Search - Various Artists :: Rounder Fiddle [CD on Demand]

Great Fiddlers of America

Barbara (Burkowsky) Underwood | 03/16/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Awesome fiddle... classic fiddle tunes from the greats. Even better is that the music on the CD is transcribed by Mel Bay Pub as "Great Fiddlers of America" (a must have for fiddlers)."

A gem of a fiddle album!

Barbara (Burkowsky) Underwood | Manly, NSW Australia | 12/26/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This is a marvellous CD anthology of fiddle tunes spanning the entire spectrum from `Old-Time' and standard Bluegrass to `New Grass': or in other words; a carefully chosen selection of the best music representing the traditional folk/country music of the southern Appalachian states. Old-time tunes are lively toe-tapping folk melodies often played only on fiddle or banjo, or both together, from which the more sophisticated Bluegrass evolved to include other stringed instruments such as guitar, mandolin, bass and dobro. But for those who need no introduction, this collection is a successful attempt to present fiddle music at its best in all its various styles over several decades with just 27 tunes. Each one is different and is one of the best of its kind, such as expertly executed traditional old-time tunes interspersing songs by bigger, dynamic Bluegrass bands like The Johnson Mountain Boys, as well as more progressive fiddle music by the likes of Vassar Clements and Norman Blake, who keep stretching the boundaries of modern Bluegrass. Needless to say, each song highlights the fiddle and its player, with some good short notes about each fiddler and further information about each song in the booklet. There are well-known traditional tunes like "Sally Goodin'" and "Fire on the Mountain", two indispensable Bill Monroe classics (namely "Uncle Pen" and "Cheyenne") and a few less-known ones as well, all in nice order so that no two consecutive songs are alike. Therefore, this CD would best suit fiddle enthusiasts and music lovers who embrace the whole range of Bluegrass styles, old and new. With such a wide selection, audio quality varies a little at times, but overall the sound and general musical quality are top-notch so that this CD can be enjoyed many times and over many years.

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