Acclaimed for his polished style and compositional depth, mandolinist MARK STOFFEL has already released two distinctive originals (“Curious Times” and “Barnyard Funk”) since his last full-length project, Coffee And Cake (2020). Now the long-time member of Chris Jones & the Night Drivers is back with a third single, and this time, it’s a glistening instrumental version of the beloved bluegrass gospel classic, “I’m Using My Bible for a Road Map.”
First recorded by its writer, Don Reno, and his longtime musical partner, Red Smiley, in 1952, “I’m Using My Bible for a Road Map” is among the most widely recorded numbers in the bluegrass canon. But though it’s a long time favorite, it’s been offered only once before in an instrumental version, by the award-winning resonator guitar trio of Mike Auldridge, Jerry Douglas and Rob Ickes. But where that all-star group served up a legato reading that featured only their three instruments, Stoffel has opted for a fuller, if no less relaxed take that backs his deliciously elegant approach with an impeccable rhythm section and a couple of well-known friends – including, in a fitting nod to the song’s legacy, a return appearance by Ickes. https://markstoffel.com/home
Never for Nothing 