Ron Block & Jeff Taylor – ‘Trouble Go Down’ album review

Between Ron Block’s record-breaking run with Alison Krauss + Union Station and Jeff Taylor’s work in the super group The Time Jumpers (featuring Vince Gill), there’s been a groundswell of anticipation leading up to their debut collaboration. On the resulting Trouble Go Down, the pair of co-vocalists/multi-instrumentalists clearly live up to their pedigree, mixing present-tense acoustic originals, “new hymns with old souls” and cracking open their hymnals for reinterpretations from the 1800s. Though bluegrass, folk and gospel are at the core of this collection, the proceedings also get pretty eclectic with retro guitars, whistles, a bouzouki and a bodhran. The duo even calls on several of their familiar friends for vocal contributions (Ellie Holcomb, Suzanne Cox, plus a periodic backing cast of all-star indie artists), all bonus assets within an already masterful body of work.