Aubrey Haynie - The Bluegrass Fiddle Album

Still only in his twenties, Aubrey Haynie has become the top call session fiddle player in Nashville. This album, his third solo release, is an unabashed celebration of the art of mountain fiddling. Backed by Alison Krauss bassist Barry Bales, banjoist David Talbot and acoustic music heavyweights Tony Rice and Sam Bush on guitar and mandolin, Haynie presents an easygoing set of originals, traditionals and tunes by legendary Bill Monroe bow-wielder Kenny Baker. The thing that makes Haynie stand out in a crowded field is his devotion to the melody; his soulful bowing backs away from the grandstanding that often accompanies this kind of showcase in favor of clean, lyrical lines that never let you forget that you're listening to songs, not set-ups. The back-up players match his relaxed performances, particularly Bush, who shines here. Cuts like April's Reel, Bluegrass In The Backwoods and Buckner's Breakdown quicken the pulse while ballads like McHattie's Waltz and Make a Little Boat celebrate dreamier moods.