Best "newgrass" albums?

[kmiller1610]

While I do also love bluegrass, for me the harder to find albums are the instrumental newgrass albums that are energetic and original. There must be some folks here who know ones that I don't know of.... These are some of my favorites.

The original David Grisman album from 1971 (I know this is Dawg music more than Newgrass, but you get the idea...)

The Tony Rice Unit Spacegrass Albums: Have only heard the one cut from Tony's bluegrass guitar album; Wish they'd release these on CD.

Thile from "Stealing Second" through "Not all who wander"

Mike Marshall's "Gator Strut"

The two instrumental cuts from Sierra Hull's new album...

John Reischman's "North of the Border" though it's a bit low key for my taste

Psychograss: ditto the Reischman album

Anyone have any other suggestions?

[Fretbear]

"Commonwealth", Newgrass Revival's last album with Curtis Burch and Courtney Johnson.

[AlanN]

One LP that is un-sung and to my ears brought the jazz into bluegrass was Slim Richey's Jazz Grass, 1975 or so, on RidgeRunner. Melded bluegrassers on standard jazz tunes - Sam Bush, Skaggs on fiddle, Bill Keith on 5 banger, Slim on lead guitar, Joe Carr on very hip mandolin lines, and a dobro. It sounds a bit dated, but is certainly cool. This recording paved the way for much to come after.

The first NGR record (Starday) with Prince of Peace, Great Balls of Fire did a lot to bring the newgrass into bluegrass.

Grisman's Rounder Record was a watershed event (1976, I think). And a minor correction - the first Quintet record was released in February, 1977.

[Bob Wiegers]

Bela Fleck's "Drive" is essential

[TMitchell]

Fleck's later "Bluegrass Sessions" Acoustic Planet disc has a lot of the same players as "Drive," plus guest tracks with Earl Scruggs and John Hartford. One of my desert island CDs, for certain.

Also, Chris Thile's "Not All Who Wander Are Lost."

[Phillip Tigue]

"Commonwealth", Newgrass Revival's last album with Curtis Burch and Courtney Johnson.

I believe Leon Russell appeared on that one as well.

[Ken_P]

Here's my standard list of essential acoustic albums, all on CD as far as I know:

"Drive" - Bela Fleck
Strength in Numbers
"Skip, Hop, and Wobble" - Jerry Douglas, Edgar Meyer, Russ Barenberg
"Uncommon Ritual" - Bela Fleck, Edgar Meyer, Mike Marshall
"Bluegrass Sessions" - Bela Fleck (same lineup as "Drive")
"Short Trip Home" - Edgar Meyer
"Not All Who Wander Are Lost" - Chris Thile

If you enjoy some of the more classically influenced music from that list, then both of Chris Thile's albums from last year, one with Punch Brothers, one with Edgar Meyer, are both worth having. I think they're brilliant, but they might not be for everyone.

[bienkow1]

Greensky Bluegrass "Five Interstates"

If you haven't already, check these guys' out. Michigan's finest.

[mandolooter]

I really like these fella's from N.C. - Brushfire Stankgrass

http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendID=105577612

Brushfire Stankgrass has some kickin free live shows to dpwnload here...

http://www.archive.org/search.php?query=collection%3Aetree%20AND%20creato r%3A%22Brushfire%20Stankgrass%22

[mandopete]

The Tony Rice Unit Spacegrass Albums: Have only heard the one cut from Tony's bluegrass guitar album; Wish they'd release these on CD.

I have a CD titled "Devlin" which is actually Mar West and Still Inside sort of combined. I think it's still available from Rounder.

For some good Dawg stuff see if you can find Dawg Grass/Dawg Jazz - I still have it on vinyl. Also check out Joe Page's "Alaska Mando" - you won't be disappointed.

Also check out Strength In Numbers.

[SternART]

Here are some fine instrumental CD's not mentioned:
In The Pines / Todd Phillips
Matt Flinner's first solo album (with Anger-Marshall et al)
Flinner, Grier, and Phillips - both CD's
Chad Manning's first CD (with Anger-Marshall et al)
Markology / Mark O'Conner
Buellgrass / Buell Neidlinger
Flatbush Waltz /Andy Statman

[kmiller1610]

Grisman's Rounder Record was a watershed event (1976, I think). And a minor correction - the first Quintet record was released in February, 1977.

