On December 6, 2006, Jack Cooke turned 70 years old, and "Sittin' on Top of the World" was a celebration of sorts. A few years later (in 2009), Cooke sadly passed away. This country boy from Wise County, Va. was born into a large family that played music and sang in church. After he and his brothers won a band contest sponsored by the Stanley Brothers, Jack went to work as the bass player with Carter and Ralph from 1955-57 (picking up a bass for $15 or $20 from Mike Seeger). After over four years playing guitar or bass with Bill Monroe, Jack Cooke formed his own band (Virginia Mountain Boys) in Baltimore. There, up above Johnny's used car lot, he recorded some albums (on the Wango label) with the Stanley Brothers, calling themselves John's Gospel Quartet. This current album being reviewed ends with two bonus tracks of archived material recorded in 1963 (with Bill Sage, Roy Hoskins, Bobby Diamond). "Let Me Rest at the End of My Journey" and "I've Always Been a Rambler" illustrate what his band and voice sounded like over 40 years ago. In late-1969, Jack went back to work with Ralph Stanley and has been with him ever since. With good range and an ear for harmony, Jack can sing all parts. 

On his first day of the job, Ralph Stanley asked Jack to handle the record sales. It's something he's successfully done without any pretenses or insincerity for years. He comes across as a man with empathy, kindness and understanding. His roots run deep to old-time mountain and bluegrass music. He doesn't believe in any fancy stuff or in taking the music "uptown." Jack once said, "A lot of people is ashamed to tell how they was raised and everything, I believe. But a man ought to tell it like it is. Got to keep it country. Keep it mountainous." 

What's so nice about this project is that it casts Jack Cooke into the spotlight. He's no longer just a sideman, a guy who was once a Blue Grass Boy with Bill Monroe or the long-time cornerstone in Ralph Stanley's band. Vernon Crawford "Jack" Cooke is now a solo artist who sings on all tracks and plays rhythm guitar on a couple too. Appropriately, his album opens with "Gotta Travel On," a song he once cut with Bill Monroe years before (12/1/58 in Nashville to be exact). And, second up is one of his signature songs that showcases his piercing tenor vocals, Webb Pierce's "I'm Walking the Dog." Jack may have been the first singer to adapt the song to bluegrass, and he is joined by Del McCoury's harmony vocals. Going way back, Del had been a Virginia Mountain Boy before he went to work for Monroe. This "Sittin' on Top of the World" album was produced by Jim Lauderdale who wrote "That's How the Cookie Crumbles" and who appears in the mix of three other cuts. Besides Del and Jim, other friends assisting include Ralph Stanley, Ralph Stanley II, James Shelton, Todd Meade, Steve Sparkman, Ronnie McCoury, Robbie McCoury, Jason Carter, Mike Bub, David Grisman, and Hubert & Jeanette Cooke. 

All songs on the 38-minute CD include: 1 Gotta Travel On 2 I'm Walking The Dog 3 That's How The Cookie Crumbles 4 Let's All Go Down To The River 5 North To Alaska 6 Dark Hollow 7 Long Black Veil 8 My Little Georgia Rose 9 On and On 10 Sittin' On Top Of The World 11 Seven Year Blues 12 There's A Higher Power 13 Sugar Coated Love 14 Let Me Rest At The End Of My Journey (Bonus Track) 15 I've Always Been A Rambler (Bonus Track) 

Not so long ago, Jack Cooke was a young musician living in an exciting time and learning from the impressionable Monroe and Stanley. Now, he's the mentor, and his relaxed and enthusiastic singing of bluegrass, country and gospel numbers will influence others. In a sense, he's passing on his genuine, honest music tradition to the next generation and showing ‘em how it was done. Over the decades, Jack's been approached many times to do his own album. I wish it would've happened sooner rather than later, but I reckon that finally getting it done makes for a good 70th birthday gift to himself, his family ... and us. With abundant rusticity, Jack Cooke's solo album reveals a devotion to a powerful mountain sound that is unadorned and down-to-earth ... just like Jack. (Joe Ross)