Live At The Cellar Door

The Seldom Scene followed in the “newgrass” tradition of the Country Gentlemen (of which mandolinist/singer John Duffey had been a founding member) but took it further, covering songs by Eric Clapton, Merle Haggard, and Bob Dylan in a style that combined bluegrass instrumentation with a willingness to stretch out and experiment. This live album finds the band’s classic configuration (with lead vocalist John Starling) at the peak of its powers, joking around onstage but playing with impressive virtuosity. There’s a predictably long version of their production number, “I Know You Rider,” but also lovely instrumentals like “Pickaway” and “Colorado Turnaround,” and the album’s emotional centerpiece is a wonderful version of Haggard’s moving “California Cottonfields.”