Larry Rice..........

I’d like to write a bit about one of my favorite songwriters. In bluegrass circles most people know Tony Rice, guitar extraordinaire. A bit fewer knows about the Rice Brothers as a whole. The Rice brothers were born in Danville, Virginia (deep in the heart of bluegrass territory) but were moved as young children to California. Their father and an uncle, I believe, taught them to play. Tony was playing before audiences by the time he was 8, following in his idol’s footsteps, Clarence White. His brother Wyatt also took up guitar and released a solo album that is quite good. He also often plays rhythm for Tony on the road. Brother Ron is a bass player but never sought to be a professional, as far as I know. Neither did Larry Rice, the brother I’d like to talk about. Larry has released a few albums over the years and most recently played with Tony, Chris Hillman and Herb Pedersen for a couple of CDs. Larry is a mandolin player (my personal favorite mandolin player), a vocalist and an incredible songwriter. His album Time Machine is riddled with great songs (Winter Conversation is a highlight!). Another favorite of mine is the album Artesia. Kodak Carousel is a beautifully written song from that album. So are Bleeker Street and my personal favorite, Tinsel Town. I think you can download his albums as mp3s, but I could never find Artesia or Time Machine on CD. I have Time Machine on vinyl and Artesia was recorded for me onto cassette more than a dozen years ago. I believe they were both on the Rebel label and for some reason they didn’t release Larry’s works on CD. Like Tony’s album Mar West, which is a jambander’s dream, it was only available on cassette and I don’t know if you can still get it.
Larry played with J.D. Crowe in the New South in the 70’s. I understand that he became disenchanted with the music industry and moved to Florida where he worked as an electrician. Occasionally he came out to play with his brothers or to do the odd album.

About a year ago I read that Larry was battling cancer and that Tony was doing some concerts for him. In preparation for this review I discovered that Larry Rice passed away on May 14…less than a month ago. That deeply saddens me because Larry has always come across as an incredibly empathetic and caring person. His songwriting, to me, is every bit as powerful as Dylan’s. God Bless Larry, the Rice Brothers and all of Larry’s family. My heartfelt prayers are with them and for the repose of Larry's soul. So run out and download, beg, borrow or steal Larry’s albums and songs. Discover a truly magnificent songwriter that has left a powerful legacy behind.

A couple of years ago I went to see Tony Rice and Peter Rowan in Blacksburg, Virginia. I had wanted to hang out afterwards to talk to Tony. I wanted to tell him how much of a fan I was of Larry's. I wanted to tell him to tell Larry how much his songwriting meant to me. I know Tony gets praise all the time but I thought it would mean something to him and to Larry if I told him how much of a Larry Rice fan I was. I hung out for a little while and Peter Rowan did come out and sign autographs. But Tony didn't show any signs of coming out after the show so I left after about half an hour of waiting. I wish that I'd have gotten to tell Tony how much Larry meant to me.

It's 5:30 a.m. and I'm up drinking coffee and listening to Time Machine while I write this. I can't get Larry off my mind since I discovered last night of his passing. It seems appropriate to drink coffee and watch the dawn break while listening to Larry sing.