The idea behind
Bluegrass
is as simple and self-explanatory as its title: the album finds
Willie Nelson
revisiting 12 songs from his vast songbook, delivering them with a bluegrass spin with help from mandolinist
Dan Tyminski
, bassist
Barry Bales
, banjoist
Ron Block
, fiddle player
Aubrey Haynie
, and dobroist
Rob Ickes
, among others. It's not a major shift for
Willie
. He's sung bluegrass songs and played with bluegrass instrumentation over the years; the main difference is that
is specifically dedicated to the genre. The new musicians keep
Nelson
on his toes throughout, allowing him to set aside his guitar and just sing, the first time he's done so since aquiring his famous six-string "Trigger" in 1969. The lively setting and empathetic harmonies help turn
into an enjoyable detour: nobody is stretching themselves, they're merely laying back and having a good time, and that's hard not to enjoy. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine