Mountain Home Music Company and The Little Roy & Lizzy Show have partnered to release Welcome to the Show, the powerhouse ensemble’s first recording in almost three years. The collection shows the veteran group at the top of their game on a deftly curated set of originals and favorites from bluegrass, country, gospel, and beyond.

Led by multi-instrumentalist and lead singer Lizzy Long alongside multi-instrumentalist and Bluegrass Hall of Famer Little Roy Lewis, the quintet break right out of the gate with the title track, a lively original from Joel Lindsay and producer Wayne Haun that sets the pace for the album with a straightforward declaration of purpose:

Aim the spotlight, cue the band
Time is fleeting but time’s at hand
There’s harmony to make before we go
It’s why we’re here
So welcome to the show

And what a show it is—a signature mix of sacred sentiments and spirited bluegrass, with plenty of good humor, joyous gospel affirmation, and nostalgia punctuated with more reflective moments that demonstrate the group has more than simple escapism on their minds. Among the latter are the thoughtful Long co-write, “Story of My Life (Preacher Man),” and the durable Carter Family classic, “Give Me the Roses While I Live”—the latter featuring Little Roy recapping the autoharp playing and harmony singing that formed such an important part of the legendary Lewis Family’s shows over the years.

Still, it’s in the upbeat songs, driven by Little Roy’s distinctive banjo style, that the Show—Little Roy, Lizzy, mandolinist Matthew Songmaker, bassist Holger Oleson and harmony vocalist Sally Sandker—finds an exuberant comfort zone. And whether it’s on country classics like Martha Carson’s “It’s All Right (If You’ve Done Your Best)” and Merle Haggard’s “Rainbow Stew,” a neglected bluegrass gospel gem-like Randall Hylton’s “Let Me Go Wicked World,” the surprise REO Speedwagon cover, “Time For Me to Fly” or the energetic sing-alongs co-written by Haun, “Down Home” and “Till the Sun Goes Down,” the band supplies an abundance of sharp harmonies and show-stopping picking.

“I have been an admirer of Little Roy Lewis ever since I first met him with the Lewis Family more than 30 years ago and became an instant fan of The Little Roy and Lizzy Show the first time I saw them knock out a bluegrass festival audience,” says Mountain Home’s Jon Weisberger. Adds Long, “I’m so honored and thrilled to be signed with Mountain Home. We can’t wait to make great music with this team!”

For the project’s first single, the group offers an inspired acoustic reworking of Tasha Cobbs’ “God’s Been Good” that features a guest appearance by acclaimed pianist Gordon Mote. “I absolutely love this song,” enthuses Lizzy. “When I was introduced to this song, it just gave me chill bumps…and even more so to sing it! Everyone did a beautiful job, and to have Gordon Mote on it…. WOW…and I believe the crowds will enjoy singing it with us!”

“This is a great song that really lets me pick my style of guitar on the beginning,” adds Little Roy. “I’m also a Pig Robbins piano-loving fan of Gordon Mote, who really sealed the deal with his playing on it.”

“We are so proud of this whole album,” the duo notes. “It’s the first time we legitimately got in a studio with our whole band ONLY. Then to have Gordon Mote guest playing the piano is just a treat. Two Days…and we were done. The songs really feature everybody so well, and they’re so fun, have so much feeling, and really go well with today. We hope you love it as much as we did making it!”