What are your top 5 bluegrass albums?

[Zoe]

Hi,

I am looking to expand my bluegrass collection- well actually I only have one album presently- Ricky Skaggs

I would absolutely LOVE some input on your favourite albums- the 'must haves'- so to speak

thanks everyone!
http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/laugh.gif

[mr51]

Well, I don't have many bluegrass cds, but in my opinion, no collection is complete without "Will The Circle Be Unbroken" by the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band. #Actually, the boxed set, "Will The Circle Be Unbroken - The Trilogy" is the one to purchase. #It contains all 3 "Circle" cds, plus a concert dvd of the last "Circle" cd.

Another cd that I have and really enjoy is Allison Krauss and the Union Station Live.

Tim O'Brien; "Cornbread Nation" and "Fiddlers Green"

One of the best bluegrass-mountian music cds that I have ever heard, "Appalachin Picking Society" on the Windham Hill label. #It is a various artist cd with awesome music. #This cd may be harder to locate. #You may have to go to larger music stores to find it.

Another artist that has always appealed to me is Mike Cross. He is somewhat of a "local" artist here in North Carolina. #He was very popular back in the mid to late 80s. #His style is a combination of #folk/bluegrass/scottish, with a little rock thrown in for good measure. #Do a search at someplace like Amazon.com for his music. #Most cds are still avaiable. #I can't really remember all of them but the best is his live performance called "Live and Kickin'". #Or go to www.mikecross.com

[JEStanek]

These may not be purist Bluegrass albums and I know you'll get recomendations from others... Here are some CDs I think you might enjoy adding to the Ricky. These are ones I consistently listen too and are inspired by. Not in particular order other than how they popped into my head. Unless noted otherwise you can listen to clips on Amazon.com and buy them from a Cafe board sponsor... ;-)

Hot Rize - Untold Stories (Tim O'Brien)
David Grissman - The Rounder Compact Disc (Early Dawg, Skaggs, Vasser Clements Tony Rice, Jerry Douglas)
The Bluegrass Bastards (on CDbaby.com deffinately not a purist CD but I love the feel of this CDs sound)
Nickel Creek -Nickel Creek(Not "Bluegrass" but its what got me into mandolin)
The Three Pickers - Skaggs, Doc Watson, Earl Scruggs in concert together.

I'm in a similar boat to you, I need a great jump off CD for the likes of Monroe and Compton. I'm sure we'll get good 'uns for those great men as well.

Jamie

[Kevin Briggs]

Here's some of my favorites:

1. The three Old and in the Way releases
2. All of The Seldom Scene's live releases
3. Everything Doc Watson did
4. Everything Bill Monroe did
5. The Osborne Brothers "Bluegrass Collection

Numbers one and two will show you some good progressive type stuff. Three and four will give you some roots. Five is just a personal favorite filled with awesome mandolin and vocals.

[stevem]

Bluegrass Mandolin Extravaganza
Old and In the Way: Breakdown
Up in the Woods, John Reischman
Skaggs and Rice (That's the name of the album).
Stomp. Mike Compton and David Long (will be released in March.)

[Dena Haselwander]

Another vote for "Will the Circle Be Unbroken"; also anything by Byron Berline.

[FlawLaw]

I am fond of "JD Crowe & the New South." It has JD Crowe, Tony Rice, Ricky Skagggs, Bobby Slone and Jerry Douglas. I really like Peter Rowan's newest album with Tony Rice. I think Peter Rowan and Tim O'Brien have the two nicest voices in Newgrass/Bluegrass/Acoustic music. I like many of the Bill Monroe and Earl Scruggs collections. I have a few.

