New Grass Revival (1986)

By the time this self-titled major-label record arrived, New Grass Revival had perfected their genre-bending progressive sound. Featuring the jaw-dropping line-up of Sam Bush on mandolin, Béla Fleck on banjo, Pat Flynn on guitar and John Cowan on bass and soaring lead vocals, the band played with arena-rock power entirely on acoustic instruments. Fleck's harmonically daring banjo runs spar with Bush's syncopated chop and Cowan's thunderous rhythm section. It remains an exhilarating showcase of modern progressive virtuosic fire.