Of course..... and to the others, I do have some of the titles listed, but have never heard of many of the others. So 1,000 thanks!

[mandopete]

Buellgrass / Buell Neidlinger

Hey Art - I just ran across that one yesterday when I was going through the vinyl at the radio station. That one is a classic!

You gonna be at Wintergrass this year?

[lgc]

Country Cookin's instrumental album.

[mandopete]

I'm surprised that this gem has not come up yet....

[SternART]

Sadly Mandopete......No Wintergrass this year for me......I'm saving my money for the Mandolin Symposium.

[kjell]

There's an record with Norman Blake, Tut Taylor, Sam Bush, Butch Robins, Vassar Clements, David Holland, Jethro Burns playing some incredible jazzy-bluegrass stuff, might give it a look. It's awesome. Here's a webpage discussing it (http://grapewrath.blogspot.com/2008/01/norman-blake-tut-taylor-sam-bush-butch.html).

Also, Thile & co's second newest CD ("How to grow a woman…") has some tracks that compare pretty well with "Not all who wander." It's definitely not as far out as the newest Punch Brothers stuff.

I've really been enjoying David Grisman and Sam Bush's "Hold On, We're Strummin" lately as well.

[mandolirius]

<There's an record with Norman Blake, Tut Taylor, Sam Bush, Butch Robins, Vassar Clements, David Holland, Jethro Burns playing some incredible jazzy-bluegrass stuff, might give it a look.>

Yeah, also known as the "Hank Deane" sessions. It's from 1975. Kind of an unusual release...independently produced by Deane but distributed by Flying Fish.

Great to hear a couple of my old faves mentioned - Slim Ritchey's "Jazzgrass" and Buell Neidlinger's "Buellgrass". There's also a great Joe Carr guitar album called "Otter Nonsense" which generally flys under the newgrass radar.

[Gutbucket]

The StringDusters play some great instrumentals on their 2 c.d's. They mix it up between traditional and "New Grass".

[Michael Ramsey]

While I do also love bluegrass, for me the harder to find albums are the instrumental newgrass albums that are energetic and original. There must be some folks here who know ones that I don't know of.... These are some of my favorites.

The original David Grisman album from 1971 (I know this is Dawg music more than Newgrass, but you get the idea...)

The Tony Rice Unit Spacegrass Albums: Have only heard the one cut from Tony's bluegrass guitar album; Wish they'd release these on CD.

Thile from "Stealing Second" through "Not all who wander"

Mike Marshall's "Gator Strut"

The two instrumental cuts from Sierra Hull's new album...

John Reischman's "North of the Border" though it's a bit low key for my taste

Psychograss: ditto the Reischman album

Anyone have any other suggestions?

I'm kinda partial to the instrumental tunes as performed by Mountain Heart. ;)

[Tbone]

Anything Matt Flinner - someone recommended his first album, but IMO, his second is much better. The third (Walking on the Moon) is good too, if you can handle the elec guitar & bass & drums.

I've got a download from Frank Vignola featuring matt flinner and casey driessen that's pretty killer.

Also, bands like Old School Freight Train, South Austin Jug Band, etc, are considered pretty newgrass.

[kmiller1610]

I'm kinda partial to the instrumental tunes as performed by Mountain Heart. ;)

Don't they do a song called Pronto or something like that. I heard it on woodsongs and it was pretty much newgrass. Great Song!

[LVH]

Sam Bush-Glamour and Grits

Chris Thile-Punch, How to grow a woman from the ground, why should the fire die, and the best of nickel creek. How amazing is that live version of the fox?

[viv]

[QUOTE=Luke Van Hine;621654]Sam Bush-Glamour and Grits

OH YEAH, baby--what HE said to the nth power!

personally, i love me some new grass revival..."on the boulevard" has some great tracks, but one of my favorite ngr tunes is "deeper and deeper".

might wanna check out john cowan's "new tattoo" record as well--outstanding collection of tunes on that one.

[LVH]

[QUOTE]

OH YEAH, baby--what HE said to the nth power!



