Bluegrass All-Stars Play Country Classics

The Bluegrass All-Stars are made up of top bluegrass session musicians who have played with everyone from country music legends like Jerry Reed to bluegrass innovators like Béla Fleck. The drummer, Kenneth Malone, even played on Dobie Gray's "Drift Away"! They have all banded together to tackle 18 classic country tunes and transform them into bluegrass instrumentals. The tracks are all very short -- only one clocks in at over three minutes -- and full of energy. The players are all top-notch and highly professional. Unfortunately you very quickly begin to feel like you are riding in an elevator in Kentucky. No matter how good the musicians, hearing all these classic tunes like Hank Williams' "I Saw the Light" or Joe South's "Games People Play" with mandolin or fiddle sweetly sawing or picking the melody in place of vocals just lacks something. It becomes bluegrass background music. If that is what you want, then this disc is perfect. Anyone who wants his or her bluegrass with some fire and inspiration should look elsewhere.