Tone Poems

Tony Rice, David Grisman | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (June 7, 1994)
• Original Release Date: May 25, 1994
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Acoustic Disc
• ASIN: B000003915
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #37,255 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
  • #19 in Music > Indie Music > Folk > Contemporary Folk
  • #62 in Music > Indie Music > Country > Bluegrass
  • #89 in Music > Country > Bluegrass > Traditional

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

31 of 31 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Just slow down and listen, January 14, 2000

By 

Pharoah S. Wail (Inner Space) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Tone Poems (Audio CD)

This cd has not been well received here I see. The explanantion? The explanation is that on this cd David and Tony step away from high-speed burns on the fretboard and they choose to play great classics from the traditional American repertoire as well as David's own compositions.

There are a hundred cds on which to find Tony and David sizzling off hotter solos, and to fault this cd for not being another cd like that is a mistake. They have both certainly played "faster" elsewhere, but you'd be hard-pressed to find anywhere where they play "prettier" than David does on MILL VALLEY WALTZ, or than Tony does on I AM A PILGRIM. This cd has one of my favorite versions of Bill Monroe's classic WATSON BLUES, and the traditional American songs GOOD OLD MOUNTAIN DEW and WILDWOOD FLOWER have never sounded better.

The liner notes could hardly be considered "so exhaustive that only the most dedicated reader can get through them". There are one or two paragraphs explaining the history of each vintage instrument that appears on this cd. The notes are even split up, with the guitar Tony plays always being on the left of the booklet, and David's mandolin from the same track always being on the right of the booklet.

Ever since this cd originally came out I have considered it to be one of their essential albums, and these two have many great albums out there. I easily prefer TONE POEMS over TONE POEMS 2.

17 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Two masters at the height of their craft, July 6, 2000

By 

William Adair - See all my reviews

This review is from: Tone Poems (Audio CD)

David Grisman and Tony Rice are two of the best musicians playing today, and "Tone Poems" proves that this is no idle claim. Yes, the CD has a theme: play vintage-sounding tunes on vintage instruments; and yes, it comes with a 39-page booklet. Before this CD, I never paid any attention to the actual instruments played, but I do now! The booklet is likely to be most useful to musicologists and guitar/mandolin afficionados, but even a cross-fingered tone-deaf dolt like me can appreciate the instruments' beauty and diversity.

Most of the tunes are Grisman originals with an authentic old-time flavor. While most tunes are traditional folk songs, styles range from bluesy (Watson's Blues) to jazz (Django Reinhardt's Swing '42) to that mandolin classic, O Solo Mio.

Don't expect blazing finger work up and down the fretboard, although this CD offers that too. This music is less like a frantic trip down the freeway and more like a quiet early morning stroll down a country road. Wouldn't you rather be there right now?

19 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Two Masters of Their Craft, January 21, 2001

By 

Steve Vrana (Aurora, NE) - See all my reviews
(HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Tone Poems (Audio CD)

I have been a fan of the music of David Grisman and Tony Rice for more than twenty years. The first time I heard them perform together was on Grisman's 1979 album Hot Dawg and Rice was the band's guitarist. On this outing, it's just Grisman (mandolin) and Rice (guitar) doing what they do best. They are two of the best practioners of their craft on their respective instruments. [If you want to adjust yor speakers, Rice plays through the left speaker and Grisman the right.] Their objective, however, is not to dazzle you with their speed--although they do at times--but rather "redirect some of the attention being paid to vintage guitars and mandolins back to their musical values" as Grisman points out in the liner notes.

The music can be reflective ("The Prisoner's Waltz"), playful ("Good Old Mountain Dew") or invigorating ("Sing '42"), but it's all played with style and taste. There's an informal, front porch feel to the music here and it all makes for enjoyable listening. Sit back and enjoy! HIGHLY RECOMMENDED