Darin and Brooke Aldridge's 'Talk of the Town' showcases breadth of bluegrass' legacy

For North Carolina's acclaimed bluegrass duo Darin and Brooke Aldridge, securing Country Music Hall of Famer and Grand Ole Opry member Vince Gill on their latest album was a career-defining moment.

Gill, along with esteemed songwriter Lori McKenna, contributed two songs to their latest album, "Talk of the Town," which was released on April 19, 2024.

"People appreciate how uniquely soulful we are, plus how much we share their appreciation of an era of country music where bluegrass, folk and gospel blended with West Coast rock," Brooke Aldridge says about how the duo re-roots the genre in its standard stylings.

Bluegrass music's timeless essence often leads to moments that artfully blend the genre's multigenerational appeal and its traditional artistry. This sentiment resonates profoundly when backstage at the Opry with the Aldridges and their latest album's collaborator, John Jorgenson, a legendary musician.

The Aldridge's adherence to traditional sound fuses well with how they also progressively expand the genre.

"Price I Pay," a track from the album, draws inspiration from the Desert Rose Band's collaboration with Emmylou Harris. Cast from the perspective of Brooke's life, the song's poignant lyrics reflect her early experiences with Darin while he was a touring musician.

Exploring the album further reveals covers like "A Food Such As I," which showcase the Aldridges' ability to reinterpret a Hank Snow classic with their unique style.

Brooke's soulful vocals and Darin's arranging skills breathe new life into familiar tunes, earning them recognition for their distinctiveness within the genre.

Musical legacies and traditions collide

Darin Aldridge, a musician for nearly four decades, mastered the banjo, guitar, mandolin and piano.

Notably, he was part of the final iteration of the legendary progressive bluegrass band the Country Gentlemen, which in other eras included luminaries Jerry Douglass and Skaggs.

Brooke Aldridge, on the other hand, honed her craft singing traditional country and gospel tunes. From 2017 to 2020, she was the International Bluegrass Music Association's Female Vocalist of the Year.

"I love what I do," Brooke Aldridge said.

Jorgenson is a guitarist and mandolinist with roots in Los Angeles' Byrds and Flying Burrito Brothers offshoot act, the Desert Rose Band. His ability to weave the intricacies of folk, jazz and rock into contemporary stylings of multiple genres has led to collaborations with Peter Frampton, Elton John, Brad Paisley and, for "Talk of the Town," Darin and Brooke Aldridge.

The album's hit gospel collaboration, "Jordan," pairs Brooke Aldridge with Ricky Skaggs, Mo Pitney, and Mark Fain. The track elevates her work to that of legendary "Jordan" performers of decades past — Emmylou Harris, Johnny Cash, and The Stanley Brothers.

Skaggs' high harmony and Pitney's bass vocals pair with Aldridge's harmonies to maintain the song's timeless gospel roots.

"Price I Pay" begins as a classic, 1990-released Desert Rose Band collaboration with Emmylou Harris.

The song is underpinned by — in both the 1990 and 2024 versions — iconic playing featuring angsty lyrics about partners humbly staying at home, out of the spotlight, and aging gracefully near and far from each other.

For Brooke Aldridge, the song reflects back to her college years when she and Darin were beginning their courtship. The song's angry vibe matched how she felt about dating a musician who is often on the road.

The song's opening lyrics also serve as the titular inspiration for the Aldridge's latest release:

"They tell me I'm the talk of the town / I've been staying home alone every night / It's nobody's business where I'm bound / As if to be alone and lonely just ain't right."

The song's delivery captures the essence of the genre, said Jorgenson.

"It's a beautifully played songs with angry lyrics — like so many of the great bluegrass tunes," he said.

'The apple never falls too far from the tree'

Reflecting on the album's depth, Jorgenson praises the Aldridges' ability to create magic through their music, bridging past and present in the bluegrass tradition.

Darin recalls a conversation with Skaggs at the Opry, where Skaggs remarked on their commitment to preserving bluegrass' legacy, likening them to guardians of tradition.

Darin Aldridge's realization that his wife's natural vocals resembled the falsetto ranges of Snow and Presley highlights his skill as an arranger. For Brooke, owning her style amid legendary forebearers has become one of her trademark skills.

Jorgenson describes playing with them as allowing for "magic" stylings that discover a timeless link between the "Cosmic Cowboy" work of his musical past and the progress of bluegrass in the modern era.

Get Brooke Aldridge talking about how artists like Harris and Patty Loveless had a decade of two dozen top-ten hits between them between 1987 and 1997 — alongside Harris' decade of 20 top-ten hits ten years prior — and she's still modestly stunned about how seamlessly her work fits alongside their success.

Darin Aldridge offers a recollection from an Opry conversation in years past with Skaggs about how both he and Skaggs are maintaining bluegrass' legacy that succinctly but best categorizes the power of his and his wife's latest release.

"Ricky told me that my wife and I are making sure that the apple never falls too far from the tree," he said.

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Darin and Brooke Aldridge's new album highlights bluegrass