Released in summer of 2024

Level Best - Drivin' The Blue 

​​

Level Best returns with their third album of bluegrass and country gems. The Besties are celebrating their sixth year together with an exciting selection that shows off the many colors of their vocal arrangements along with plenty of instrumental fire-power.

Drivin’ the Blue is a fitting album title to introduce Ed Lick, who joined the band two years ago. Ed wrote this rocker of a banjo tune. Ed is also here singing a great traditional song, Good Morning, Mr. Railroad Man.

Lisa Kay Howard is a great admirer of Robin and Linda Williams. Here is her interpretation of the Williams’ haunting While I’m Waiting for You.

James Field knows at least a thousand songs – maybe two. He has gone back to the 1920’s to reprise the Jimmie Rodgers classic California Blues. Moving on to the 1970’s, James and Lisa Kay combine on the Buck Owens classic The Streets of Bakersfield.

Wally Hughes does a heartfelt rendition of a Tammy Wynette composition, Til I Can Make it on My Own. And, following Grandpa Jones’ advice to “sing a song the folks all know,” Wally picked up his fiddle to record Ain’t Gonna Work Tomorrow. He’s joined on both tunes by Ed and Lisa Kay for some soaring trio work.

The most important instrument in any band is the bass, and the heartbeat of Level Best is the rock-solid work of Joe Hannabach.

Level Best has done a lot of travelling since their last album. Festivals on the East Coast, concerts in Northern and Southern California, and return tours of Europe and Ireland. More dates and more locales are on the way, so check in the schedule page for upcoming shows.

James Field: guitar; lead vocal 4,6

Lisa Kay Howard: mandolin; lead vocal 5, tenor 4; high baritone 1,2,3

Wally Hughes: fiddle, dobro; lead vocal 1,3; tenor 2,6; Low tenor 5

Ed Lick: banjo; lead vocal 2; tenor 1,3; baritone 5

Joe Hannabach: bass.

Recorded and Mastered by Engineer Will Shenk