Long Time... Seldom Scene

Since 1971 this legendary bluegrass band has featured many musicians, all of the highest caliber of musicianship. For their 17th studio album, the group feature their current lineup running through their most often requested songs. Founding members Tom Gray (on bass) and John Starling (on guitar) are here, and Emmylou Harris guests on the Gram Parsons classic “Hickory Wind.” While the group are known for their technical abilities, their harmonies have always put them a step ahead, with vocals that express far more emotion than is custom (see “Baby Blue”). They get crafty on “I’ll Be No Stranger There” and tackle the George Jones hit “Walk Through This World with Me” with affection. “California Cottonfields” has an acoustic power so strong that the performance could be called electric. John Fogerty’s “Big Train (From Memphis)” is accorded a classic sound. Bob Dylan’s “It’s All Over Now, Baby Blue” and John Prine’s “Paradise” further show what a bluegrass band can do with modern folk music. The band’s classic “Wait a Minute” and “Little Georgia Rose” prove their traditionalist skills.