et al being Chris Thile, Edgar Meyer, and Stuart Duncan. It's really enjoyable while still being a bit up its own arse... a good combination of the two, actually. The musicianship is of course absolutely insane, phenomenal throughout, and the compositions are intentionally complex, moving in sections as though each tune were a suite; in some ways it reminds me of a New Acoustic version of prog. Highlight for me though is definitely the first vocal track, featuring Aoife O'Donovan from Crooked Still... http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=F-BkhEF1d5U = AMAZING. Probably no coincidence that my favorite track is also the closest to old-timey that the album gets.


Old music:

Jesse Fuller - Frisco Bound, an old Arhoolie compilation of stuff recorded in 1955 and 1962. I'd never really dug into his stuff before, and since he wasn't really part of the '60s scene or the '20s/'30s he tends to get overlooked in discussion. Well worth it, lots of fine blues-related material and Fuller's presentation is always pleasantly idiosyncratic. Still the compilation is missing two of his best-known songs - San Francisco Bay Blues, and Monkey & the Engineer. No problem, though, as this is all good.

Doc Watson - The Vanguard Years (4 CD box) - Doc's first 4 albums; while he's often celebrated as an old-time or bluegrass virtuoso, the reason he's a virtuoso is because of his wide appetite and influence. I'll have to dig up some of Doc's electric stuff though, because these are all in square Folk Revival mode (which is still excellent).

Doc Watson & Jean Ritchie - Live at Folk City - the legendary venue/nightclub that fueled the Greenwich Village scene. The album's not that great, but the best moments come from when they work together in surprising ways, like when Doc picks up the fiddle to accompany Jean's dulcimer. And as always form both of these performers, iconic versions of classic folk material.