Top ten bluegrass recordings of 2006

[mandopete]

As 2006 draws to close I always post a list of my favorite buegrass recordings for the past year. #This year my hands-down favorite was DGBX by David Grisman. #I've been a Dawg fan for years and it's always great to hear him playing bluegrass. #I especially like the fact that he included his son Samson on the recording as well. #Here's my lst...

1. DGBX - David Grisman
2. Catch Tommorow - Dale Ann Bradley
3. Selfish Tears - Frank Solivann II
4. New Day - Claire Lynch
5. Just An Old Dog - Prairie Flyer
6. 5 South - Janet Beazley
7. San Francisco 1968 - Vern & Ray
8. It's Getting Better All The Time - Ronnie Bowman
9. In The Mountaintops To Roam - David Peterson & 1946
10. Let 'Er Go Boys - Michael Cleveland

[JimRichter]

These are some of my favorites. Haven't really bought many new relases this year.

Mike Cleveland--Let Er Go Boys (most excellent)

Compton/Long--Stomp

Chris Thile--How to Grow A Woman From the Ground

Tim O'Brien--Cornbread Nation and Fiddler's Green (were these this year?)

Sam Bush--Laps in Seven

Jim Mills--Hide Head Blues

Tone Poets

Jim

[floyd26]

I didn't really buy that many cds this year, but I would have to say mike compton and david long's stomp is my favorite cd I bought this year. Then chris thile's how to grow a women from the ground coming in second.:cool:

[Joe Mangio]

My favorite tune for '06 is
Crazy Train by Ronnie Bowman.
Happy New Year to all!

[Cedartop]

Wow Mandopete, it still amazes me how different tastes are. I had to get down to your number 9 and 10 to find some I liked. I would sell my copy of DGBX cheap, as I didn't care for it at all.

A couple to add for me would be the new David Davis and Chris Henry's, Monroe Approved. Also, Hide Head Blues, even though its a banjo album it's fantastic.

BTW, there is absolutely no offense meant here, it is just a comment on different tastes.

[Markelberry]

No particular order just ten Ive listened to.
Stomp
20 year blues NBB
Let her go boys
Laps in Seven
Master of Bluegrass
Gibson Brotheres bonafide
DGBX
TONE POETS
Doc an Bill duets
Sunny Side of the Mountain LP Jimmy Martin

[mandopete]

BTW, there is absolutely no offense meant here, it is just a comment on different tastes.
None taken, I'm always interested in what people like and dislike. #

Out of curiousity, what didn't you like about DGBX? #I thought it was pretty traditional in its approach, very unlike most everything else Mr. Dawg is doing these days.

BTW - I had "Hide Head Blues" and "David Davis & The Warrior River Boys" on my top ten for 2005.

[Roydw3]

Mike Compton and David Long - Stomp

Doyle Lawson - Dig a Little Deeper

Sam Bush - Laps in Seven

Grascals new album

There are others I like but these are my favoirte

Denny

[MandoSquirrel]

[quote=Cedartop,Jan. 01 2007, 07:48]

Out of curiousity, what didn't you like about DGBX? I thought it was pretty traditional in its approach, very unlike most everything else Mr. Dawg is doing these days.
Not to butt in (or maybe To butt in), but I find the vocals & song selection lame (Mediocre, if you prefer) on most of what I've heard on Mandozine Radio, enough to eliminate any interest in purchasing this one.

[mandopete]

Yes, it's interesting how two people can hear the same thing and have totally opposite opinions (ain't living in the U.S.A. great?).

I thought both the song selection and vocals on DGBX were outstanding! #They were mostly covers, but the songs had both the elements of "Dawggy-ness" and well as traditional bluegrass that I felt stuck a nice balance. #With Keith Little and Jim Nunally singing I'm pretty hard-pressed to understand what's not to like. #Both are fine lead vocalists in their own right and when they sing together - man, that's some high lonesome. #I'll even go out on a bluegrass limb here and say that I really liked David's vocal on Old & In The Way. #He sung it a little differently than he did back in '75 and I liked the little tweaks he added. I guess there's even more than a touch of irony in his rendering of this tune at this point in his career too. #Overall I give it 5 stars!

[Cedartop]

Mandopete, I am going to agree with squirrel in part here and say the vocals just didn't do it for me. Song selection seemed OK for me but none of them seemed to have anything that grabbed me. To me the project just seemed average at best. (O, that I could be so average.)

BTW, the David Davis I am talking about is called Troubled Times and I don't believe it was available in 2005. Another that I should add is the newest David Peterson CD with #understated yet wonderful mandolin performance's by Mike Compton.

Edit, duh you already had that last one on your list.

