Although there are only ten songs on Junior Williams’ solo project, Railroad Town, they cover a lot of territory from traditional to contemporary bluegrass offerings, a hard-driving banjo instrumental to gospel songs. Bluegrass fans will be thrilled to hear both the familiar, as well as some unique and fresh new material from Jr Williams. The set opens with Lester Flatt’s “Gonna Settle Down,” and Williams also offers some enchanting renditions of “Worried Man Blues, Hank Williams’ “House of Gold,”and Dale Sledd’s “Sledd Ridin’.” Carter Stanley’s “Let Me Walk, Lord, By Your Side” features the lead vocals of Junior Sisk and tenor harmony of Jr Williams. A spiritually-infused “Lord, I Hope This Day is Good” (by David Hanner) is becoming a bluegrass gospel classic.

In a more contemporary vein, the title cut “Railroad Town without a Train,” written by Thomm Jutz and Tim Stafford, presents a theme that has been covered before in folksy bluegrass music. The same writers penned “For No Good Reason,” an impressionistic ballad with vivid images of a guitar player and songwriter with wanderlust.  The album closes with “Can I Go Home with You?,” a song written and recorded by Caleb Klauder who plays with the Oregon-based Foghorn String Band.  Jr Williams arranged it as a swingy, toe-tapping number perfect for his expressive voice.

On Railroad Town, Jr Williams is supported Aaron Ramsey (guitar), Adam Steffey (mandolin), Nathan Aldridge (fiddle), Jeff Partin (Dobro, bass) and Jacob Burleson (rhythm guitar). Harmony vocals are handled by Ramsey and Partin, as well as Amanda Cook and Zach Arnold on a track each, “I Feel the Blues Moving In” and “Worried Man Blues.”

From Irvine, Kentucky, Jr Williams is a multi-instrumentalist with a 40-year career in bluegrass music. Railroad Town features his stellar vocals and banjo work. From 2001 - 2013, Williams played banjo with Newfound Road, and then he formed and spent about eight years with NewTown. In 2019, he joined the Tim Shelton Syndicate. Bluegrass fans will find a lot to their liking on Jr Williams’ solo debut (on the Mountain Fever label) called Railroad Town. (Joe Ross, Roots Music Report)