Bluegrass Etc - "Classics"

I first heard these guys at the Julian Bluegrass festival back in 2003. It's a trio, with John Moore, on guitar and mandolin, Bill Bryson on bass, and Dennis Caplinger on everything else, though he primarily plays banjo and fiddle. Though all originally from California, I think Dennis is the only one who still lives here, where he runs a recording studio and does a lot of work for television as well as backing for other musicians. John now runs a horse ranch in Arizona or Texas, and looks like it. He also tuaght Chris Thile, of Nickel Creek fame to play mandolin, and if you've ever really listened to Chris Thile play you'll have some idea as to the talent of the man who taught him how to do it. John Moore is straight up amazing. Fast, clean, inventive, and a flair for improvisational playing and humor, he makes the band what it is. The other two aren't slouches either. Bill is terrific bass player, singer and songwriter, and Dennis can play nearly any stringed instrument like he was born to do it. These guys are straight up amazing. Unfortunately, since west coast bluegrass is no way to make a living, these guy do it as a hobby and thus they don't play together all too often, and have only a couple of recordings. "Classics" is simply them doing arrangements of popular classic bluegrass tunes. Bluegrass fans will likely know every song on the album, but will likely have rarely heard them played this well. The album is available from Tricopolis Records . I did manage to find one mp3 sample from the album if you scroll down here, or you can find a few clips on youtube. I was at the festival where they're playing in the first clip, Summergrass in San Diego.