Hootenanny

David Grier | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (January 1, 2000)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Dreadnought
• ASIN: B00000FY9A
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #153,235 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. Little Rabbit

2. Ragtime Annie

3. Have You Ever Been to England

4. High Dad in the Morning

5. Lonnie and Maybelle

6. Red Haired Boy

7. Clinch Mountain Backstep

8. Have You Ever Seen the Devil Uncle Joe

9. Cascade

10. Old Joe Clark

11. Lonesome Road Blues

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

Dedication, precision, and grace can happily coexist with frivolity and creativity, as flat-picking guitarist David Grier has proved often in the past. Combining incredible technique, masterful timing, plenty of soul, and sheer enjoyment is what Grier does best--Hootenanny, the debut release on his own Dreadnought Recordings, continues this trend. Along with kindred spirits Tim O'Brien (mandolin, fiddle, bouzouki, the occasional off-beat vocal) and Dirk Powell (banjo, fiddle, accordion, bass), Grier invests a wide range of traditional and original material with a distinct old-time flair. The pared-down arrangements give Grier ample space to make his statements, whether with lighting-quick but unhurried leads or with nifty supporting passages. Speedy fiddle tunes accompany down-home blues, winsome ballads, and vibrant reels and rags. As usual, he makes the decades-old sound refreshingly new, and his remarkable guitar work seems to only improve with time, the function of a man who rarely takes the instrument off his neck. --Marc Greilsamer

Review

In the 1950s, college students who were caught up in the folk boom attended gatherings where they played acoustic instruments and sang. These 'hootenannies' were informal and non-professional. Guitarist David Grier decided to have his own little get together with multiple instrumentalists Tim O'Brien and Dirk Powell on Hootenanny. Recorded over a four day period, this album has the loose feel of a few friends hanging out and doing their own thing. The only difference here is that these musicians are professionals, and even when they're just fooling around, they sound great. A lot of room is left on cuts like Have You Ever Been to England for the individual players to cut loose and show off their instrumental skill. Grier, as always, is an endlessly inventive and tasteful soloist, and he seems comfortable whether playing blues as in Lonnie and Maybelle or jazz in Ragtime Annie. As on his previous albums, he shares solo space equally with his guests. A multitude of instruments, including mandolin, fiddle, bouzouki, and accordion, are utilized on different tracks to create a rich texture within the context of traditional music. There are a couple of throwaway vocals by O'Brien, one -- Lonnie and Maybelle -- that includes scat singing. The tunes penned by Grier, Red Haired Boy and Cascade, fit comfortably with the traditional ones like Lonesome Road Blues. Hootenanny's approach is more casual, off-the-cuff, than his previous recordings for Rounder, and perhaps that is why it was released on his own label, Dreadnought. Fans of Grier, Powell, and O'Brien should enjoy this set, as should any of lover of good, acoustic music. --Ronnie Lankford, Jr., All Music Guide

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Classic., June 8, 2000

By 

Robert Lunte "Author of The Four Pillars of S... (Seattle, WA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Hootenanny (Audio CD)

This is very gritty, traditional sounding folk jams.......by a virtuostic acoustic flat picker, and it kicks butt.

Minimalist in the instumentation, heavy guitar picking and fiddle playing...it rocks, ...in a down home, county fair and hooteny kind of way.

True to its name.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars wonderful album, not real fast, November 15, 2009

By 

frmertd - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Hootenanny (Audio CD)

Grier is something else. This album is great. I really like Lonesome soldier, the house to myself and this one. Bunch of standards done at moderate tempo (nothing too fast). Done very artistically like Grier always does.
My favorite bluegrass instrumental albums: this one, Bela Flecks Drive, Tony Rice Bluegrass guitar album, Brian Sutton's recent stuff.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A showcase for an incredible musician, June 26, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: Hootenanny (Audio CD)

David Grier .... is the finest flatpicking guitarist in the world today. He has expanded upon the foundation established by Doc Watson, Clarence White, and Tony Rice to bring flatpicking to a new level of innovation. Acoustic Guitar magazine chose Grier as one of only 15 "Artists of the Decade" because of his originality and musicianship. In selecting him, they also selected this CD, Hootenanny, as essential listening.

Because of the trio format used on this CD (Grier is joined by Dirk Powell and Tim O'Brien), Grier's guitar is given ample room to shine. The CD is a mix of traditional tunes and originals. The traditional tunes showcase Grier's ability to rework old chestnuts into something fresh. The original tunes showcase his songwriting abilities and innovative technique. "Have You Ever Been To England" is a favorite and perhaps the best example of Grier's playing, although it's difficult to capture Grier's diversity in a single tune or even a single CD.

Note that if you're having trouble ordering Grier's CDs, they are also available via his web site.