sometimes a post just nearly writes itself. i have been listening to a lot of new material lately, and as occasionally happens in my part time writing mode, nothing was really jumping out and grabbing me to sit down and pontificate about it.

but molly’s newest album changed that recently, and so let me tell you about it. molly tuttle is a renowned master of the clawhammer banjo and a crosspicking guitarist and a recipient of the musician of the year by the international bluegrass award committee. she is a very capable songwriter as well, and has released a number of albums on her own prior to this. but, for whatever reason, she has not actually done a bluegrass album before.

until now.

she not only put together one hell of a bluegrass band to flesh these songs out, she also has a very impressive list of guest artists. some are from the bluegrass world (old crow medicine show, sierra hull, billy strings, dan tyminski), and some are not (margo price, gillian welch). jerry douglas, the best and most recorded dobro player in the world, helps produce and plays on many of the tracks. she has a cowriter on nearly all the tracks, with ketch secor from old crow helping out on most of them.

it is just a solid effort from cover to cover, and it stayed in my rotation for quite a while. the aforementioned billy strings has been at least partially responsible for a rejuvenation in all things bluegrass, and rightly so. i have seen him a number of times and will be catching him in new orleans in may. he is likely on this album for a number of reasons: he and molly have been playing at events for years, they share a love for what they do, and he wants her to get a bigger audience. so do i, as i think she deserves it. they have slightly different styles when it comes to the guitar, but i for one do not think that one is better than the other. so if you are a billy fan, or a bluegrass fan, please give this one a try.