The Bluegrass Album Band
Band · Active 1980–2013
Classic Bluegrass
Contemporary Bluegrass
The Bluegrass Album Band was a hand-picked supergroup assembled by Tony Rice and J.D. Crowe in 1980 to revisit classic bluegrass repertoire at the highest possible level of musicianship. What began as a single-session project for Rounder Records turned into six albums recorded over sixteen years — widely considered a high-water mark of 1980s bluegrass and a definitive treatment of the traditional songbook.
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- Formed in 1980 by guitarist Tony Rice and banjoist J.D. Crowe, both veterans of the legendary J.D. Crowe and the New South (Rounder 0044, 1975).
- Original five-piece lineup: Tony Rice (guitar, lead vocals), J.D. Crowe (banjo, baritone vocals), Doyle Lawson (mandolin, tenor vocals), Bobby Hicks (fiddle), and Todd Phillips (bass).
- Jerry Douglas joined on Dobro starting with Bluegrass Album, Vol. 2 (1982), becoming a permanent member for the remaining volumes.
- Conceived as a vehicle for revisiting classic bluegrass material — songs by Bill Monroe, Flatt and Scruggs, the Stanley Brothers, and others — that was largely out of print during the early CD era.
- Released six volumes on Rounder Records: The Bluegrass Album (1981), Vol. 2 (1982), Vol. 3: California Connection (1983), Vol. 4 (1984), Vol. 5: Sweet Sunny South (1989), and Vol. 6: Bluegrass Instrumentals (1996).
- Crowe reportedly told Rice during playback of the first album: "This is too good. We can't let this go at one album. We need to do more than one."
- Named IBMA Instrumental Group of the Year in 1990; Vol. 6 won IBMA Instrumental Album of the Year in 1997.
- Reunited for a final show at Bluegrass First Class in Asheville, North Carolina, on February 16, 2013 — Tony Rice's health had declined significantly by then, and it proved to be the band's last performance.
- The recordings have remained continuously in print and are widely regarded as essential listening for any student of bluegrass instrumentation, harmony, and ensemble playing.
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The Bluegrass Album Vol. 6: Bluegrass Instrumentals1996 · Rounder C 0330
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The Bluegrass Album, Vol. 5: Sweet Sunny South1989 · Rounder 0240
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The Bluegrass Album, Vol. 41984 · Rounder 0210
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The Bluegrass Album, Vol. 3: California Connection1983 · Rounder 0180
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The Bluegrass Album, Vol. 21982 · Rounder 0164
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The Bluegrass Album1981 · Rounder 0140
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Doyle LawsonPlayed on recordings with The Bluegrass Album Band
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J.D. CrowePlayed on recordings with The Bluegrass Album Band
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Tony RicePlayed on recordings with The Bluegrass Album Band
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Bobby HicksPlayed on recordings with The Bluegrass Album Band
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Todd PhillipsPlayed on recordings with The Bluegrass Album Band
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Jerry DouglasPlayed on recordings with The Bluegrass Album Band
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Vassar ClementsPlayed on recordings with The Bluegrass Album Band
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Mark SchatzPlayed on recordings with The Bluegrass Album Band
