Crown of Jewels
How does someone creating their first album attract such stellar guests as Vince Gill, Joan Osborne, Roger McGuinn, Bruce Hornsby, John Prine, John Hiatt, and Mary Chapin Carpenter? Well, it helps if you're a Grammy Award winner and one of Nashville's most prominent producers and guitarists. Randy Scruggs won a Grammy Award for his rendition of "Amazing Grace" on the acclaimed albumWill the Circle Be Unbroken, Vol. 2. He's also produced top albums by Iris DeMent, Emmylou Harris, and Alison Krauss. On his first solo album, Scruggs concentrates on beautiful melodies and optimistic messages. The strain between art and commerce sometimes shows: The songs aimed at radio stick out like billboards in an art gallery. Overall, though, the album nicely balances sharp instrumentation and catchy, uplifting arrangements.--Michael McCall