David Grier has long been a monster of bluegrass guitar. But when luminaries Tim O'Brien and Balfa Toujours' Dirk Powell join in, the stage is set for a monster of a barn dance. Unlike the glossy bluegrass stylings of Grier's previous release, Panorama, the trio mines an old-timey vein for an intimate back porch encounter. O'Brien drives on fiddle or dances on mandolin while Powell keeps it rhythmically straight on clawhammer banjo and bass. On "High Dad in the Morning," Powell mystifyingly blends the Cajun accordion into the old-timey feel and takes "Red Haired Boy" closer to its Cajun-Celtic bloodlines. Throughout it all, Grier's peerless flatpicking makes it seem easy. His unpretentious solos are quite affecting and impeccably precise. O'Brien attempts some light-hearted scat vocals on the bluesy "Lonnie and Maybell," which trails off in laughter. The title doesn't lie, it's all a hoot.
(DW) Dirty Linen