Although he'd been out of the bluegrass spotlight for 25 years prior to the release of this album, Paul Williams retained near legendary status for his work as the right hand man for Jimmy Martin in his peak early years with the band that included a young J. D. Crowe. Old Ways & Old Paths saw Williams back in a setting which truly highlighed his clear, powerful tenor voice and mandolin work. Supported by a solid group of local musicians including his son Ritchie, this is an excellent collection of gospel which Williams leads with style, fervor, and skill.