I'm currently learning Stingray note for note............. Get back to me in ten years

[viv]

oooo....ken p suggested 'strength in numbers'. truly outstanding recording.

[viv]

I'm currently learning Stingray note for note............. Get back to me in ten years

gee luke, somehow i'd be willin to bet you FORGET more about "stingray" than i'll ever learn in 10 years' time! right snappy tune, hmm? i have a live version that blows me away every single time i hear it.

[Luna Pick]

There are many great choices. Here are a few of my longtime favorites from NGR:

- On the Boulevard
- Friday Night in America
- Hold to a Dream

The vocals, musicality, punch, dynamics and drive on these never cease to amaze!

[Phillip Tigue]

I had Stingray roughly worked up at one time....now I can only remember the little dance on the E course...go figure.

[mandopete]

So it sounds like the best "newgrass" albums are actual Newgrass albums.

Makes sense.

[SternART]

Of all these above mentions.......Hop, Skip & Wobble with Barenberg, Douglas, Meyer & Sam Bush on a few cuts........and then of course Strength in Numbers, add O'Conner & Fleck, take away Barenberg are in a category by themselves. Really a supergroup, like CSNY in rock......those fellas are all top drawer pickers. I LOVE those albums, if you're looking for a more "new acoustic" sensibility to your newgrass these two are hard to beat. Same players add Tony Rice & in a more straight ahead BG groove and you have Bela Fleck's album Drive. Add Todd Phillips CD, In The Pines with more of an old ime feel and you have four desert island CD's...... IMHO!

I put the DGQ in another category, with the more complex arrangements and tightness of a permanent band & of course David's tunes........the others are more like the Supergroups you'd see at Merlefest or Telluride jamming together on stage.

[John Hill]

Strength In Numbers
Backwaters
DGQ
Drive
Not All Who Wonder

others I'm sure...

[mandolirius]

<So it sounds like the best "newgrass" albums are actual Newgrass albums.>

I wouldn't say so. "Newgrass" wouldn't be much of a category if it were the sound of one band. The fact that it spawned so many divergent offshoots is what makes it. NGR has some great stuff and Sam is a mando-hero, but there's a lot of really great stuff out there, any of which could be someone's "best".

[Steve Sikes-Nova]

Some friends of mine have, IMO, the best "progressive bluegrass" out there

1. Either of the two albums from Nashville's Crucial Smith (Kyle Wood - mando, Tim May, Doc Holladay, Chris Joslin, Gretchen Priest-May). CS will be putting out a third studio album in Feb/March of this year on Umbrello Records - "Unfinished Business".

2. My "bluegrass buddy" David Vai. Either his first CD or 2nd CD "In A Hollar On A Mountain" are very fine.

3. Newgrass Revival is great, of course. I am particularly partial to "Fly Through the Country".

:)Steve S-N

[Patrick Market]

Greensky Bluegrass "Five Interstates"

If you haven't already, check these guys' out. Michigan's finest.

Amen. I just had to resurrect this thread. I finally saw Greensky Bluegrass last night, and boy howdy! What a great group, and they seem to be having some serious fun on stage.

[JimRichter]

Frankly, I do not think that Drive, Strength in Numbers, Flexology or any of those 80's albums fit as New Grass. At the time, they were all being called "New Acoustic Music." I'm more inclined to agree with that term.

New Grass music really is the music made by New Grass Revival as Dawg is to Grisman. To me it was the incorporation of rock into bluegrass. Fleck's stuff in the 80's (and frankly, Deviation was his best album, not Drive) is more akin to Grisman than NGR. In fact, it was Grisman who wrote the liner notes to Natural Bridge and Fleck who contributed a tune to that album called Dawg's Due.

However, those that I think fit the New Grass bill and are essential:

NGR: Commonwealth
NGR: Barren County
NGR: Fly Through The Country
NGR: On the Boulevard

Hartford: Aero-Plane

II Generation

Bluegrass Alliance--1st album and "Newgrass" (the album that started it all)

New Deal String Band -- New Deal String Band

Any of Country Gazette's albums

Spectrum -- Opening Roll

Butch Robins: 40 Years Late
Butch Robins (w/ NGR): Fragments of My Imagicnation

Tony Trischka: Robot Plane

Seldom Scene (tough one to decide if really New Grass as more an extension of Country Gentlemen): Act 1 through Act IV and Old Train

Frankly, New Deal String Band probably was the first of the New Grass bands. If not, they were neck and neck with Bluegrass Alliance.