[G. Fisher]

I like to listen to anything from the following:

Bill Monroe

Hot Rize

The Bluegrass Album band

David Grisman Quartet

Country Gentlemen

Doyle Lawson

Flatt & Scruggs

[JimRichter]

It's hard to pick the top 5, so I'll do a top 20. Any of them could be my top 5, depending on my mood. No particular order:

Hot Rize--1st album
Seldom Scene--Old Train
Nashville Bluegrass Band--My Native Home
New Grass Revival--When the Storm is Over
New Grass Revival--Barren County
Mike Compton/David Grier--Climbing the Walls
Bill Monroe--Bluegrass Time
Bill Monroe--Master of Bluegrass
JD Crowe and the New South (Skaggs, Rice, Douglas Rounder album)
Boone Creek--One Way Track
Doyle Lawson and Quicksilver (1st album)
Butch Robins--The 5th Child
Butch Robins--Grounded Centered Focused
The Country Gentlemen--Bluegrass from Carnegie Hall
JD Crowe--Black Jack
Jimmy Martin--Big and Country Instrumentals
John Hartford--Aereo-Plane
Flatt and Scruggs--Foggy Mtn Banjo
Flatt and Scruggs--Foggy Mtn Jamboree
Tim O'Brien and Darrell Scott--Real Time

There are many more. My mood changes so much that I bounce around in what I'm looking for. To me, these are my essentials.

Jim

[pickinNgrinnin]

Tony Rice - Manzanita & Plays and Sings Bluegrass
Skaggs and Rice
Skaggs and Whitley
Larry Sparks - pick anyone of his albums
Hot Rize - " "
Ralph Stanley and the Clinch Mountain Boys - pick anyone
JD Crowe & the New South - get the album with the same name

Check em out!

[mrbook]

David Grisman: Home is Where the Heart Is

The Bluegrass Band - Butch Robins and others (Larry Stephenson, etc.) Two CDs of great standards (Hay Holler)

Tony Rice Sings and Plays Bluegrass (Rounder)

Manzanita - Tony Rice (Rounder)

The New South - J.D. Crowe (Rounder)

Bill Monroe - Live Off the Record (Smithsonian)

Anything by Jimmy Martin. There are hundreds more, but I listen to these all the time.

[DryBones]

Cherryholmes
Bluegrass Mandolin Extravaganza
Bill Monroe-Anthology
Rhonda Vincent-Ragin'Live
Bobby Osborne & Jesse McReynolds-Masters of the Mandolin

[EggerRidgeBoy]

Instead of list of my personal favorites, the following is more my attempt at a "Bluegrass 101" list - 20 must-have albums that give a very brief overview of 60 years of bluegrass music. Except that there are 30 albums on the list, since I couldn't narrow it down to 20...


Bill Monroe - "The Music of Bill Monroe, 1936-1994"
Bill Monroe - "Off the Record, Live Recordings 1956-1969"
The Stanley Brothers - "The Complete Mercury Recordings"
Flatt & Scruggs - "Tis Sweet to be Remembered: The Essential Flatt & Scruggs"
Flatt & Scruggs - "Live at Carnegie Hall"
Jim & Jesse - "First Sounds: The Capitol Years"
Jimmy Martin - "Jimmy Martin, the King of Bluegrass"
Reno & Smiley - "Talk of the Town; Classic Bluegrass 1952-1960"
Lilly Brothers & Don Stover - "Bluegrass at the Roots: 1961"
Doc Watson - "At Gerdes Folk City"
The Country Gentlemen - "On the Road (and More)"
The Country Gentlemen - "The Complete Vanguard Recordings"
Kentucky Colonels - "Living in the Past: Legendary Live Recordings"
Hazel & Alice - "Pioneering Women of Bluegrass"
The Osborne Brothers - "The Best of the Osborne Brothers"
The Seldom Scene - "Live at the Cellar Door"
New Grass Revival - "Grass Roots: The Best of New Grass Revival"
Old & In The Way - "Old & In The Way"
J.D. Crowe and the New South - "J.D. Crowe and the New South"
Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver - "The Original Band"
Johnson Mountain Boys - "Live at the Old Schoolhouse"
Hot Rize - "So Long of a Journey: Live at the Boulder Theater"
The Bluegrass Album Band - "The Bluegrass Compact Disc, Vols, 1 & 2"
Lonesome River Band - "Old Country Town"
Ralph Stanley - "Saturday Night/Sunday Morning"
Lynn Morris Band - "Shape of a Tear"
Alison Krauss and Union Station - "Live"
Del McCoury Band - "Del and the Boys"
Rhonda Vincent and the Rage - "Ragin' Live"
Ricky Skaggs - "Live at the Charleston Music Hall"

