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"On first hearing, it sounds like the boys were sitting around picking and the mikes happened to be on. Casual? Maybe, maybe not. On the second spin you hear David slithering down the guitar with Mike nailing exact rhythmic unison. Other examples of this sort of off-handed intricacy abound." --from Tony Trischka's liner notes in the Rounder release of Mike Compton and David Grier's "Climbing the Walls" From ACOUSTIC GUITAR'S TENTH ANNIVERSARY SPECIAL ARTISTS OF THE DECADE David Grier Flatpicking Phenom In the 1980s, young bluegrass guitarists seemed content to follow the lead of the players who initiated the great flatpicking scare of the early ’70s: Tony Rice, Doc Watson, Dan Crary, Clarence White. When David Grier’s debut album, Freewheeling, appeared in 1988, it immediately captured the attention of the bluegrass community with its daring combination of chops, imagination, and tradition. Grier’s impeccable bluegrass credentials, as the son of former Blue Grass Boy Lamar Grier, give him a solid base from which to launch his fleet and fluid solos. Originally inspired by the innovations of White and Rice, Grier has created his own virtuosic style full of quirky rhythmic and harmonic ideas colored by his mischievous sense of humor. Grier’s four solo CDs, capped by one of his best, 1998’s Hootenanny, inspired and challenged flatpickers throughout the decade and showed that, by looking forward and backward at the same time, it is possible to create a wholly original style within a traditional genre. Grier is a restless musician, never satisfied with one musical format or style... He’s best heard in smaller duet or trio situations that give him plenty of room to soar and experiment.... Grier’s style is too personal (and technically difficult) to inspire a string of copycats, but he’s given a much needed kick in the pants to the flatpicking world, firmly launching it into the next century. - Scott Nygaard Known as one of the foremost mandolin players on today's traditional acoustic music scene, Grammy winner, Mike Compton is perhaps best known as the featured mandolin player on the "Oh, Brother Where Art Thou" movie and soundtrack. He also performed on the "Down From The Mountain" Tour, as well as the Cold Mountain Tour. He has collaborated with such diverse notables as John Hartford, David Grier, Ralph Stanley, Sting, and Elvis Costello. Mike currently plays mandolin with the Nashville Bluegrass Band and was nominated for the 2005 and 2006 IBMA Mandolin Player Of The Year. • return to top |
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