I really identify New Grass with either NGR or the 70's progressive bands. I don't know if anyone really is playing New Grass today.

[Scotti Adams]

Jim..Im leaning with your comments with the exception of the Scene..I would call them progressive...to me there is a diff between that and the Newgrass genra.

[JimRichter]

Jim..Im leaning with your comments with the exception of the Scene..I would call them progressive...to me there is a diff between that and the Newgrass genra.

Scotti--I agree w/ you, that's why I was hesitant to add them. Really the only similarity was pursuing material outside of bluegrass. The approach was more bluegrass than the newgrassers.

And actually, Country Gazette probably falls more in the progressive category than the New Grass category.

[allenhopkins]

Going back about 40 years, what about Poor Richard's Almanac with Sam Bush, Alan Munde, and Wayne Stewart? "Pre-newgrass" or what?

[J.Albert]

Jim Richter wrote:
"Frankly, I do not think that Drive, Strength in Numbers, Flexology or any of those 80's albums fit as New Grass. At the time, they were all being called "New Acoustic Music." I'm more inclined to agree with that term"

Jim, before I got as far as your post, I was thinking of putting up a post stating as much.

In the very late sixties into the early seventies, it was "Newgrass" (often with much derision from the "traditional" folks).

Then, take out the banjo and it got the early nickname of "DAWG" music with the advent of the David Grisman Quintet.

But I believe that "New Acoustic Music" serves as a better term in which to bring this music together under a [mostly] common umbrella.

N.A.M. music can have a banjo, or no. It can be played in full ensembles, or with just a few instruments. It is not "bluegrass" in the traditional sense, but "not so far away" that folks (even of the "traditional" persuasion) who like bluegrass can relate to and understand it. At its furthest reaches it can approach truly "classical" music (as played by Thile), but not quite. Yet even as "traditional" a musician as Norman Blake can brush against its edges, too.

I've started keeping a "N.A.M." CD bin, for music that didn't seem to belong in my boxes (and boxes) of bluegrass CDs, nor in my "old time" CD boxes, etc.

One musician whose stuff I like a lot is a dobro player by the name of Ferrell Stowe. His discs "Stobro's Blues" and "Trnava" are both very pleasing and interesting. I believe he also is on the CDs by Cedar Hill. Good stuff.

- John

[GTG]

Bah, I'm not one for worrying about labels. 'New Acoustic Music' sounds totally pretentious and, well, kind of meaningless to me (how long will it be 'new' for? We are talking about music that's over 30 years old in some cases...). To most of their fans, it's bluegrass!

Anyway, when I hear most of the bands mentioned, I think of primarily bluegrass instrumentations with jazz and jam-band influences and sensibilities. Whatever you call it, I think it's fun stuff.

Another fun group that hasn't been mentioned is Hot Buttered Rum string band. No, they're not in the same league of virtuosity as Bush, Grisman, Fleck, etc., but they have some fun songwriting and great energy live.

[Ken_P]

Bah, I'm not one for worrying about labels. 'New Acoustic Music' sounds totally pretentious and, well, kind of meaningless to me (how long will it be 'new' for? We are talking about music that's over 30 years old in some cases...). To most of their fans, it's bluegrass!

I like 'Acoustic Music'. I agree that it's time to drop the "new" part, but it's a very simple and accurate description of music that can vary wildly in style and substance. I don't agree that it should just be lumped into bluegrass, though. Many of the musicians have bluegrass roots, but I have a hard time finding much of a link beyond that. Is the recent Bela Fleck, Edgar Meyer and Zakir Hussain album bluegrass? Hardly. But is it acoustic, yes. Is it music, well, I guess that's up to the listener, but I like to think so. :)

[CES]

With the talk above about rock infused BG (Jim, I'm still trying to get VooDoo Chile down...love that video!) the Avett Brothers and Old Crow Medicine Show popped into my head. Both groups latest offerings are not as raw, much more polished, probably as a function of their producers and in the case of the Avetts their new record deal...I think as a generalization I like the older stuff a little better but still dig both groups. Not a lot of mando content, but some great string music with some serious energy on both counts...

