Peter Rowan - Bluegrass Boy (1996)

Always a maverick in bluegrass circles, Rowan is an unassailable master of mandolin and guitar, and his high, wailing tenor has a rough, yodeling edge, owing much to old-time country singers like Jimmie Rodgers. Rowan's restlessness pulled him from bluegrass into rock & roll in the '60s and then to participate in the landmark Old and in the Way, as well as other progressive bluegrass outfits. This recent effort is a return to form and roots, a tribute to his early mentor Bill Monroe: It's his most consistent solo effort, a moment when his energy, commitment to original material, and arrangements--supported by leading lights Laurie Lewis, Del McCoury, and Richard Greene--all come together.