Items12The creator’s order
  1. 1Foggy Mountain Banjo (1995)Foggy Mountain Banjo (1995)Released 1 Jan 1995This all-instrumental collection captures the gold standard of traditional ensemble bluegrass. Earl Scruggs's revolutionary three-finger banjo technique drives the tempo forward like a well-oiled locomotive, but what elevates the record is the seamless rhythmic handover between players. Paul…0
  2. 2Will the Circle Be Unbroken (1972)Will the Circle Be Unbroken (1972)Released 1 Jan 1972When a young California country-rock band invited Nashville's traditional bluegrass and country royalty to record together, they created a landmark acoustic summit. Doc Watson, Earl Scruggs, Roy Acuff, Jimmy Martin and Merle Travis traded breaks and memories in an unhurried, generous circle. The…0
  3. 3Old & In the Way (1973)Old & In the Way (1973)Released 1 Jan 1973Recorded live at the Boarding House in San Francisco, this album captures one of the most charismatic supergroups in acoustic history. Jerry Garcia on banjo, David Grisman on mandolin, Vassar Clements on fiddle, Peter Rowan on rhythm guitar and John Kahn on bass combine bluegrass drive with loose,…0
  4. 4The David Grisman Quintet (1977)The David Grisman Quintet (1977)Released 1 Jan 1977This groundbreaking debut album invented 'Dawg' music: an invigorating fusion of bluegrass drive, gypsy swing and modern jazz harmonies. With Tony Rice on flatpicked acoustic guitar, Darol Anger on violin, Todd Phillips on second mandolin and Joe Carroll on bass, the ensemble operates like an…0
  5. 5New Grass Revival (1986)New Grass Revival (1986)Released 1 Jan 1986By 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…0
  6. 6Blake & Rice (1987)Blake & Rice (1987)Released 1 Jan 1987Stripped of banjo, fiddle and bass, this intimate recording puts two of the greatest flatpicking guitarists of all time in a direct, unvarnished dialogue. Norman Blake's woody, traditional southern melodies and Tony Rice's fluid, jazz-inflected phrasing complement each other with extraordinary…0
  7. 7Drive (1988)Drive (1988)Released 1 Jan 1988Drive is widely regarded by musicians as the ultimate modern acoustic ensemble recording. Assembled around Béla Fleck's inventive banjo compositions is an all-star acoustic lineup: Tony Rice on guitar, Sam Bush on mandolin, Jerry Douglas on dobro, Stuart Duncan on fiddle and Mark Schatz on bass.…0
  8. 8So Long So Wrong (1997)So Long So Wrong (1997)Released 1 Jan 1997Alison Krauss and Union Station brought contemporary bluegrass to mass audiences without sacrificing an ounce of acoustic discipline. On So Long So Wrong, the ensemble interplay is astonishingly refined. Dan Tyminski's driving rhythm guitar and soulful baritone anchor the darker arrangements, while…0
  9. 9The Mountain (1999)The Mountain (1999)Released 1 Jan 1999Collaborating with rocker Steve Earle on a cycle of coal-mining ballads and murder tales, the Del McCoury Band showed how a family unit can supercharge traditional bluegrass. Ronnie McCoury's slashing mandolin chops and Rob McCoury's driving banjo create a relentless rhythmic engine behind Del's…0
  10. 10Nickel Creek (2000)Nickel Creek (2000)Released 1 Jan 2000Recorded when trio members Chris Thile, Sara Watkins and Sean Watkins were barely out of their teens, this Alison Krauss-produced album announced a major generational evolution. Rather than sticking to standard fiddle-tune formats, the trio combined bluegrass instrumental chops with indie-folk…0