[AlanN]

Simply removing the banjo didn't 'make' Dawg music. It was a combo of things: re-defining all the instrument roles, coming up with new rhythmic grooves, using more complex, extended chord voicings, and the most important aspect of Dawg music: Grisman's singular creative genius.

The term New Acoustic Music was sweated over even back then. I agree it has lost some of its meaning by now. Maybe 'Un-Amplified Virtuosic Ensemble Groove' or UVEG...nah.

[fishdawg40]

I like 'Acoustic Music'.

Yes! Plain and simple. If you don't like it, "you ain't no part of nothin'". :)

[Bigtuna]

Tony Williamson - Sessions at McBane Mill

[man dough nollij]

I don't know if Yonder Mountain String Band would be classified as newgrass, but they have some great stuff. I don't have the title available, but one of their "Mountain Tracks" live albums is epic. I don't particularly like the studio albums of theirs, but the live ones are for the most part really good. :mandosmiley:

[Yellowdog]

Gotta say Andy Leftwich's new CD "Ride".
Mostly known as Ricky's fiddle man, this man can play some mandolin!
And a heckuva nice guy too.

[Don Stiernberg]

Did anyone mention Tony Trischka and Skyline's record "Late to Work" on Flying Fish? It's really a rare combination of talents, arrangements, and material.

Who makes all these categories? Bill Monroe recorded a Johnny Cash tune. Del McCoury recorded a Richard Thompson tune. The Country Gentlemen covered Bob Dylan, John Prine, Steve Goodman, Kris Kristoffersen. J.D. Crowe did tunes by Fats Domino and The Flying Burrito Brothers. And Tony Rice's Manzanita might be New Acoustic because the banjo is omitted?They're playing Hold Watcha Got, Little Sadie,and Blackberry Blossom. What if a cat almost single-handedly invents flatpicking, also fingerstyles like Merle Travis,is an outrageously great blues and rockabilly singer, and throws in a Gershwin tune for something fun to pick. What kind of music is that? Oooops, that's Doc Watson...

Charles River Valley Boys doing all Beatles/ Jim and Jesse's tribute to Chuck Berry?

Byron Berline and Sundance.California. The Kentucky Colonels. Muleskinner....

Sorry, I think I had too much fun with this discussion. I think some of you may some of the recordings referenced here, notwithstanding their "category"...

[Don Stiernberg]

Please also forgive my omission of the word "enjoy" in the last sentence of the last post.

[SternART]

[QUOTE=AlanN;The term New Acoustic Music was sweated over even back then. [/QUOTE]

If I'm not mistaken........Darol Anger came up with that.

[Dagger Gordon]

Forgive me if I missed it somewhere, but one of the first 'bluegrass' LPs I got (and I didn't really know what I was buying) was 'The Bluegrass Session' by Vassar Clements (recorded 1976).

It had piano, bass, drums, pedal steel, Andy Statman on mandolin, Bobby Osborne singing and playing mandolin, and of course the much missed Vassar on fiddle.

Not exactly typical bluegrass. Newgrass? Great record, anyway.

[Jock]

Hi all, first post in this section :redface:

I'd have to go with the following, although I'm unsure of the labels;

New Grass Revival "New Grass Revival"
David Grisman Quintet (1976)
Bella Fleck's "Drive"

As a youth I'd hitch hike to Edinburgh (400 miles round trip) with the express aim of buying every bluegrass old time album I could lay my hands on. The 3 set out above are 3 albums that have stood the test of time that fall in to the category in the broadest sense, in my humble opinion that is. Also as albums they are as near perfect as I think it's possible to make an album without ruining it.

