We can always count on Mo Pitney to keep country, well… country.
A couple years ago, Mo released a dynamic cover of the 1963 song, “Old Home Place.”
The song was originally made popular after being picked up and recorded by The Dillards, who were an iconic bluegrass group known for pioneering the genre into mainstream popularity.
They played many of their songs in appearances as “The Darlings” on The Andy Griffith Show.
“Old Home Place” has been reimagined countless times throughout the last fifty or so years, including by Ted Lundy, Ricky Skaggs and even Phish.
In his own version, Mo put his traditional vocals to the test and largely mimicked the stylings of J.D. Crowe from his 1975 cover, even dedicating the song to the late bluegrass legend.
When asked why he selected this cover for his album, Mo relayed that the track was one of the earliest songs he felt drawn to.
“The first time I heard the ‘Old Home Place’ was actually J.D. Crowe & The New South album, which was J.D. Crowe, Tony Rice, Jerry Douglas and Ricky Skaggs – all my favorite singers and players.
So I learned it, not by just sitting down and just learning it, but by listening to it with my dad riding down the road.”
But in a rare occurrence, Mo has circled back to the song to reimagine it for a second time in a video format. The video features Mo on the vocals alongside his “All-Star Band” as he calls them, featuring the likes of Ricky Skaggs, Marty Stuart and Jerry Douglas.
This all came to fruition when Marty and Ricky heard Mo’s voice on the recording and put in their bids to play alongside him… what a damn honor.
Jerry Douglas got in on the fun and played his dobro piece, which he also played in the J.D. Crowe version Mo became fond of as a young kid. And Mo even went the extra mile to include J.D.’s ‘70s banjo harmony on his track, paying his respects to the man who brought the song to life for him in the first place.
Even though this song is one we’ve have been enjoying for years, the video really brings this moment to life. So many incredible artists in one room together laughing and playing without a care in the world embodies what music is all about.
And if your Mo Pitney, you’ve got to know you’re doing something right singing alongside this Mount Rushmore of musical talents.
Behing the song:
