Jim O’Neal started his Rural Rhythm label in 1955 on a shoestring, dedicating it to recording bluegrass and old-time country artists, and now, nearly 60 years later, the label has a massive back catalog of some 4,000-plus master recordings from what many term the Golden Age of Bluegrass. Rural Rhythm routinely issues collections like this one which dip into that vault and assemble vintage sets themed around one aspect of the music -- in this case, the guitar. With sides from
Don Reno,
Bill Harrell,
Hylo Brown, Clarence “Hound Dog” Jackson, and
Lee Moore, among others, this 30-track playlist features some of the best guitar pickers from the modern age of bluegrass. ~ Steve Leggett