[mandopete]

Cedartop,

Hey we can agree to disagree, right? #I thought the song selection on DGBX was pretty dyed-in-the-wool bluegrass. #Carter Stanley, Flatt & Scruggs, Jimmy Martin - man it just don't get more bluegrassy than that. #To balance things out he included some Dawg music (Dawggy Mt. Breakdown) and classic Dawg-grass like Old & In The Way. #Just seemed like a good balance of old and new(er) stuff. #I find that many so called "traditional" bluegrass recordings are just a re-hash of already well travelled warhorses without much added. #It's a very fine line to walk, to keep the old, but add something new. #This is where I thought DGBX suceeded. #I guess the vocal thing is just a matter of taste, but I stand by my earlier comments. #

I thought the new David Davis recording was not as strong as the one he had in 2005, but again just my opinion. #I'll have to admit I haven't listened to it as carefully as DGBX. #That's why I like these discussions, gives me some food for thought and a reason to maybe check out some of these other recordings.

[Satchel]

"Chasing My Dreams" New River Line
"Hillbilly Heartache" Don Rigsby
"Pretty Green Hills" Dave Evans
"Its Gettin' Better" Ronnie Bowman
"My Dixie Home" Jim Mills

I bought "Laps in Seven" and Sam's mando playing is spectular as always but, I still cant get past the drums. Just call me old fashion. http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/rock.gif

[MandoSquirrel]

Cedartop,

Hey we can agree to disagree, right? I thought the song selection on DGBX was pretty dyed-in-the-wool bluegrass. Carter Stanley, Flatt & Scruggs, Jimmy Martin - man it just don't get more bluegrassy than that. To balance things out he included some Dawg music (Dawggy Mt. Breakdown) and classic Dawg-grass like Old & In The Way. Just seemed like a good balance of old and new(er) stuff. I find that many so called "traditional" bluegrass recordings are just a re-hash of already well travelled warhorses without much added. It's a very fine line to walk, to keep the old, but add something new. This is where I thought DGBX suceeded. I guess the vocal thing is just a matter of taste, but I stand by my earlier comments.
Actually, I usually hate hearing John Cowan sing Blue/Newgrass, also, & find Peter Rowan, though a very capable singer, to have a tendency to get annoying with his vocal Histrionics & embellishments, etc.

I'm all for finding material other than the old "re-hash of already well travelled warhorses", that's why I find what I've heard of DGBX mediocre, seems what's played on Mandozine Radio, at least, is overly familiar.

By the way, I'm fine with disagreeing, I even disagree with myself sometimes. http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif

[hellindc]

Well, it came out before 2006, but I think Chatham County Line's ROUTE 23 would top my list of CDs that were new to me last year.

[mandopete]

Actually, I usually hate hearing John Cowan sing Blue/Newgrass, also, & find Peter Rowan, though a very capable singer, to have a tendency to get annoying with his vocal Histrionics & embellishments, etc.
?

The vocalists on DGBX are Jim Nunally and Keith Little (for the most part). Not sure what direction this comment is pointed to.

[MandoSquirrel]

I know that, i was just pointing out that my opinion on the DGBX vocals may be colored by my taste in Bluegrass vocal styles.

[Lefty&French]

I know that, i was just pointing out that my opinion on the DGBX vocals may be colored by my taste in Bluegrass vocal styles.
"Actually, I usually hate hearing John Cowan sing Blue/Newgrass, also, & find Peter Rowan, though a very capable singer, to have a tendency to get annoying with his vocal Histrionics & embellishments, etc."

Is this what you call "your taste in Bluegrass vocal styles"http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/rock.gif I thought this thread was about what we like...

[mandopete]

FWIW I don't think that either Jim Nunally and/or Keith Little sound anything like John Cowan and/or Peter Rowan.

I'm done.

[MandoSquirrel]

I don't either, and I'm done.

[tkdboyd]

Did no one like Kentucky Thunder's Instrumentals Album?

[Steve Cantrell]

I liked it ok...the constant pick-clicking was a little distracting, though.

[tkdboyd]

Do you see it as an Issue of not wanting to rip the frets out of a 20K$ Gibson Mandolin or style Skaggs' play?

I notice it a lot when playing my fathers Gibson. Don't know why my hand rests any differently on my F style, but it does?

[mandopete]

Did no one like Kentucky Thunder's Instrumentals Album?
I only listened to it once and it didn't really grab me. I thought with people like Jim Mills, Andy Leftwich and Cody Kilby I would have liked it more. Perhaps I need to give it another listen.

FWIW, I kinda like a little "pick-click". It's sort of percussive and I recall hearing it a bit on some David Grisman recordings and it didn't bother me at all.

[Mental Floss]

I am in the camp of loving DGBX. I really like the vocals as a good dose of high lonesome.... and the song selection is causing song virus and toe tapping.

