The Last Suit You Wear

AMG Review of The Last Suit You Wear

James Christopher Monger
All Music Guide

Bluegrass legend and former Stanley Brother member and current Lonesome Rambler Larry Sparks' first release for fellow country icon Del McCoury's McCoury Music label doesn't deviate much from the lauded singer/guitar player's winning blend of heartbreak, salvation and furious picking; and why should it? Sparks has been schooling the rest of the world in the gospel of luegrass since the 1960s. Last Suit You Wear features 12 allads and breakdowns that rely heavily on Sparks masterful hands and mournful delivery, as well as the talents of high profile guests like J.D. Crowe, Don Rigsby, Randy Kohrs, Stuart Duncan, Ron Stewart and McCoury himself. From the dusty, mid-tempo strains of "Old Coal Mine" to the rowdy lament "Those Blues Eyes Don't Sparkle Anymore," Sparks and his gang of luegrass brothers have created some required listening for incoming students.