Duos that feature mandolin and guitar have been an important part of country music since the 1920's and'30's, when artists like the Monroe Brothers, Mac and Bob, the Blue Sky Boys, and the Callahan Brothers held sway. Those duos were primarily vocal acts, however and it wasn't until the early 1960's - when Homer and Jethro recorded "It Ain't Necessarily Square" and "Playing it Straight" - that mandolin/guitar instrumental duets really began to generate much excitement. Mike Compton and David Grier, two of the most gifted pickers in Nashville (or anywhere else, for that matter) bring the tradition into the 90's with "Climbing the Walls," an extraordinary CD that will amaze even the most jaded listener. It's a dazzling display of sheer virtuosity and as fine a collection of instrumentals as you'll hear all year.
Mike Compton, who is best known for his four-year stint with the Nashville Bluegrass Band, plays Bill Monroe-style mandolin better than just about everybody except Monroe himself. David Grier, for his part, was heavily influenced by the late Clarence White and if there is a better young flatpicker out there somewhere it's news to me. Together, these two supremely talented pickers play with a rapport that is nothing short of uncanny. Tony Trischka perfectly describes this interplay as "off-handed intricacy" in his liner notes. It's a deceptive thing, as Trischka notes, because it sounds so casual. But brilliant little touches like the overlapping solos on"Going Up Caney" or the unison crosspicking on "The New Five Cents" prove that what may be casual at first listening is really the result on Compton and Grier understanding each others playing so well that something closely akin to telepathy is achieved.
Compton and Grier are joined on most tunes by fiddler Blaine Sprouse and either Roy Huskey, Jr, or Billy Rose on bass (each plays on five tunes), a combination that produces some potent banjo-less instrumental bluegrass. Every cut on "Climbing the Walls" is superb, but "Climbing the Walls," "Going Up Caney," "Huffy" and "Waters Street Waltz" are particularly noteworthy. "Black Mountain Rag" and "The New Five Cents," a pair of mandolin/guitar duets, contain some picking that is simply astonishing and stand as the purest statements of what this partnership is all about.
Unlike many all-instrumental efforts which become tiresome after a couple hearings, "Climbing the Walls" actually rewards careful attention and repeated exposure. This is partly because the quality of musicianship is so high. But an even larger reason is that the picking of Mike Compton and David Grier (like that of their respective mentors) is so consistently unpredictable. The unexpected surprise may come from the way Compton takes one of his 'Billisms" (as he refers to his [musical] quotes from Monroe) and stands it on its head or it may come from one of Grier's startling melodic leaps or chokes. Whatever its twists and turns, though, this is music that reveals a new level of subtlety and sophistication with each hearing.
Rounder is hyping Mike Compton and David Grier as the instrumental duo for the 90's. While it's a bit early in the decade to be ordering any crowns, the evidence presented on "Climbing the Walls" certainly supports such a claim. Compton and Grier have produced an exceptional recording, one that can easily stand with the best-ever collections of instrumental bluegrass. My highest recommendation.