The fact that Sugar Hill chose to kick off this album with Nickel Creek's  top single "Smoothie Song,"is an indication that their definition of bluegrass covers a very broad spectrum of acoustic music. If Nickel Creek represents the contemporary, a song like "It's All My Fault" by Baucom, Bibey and BlueRidge remind us of a more traditional side to the music too. That is probably the greatest success of this project - a mere portrayal of what bluegrass has become with the help and support of top-notch labels like Sugar Hill.

The sixteen tracks on this sampler truly do present a varied all-star cast of phenomenal musicians, all of whom are pictured in the CD jacket's humorous computer-enhanced Sugar Hill team photo. The track feature the label's bluegrass artists such as Gibson Brothers, Jerry Douglas, Bryan Sutton, Tim O'Brien, Sam Bush, Seldom Scene, Tim O'Brien, Jim Mills, Byron Berline, Doyle Lawson, Don Rigby, Alan Bibey, Ronnie Bowman, Lonesome River Band, Bryan Sutton and others. The songs range from the record label's releases numbered #3785 (The Seldom Scene's 1990 release called "Scenic Roots") to #3965 (The Gibson Brothers' 2003 album "Bona Fide").

Created in conjunction with the acclaimed PBS 2003 special "All Star Bluegrass Celebration," this CD was assembled to introduce new potential bluegrass listeners to the music, as well as to give established fans a varied sampler of simply breath-taking tunes. The PBS special is set to air again in the spring of 2004 during a pledge drive. There have been many key elements that have helped define bluegrass within the last decade. One is Del McCoury's robust singing, and we can hear that here on "County Fool." Another is Alison Krauss' wispy vocal technique as heard on  "I Don't Believe You've Met My Baby." A big supporter of bluegrass music, Vince Gill, offers his guitar and vocals on "Rose of Old Kentucky," from Byron Berline's "Fiddle and a Song" album.

Other defining bluegrass moments are to hear Jim Mills pick his 5-string ("Bear Tracks"), Doyle Lawson and Quicksilver's quartet ("Blue Train"), Bryan Sutton's hot flatpicking ("Daley's Reel"), and Sam Bush's flashy mandolin ("Same Ol' River"). I was also happy to see the late Randy Howard's fine fiddling featured on "New Camptown Races." These, and other passages on Sugar Hill's bluegrass albums, have been distinguishing. They've help to raise the bar and set the standard for the best in bluegrass. You get the idea! Sugar Hill helps us celebrate bluegrass music in true style with these tracks that do a fantastic job capturing the allure and diversity of the genre. Larry Atamanuik's drums even find their way onto one track! While tastefully laid into the mix, I hope that's not a harbinger of things to commonly occur in bluegrass music. (Joe Ross)

BLUEGRASS ALL STARS - Sixteen Grand Slams from Sugar Hill Records
Sug-CD-3982
PO Box 55300 Durham, NC 27717-5300
www.sugarhillrecords.com

Playing Time - 50:40

Songs - 1. Smoothie Song - Nickel Creek, 2. The Open Road - The Gibson Brothers, 3. Country Fool - Alan Bibey, 4. I Don't Believe You've Met My Baby - Jerry Douglas, 5. I Am A Little Scholar - Don Rigsby, 6. Bear Tracks - Jim Mills, 7. It's All My Fault - Baucom, Bibey & BlueRidge, 8. Blue Train (Of The Heartbreak Line) - Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver, 9. Stone Cold Blues - Ronnie Bowman,10. Don't Worry 'Bout Daddy - Lonesome River Band, 11. Daley's Reel - Bryan Sutton, 12. Maggie's Farm - Tim O'Brien, 13. Highway Of Heartache - The Seldom Scene, 14. New Camptown Races - Randy Howard, 15. Same Ol' River - Sam Bush, 16. Rose Of Old Kentucky - Byron Berlin