Backwoods in Boone
Larry Keel & Natural Bridge return for May 21 concert

By Frank Ruggiero

Larry Keel lives in the woods, way back on a mountain in the Blue Ridge.

The Virginia native may be one of bluegrass’s most popular names, but he still appreciates those backwoods roots or, more elaborately, “that whole feeling of being out there in the country, pickin’ on the bluegrass.”

Keel also enjoys pickin’ in Boone, having played the area since the days of Rafters on Howard Street and then some. He’ll return on Thursday, May 21, to the Boone Saloon with his band, Natural Bridge.

Earlier this year, Larry Keel and Natural Bridge released Backwoods, their long-awaited album, featuring 10 tracks, seven of them original compositions, all following that backwoods sort of theme.

“We always have a good time getting them out there,” Keel said of the group’s original tunes. “That’s what we try to focus on most, writing new material and getting something new out for everybody to listen to, so they don’t get tired of us.”

Backwoods is far from tiresome, however, a uniquely cohesive album that can be enjoyed all at once or a la carte. The themes run steadily through, including the well thought-out and masterfully rendered covers, including Tom T. Hall’s “Faster Horses,” Kenny Baker’s “Bluegrass in the Backwoods” and The Beatles’ “Mother Nature’s Son.”

“We had to pay some tribute to some of our heroes,” Keel said.

Crafting the record, however, was no easy task. Larry Keel and Natural Bridge had recorded about 25 songs and had some difficulty whittling down the track list. Plus, there was a change in cast. Banjo player Andy Thorne left the band to be succeeded by Jason Flournoy, whose progressive picking differed from Thorne’s traditional style.

Enter Keller Williams, famed guitarist and Keel’s longtime friend, the two having grown up in the same area of Virginia, playing at the same venues and supporting each other at open mike nights.

“The music sort of changed in mid-process of recording, so I got to the point of where I couldn’t figure out how to make the whole album cohesive, because we had so many different styles,” Keel said. “The only person I could think of who was creative enough, intuitive enough and who knew me enough, was Keller. I sent him all the music, he listened to it, and through his creative flair, suggested which songs would be good and all, and we narrowed it down to the tracks we currently have on Backwoods.”

This is Keel’s second album with Natural Bridge, comprised of Keel on guitar and vocals, his wife, Jenny Keel, on bass and harmony vocals, Mark Schimick on mandolin and vocals, and Flournoy on banjo.

There has been a bit of evolution since their self-titled album, a necessary growth that accompanies aging.

“Unfortunately, as the clock ticks, we all get older,” Keel said, “and we are definitely in this for the long haul. We take our music seriously, in all aspects, in writing, performing, the varied subject matter of all the tunes, the soul that’s poured out in every note – we’ve all grown up quite a bit, I would say.”

Since his childhood, music has played an integral role in Keel’s life. Born in 1968 in Manassas, Va., he was raised under the influence of two musicians – his father, James, and older brother, Gary – and began seriously playing guitar at the age of 7. He was taught in the traditional sense, a genre he respects and honors in every note, but learned to express himself through his own creative means, even if it meant steering in a more progressive direction.

“I grew up listening to pretty much traditional bluegrass music, between my dad and my brother,” Keel said. “With a lot of their friends … there was always a big jam session going on. I cut my teeth learning the traditional stuff, which I feel is a really good habit, and from there on I started growing up and listening to Jerry Garcia and Jimi Hendrix and Miles Davis and just everything, classical music, reggae, all of it.”

This accounts for a balancing act of old and new, and Keel’s knowledge of both creates a product seamless in its cohesiveness.

“If you play something out there for a really traditional crowd, the critics are going to eat you up for that, and if you play something too bluegrassy for one of those out-there audiences, then you’ll get criticized for that,” he said. “I remember what Duke Ellington said, when he was asked about his styles. He said he thought all the critics were limited by their opinions, and that’s basically the way I feel about it. Either you like it or you don’t. I can’t make everybody like it, but I sure am sincere about putting it out there.”

Keel’s sincerity has earned him shared stages with Del McCoury, Tony Rice, Bela Fleck, Sam Bush, Vassar Clements and Bill Monroe, and his songs have been covered. Both McCoury and perennial favorites Acoustic Syndicate have covered Keel’s material, with Keel’s “Mountain Song” being featured on the Del McCoury Band’s 2005 Grammy Award-winning album, The Company We Keep.

“I’m totally honored,” Keel said of McCoury covering his work. “Having Del sing your song is just the highest honor as a bluegrass musician.”

Another honor finds Keel sharing the stage with his brother, Gary, as the Keel Brothers, in which the two return to their more traditional roots, though future projects may be released in less than traditional means – the Internet.

“I can really produce my songs a lot better, with more concentration, one song at a time, and get it out to everybody,” Keel said. “Like the old days concentrated on one hit at a time, you can really concentrate on the music more, getting something fresh out all the time.”

Watching the recording industry grow digitally, Keel said, “If you don’t step in with progress and get on with it, then you might get run over by it.”

While the Internet is an increasingly viable medium, there are few – if any – substitutes for a live performance, and Keel promises plenty of original music and high-energy bluegrass for his Boone show.

“Bring your dancing shoes and your party hat,” he said. “We’re going to have a good ol’ time.”

Larry Keel and Natural Bridge perform Thursday, May 21, at 10 p.m. at the Boone Saloon, located at 489 W. King St. in downtown Boone. For ticketing information, call the Boone Saloon at (828) 264-1811. For more information on Larry Keel, visit www.larrykeel.com.