Greetings from Amazon.com Delivers Country Editor, Marc Greilsamer In the late 1950s and early 1960s, bluegrass was threatened by the emergence of rock, jettisoned by the country music establishment, and appropriated by folk revivalists, resulting ultimately in the genre's marginalization. However in 1999, thanks to a number of superb releases, bluegrass has reclaimed much of its mainstream appeal and returned to its rightful place as a vital and vibrant stream of country music. Four bluegrass gems populate our list of the year's most rewarding country records. 1. "End Time" Freakwater http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00000JY2G/entertainmentsit Known for their hauntingly beautiful country melodies and their exquisite harmonies, Freakwater flesh out their sound on "End Time," a stunning record that adds electric guitar, drums, and even a string section to the mix. By blending a range of traditional country styles with their always- stimulating lyrics about life's small tragedies, Freakwater craft a highly original and modern sound without straying too far from their pared-down acoustic roots. 2. "The Mountain" Steve Earle and the Del McCoury Band http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00000I427/entertainmentsit Steve Earle has always alternated between his electric and acoustic impulses, but on this stellar collaboration with the Del McCoury Band, he moves into the acoustic camp with both feet. Earle has come up with perhaps his strongest collection of original songs, filled with vivid characters and possessing timeless appeal, while the musical settings move from straightahead bluegrass to country-blues to honky-tonk to Celtic. McCoury's unit provides the musical muscle that you'd expect from one of bluegrass's sharpest ensembles. 3. "Cruel Moon" Buddy Miller http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00001WRL3/entertainmentsit Buddy Miller's third solo release finds the hard-country hero in fine form on a simple and plainspoken, yet rhythmically dynamic record. Melding influences that range from honky-tonk to rock to blues to soul, Miller knows and respects the power of minimalism in his music. He is able to generate a beefy sound and deep feeling with only the most Spartan ingredients, most notably his intense singing, stinging guitar, and pithy lyrics. Emmylou Harris, Steve Earle, Tammy Rogers, Jim Lauderdale, and Miller's wife Julie provide key support. 4. "Why Do Lonely Men and Women Want to Break Each Other's Hearts?" Star Room Boys http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00000IXSO/entertainmentsit Athens, Georgia, has long been known for its stream of college rock, but the Star Room Boys offer nothing but country despair on their head-turning debut, which deftly updates the Bakersfield honky-tonk style. Dave Marr's deeply expressive voice is the perfect medium for his original songs of romantic desolation and misery while nifty guitar and steel spar behind him. 5. "Half Mad Moon" Damnations TX http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00000AG88/entertainmentsit Deborah Kelly and Amy Boone, two sisters from upstate New York who relocated to Austin, grew up with a wide array of musical influences ranging from Johnny Cash to X to Kiss. Their Damnations TX blend these ingredients seamlessly on their debut, a record that has emotional bite and lighthearted charm, not to mention some gorgeous harmonies and a crack selection of astute originals. 6. "Bluegrass Mandolin Extravaganza" Various artists http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00000IIRY/entertainmentsit David Grisman has assembled an impressive cadre of pickers for this spectacular instrumental project: Sam Bush, Ronnie McCoury, Jesse McReynolds, Bobby Osborne, Ricky Skaggs, Frank Wakefield, and Buck White. Toss in Grisman himself and you have eight of the greatest living mandolin players pushing each other to awesome hot-picking heights, offering personal reflections along the way. 7. "Crusades of the Restless Knights" Ray Wylie Hubbard http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00000JMK5/entertainmentsit As an elder statesman of Texas songsmiths, Ray Wylie Hubbard has been plying his trade for decades but he's truly blossoming in the 1990s. "Crusades" follows up 1997's superb "Dangerous Spirits" and boasts lyrics that can be sensitive or scathing (or both) and that can tackle the mundane or the metaphysical (or both). His tales are cautionary yet oddly comforting (if you're on the right side), and his world- weary voice is adeptly backed by Lloyd Maines's dynamic, mostly acoustic production. 8. "The Grass Is Blue" Dolly Parton http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00002067T/entertainmentsit It seems surprising that Dolly Parton has never recorded an all-bluegrass record until now; the native Tennessean has been singing her own take on mountain music all her life. But it's certainly been worth the wait. Parton's superb new record is studded with top-drawer pickers like Jerry Douglas, Sam Bush, and Stuart Duncan and offers a balance between her own material and covers that range from Flatt & Scruggs, the Louvin Brothers, and Hazel Dickens to Johnny Cash, Billy Joel, and Blackfoot (yes, that Blackfoot). 9. "The Bluegrass Sessions: Tales from the Acoustic Planet, Vol. 2" Bela Fleck http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00000JC6D/entertainmentsit Despite the reference in the title to 1995's intriguing and wide- ranging solo fusion record, Fleck's new release has much more in common with 1988's outstanding Rounder CD, "Drive." The principals from the "Drive" sessions--Sam Bush, Jerry Douglas, Tony Rice, Stuart Duncan, and Mark Schatz--return, assisted this time around by special guests including Earl Scruggs, Vassar Clements, and John Hartford. Like "Drive" accomplished so well, "The Bluegrass Sessions" brilliantly displays the range of moods and melodies that traditional bluegrass instrumentation can capture. 10. "The Pilgrim" Marty Stuart http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00000J8LV/entertainmentsit The pieces all fall in place on Stuart's concept album. "The Pilgrim" tells the true story of a Mississippi man who unknowingly falls in love with a married woman, watches her husband kill himself, and subsequently wanders in an alcoholic stupor for years before finding salvation in church and marriage. Stuart's songwriting is at a peak--the story actually occurred in Stuart's own hometown. He explores a variety of traditional styles with the vital help of legends including George Jones, Emmylou Harris, Johnny Cash, Earl Scruggs, and Ralph Stanley. ****** You'll find more great music, articles, and interviews in Amazon.com's Country Music section at Country ******
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