Search - Various Artists :: Generations Of Bluegrass, Vol. 1: Pickers & Fiddlers

This odd little compilation seems to have no rhyme or reason, other than to offer a taste of Vanguard's bluegrass catalog. Indeed, more than half of these 12 selections emanate from the Vanguard collection. That said, it still serves as a useful reminder of how diverse bluegrass has become. Performers represented range from traditionalists Bill Monroe and Maybelle Carter to modernists Alison Krauss and New Grass Revival to gap-bridgers such as the Country Gentlemen, Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, and the Dillards. Hot instrumentals from John McEuen, Alison Brown, and Vassar Clements stand out, as does the Country Gentlemen's collaboration with Ricky Skaggs. In the end, however, this pleasant collection doesn't qualify as an essential buy. --Marc Greilsamer