In 2002 I had the honor of taking Dr. Ralph Stanley to KGSR in Austin, Texas to talk about the release of his self-titled new record. I remember asking him about bluegrass music and he said to me, “I don’t play bluegrass, I play old-time country music.” That’s exactly what I heard on stage last week when The Devil Makes Three played the second of a two night stint at the Fox Theater in Oakland.
Effortlessly blending elements of western swing, folk, honky-tonk, rockabilly, and bluegrass, The Devil Makes Three was formed in Santa Cruz, California, in 2002. Guitarist Pete Bernhard, upright bassist Lucia Turino, and banjo player Cooper McBean have released four studio albums and a couple of live recordings along the way.
The trio have evolved their sound ever so slightly over the course of more than a decade of performing together. “Worse or Better” is a track from their latest record, 2013’s I’m a Stranger Here which showcases the group at its finest hour in my opinion, as Grammy Award winning songwriter and Nashville legend Buddy Miller took the helm as producer, bringing out the best from the trio to tape.
I hadn’t heard of The Devil Makes Three before their publicist sent a note to me about the Bay Area shows, but I can tell you after seeing the trio perform live I immediately dug into their catalog and became a fan. And of course their music is available on vinyl—as that’s the only way to really enjoy “old-time country music” in the first place.
On another note, Parker Milsap opened the show and wow does this guy have a voice. Someone mentioned to me that he was the son of the great Ronnie Milsap but that doesn’t seem to be the case.
Either way his songs were a throwback to the grand ole days of honky-tonk and his voice was absolutely flawless as he carried each song with his unique tone. There aren’t too many folks around who can sing like this guy can and his latest self-titled record is equally as impressive.
PARKER MILSAP
