What's David Grisman's best bluegrass CD?

**coletrickle** · May-04-2012, 1:47pm

Dawg Jazz/Dawg Grass is available for download on iTunes and Amazon. Same with the other "out of print" Grisman albums like Qunitet 80 and Mondo Mando. Great albums.

**Ivan Kelsall** · May-05-2012, 2:40am

HIWTHI sank into my conciousness for ever with one tune - "I ain't Broke But I'm Badly Bent". I just loved the title & that's the tempo i love to play at on Mandolin these days. I just had a look at one of the LP's in the 2 disc set & it was recorded in 1988. Looking at the song titles & the musicians,i have to say that 'for me',i don't think that there's ever been a better line up of pickers on a recording or a better choice of songs.Harley Allen/Red Allen/Sam Bush/Porter Church/Mike Compton/J.D.Crowe/Stuart Duncan/Del McCoury/Bobby Hicks/Mark O'Connor ........... - awesome !!!,
Ivan

**Fretbear** · May-05-2012, 5:07am

"I ain't Broke But I'm Badly Bent".
Also on The DG Rounder Album, with Ricky Skaggs singing lead and a real tasty mandolin solo by Dawg.

**AlanN** · May-05-2012, 5:46am

HIWTHI sank into my conciousness for ever with one tune - "I ain't Broke But I'm Badly Bent".

Was it on HIWTHI? I did not know that.

**Markus** · May-05-2012, 5:53am

HIWTHI was my first bluegrass album I bought, along with the Kitchen Tapes.

I forgot who recommended those two to me, but they did good as both are still favorites.

**OldSausage** · May-05-2012, 7:36am

That's odd, I bought the Amazon mp3 download version of Home Is Where The Heart Is, and it doesn't contain "I ain't broke".

**Mike Bunting** · May-05-2012, 7:54am

Originally Posted by OldSausage

That's odd, I bought the Amazon mp3 download version of Home Is Where The Heart Is, and it doesn't contain "I ain't broke".

It wasn't there when I bought the vinyl 20 years ago. That song is on the Grisman Rounder Album.

**AlanN** · May-05-2012, 8:16am

Thought so.

And the ultra cool Dawg solo is noted/tabbed out in that neat little book called David Grisman Recorded Bluegrass Solos 1966-1976.

**Markus** · May-05-2012, 9:10am

That is a very cool solo Alan, this thread has gotten me to go digging through my Grisman section and realized there's stuff I forgot how great it was.

The Roanoke mentioned above was worth finding again. So fast, yet feels like they could play it twice as fast but decided not to - what flow. It has Grisman, Ronnie, and Del - I was incorrect thinking it was just Ronnie, 1 good listen found plenty of Dawg.

Thanks OP, for reminding me of great stuff that I should listen to more. Am listening to.

**Denny Gies** · May-05-2012, 9:42am

Old Sausage; the "Home Is Where The Heart Is" is also a great CD to play along with. I learned a whole bunch of stuff by playing along with the songs. You will not be disappointed. Have fun.

**mandopete** · May-05-2012, 11:09am

Did anyone mention Bluegrass Reunion? Great recording with Dawg, Red Allen, Herb Pederson, Jim Buchanan and Jim Kerwin along with Jerry Garcia on one track. My favoriteon that recording is a tune called "Pigeon Roost" named after the town where Red Allen was born. I learned that tune for a mandolin contest I never entered, but I still like to play it every now and then.

**Miked** · May-05-2012, 12:33pm

My personal favorite is Old & in the Way since that's the one that got me turned on to bluegrass. It was such a treat when Grisman released Breakdown and That High Lonesome Sound; so many goodies on those!

Honorable mention should be given to Doc and Dawg. It's not all bluegrass, but there are several Monroe tunes with some very tasty pickin'. I really like their version of Bluegrass Stomp since it's slowed down a little and has some nice variations of the melody; one of my favorites to play. This one's not on Doc and Dawg, but a classic tune with some signature licks:

**Marty Henrickson** · May-05-2012, 2:26pm

An;other good examplethat fits your criteria would be the DGBX CD. It got some very mixed reviews, but I personally love it.

**Ivan Kelsall** · May-07-2012, 2:13am

From AlanN - "Was it on HIWTHI? I did not know that.". Alan / Mike - you're correct - it isn't on that recording.I just had a look at the LP sleeve & it was "True Life Blues" that hit me.It was the first time i'd ever heard it.Now i can't remember which recording i have IABBIBB on - my cell phone has a better memory than mine !!!,

. It's most likely on the Rounder album that Mike mentioned,i have that also,
Ivan

**Mike Bunting** · May-07-2012, 2:45am

Originally Posted by Ivan Kelsall

From AlanN - "Was it on HIWTHI? I did not know that.". Alan / Mike - you're correct - it isn't on that recording.I just had a look at the LP sleeve & it was "True Life Blues" that hit me.It was the first time i'd ever heard it.Now i can't remember which recording i have IABBIBB on - my cell phone has a better memory than mine !!!,

. It's most likely on the Rounder album that Mike mentioned,i have that also,
Ivan

I wrote that that tune was on the Grisman Rounder Record. See post 32 .

**AlanN** · May-07-2012, 4:31am

Ain't easy to keep track of all the Dawg stuff he has done over the decades. The DGRR was such an important record at the time, in that it:

1) Introduced the world to Rice and Skaggs (beyond the small grass crowd)
2) Showcased Vassar Clements
3) Gave a tease of what to expect the following year, when the first DGQ record was released

**Fretbear** · May-07-2012, 6:10am

Speaking of Vassar and Monroe's "True Life Blues", here he is kicking-ass and taking names with Jason Carter on the twin fiddles and the McCoury Boys;

**tree** · May-08-2012, 8:02am

Man, they know how to work that single mic. Love how Del drops the G bomb right in it as he backs away. That's about as solid as it gets.

**fatt-dad** · May-08-2012, 9:11am

I like the "Rounder" album.

f-d

**Glassweb** · May-08-2012, 9:57pm

My fave would be "Things in Life" by Don Stover with Dawg on mandolin. Not only is David's playing passionate and inventive... the whole album is just one great tune after another. If you love "pure grass" you'll love this! On Rounder Records...

**tree** · May-16-2012, 9:17am

Okay, on the way in to work this morning the iPod shuffled across B Natural, on the aforementioned Happy Birthday Bill Monroe disc from Acoustic Oasis.

That track is an absolute clinic on stone cold Monroe-style mandolin picking by two of the best - Dawg and Ronnie McCoury. I need to sit down with that one and seriously, rip off whatever I can.

**coletrickle** · May-16-2012, 9:22am

I was listening to Home Is Where the Heart Is again a few days ago...of all of the Grisman albums I have I think those two discs showcase his bluegrass playing the most. Such variety, with full band and smaller ensemble settings. If you want a pure bluegrass sampling of Grisman, I would go with that...plus you get some great playing and singing from many legends.

**Peter LaMorte** · May-16-2012, 11:00am

Bluegrass Reunion with Red Allen +1 ............. just the best

**Kevin Briggs** · May-16-2012, 6:47pm

My vote goes to the Old and in the Way stuff. I like everything Grisman as done, but Old and in the Way had that something that goes beyond technique and other technical aspects of playing. While I like everything he has done, some of his personal releases have seemed stale to me, even the DGBX stuff.