A lot of folks would look at this lineup of The Bluegrass Album Band, and see many of the folks responsible for the sound of contemporary bluegrass:

・J.D. Crowe (Banjo, Vocals)
・Tony Rice (Guitar, Vocals)
・Doyle Lawson (Mandolin, Vocals)
・Bobby Hicks (Fiddle)
・Todd Phillips (Bass)

They’d be right, which is just one of the things that makes this 1981 concert so intriguing. As progressive and genre-bending as they have been, these guys can play straight-up bluegrass astonishingly well, and have fun with it, too. In fact, the set is traditional to a fault, yet this band sees traditional bluegrass as the canvas on which they paint their best pictures.

Memorable moments: Crowe’s blazing kickoff of “You Don’t Know My Mind”, which is rivaled by Hicks’s stunning back-up. The way the two of them stoke the fire on “Shuckin’ the Corn”. The way Lawson out-picks Crowe on “Bugle Call Rag” — a traditional banjo showcase. The way Rice and Lawson apply traditional bluegrass elements in unexpected ways on “Sittin’ Alone In the Moonlight”, and the way Hicks outshines his work with Bill Monroe on that same number.

With all that said, I’m only scratching the surface. Enjoy the show.