[Roydw3]

Bluegrass Mandolin Extravaganza
Doc Watson and Grisman duo
Rhonda Vincent and the Rage Live
IIIrd Tyme Out Live (the first not the latest - don't have it yet)
Sam Bush and Grisman duo
Seldom Scene Act II
Doyle Lawson and Quicksilver - School of Bluegrass
Grascals
Mountain Heart - Force of Nature
Nickle Creek - Nickle Creek

These are my favorites right now...
In the last year I have bought around 100 cd's and they are from all eras and covering a wide spectrum of styles. I have just about all of the Monroe CD's that I could find...dozens of them...but I just wish the recording quality was better from some of his early stuff.

Denny

[EggerRidgeBoy]

Some of my recent favorites, from the last two or three years:

Cherryholmes - "Cherryholmes"
Bob Paisley & the Southern Grass - "The Tradition Continues"
Larry Sparks - "40"
Tom Adams & Michael Cleveland - "Live at the Ragged Edge"
David Grisman - "Life of Sorrow"
Dry Branch Fire Squad - "Live at the Newburyport Fire Hall"
Bluegrass Intentions - "Old as Dirt"
James Reams and Walter Hensley - "Barons of Bluegrass"
Nashville Bluegrass Band - "Twenty Year Blues"
Kenny & Amanda Smith Band - "House Down the Block"

[Coy Wylie]

Tony Rice - Manzanita (deserted island album, if I could take only one!)
Kenny Baker Plays Bill Monroe
Bluegrass Album Band - They are all great, you must have at least some of these
Hot Rize - Traditional Ties is a favorite
Ricky Skaggs - Bluegrass Rules!
Blue Highway - Troubles Up and Down the Line

[mandocrucian]

Scotty Stoneman w/Kentucky Colonels - "Live in LA 1965"

Leon Morris & Buzz Busby - "Honky Tonk Bluegrass"

Country Gazette - "A Traitor In Our Midst" (the original lineup with Byron Berline)

II Generation - #untitled (first) black LP aka "Rome album" w/Jimmy Gaudreau

Larry Sparks - "Lonesome Guitar"


Niles H

[Yonkle]

Mandolin Extravaganza
Not exactly BG but :Hold on were struming" ROCKS
DRIVE Bela Fleck
All Monroe. But listen too many days in a row and you start to go a little wacky and have to put in some Pink Floyd to come back.

[Eric F.]

I think Kenny Baker Plays Bill Monroe is essential. I can't get enough of that sound.

[jaydee]

Tony Rice-Manzanita
Doc watson-Riding the Midnight Train
Tim O'Brian-Red On Blonde (It's not really bluegrass, but it's a must have)
Tony Rice-Manzanita
Tony Rice-Manzanita
Seriously, these are all great records in every post above, and you should by them all. But, buy Manzanita first. Imagine buying Kind Of Blue all over again. If you don't have the Miles Davis album Kind Of Blue, buy that before you make breakfast tomorrow, then buy Manzanita. I think that you'll love them both.

Happy collecting

Jeremy

[chovie d]

wow I asked this question as a newb (still am a newb) and got about three responses. you must asked nicer http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif

eventually I figured out i prefer country to bluegrass. something about that bluegrass chop chord grates on my nerves. If i wanted to sound like a Banjer I woulda got me a banjar! http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/sad.gif

Monroe kicks about twenty million kinds of butt tho. Check your local library for all kinds of great stuff for free. Librarians are often bluegrass fans. Skaggs is great. Three Pickers is also a dvd and that is the way to go. Doc Watson tears it up!
High Lonesome is cool on dvd, your library has it!

dont listen to me tho, I am just a geetar player ;)

[steve in tampa]

See lots of stuff here I've got and more I'm going to look in to.

