There is no question that the most influential lead guitarist in bluegrass history is the late
Clarence White. After that, the arguments start. Who comes next --
Doc Watson?
Norman Blake?
Dan Crary? While you'll never achieve complete consensus on this point, if you took a vote the chances are very good that the second name in the list of important lead guitarists would be that of
Tony Rice, who is not only an acknowledged master of the traditional bluegrass idiom but a highly influential stylistic innovator, one who helped create the jazz-grass fusion music of the 1970s and 1980s that came, for better or worse, to be called new acoustic music. This excellent compilation (which gets its title from the serial number of
Clarence White's Martin D-28 guitar, which
Rice has owned and played since 1975) celebrates his contributions on the more traditional side of things, and its tracks include full-band performances with the likes of
the Bluegrass Album Band, his own
Tony Rice Unit, and a quartet made up entirely of
Rice brothers, as well as a handful of duo recordings with
Norman Blake and a rambunctious arrangement of "Lost Indian" for a guitar trio featuring
Rice,
Blake, and
Doc Watson. Although you could argue that his take on
Bill Monroe's "Jerusalem Ridge" is maybe a bit lacking in nuance, everything else on this album ranges from great to spectacular. Among the particular highlights are a gorgeous and quite traditional rendition of "Home Sweet Home," a great medley of Irish tunes played in duet with
Blake, and a hard-driving arrangement of "Monroe's Hornpipe" on which
Rice's solos are like a 60-second seminar on how to combine virtuosity and taste. This album makes an excellent introduction to one of America's most gifted musicians in any genre. ~ Rick Anderson