Chambergrass: A Decade of Tunes From the Edges of Bluegrass

Amazon.com
Playing as a trio in the '70s and '80s, newgrass masters Byron Berline (fiddle, mandolin), Dan Crary (guitar), and John Hickman (banjo) used their preternatural instrumental talents and eclectic tastes to plow new ground in bluegrass's fertile but often predictable pastures. The style with which they emerged eventually came to be called "chambergrass." These 15 all-instrumental tracks are drawn from the four albums BC&H recorded for the Sugar Hill label before they parted ways. As instrumentalists, these three could generate so much astonishing power and texture that on driving tunes like Berline's "Big Dog," Crary's evocative minor-key "Night Run," and their bristling update of the traditional "Under the Double Eagle," it sounds more like a half-dozen instruments are at work instead of merely three. Yet it's the beauty and precision of this music, as well as its amazing nimbleness, that makes these collaborations sound just as fresh and cutting edge today as when they were recorded two or three decades ago. --Michael Simmons

Chambergrass: A Decade of Tunes From the Edges of Bluegrass,Berline + Crary + Hickman,Sugarhill [Country],Bluegrass,Country,Pop

Chambergrass: Decade of Tunes From Edges Bluegrass
Average customer rating:

Excellence (In a narrow range)

Something Different But Something Really Special

These musicians are hard to top!

Very instrumental

Chambergrass: Decade of Tunes From Edges Bluegrass
Berline Crary & Hickman
Manufacturer: Sugarhill [Country]
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Country | Styles | Music
General | Bluegrass | Country | Styles | Music
General | Country | Indie Music | Stores | Music
Bluegrass | Country | Indie Music | Stores | Music
ASIN: B000066ARU
Release Date: 2002-06-04

Tracks:

Forked Deer
Big Dog
Fall Creek
Bonaparte's Retreat
Pistol Pete
Fisher's Hornpipe
Night Run
Turkey In The Straw
Under The Double Eagle
Henry's Hornpipe
Early Times
Storm Over Oklahoma
The Dusty Miller
Old Time Medley
Cricket

Amazon.com

Playing as a trio in the '70s and '80s, newgrass masters Byron Berline (fiddle, mandolin), Dan Crary (guitar), and John Hickman (banjo) used their preternatural instrumental talents and eclectic tastes to plow new ground in bluegrass's fertile but often predictable pastures. The style with which they emerged eventually came to be called "chambergrass." These 15 all-instrumental tracks are drawn from the four albums BC&H recorded for the Sugar Hill label before they parted ways. As instrumentalists, these three could generate so much astonishing power and texture that on driving tunes like Berline's "Big Dog," Crary's evocative minor-key "Night Run," and their bristling update of the traditional "Under the Double Eagle," it sounds more like a half-dozen instruments are at work instead of merely three. Yet it's the beauty and precision of this music, as well as its amazing nimbleness, that makes these collaborations sound just as fresh and cutting edge today as when they were recorded two or three decades ago. --Michael Simmons

Customer Reviews:

Excellence (In a narrow range).......2005-09-16

This is a very nice collection of Berline, Crary, & Hickman tunes. Several of the cuts are live recordings. There is a very high level of inventiveness in their re-arrangements of traditional tunes. The level of instrumental virtuosity is high.
The weaknesses of the recording, in my view, are: Berline's fiddling sometimes has dubious intonation. Not all the time, but sometimes. (Take this with a grain of salt, though. I'm very sensitive to intonation.) Hickman's playing can be too minimalistic at times. He is a player that values simplicity; that's his style. He is, no doubt, an excellent banjo player. I've played with him before, and can attest that he's fantastic. The simplicity is part of his style. Still, some might prefer more flash. Lastly, Crary's guitar tone is tinny on many of the tracks. He has always been one to rely on his Taylor's pickup system (versus a mic) in a live situation, and his tone reflects this. It sounds thin and plastic on live cuts. His playing, though, is very good. There are some spots where I think he overplays.
Overall, a very good but not perfect collection of performances. They are fantastic musicians; make no mistake. Just don't come into the cd expecting the sort of laborious perfection that many recordings strive to achieve nowadays.

Something Different But Something Really Special.......2005-09-16

This fine acoustic CD presents bluegrass in a rather different style but the result is awe inspiring.These three splendid musicians have given us something to applaud and appreciate.
Could three lesser mortals have brought about the same result?
I very much doubt it. Berline,Crary, Hickman,don't forget those names and please get that CD into your collection.

These musicians are hard to top!.......2002-07-27

A CD full of inventive and intelligent acoustic string music. It's bluegrass at its most creative. These three guys play together like a well-oiled machine, with instrumental lines intertwining and reacting to each other like ping-pong balls in a steel drum rolling downhill (only it sounds a LOT better!) This is like a Master's Class in pickin', and I recommend it highly for bluegrass lovers and musicians alike.

Very instrumental.......2002-06-05

I like the jams on this, there is a lot of clearly a lot of talent here. Check out track 7 if you can find a sample. Good chord progression, tension build, melody, its just excellent, simple bluegrass.

Music Album:

Music Album