Just got a CD from an Australian band called "The Greencards", and highly recommend it to mando players becauseit is awesome, and there is NO banjo!

[AlanN]

Some obscure ones

Bluegrass Blend - Ricky Allred, Kent Dowell
Country Grass - Livin' Free, w/ H.Sizemore
Spectrum - 1st one
Jimmy Gaudreau BG Unit - Live in Holland
Ted Francisco - Pick 'n Roll

[Aran]

Old and in the Way

[Markelberry]

Home is where the Heart is David Grissman, Master of Bluegrass-Bill Monroe,Early Dawg-David Grissman,Climbing the Walls-Compton and Grier,Manzanita-Tony Rice

[red7flag]

Watson and Monroe (Duet album on Folkways)
Tony Rice Manzinita
Seldom Scene Live at the Celar Door
JD Crowe and the New South (Self titled, with Tony, Ricky and Jerry)
Blake and Rice 2 (with Doc Watson)
Tony

[futrconslr]

Grier and Compton defiinately.

Also, the little grascals c.d.....not the Grascals but the one that has Compton on the cover and was put out by that French record company. Its a really really good C.D. I think you can still find it.

[JimRichter]

The Little Grasscals almost made my list--primarily just for Mike's "Gospel Plow." #But then again, the Nashville Bluegrass Band's "To Be His Child" almost made it due to Mike's "Gospel Plow." #Frankly between the two, I prefer the vintage '87 one. #I think Mike's playing is a lot grittier in the Little Grasscals version, but the band backup is much better from the vintage NBB.

That considered, LIttle Grasscals is an incredible album.

Jim

[AlanN]

Another good one I forgot to mention is a record by the 80's band East Virginia, very solid bg with good vocals. I didn't care much for the mandolin picker's style, but the overall band sound is/was top notch.

[bsimmers]

Just 5? That's tough.

Bluegrass Album Band-Compact Disc (Volume 1&2)

Country Gentlemen-Live in Japan

Alison Krauss-Live

Nashville Bluegrass Band-My Native Home

Newgrass Revival-Grass Roots, Best of

Doyle Lawson-School of Bluegrass

Ricky Skaggs-Bluegrass Rules

That's 7. That's as brief as possible.

[Tim]

I don't have a list. #There is a lot that falls into the bluegrass/bluegrass-influenced area that makes it difficult to recommend.

If you like the traditional sounds, look through the posts above for Bill Monroe or Del McCroury.
If you like the harmony vocals, look for IIIrd Tyme Out, Doyle Lawson, Blue Highway or Mountain Heart.
If you like a variety of songs done in a bluegrass style, look for Country Gentlemen or Seldom Scene.
If you want an old time and bluegrass blend look for Dry Branch Fire Squad.

[tremolo jones]

Steve in Tampa beat me to the punch (but don't let it go to your head, Steve, lots of folks do...) The Greencards are wonderful, especially their second album "Weather and Water." Their mandoliner, Kym Warner, has won several awards as best player in Australia. (He plays a Gil.) They are outstanding live performers as well.

I'll cast another vote for "Will the Circle Be Unbroken."

[bsimmers]

Sorry, I can't leave out:

Seldom Scene-Cellar Door

Johnson Mountain Boys-Live at Lucketts

Hot Rize-Live

Vassar Clements-Full Circle

Monroe/Watson-Live Duets

Dreadful Snakes

[dasspunk]

Music of Bill Monroe From 1936-1994 - Bill Monroe
The Complete Mercury Recordings - The Stanley Brothers
At Carnegie Hall! - Flatt & Scruggs
Appalachian Swing! - Kentucky Colonels
On the Road (And More) - Country Gentlemen
Old & In the Way - Old and in the Way
The Folkways Years: 1964-1983 - Red Allen & Frank Wakefield (and Kitchen Tapes)
Monroe Brothers, Vol. 1: What Would You Give in Exchange for Your Soul
Off The Record, Vol. 2: Live Duet Recordings, 1963-1980 - Bill Monroe & Doc Watson

