The debut album from Tennessee-based Williams and Clark Expedition is a solid offering of smooth, workman-like bluegrass. The band is Bobby Clark (mandolin, harmony vocals), Wayne Southards (guitar, lead and harmony vocals), Blake Williams (banjo and Bass), and Kimberly Williams (lead and harmony vocals). Tim Crouch is the guest fiddler on the recording.
All seasoned professionals in their own right, it is a treat to hear the members of WCE working collectively to interpret traditional numbers such as A. P. Carter's "East Virginia Blues", and Clyde Moody's "Shenandoah Waltz". They also provide quality bluegrass arrangements of more contemporary numbers from Hugh Moffitt ("Carolina Star") and new material from various other songwriters, like Canadian Charlie Major who contributed "Lonely I Can't Stand". Kimberly's father Philip East wrote "Blue Coats Road" with it's many beautiful images of Kentucky.
Wayne Southards and Kimberly Williams are both proficient and pleasant lead vocalists. Past national mandolin champ, Bobby Clark, delivers the hot licks on a self-penned up-tempo original, "Shoo In," while Blake Williams contributes the title track instrumental., "New Ground." While Blake played bass on the album, it appears Kimberly Williams now has assumed the bass duties with the group. With 10 tracks, WCE's debut album comes to an end all too quickly. Keep an eye out for this up-and -coming bluegrass band that knows how to lay it all down right.
-Joe Ross, Bluegrass Now