Diamond Joe

This collection provides a fine overview of the work of Joe Val (born Joe Valiante), who grew up in Everett, Massachusetts before becoming a powerhouse of Boston’s nascent bluegrass scene in the 1960s. He and his band released several fine albums of hardcore traditional bluegrass throughout the 1970s and early 1980s before his untimely death in 1985. His high tenor voice and formidable mandolin playing are showcased to great effect on songs like “Lonesome Road Blues” and the hair-raising gospel number “I Hear a Sweet Voice Calling,” not to mention the thrillingly creepy murder ballad “Poor Ellen Smith.”