I love live 'grass and there's a bunch up on Bluegrassbox.com that I would rate here too... and it's free!
Bill Monroe - Madison, WI 1967 (http://www.bluegrassbox.com/txtfiles/monroe1967-02-13-upgrade.txt) (Bill, Rowan, Greene, Grier... I mean come on!)
Peter Rowan - Station Inn (http://www.bluegrassbox.com/txtfiles/rowan2002-01-04.txt) (Rowan, Compton, Vassar...)
John Hartford - Station Inn (http://www.bluegrassbox.com/txtfiles/hartford1998-08-22.txt)
Compton and Long - Madison, WI (http://www.bluegrassbox.com/txtfiles/mc+dl2004-07-24.txt)
Seldom Scene - Booker T. Washington Center (http://www.bluegrassbox.com/txtfiles/seldom1993-04-23.txt)
Tim O'Brien - Station Inn (http://www.bluegrassbox.com/txtfiles/obrien2004-03-25.txt)

[Tighthead]

Dry Branch Fire Squad--Live at the Newburyport Fire House, Live! At Last, Tried and True, Hand Hewn, and the rest.

James King is pretty good--"30 Years of Farming" has a couple good ones.

Del McCoury as well.

As a related recommendation, if you can, I strongly suggest getting either Sirius or XM satellite radio. I don't mean to start a conversation about which one is better--it seems both offer solid bluegrass music. What I do is listen until I hear an unfamiliar song that speaks to me, I make a note of the song and artist, then I look them up and get the rest of the album.

[Ray(T)]

Its got to be Bill Keith - "Something Auld, Something Newgrass, Something Borrowed, Something Bluegrass". Not only for probably the longest title ever for a bluegrass record but it was the first time I came across the likes of Tony Rice and Jerry Douglas.

[frets1]

Mandolin Brethren,

It sounds to me Zoe is somewhat new to bluegrass. Your recommendations are great, but shouldn't Zoe begin at the beginning? One of the biggest helps, and greatest pleasures is to listen to the origional masters.

With that said;

Bill Monroe - The Music of Bill Monroe 1936 to 1994
Bill Monroe - Anthology

Flatt & Scruggs - The Complete Mercury Recordings

The Stanley Brothers - Live at New River Ranch

Ralph Stanley & The Clinch Mountain Boys - Cry From The Cross [with Ricky Skaggs & Keith Whitley]

Ralph Stanley & The Clinch Mountain Boys - Echoes of The Stanley Brothers

The Country Gentlemen - On the Road

Zoe, I hope this helps. Thank you for your interest in "THE MUSIC"

Randy http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/mandosmiley.gif

[Zoe]

wow- thanks everyone!
http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif

I have decided to start with one album each from
Bill Monroe
Tony Rice
and David Grisman

weeeeeeeeeee heeeeeeeeeeeee

zoe

[mandomiss]

Don't forget Del! The Del McCoury Band is one of my all time favorite bluegrass bands and they are not to be overlooked by any fan of this wonderful style of music. Pretty much anything by them is worth while.

[metalmandolin]

Let's see if I can do just 5......

Bluegrass (The World's Greatest Show) w/ former/current J.D., Seldom Scene, and Country Gentlemen circa 1982

Del McCoury Band "Cold Hard Facts"

Nashville Bluegrass Band "To Be His Child"

Bill Monroe and BG Boys "Live Off the Record 1956-69"

Ralph Stanley and CMB "Clinch Mtn. Gospel"

Nope...can't do it, so 5 more are:

New Grass Revival "Fly Through The Country"

Spectrum "Opening Roll"

the first Longview disc

Karl Shiflett and Big Country Show "In Living Color"

Ralph and CMB "Old Home Place"

whew...that was good; maybe I'm done now!

