Magic Dave’s Snappy Album Reviews David Grisman: Hot Dawg

Ladies and Gentlemen, Brothers and Sisters, step up and listen to this masterful tapestry of sound like nothing you've never heard before. Though recorded over twenty years ago, this beast still breaks the ground that it broke before- and it will break through your prejudice and your stagnation. Be warned. Go to your record store or to your computer, order up Hot Dawg and open the door to sounds of bluegrass and sounds of jazz entwined together into the finest cloth, sewn together with the finest tailoring, and given to us mortals as the finest garment ever to be heard by human eyes.

On the left is a cut that will take you across the ocean to France to Django and Stephan and to that exotic swing jazz guided by the violin of the man himself- Stephan Grapelli. Above that is the masterful and sweet 3/4 swing "Devlin,'" written by the flat pickin' monster Tony Rice known so well by bluegrassers everywhere for his flash and speed. And see another side of this man you thought you knew- this time on the right you will see the flitting "Neon Tetra," darting from time change to daring drastic time change and back again.

All this dear friends and the majestic, the singular hands and heart of the alchemist Dawg who binds this jewel as a whole while pushing ever outward the definitions and artifice that seek to hold a genre. This is David Grisman, showing you just what can be done with mandolin, guitar, bass and violin. Listen, good people, and be forever changed.

--Magic Dave

Note from the Editorial Staff: Magic Dave is one of our new and occasional contributors. His turn-ons include good music like the album reviewed above, spicy food, breakfast patties, and tasty, yet inexpensive beer. His turn-offs include windshield wipers that don’t work, frowns, and being kidnapped and sold into homo-erotic bondage in a Cambodian S&M whorehouse. Also, Godzilla can’t get enough of "16/16" on David Grisman’s fine album Hot Dawg.