The David Grisman Bluegrass Experience - DGBX (CD)

All Music Guide

David Grisman's first love was bluegrass, and though most of his recordings have fallen into his nebulous jazzleaning "Dawg music" noncategory, Grisman has on occasion returned to bluegrass, always with exceptional results. His longrunning David Grisman Quintet were still going strong when the mandolinist put together a working band called the David Grisman Bluegrass Experience, featuring Keith Little on banjo, guitar, and vocals; Chad Manning on fiddle; Jim Nunally on guitar and vocals; and Grisman's son, Samson Grisman, on standup bass. This is no progressive "newgrass" album. DGBX is the real deal, bluegrass as Bill Monroe intended it: standard instrumentation and song structures, high harmonies, breakneck breakdowns, etc. The material is largely borrowed, from such unimpeachable sources as members of the Carter Family and the Stanley Brothers, Flatt Scruggs, and the great Charlie Poole, as well as that old favorite, "Traditional." A Grismanpenned instrumental , cleverly titled "Da...wggy Mt. Breakdown," allows for some hot showcasing, but then so does the entire album: these guys are all pros, and when one of them slides into a solo, it's never less than impressive. Another Grisman original, "Old and in the Way," was originally performed by the shortlived '70s band of the same name, of which Grisman was a member and which also included the late Jerry Garcia on banjo, Vassar Clements on fiddle, and John Kahn on bass, as well as the stillkickin' Peter Rowan on guitar. Nothing much about the song has changed, except the folks playing it. That's the idea here: to stick with the basics. There's nothing tricky about DGBX this is unadulterated bluegrass, played and sung to perfection. - Jeff Tamarkin, All Music Guide Read more Less