Album Notes

The Coal Mountain Ramblers are:
Mark Calhoun, Tim Custer Jr., Kevin Kutz, Andrew Luttrell

Contemporary Improvisational Acoustic Roots Music:

The Coal Mountain Ramblers first official CD release "CMR to the Max" will feature all live music with no multi-tracking or overdubs, taken mostly from two days of recording in July 2007. The disc contains a majority of original songs, a few standards arranged by The CMR, and a band favorite performed for the first time: "Catfish John". As a matter of fact, almost the entire album is 'first takes', and those takes were improv 'on-the-spot' versions... played among a sea of songs that constructed elaborate sets of music not even discussed nor planned by the band. Celebrating one of the things the Ramblers cherish most about performing live music: "the moment", this CD spans a wide variety of acoustic songwriting, genres, and vivid soulful imagery.
Included are Mark Calhoun's "One Fine Day", "Falling", "Around the Wheel", and a hauntingly epic version of "Judgment Day Blues" which merges effortlessly into Andrew Luttrell's "Trinidad Cove". Also included are Andrew's "So Many So Little", "2000 Child", Tim Custer Jr's "Santos", the traditional "Wayfaring Stranger" beautifully navigated by Kevin Kutz, and much more.
A total of 15 tracks clocking in at 77 minutes, this CD is certainly filled "to the Max", as well as obviously played "to the Max". Mark Calhoun simply describes it best in its liner notes.

Original artwork by Kevin Kutz will grace the cover of this album. Inspired from the recording sessions themselves, and consisting of direct images from that memorable weekend in July, this beautiful 3' x 3' oil on linen "CMR to the Max" was painted between July - September 2007.

The Coal Mountain Ramblers would like to thank ALL of our family and friends for their love and support over the years, and we hope you enjoy this album as much as we did making it!