Old Ties

With a spot on the O Brother soundtrack and Down from the Mountain tour, singer and multi-instrumentalist Norman Blake was introduced to a host of roots music fans for the first time. Yet anyone with even a passing interest in old-time and bluegrass music surely knew of Blake 30 years prior to the turn-of-the-century bluegrass boom. In addition to his many fine solo recordings, Blake has played with names like Dylan, Cash, and Kristofferson. He also appeared on 1972's Will the Circle Be Unbroken, the O Brother of its day. This 19-track compilation cherry picks from his Rounder and Flying Fish albums dating back to 1972 and offers a mix of traditional songs and originals, instrumentals (both delicate and hot-picked), and vocals, solos, duos, trios, and quartets. As such it showcases the full range of Blake's talents: an uncanny blend of blistering speed, unerring taste, and rhythmic precision on guitar, an endearing, understated singing style, and a deep appreciation for beautiful melodies. --Marc Greilsamer