The Complete Vanguard Recordings

Amazon.com So many great musicians have played in the Country Gentlemen over the years, the ensemble sometimes seems more like a bluegrass finishing school than a band. On The Complete Vanguard Recordings, which includes two LPs recorded in the early 1970s, the young up-and-comers in that edition of the band included , , and . Charlie Waller, the band's sole founding member, turned the Country Gentlemen into one of the most progressive bands in bluegrass by recruiting hot young talent and making canny song selections from the worlds of pop and country. At first glance compositions by people such as , , , and may seem like poor fodder for bluegrass, but Waller and his cohorts proved that, with the application of some high-lonesome harmonies, a dash of banjo, and some front-porch fiddling, even the most urban songs can have a down-home country feel. --Michael Simmons