Todd Phillips (upright bass), David Grier (guitar) and Matt Flinner (mandolin) are not names that will immediately spark interest outside of the immediate bluegrass-fan arena. This is extremely unfortunate. Heads begin to turn when citing the credentials of the individuals - Grammy awards, national championships and magazine awards in particular. Each of the trio is considered one of the best in his field. Add to this the comparisons to Dave Grisman, Bill Monroe, and Bela Fleck, and interest continues to rise.
Although the trend toward old-time music sparked by "O Brother" is still kicking, there is comfort in knowing that each man in the trio is a veteran rather than a genre-jumper. This is not a fad for them, and this is evident in the music. No attempt is made to pander to trends and create the next Soggy-Bottom-sensation.
Each instrumentalist shines throughout. Interplay between mandolin and guitar with the constant underpinning of tasteful and appropriate bass is the theme. This is another refreshing fact - each player performs above expectations without attempting to steal the show and prove technical superiority at the expense of being a member of a trio. Restraint in an instrumental performance with an ensemble is often as important as instrumental expertise.
If there is a weakness, it would be the moments when the group strays a bit far from the traditional bluegrass and blues-infused bluegrass that makes the recording so enjoyable. This happens primarily in mid-album during "Afro Blue" and "Search For Peace" - nice pieces, but not as strong as others. However, just following these tracks we are returned to form in "Dixie Hoedown" and all is well again.
This is an album to relax to, to be savored, to sit on the front porch and drink lemonade to. It is the type of music that inspires people to take mandolin lessons - not to be a star, but just because it sounds like so much fun.
4 tocks
Other coverage for this album
The Phantom Tollbooth 2002Reviewed by Alex KlagesWhile listening to this album, it hit me that this isn't a typical bluegrass album. True, it is a trio of bass, acoustic guitar, and mandolin, well within the usual range of the genre. Yet, this album seems to owe as much to rock music as it does the bluegrass genre, both in song selection and in overall song stylings. A case in point is the opening track, "Tennessee Blues," written by bluegrass…Similar sounding releases
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