First Time Live
Although the groundbreaking band the Dillards would go on to expand the parameters of bluegrass in later years, this high-octane 1962 recording captures the more tradition-minded original quartet in its concert debut. The music here is fiercely energetic, incredibly fast paced, and bristling with excitement. Doug Dillard's amazing banjo work is raw but explosive and the group harmonies are a tad rough but rousing nonetheless. In the liner notes, bassist Mitch Jayne remembers the foursome as being "young and sweaty and scared and picking as if our lives depended on it," and that youthful enthusiasm and anxiety comes through clearly in the music.--Marc Greilsamer