[Bob Sayers]

All Bona Fide Classics:

The Essential Bill Monroe and his Blue Grass Boys, 1945-1949 (Box Set)
The Music of Bill Monroe from 1936 to 1994
Stanley Bros.: The Complete Columbia Sessions
Stanley Bros.: Angel Band: The Classic Mercury Recordings
Stanley Bros.: The Early Starday King Years 1958-1961 (Box Set)
Don Reno & Red Smiley 1951-1959 (Box Set)
Flatt and Scruggs at Carnegie Hall: The Complete Concert
The Country Gentlemen On the Road (and More)
The Country Gentlemen: Live in Japan
The Seldom Scene: Old Train
The Dillards: Back Porch Bluegrass & Live!!! Almost!!!
J.D. Crowe & The New South
Larry Sparks: Classic Bluegrass
Hot Rize: So Long of a Journey
Alison Krauss + Union Station: Live
The Hutchison Bros.

Some Current Favorites:

Blue Highway (anything, but esp. Still Climbing Mountains)
Shawn Lane: All For Today
Lynn Morris: You'll Never Be the Sun

Bob

[skyblue]

New Grass Revival--All the albums
Keith Sewell--"Love is a Journey"
Andy Leftwich--"Ride"
Mountainheart--"Force of Nature"
Sam Bush--"King of my World"
Tony Rice--"Manzanita"
John Cowan Band "8745 Ft"
David Grisman Quintet--first album
Nickel Creek --all albums
Norman Blake

[Darren Kern]

If you buy just one, make it "The Mountain" by Steve Earle and The Del McCoury Band.

[Keith Erickson]

I would recommend also:

Tone Poets ( not exactly BlueGrass but it's a must have )
Iron Horse- Fade to BlueGrass ( bluegrass tribute to Metalica)
Grand Ole Opry- Live Bluegrass Collection
Mandolins & Friends

http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/mandosmiley.gif

[Steve Davis]

You can listen to John Baxter's Mandozine Radio (http://www.live365.com/stations/mandozine) for free and check the playlist whenever you hear something you like. Links are provided for ordering.

[stevem]

I love these threads. http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif
Somebody asks for a top 5 and maybe 1 or 2 of us can actually keep it to that. Some of you got up to 20! Too much love of music going on here...
http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif

[Greg H.]

Ok here are some of my choices:

Tony Rice - "Manzanita"
David Grisman - "David Grisman Rounder CD"
Hot Rize - Anything, but personal favorite is "Radio Boogie"
Boone Creek - "One Way Track"
Seldom Scene#- "Live at the Cellar Door"
Lonesome River Band#- "One Step Forward"
JD Crowd & The New South - "JD Crowd & The New South"

And the list goes on. . . . . .

[mandolooter]

Red Allen/Frank Wakefield...The Folkway years
The Drover's...One More River
all the rest i've seen up already

[Albert Foley]

Ralph Stanley: # # Cry From The Cross
Seldom Scene: # # #Live At The Cellar Door
J.D. Crowe: # # # #Model Church
Larry Sparks: # # #Silver Reflections
Country Gentlemen: The Award Winning Country Gentlemen

[harwilli55]

Taking me back in time to those groups that I first heard and saw. Ahhhh, those were the days my friend http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif


The Orginal Red Clay Ramblers : Merchants Lunch,Twisted Laurel, Red Clay Ramblers with Fiddlin' Al McCanless

Nashville Bluegrass Band : My Native Home, To Be His Child: Idletime


Norman Blake : Red, White, and Bluegrass albums: Solo Albums - Old Ties;Whiskey Before Breakfast

J. D Crowe: Bluegrass Holiday; Ramblin' Boy; Bluegrass Evolution; JD Crowe and The New South

Country Gentlemen : Any older album

The Lost and Found: Any Album

Vassar Clements: Vassar; Superbow; Vassar Clements,John Hartford, and Dave Holland; The Bluegrass Session; Grass Routes

The Dillards : Back Porch Bluegrass & Live ; Take Me Along for the Ride;Roots & Branches/Tribute To The American Duck

Stanley Bros. : Old Time Songs


Eddie Adcock and the II Generation : Any album

Harlan

[chirorehab]

I like to listen to more progressive stuff, with less vocals...