When I bought Drive in 89 I bought it on spec (as I did all my american acoustic music), because I liked the look of the line up. I ran round to a friends flat, my friend also being a Hi-Fi enthusiast, where we gave Drive a spin on the deck @ 100w per channel, and what can I say, it blew my mind. Tony Rice's guitar break on whitewater just left me speechless (as did all the breaks but being a want to be bluegrass guitar player, well, if you know the album you'll know what I mean :))). Seminal and to my ear never equaled for it's simple traditional approach in format and despite the fantastic mind blowing musicianship it remains accessible to non aficionados.

[jbennett451]

Stirring up the pot, any opinions as to "The" newgrass track (first, best, arcetypal, personal favorites, whatever)?

I'd put my money on Bela's Spain from Crossing the Tracks.

I think it amazingly shows off the capacity to take traditional/b.g. instruments into a completely different musical form and completely transform the music something new - not some "jazz played by hillbillies" hybrid.

[AlanN]

Bela's Spain from Crossing the Tracks.

I think it amazingly shows off the capacity to take traditional/b.g. instruments into a completely different musical form and completely transform the music something new - not some "jazz played by hillbillies" hybrid.


What a great tune (and record). Has Sam Bush on fiddle and Bob Applebaum on mandolin (unique style).

Maybe an earlier cross-over tune is Great Balls of Fire, done up by the NGR boys. That mandolin break tattooed my brain. This could be the first rock and roll tune done up that way. I know J&J already had Berry Pickin', and OAITW were out in force back then, and Beatle Country was already several years old, but face it, the NGR brought the hippies and hillbillies together.

[Chris Travers]

Anything by "Cadillac Sky" They're Great!

[John McGann]

Yes! Plain and simple. If you don't like it, "you ain't no part of nothin'". :)

Pat Metheny says a couple of interesting things-

1) All music is acoustic, or you wouldn't be able to hear it.
2) Acoustic players show up at a gig and the first question is 'where are the mics"?

Oh- my nominations for 'newgrass' would be the first bluegrass oriented music I ever heard- Country Cooking as well as the first 4 Tony Trischka albums with Andy Statman, Russ Barenberg, Stacy Phillips etc.

That music rearranged my DNA bigtime :mandosmiley:

[mandolirius]

my nominations for 'newgrass' would be the first bluegrass oriented music I ever heard- Country Cooking as well as the first 4 Tony Trischka albums with Andy Statman, Russ Barenberg, Stacy Phillips etc.

That music rearranged my DNA bigtime :mandosmiley:


Man, you're reading my mail. Those albums for sure plus the first DGQ album, Breakfast Special and one by NY banjo player Marty Cutler called "Charged Particles".

[yonipapini]

i ended up with this album named: "Corazon" from "Rojos Calientes" when i visited telluride last year, and these guys are definitely doing something cool, adding some latin, singing spanish and using clasical with bluegrass, very cool solos mando and guitar. recommended for those looking for new sounds.


While I do also love bluegrass, for me the harder to find albums are the instrumental newgrass albums that are energetic and original. There must be some folks here who know ones that I don't know of.... These are some of my favorites.

The original David Grisman album from 1971 (I know this is Dawg music more than Newgrass, but you get the idea...)

The Tony Rice Unit Spacegrass Albums: Have only heard the one cut from Tony's bluegrass guitar album; Wish they'd release these on CD.

Thile from "Stealing Second" through "Not all who wander"

Mike Marshall's "Gator Strut"

The two instrumental cuts from Sierra Hull's new album...

John Reischman's "North of the Border" though it's a bit low key for my taste

Psychograss: ditto the Reischman album

Anyone have any other suggestions?

[yonipapini]

i ended up with this album named: "Corazon" from "Rojos Calientes" when i visited telluride last year, and these guys are definitely doing something cool, adding some latin, singing spanish and using clasical with bluegrass, very cool solos mando and guitar. recommended for those looking for new sounds, you'll love this album.

[kmiller1610]

Well it's been 10+ years, but here's an add on for this thread. Bela Fleck's "My Bluegrass Heart" is about 30% new grass and has many of the newer players, such as Billy Strings.

[William Smith]

II Generation! First album with Jimmy G. on mando and then my Uncle Gene Johnson on mando for the other records. As far as I know you can only get that on records! Or go to youtube and that one Japanese collector "TAKE" has those records as well as 1000's of other great records and live stuff! One could loose days pouring over the great old recordings-I have!