The Bluegrass Alliance's The Pioneers and Legends of Bluegrass, released on Man-Do-Lin Records (0410)—Ronnie Reno's production imprint—documents the celebrated 1970–71 lineup of the Kentucky-based ensemble. Tony Rice plays guitar; Sam Bush, mandolin; Buddy Spurlock, banjo; Lonnie Peerce, fiddle; and Ebo Walker, upright bass. This Alliance configuration was among the first to codify what would become known as progressive or newgrass bluegrass: Rice's jazz-inflected flatpicking and Bush's rhythmically aggressive mandolin pushing the genre's technical boundaries while remaining grounded in traditional repertoire. The release is likely a compilation or archival document of early recordings from this defining lineup, making it a primary source for the first generation of the newgrass movement.
Tracklist
- 1 Muleskinner Blues alt version 4:23
- 2 Paradise alt version 3:15
- 3 Tis Sweet to be Remembered 1:31
- 4 I’ll Stay Around alt version 3:21
- 5 Flattland Toursitor 1:44
- 6 Matterhorn alt version 2:20
- 7 That Silver Haired Daddy of Mine 1:33
- 8 New Jerusalem Way 1:42
- 9 Cotton Mill Man 2:44
- 10 Rawhide alt version 2:31
- 11 I'm Using My Bible for a Road Map 1:09
- 12 How Can You Refuse Him Now 1:55
- 13 Five Hundred Miles alt version 3:29
- 14 All I Have to Offer You is Me 2:47
- 15 Are You Washed in the Blood alt version 2:42
