Dawg Duos

As its catalog number indicates, Dawg Duos marks the 38th release of the 1990s by David Grisman's landmark independent label, Acoustic Disc. Beginning with his inaugural Acoustic Disc release, Dawg '90 in 1990, Grisman has spent the decade blurring genre boundaries, creating innovative and original music, and celebrating the work of masters of bluegrass, old-time, jazz, and a variety of ethnic styles. It seems fitting, then, that his final album of the decade would traverse so many different styles, utilize so many diverse stellar musicians, and create so many distinct moods. As he moves from classical-tinged pieces to straight-ahead bluegrass to jazz, old-time, Hawaiian, raga, or Italian, Grisman remains comfortable, tasteful, and inventive. Never one to do the expected, he has once again crafted an ambitious album to keep acoustic-music fans on their toes. --Marc Greilsamer