his teens, he had joined Ricky Skaggs and Kentucky Thunder in 2001. wIn addition to 2005’s solo album, Ride, Andy has recorded two critically acclaimed albums as a member of Three Ring Circle (with dobro player Rob Ickes and bassist Dave Pomeroy), and built an impressive list of studio credits as one of Nashville’s top session players.
