Tell ’Em You Were Gold

In 2007, when Jason and Pharis met at a fiddle jam, the former’s reputation as a banjo luthier extraordinaire was ascendant. Pharis was a veteran of her family’s country band and co-founder of the roots-folk group Outlaw Social. Married soon thereafter, the Romeros have since raised a family, released a handful of albums as a duo and in small group settings, and restored a dilapidated barn on their property in Horsefly, British Columbia, wherein Tell ’Em You Were Gold was recorded.

The CD’s 16 selections (the Smithsonian Folkways’ double-LP edition features six bonus tracks) are mostly subdued old-time ditties punctuated by sparkling dance numbers (eg ‘Going to Town’, ‘Old Bill’s Tune’). In all cases, from the easy-going guitar-banjo accompaniment on ‘Cannot Change It All’ to the masterful melding of Romero’s five-string banjo and Marc Jenkins’ pedal steel on ‘The Dose’ (named for a flyfishing lure), the performances eschew instrumental grandstanding and extravagant vocal harmonising. Additionally, Tell ’Em You Were Gold celebrates the art of banjo-making. The liner notes detail the intricate craftsmanship and special materials including gourd, animal skin, Brazilian rosewood, bronze and brass, which were used by Jason to construct the seven banjos played during the sessions.