The '60s was an interesting time for bluegrass. The genre was quickly losing chart potential and solidifying into a rigidly "traditional" form with a cult following even as
Flatt & Scruggs and
Jim & Jesse were having some of the last mainstream hits bluegrass artists would enjoy. 24 Bluegrass Favorites concentrates on those who found favor with the folk circuit rather than the more commercially-minded outfits who sought crossover success. Besides the well-known names from the '50s (including
Jim Eanes,
Don Reno and Hylo Brown), most of these artists will be familiar to those who follow the genre. There are rare departures from straight bluegrass, as on "Mama Likes Bluegrass Music" by the Frosty Mountain Boys with
Raymond Fairchild, which features a hot rockabilly slap bass solo, but most of the recordings offer solid and enjoyable "traditional" bluegrass from the style's most tumultuous era. ~ Greg Adams