Tony Rice Plays and Sings Bluegrass

Tony Rice | Format: MP3 Download

Product Details

• Original Release Date: November 30, 1992
• Label: Rounder
• Total Length: 40:52
• Genres: Country/Alt-Country & Americana, Country/Bluegrass, Country/Traditional Country, Folk/Contemporary Folk
• ASIN: B0010793FK
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #89,382 Paid in MP3 Albums (See Top 100 Paid in MP3 Albums)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars "The Master" cuts loose one more time..., October 30, 2004

By 

Mark J. Fowler "Let's Play Two!" (Jacksonville, Florida) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Plays & Sings Bluegrass (Audio CD)

No one has been more influential in performance of acoustic guitar than Tony Rice.

Nobody.

Rice is a master of just about every genre that his Martin Herringbone D-28 could be applied to. Along with David Grisman he pretty much founded American String Jazz. Certainly those Rice/Grisman bands were strongly modeled after Stephane Grapelli and Django Reinhardt's Quintette Du Hot Club de France, but NOBODY in America (or really the entire world) was making music like theirs when they recorded the iconic "David Grisman Quintette" album.

Tony also payed his country dues - in what was probably the "hottest" country band in history. Emmylou Harris's bands are called "The Hot Band" and it was NEVER hotter than the version that included Tony on his acoustic trading licks with electric wizard Albert Lee and Dobro master Jerry Douglas. If I had to take a single country album to a deserted island it would have to be Emmylou's "Roses in the Snow".(It's worth mentioning that the same band also featured Ricky Skaggs on every instrument he could get his talented hands on - mainly fiddle and mandolin.)

Tony has also demonstrated that he has a fine touch with acoustic-based pop, with multiple covers of the likes of Bob Dylan and Gordon Lightfoot. (There's a whole collection of Rice doing just Lightfoot covers that is absolutely smashing!)

ALL of the above was written just to give some context before saying that the genre I consider Tony's "home" is Bluegrass, and for about 20 years beginning in the early seventies pretty much EVERY landmark Bluegrass recording featured Tony's blistering guitar and his urgent soulful vocals.

To all our sorrows Tony's voice has succumbed to multiple vocal-chord polyps, leaving him sounding like a late edition Miles Davis.

THIS album was that last great recording of Rice's fine singing, and it is fitting that he used the voice he had left to record this fine collection of Bluegrass and Newgrass tunes. The old 'bone never sounded better and from his opening ear-stretching bend on his solo to "I've Waited As Long As I Can" you can hear that "the master" is in full control of the most influential flatpicking technique of Bluegrass history.

Tony is joined by a collection of old buddies - meaning Bluegrass Superstars - and they bear down on 13 gold-plated-bluegrass-gems. I could go to the trouble of reciting a review of every tune on the disc, but the truth is there are no "duds".

Enjoy.

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A classic bluegrass recording, June 16, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: Plays & Sings Bluegrass (Audio CD)

Tony Rice is sometimes criticised by "purists" for not sticking to pure bluegrass, and branching off into contemporary and jazz music, even employing piano and drums at times. But, Tony has always maintained a steady stream of pure bluegrass recordings through the years, along with the other. Several of them have become absolute bluegrass classics. "Cold on the Shoulder", "Manzanita", "Skaggs and Rice", "Guitar", "California Autumn" and of course all of the "Bluegrass Album Band" volumes are essentially Tony Rice recordings. This album is an essential recording. No piano or drums here! The songs are great, the musicians Tony has selected are among the best in the world at this type of music, Tony's voice at this point was still in prime condition, and of course his playing here is classic "Rice" flatpicking. This is a "must have" recording in any serious bluegrass collection.

8 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars great, July 9, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Plays & Sings Bluegrass (Audio CD)

If you are a bluegrass fan, this is a must for your collection. Tony Rice is a supreme guitarist who also knows what it takes to produce a great sounding song. I have several of his CDs and tapes and throughly enjoy each one. If you love guitar music and other stringed music, then get this album.