Album Review - Various Artists - 100% Handmade Bluegrbutt

David Grisman's Acoustic Disc doesn't tend to flood the market with music. In fact, since its founding in 1990, the company has released a mere 49 albums. All of them have been carefully selected in order to present as diverse an array of styles as possible, all while staying within the scope of the label's ultimate mission: the preservation of acoustic music, musicians, and instruments. Despite its limited annual output, however, one could be forgiven for missing a few outings along the way. After all, some of its releases, at least on the surface, have been extraordinarily academic in nature, exploring the sounds of vintage instruments, for example, or delving into a particular style and examining it from all possible angles. Yet, even these scholarly projects prove to be delightful endeavors that seemingly gush with pbuttion, beauty, and grace, if only given the chance.

As a means for guiding the layperson in discovering the rich heritage of acoustic instrumentation, Grisman's label has also issued seven compilations, each of which culls material from its other outings. The latest of these is 100% Handmade Bluegrbutt, a 16-song endeavor that features tracks by Old & in the Gray, Old & in the Way, the David Grisman Quintet, and the inimitable Charles Sawtelle.

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