Drive
When Béla Fleck produced this little-known gem in 1988, theNew Grass Revivalwas winding down and the Flecktones had yet to be formed. Fleck's previous solo outings had strayed from his bluegrass roots to varying degrees, but what makesDriveso special is how closely it hews to traditional bluegrass in sound and instrumentation while still allowing for exciting new ideas, crisp ensemble passages, and brilliant improvisation. The musicians who help out are all tops in their field: Dobro playerJerry Douglas, flat-pickerTony Rice, mandolinistSam Bush, fiddlersStuart DuncanandMark O'Connor(who team up for a twin-fiddle sound on two down-home cuts), and bassistMark Schatz. There's not a missed note (or superfluous one for that matter) anywhere, from the steamrolling opener "Whitewater" to the minor-keyed, jazz-based "Natchez Trace" to the warm ballad "Lights of Home" to the powerful "Crucial County Breakdown." The much heralded, classical-influencedStrength in Numbersrecord came less than a year later and included Fleck, Bush, O'Connor, and Douglas, butDrivecertainly deserves a spot next to it in your newgrass collection.--Marc Greilsamer