Flatpicking Guitar Festival

If you think that two LPs' worth of flatpicking sounds like a pretty monotonous prospect, no one would blame you, but in this case, you'd be mistaken. The 23 tracks that make up this single-CD reissue vary wildly in terms of style and execution, from straightforward bluegrass like Dick Fegy's renditions of "Big Sandy River" and "Fire Hose Reel" to Eric Thompson's adaptation of two Irish reels and Richard Lieberson's jazzy "Paddy on the Swingpipe." Doc Watson is well represented with three tracks ("Fisher's Hornpipe/Devil's Dream," "Down Yonder," and "Liza/Lady Be Good"), and David Bromberg kicks in an atypically subdued version of "The Kitchen Girl." Most of the other guitarists are relative unknowns; although Dan Crary ("Fishing Creek Blues/Arkansas Traveller") will be well-known to bluegrass fans, only hardcore guitarheads are likely to recognize names like Michael Aumen, Barry Solomon, and Eric Thompson. Regardless, all of them play beautifully, and the stylistic variety of the program makes it a great listen from beginning to end. Highly recommended. ~ Rick Anderson