Luck In The Valley

“He will be missed” was the line heard ‘round the underground in late 2009, when guitarist Jack Rose suffered a sudden fatal heart attack at the too-soon age of 38. The Pelt alum left one last LP behind, though — the final installment in his “Ditch Trilogy” tribute to pre-war music. In case you’re unfamiliar with that dusty, boot-scooting chapter of the Great American Songbook, it can mean anything from the hoedown hooks of “Lick Mountain Ramble” to the hypnotic chords of “Moon In The Gutter.” And if you want a real history lesson, Rose also left his finger-picking prints all over three traditional tunes, including a saloon jam session (“West Coast Blues,” which could pass as an Old Crow Medicine Show instrumental) and a ragtime favorite (“Saint Louis Blues”) that’s been covered by Stevie Wonder, Louis Armstrong *and* the Flamin’ Groovies. As for how all of this fits into Rose’s storyline, *Luck In The Valley* isn’t about the loss of life. It’s about the celebration of it.

One of the de facto leaders of the resurgent movement of John Fahey devotees, Jack Rose recorded this triumph shortly before his recent death.

Luck in the Valley is the third part of guitarist Jack Rose's self-deprecatingly and humorously referenced “Ditch Trilogy,” which began with Dr. Ragtime & Pals in 2008 and continued with Jack Rose & the Black Twig Pickers in 2009.