Manzanita - T. Rice
Drive - Bela
Bluegrass '96 - various
Something Auld Something New - Bill Keith

Bluegrass Guitar - Brian Sutton
Bluegrass Fidle Album - Aubrey Haynie
Ride - Andy Leftwitch
Del & the Boys
J.D. Crowe and the New South
Mandolin Orchard- Danny Roberts

Of course my favorite all time album, which is NOT Bluegrass is the first DGQ album...

Eric

I'm going snowboarding in Vail next week!! Whoo Hoo! The Ipod is all loaded!!

[harmonist34]

Seldom Scene - 20th Anniversary Concert
J.D. Crowe and the New South - Self-titled
Circle Vol. 1

and a bunch of others that I don't like as well...

Go to www.bluegrassbox.com, figure out who you like, then buy some of their cds. Then you won't be disappointed.

Andrew Wright

[bluegrassjack2]

Just get any of Flatt and Scruggs, Ralph and Carter Stanley, Wildwood Valley Boys, Jimmy Martin, Del McCoury stuff Bluegrass Album Band and you'll be fine.

[bluegrassjack2]

Just get anything from Jimmy Martin, Flatt and Scruggs, Wildwood Valley Boys, Del McCoury and Ralph and Carter Stanley and the Bluegrass album Band, and you'll be in good shape.
I think one of the best gospel albums out today is by the Wildwood Valley Boys, (I'm a Believer). It's tops.

[Aehle]

Dreadful Snakes - "Snakes Alive"
J. D Crowe and the New South - The New South Album
David Grisman Quintet - The first album
Country Gazette - Don't Give Up Your Day Job
Hot Rize - (the biscuit album)

[dtb]

I really can't quite see the pile from over here at the puter, but I think the top 5 are all Grisman of some sorts. http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/tounge.gif

[Mental Floss]

Del McCoury Band
Allison Krauss and Union station
Dawg David Grisman music any....
Nickle Creek any
The Alfred Packer band old timey music. Named after convicted canabil (sp) because no matter how bad they play....they will not be as bad as Alfred Packer!

[Dfyngravity]

I am a big time fan of traditional sounding bluegrass with a little newer bluegrass edge. So here's my top 5...well atleast the top five that come to mind right now.

1. Lonesome River Band: Old Country Town(that line up is hard to beat...my all time favorite bluegrass album and line up)
2. Dan Tyminski: Carry Me Across The Mountain(Dan T is the man)
3. Mountain Heart: Mountain Heart(that's when Alan Perdue was rockin' the mandolin)
4. Del McCoury Band: It's Just the Night(who doesn't like this album!?)
5. Nickel Creek: Nickel Creek(like stated before, it's what got me playing the mando and listening to bluegrass)

[bluegrassjack2]

all or any of Flatt & Scruggs
all or any of Wildwood Valley Boys
all or any of Boys From Indiana
all or any of Jimmy Martin
all or any of the Bluegrass Album Collections
all or any of The Stanley Bros (while Carter was still singing)
There are lots more but these will do for starters

[Songbird]

Dfyngravity - great list, those would be my choice too.

[8STRINGR]

My favorites off the top of my head would be :

All HotRize CD's

All Lonesome River Band #CD's

All Alison Krauss & Union Station #CD's

All of The Virginia Squire CD's

All Rhonda Vincent CD's

All Doyle Lawson and Quicksilver CD's

All Bluegrass Album Band CD's


And the money in return that I've spent over the past twenty years on cassettes and CD's of these artists and a lot more.... but love every bit of #'em! http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/mandosmiley.gif