[tkdboyd]

Mental Floss: I like your quote; I agree I have doubts about my playing, but my wife seems to be a cure for being a buyer!

I like DGBX; and I like some of the High Lonesome sound. However, I like the LOW lonesome sounds of Watson, Cash, Garcia, etc. Don't bash me to hard. I like the Del McCoury Band, Monroe, Stanley Bros. etc. But I REALLY like the harmonizing of the two types of voices. The Harmonizing of the "The Three Pickers" was phenomenal! I guess I would say that I like Bluegrass picking, folk/Old time singing, and Swing/Jazz modal chord progressions. Maybe not all at the same time, but close; sort of like the Pizza Tapes, Garcia Grisman, etc.

[Markelberry]

We learned the tune Im rollin on and use it to kick off one of our sets its fun lively,lots of gooduns on DGBX

[mandopete]

I like the way that tune starts with just the mandolin & guitar and then the whole band comes in. Great arrangement.

[dmamlep]

I guess I am really out of the ball park, I like Blue Highway, Mountian Heart,Hope they get another lead singer,maybe me. Lonesome River Band, and I heard a song for once by Allison Krause that actually sounded like bluegrass, cant remember the name of song, but would buy album for that song in hopes that some more on there are real bluegrass, not country songs with bluegrasss instruments. just my opinion.

[mandopete]

I guess I am really out of the ball park, I like Blue Highway, Mountian Heart...
I had both Marbletown and Force of Nature as top picks in previous years. #I didn't like the new Mountain Heart recording as well. #Just seemed a little too over-the-top for my tastes.

FWIW I think Mountain Heart is going to be better off without Steve Gulley. #I always thought two guitars was one guitar too many and their sound was just too much when performing live. #I like Barry Abernathy's voice better anyway. #Heck, maybe even Steffey will start singing more and us baritones will have a new champion <grins> !

[dmamlep]

well i play in a band, and have played festivals with all of them, somewhere i thought if steve ever left, I would fit in. lol, because i know i can do most of their stuff better, my opinion, nothing wrong with adam, I do like his singing, but tenor here. actually I dont think i could do all the travel playing every night, we were playing three times week and thats about two much. plus cant quit my day job

[mandopete]

Yeah, I think this thing with Steve Gulley and Mountain Heart poses an interesting conundrum. #Do you replace him and if so what instrument do you ad to the mix (assuming another instrument is played).#I think The Grasscals have done a pretty good job managing two guitars in order to keep the vocal line-up they wanted. #I was also thinking that Lonesome Standard Time did this in one of their past incarnations as well.

It might be interesting if Mountain Heart got someone who only sang and didn't play an instrument. #Their sound is just plain too loud for my taste and the middle bandwidth gets taken up by that many guitars.

Another solution would be a singing bass player.

...but then John Cowan already has his own band!

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

[dmamlep]

well you are right, I play mandolin, well actually Adam
Steffey plays mandolin, I would rather just sing anyway.
And I love the music of mt Heart. When they came on in the last fest i played they were just hard driving every
song, And I was surprised the Blue Highway didnt, not that
they cant.

[dmamlep]

WEll sorry I have to go, got to record some more on new project. be back 10 or so.

[Dave Schimming]

I like both the DGBX - David Grisman CD and the Compton/Long - Stomp CD. Looking forward to seeing Compton/Long at the KBA winter Bluegrass festival in Wichita.

[mandopete]

WEll sorry I have to go, got to record some more on new project. be back 10 or so.
Was it something I said?

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

[Keith Erickson]

My personal top 10 in no particular order:

Compton & Long: Stomp
NBB: 20 year Blues
Hot Rize: Live at the Boulder Theatre
Hot Rize: Radio Boogie
Mandolin Extraveganza
Baldissari & Schnaufer: Mandolin & Mountain Dulcimer
Ironhorse: Bluegrass tribute to Ozzie Osbourne
Ironhorse: Bluegrass tribute to Metallica
Bill Monroe: Very best of Monroe and his Bluegrass Boys
Alison Kraus: So Long, so Wrong

....and I'm sure I'm leaving a few more out that I should have included http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/wink.gif

[mandopete]

Keith - Is that an 'all time' favorites list? I don't believe that any of those recordings came out in 2006.

[tkdboyd]

I don't get out much but thanks to this message board I picked up a couple of Mountain Heart CD's. Love it!

[dmamlep]

How about Blue Highway, they are awesome also.
Allison Krause actually sang a Bluegrass song
on xm, got to find out what album that is on.
Anyone want to buy one of mine, new project will
be out late feb.LOL

[Keith Erickson]

Keith - Is that an 'all time' favorites list? #I don't believe that any of those recordings came out in 2006.
Pete,

You're right, my bad....

...excuse me while I head off to the corner of the room while I sport the dunce cap for a few minutes http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif

My apologies