The Best of Bluegrass, Vol. 1
Bluegrass has peered out of its stereotyped remote mountain enclaves several  times since the 1960s, most notably with David Grisman and Jerry Garcia's  collaborations and with the recent crop of grassers like the Bad Livers, Freakwater, and  the Meat Purveyors. On this 22-track collection, you'll find the blueprints for all the grass  movements since the 1950s, as well as reams of great banjo fiddling, picking, and high  lonesome vocals. Starting with the off-kilter vocal harmonies of the Stanley Brothers and  continuing through the speed-demon banjo playing of Earl Scruggs (working in tandem  with Lester Flatt), this is a smashing best-of set. The standard subjects are everywhere:  death, redemption, imprisonment and, of course, family (the companion volume,Best of Bluegrass: Preachin', Prayin' and  Singin'catches the holier side of bluegrass). Gear up for virtuosity, too, for this  is fast, complex, foot-tapping genius.--Andrew Bartlett