Tony Rice – Acclaimed Self-Titled 1977 Album – Re-issue
This pristine bluegrass album reintroduces guitar virtuoso & Grammy Award winner Tony Rice to his original audience & may even grab a few younger ears with his acclaimed 1977 self-titled album. There are 12 sparkling tunes (made up of standards, traditional & contemporary in a spirited mix) on the reissued Tony Rice – Acclaimed Self-Titled 1977 Album (Dropped June 5/Craft/Concord Recordings) originally released by Rounder Records. The tracks were self-produced by Mr. Rice & recorded in Berkley, CA.
The music fuses classical, jazz, bluegrass & other genres, focusing on the flat-picking acoustic guitar skills of the late (1951-2020) Tony Rice. Remastered from the original (1976) tapes. Where bluegrass artists like Alison Krauss are fiddle-based with her whispery voice, Mr. Rice lays out his guitar exuberance through his strings, along with his guests’ banjos, violins, mandolins & dobro’s. Some tunes may sound too country-traditional to aficionados of bluegrass, but believe me, the current runs generously in these pieces. Rice allows the music to breathe with his iconic tone on this classic album, & the accompanying musicians are up to the task. On “Plastic Banana,” the interchanging instruments sing to each other, particularly Richard Greene (violin), David Grisman (mandolin), & Todd Phillips (bass).
But it’s Tony’s vocal (“Don’t Give Your Heart To a Rambler”) that exudes the tradition beautifully with just enough rural gusto, strong cider & foot tapping. There must’ve been a jug & a bloodhound under his wicker chair when he was practicing getting that backwoods warmth in his tone. Fire? “Farewell Blues” ignites with rhythm & picking. Smoke rises from Mr. Greene’s violin: sparks fly from J.D. Crowe’s banjo & the others just played away in the blustery musical thicket with their own expertise.
Don’t tell me country & bluegrass musicians can’t play. These are exceptional performances even half a century down the vinyl pathway. The arrangements are intricate, but with vocals in tow, they’re also loose. Many are danceable & possess an infectious upbeat celebratory aesthetic. Consistently.
What impresses me most is the tight, blossoming, clear interplay between players – they’re conducting a conversation between opposing hardware, & it’s conversational between their notes. “Stony Creek” is a masterpiece of this type of composition.
Several bluegrass legends grace these songs & all the performances hit the mark. Mr. Rice was a beloved musician & he left behind something for future bluegrass guitarists to learn from & nothing more to ask except to peacefully listen to his benevolence.
Highlights – “Banks of the Ohio,” “Rattlesnake,” “Plastic Banana,” “Don’t Give Your Heart To a Rambler,” “Farewell Blues,” “Stony Creek,” & “Hills of Roane County.”
Musicians – Larry Rice (mandolin/tenor vocal), J.D. Crowe (banjo/baritone vocal), Todd Phillips (bass), Jerry Douglas (dobro), Darol Anger (violin), David Grisman (mandolin/tenor vocal) & Todd A. “Pops” Phillips (bass).
Color image of Tony Rice at MerleFest 2006 courtesy of Forrest L. Smith III. CD @ https://craftrecordings.com/products/tony-rice-lp?srsltid=AfmBOoo1j3xB2mphOy1tbO368F7R2OUVpA6zFbojLHZmA2yNlu6R7p32