Del Mc Coury Band: NPR Music Tiny Desk Concert

Aug. 1, 2018, Bob Boilen There is a moment, near the top of this Tiny Desk concert when three voices gather round a single microphone to deliver the chorus of That Ol Train that is so pure and beautiful it made my eyes well up with tears when we filmed it. Not since bluegrass legend Ralph Stanley played the Tiny Desk in 2009 have I felt vocals resonate so deeply. Del McCoury is another bluegrass legend, singing, playing guitar and writing songs for the past 60 years, including his days with the father of bluegrass, Mr. Bill Monroe. The Del McCoury Band itself is 50 years strong, and these days includes Del s sons Robbie on banjo and Ronnie on mandolin and vocals. All are astonishing players, here joined by the fivetime awardwinning fiddling of Jason Carter and this year s International Bluegrass Music Association bass player of the year Alan Bartram. For their visit to the Tiny Desk, the group brought along some traveling songs. The first (of two) train tunes, That Ol Train, comes from th