Mark Mathewson has written several of my favorite bluegrass tunes in recent years. Bluegrass and old time music have a rich tradition of murder ballads but Mark has come up with an interesting twist in this tale of Benny McCoy. It captures the imagination from the very first verse with not a word wasted in the telling.

Joe Mullins backstage at the Paramount

Tim Stafford selected this one and we were delighted to getAlan O'Bryant to sing it for us. Watching Alan's attention to detail in the studio was fascinating and it added tremendously to the powerful impact of this haunting song. Joe Mullins' bluesy banjo was a perfect counterpoint to the great rhythm section we had on hand and his "mocking" of Ron Stewart's fiddle at the end was a totally spontaneous and unscripted surprise.

Alan O'Bryant and Wayne Benson

Alan O'Bryant and Sammy Shelor backstage at the Paramount

Our original plan had been for Joe Mullins to add a tenor part to some of the vocal lines.Joe sat patiently in the control room as Alan was laying down the lead vocal and I heard him try out various parts as the track was going down. When Alan was finished, Joe looked up and said, "That song is done! It does not need one more thing added to it," and we left it just as it was.

"It is a thrill to work with such talented players and Tim Stafford producing. These people work hard at touching people with their music. They inspire us all to do the same........."

Alan O'Bryant

"The idea for Benny McCoy was taken from Ernest Hemingway's 'The Snows of Kilimanjaro.' In 'Snows,' a dying writer regretfully reviews the stories he'll never get to tell, including the one about 'the half-wit chore boy who was left at the ranch that time and told not to let anyone get any hay....' Tim Stafford thought Alan O'Bryant would have the right touch for this one, what with the NBB's penchant for spooky songs like 'Eli Renfro' and 'Blackbirds and Crows.' As usual, Tim was right. Don't know whether Hemingway would have liked the lyric, but if he knew anything about music he would have loved the pickin' and singin'."

Mark Mathewson

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