From Missouri, Mount Zion is a bluegrass gospel band that covers many of the predominant themes found in religious music today: individual salvation, life's rocky journey that all Christians must endure, and the good Christian's "action orientation" that suggests we must work hard to gain God's grace. Most impressively, Mount Zion keeps their singing and instrumentation solidly grounded in tradition. 

Mount Zion is Russ Weeks, Steve West, Tyler Weeks, and Dan O'Callaghan. Roger Matthews has apprarently departed the band since their debut release, "Still He Came," a couple years ago. Mount Zion provides a particularly good outlet for showcasing the multiple and exceptional talents of long-time bluegrass musician Russ Weeks who plays guitar, mandolin, fiddle and sings the lead vocals. Russ also solely wrote five of the songs on "My Old Friend." Their evocative original material, while mostly at slower to moderate tempos, is clearly one of the band's strengths. Russ Weeks and Steve West collaborated together on "The Answer Will Be There," a ¾-time duet with guitar and mandolin that reminds me of the Delmore Brothers.

Another guitarist in the band, Dan O'Callaghan has been playing since age 9. For this project, he wrote "Land of the Lost," with its poignant advice about how to avoid eternal damnation in Hell. Other splendid gospel songwriters featured here and associated with Weeksman Publishing include Doug York, Fanny Crosby, Jimmy Davis, Rusty Goodman, and Hubert Smith. York provided the title cut which reminds us not to lose touch with Jesus. 

Steve West (banjo, tenor vocals) has been performing for over 40 years in Central Missouri. Russ' son is bass-player and singer Tyler Weeks. He may only be a teenager, but his bass or tenor vocals sit nicely in the Mount Zion harmony mix. The band's gospel quartet is most impressive on the a cappella number, "Zion's Hill," an excellent choice for a group called Mount Zion. I also enjoyed their song composition and arrangements that often incorporate phrases and responses. 

Ingenious and creative, Mount Zion provides us with a 41-minute set of inspiring music that keeps the focus on their profound gospel messages. Skilled picking and proficient vocals round out their sound that is well-received at churches and festivals alike. (Joe Ross)