BY MATTHEW RECCHIA

What happens when you mix sacred steel with traditional American bluegrass? Craziness is one expression that comes to mind. Perfection is another. Either way, when the Lee Boys and Travelin' McCourys decided to team up for seven dates this winter after collaborating at Warren Haynes's annual Christmas Jam in Asheville, they knew they were doing something right.

The Travelin' McCourys, a new collaboration featuring Rob and Ron McCoury, continues where the Del McCoury Band left off, bringing audiences a new experience of Appalachian bluegrass every time they step on stage, and Jan. 21 at the Georgia Theater was no different. Letting the boys run free for the time being, Del McCoury's talented sons were joined by Alan Bartram on stand-up bass and fiddler Jason Carter.

Starting the evening off for a growing crowd, the band never missed a beat, passing off solo duties around a mic placed at center stage. Although the colors from the lights above the stage presented a mellow mood with blues and whites, the music was alive, almost setting the single mic on stage on fire! Near the end of the set, band members from Dre's Rude Awakening and the Lee Boys made their way onto the stage for the first collaboration between the bands of the night - much to the pleasure of the audience.

The mashup of artists onstage soon died down into Dre's Rude Awakening, a quartet featuring New Orleans-based guitarist Shane Theriot, keyboardist Johnny Kneel, and Bartram and Carter from the McCoury's band. At first, the band played jovial tunes that were lightened by the striking vocals from the beautiful Andrea "Dre" Anders, but soon, the band turned to experimentation and entered a world of jazz improvisation. Although it got slow at times, the group reached some fantastic moments of improvisation. The forty-five minute set changed the pace from earlier in the night and provided a nice transitional contrast between the McCourys and Lee Boys sets.

Changing pace from earlier in the night, the Lee Boys brought even more life to the Theater after the onslaught of bluegrass from earlier in the evening. From Big Al's opening strums on the Stratocaster and Big Earl's tight rhythm on drums, anyone there could tell the best was yet to come. The drums, vacant during the McCourys' set, added a special flair to the night's festivities and helped get the crowd moving, especially during "Don't Let the Devil Ride" and "Let's Celebrate". Out of all the Lee Boys, Lil' Alvin Cordy was probably the most enthusiastic member during the show, rocking the bass, vocals, and some humorous expressions the whole time. Nearing the end of the set, musicians from the Travelin' McCourys and Dre's Rude Awakening once again began making their way onto the stage, along with a set of rare appearances from Colonel Bruce Hampton and Jeff Mosier. At one point, thirteen musicians jammed away as the sounds of mandolin, banjo, fiddle, and organ morphed with the Lee Boy's electric sacred steel sound, producing an amazing connection of music that sent shivers up everyone's backs during a stirring "Midnight Rider".

Roosevelt Collier, pedal steel guitarist for the Lee Boys, was on fire all night, and as a special surprise, busted out the classic "Voodoo Chile" for a cheering audience as the night's final encore. Joined onstage by members of the Lees, Ronnie McCoury, and Shane Theriot, this version of Jimi Hendrix's legendary track saw the band build off each other's solos, making the crowd forget they were even at a bluegrass concert. The highlight of the jam came as Ronnie McCoury, playing the song live for the first time, busted out one of the greatest solos of the night on his effects-laden electric mandolin, propelling the jam to a whole new level.

So what do you get when you mix the soulful sacred steel music from the Lee Boys with the precise picking of traditional bluegrass from the Travelin' McCourys? Craziness is one description that fits the bill, but perfection is the best. Don't miss this fantastic combination of talent when they roll into your town during their southeastern tour this winter.

*To see BLURT's picture review from Warren Haynes's 20^th Annual Christmas Jam, click here.

[Photo of Lee Boys by Ryan Hawthorne; live shot courtesy Lee Boys MySpace: www.myspace.com/leeboys]

Video from the tour: