Fantastic Pickin' On Series Bluegrass Sampler, Vol. 2 CD

This is an awfully tired genre that's gone from kitsch to cheese over the years, but listeners looking to get a feel for the flavor of bluegrass interpretations of pop music could do a lot worse than The Fantastic Pickin' on Series Bluegrass Sampler, Vol. 2. While instrumental versions of Counting Crows' "Mr. Jones," the White Stripes' "Seven Nation Army," and Coldplay's "Clocks" sound like Nashville elevator music, the high lonesome harmonies that fuel Iron Horse's rendition of Led Zeppelin's "Rock and Roll" and Cornbread Red's treatment of Green Day's "Boulevard of Broken Dreams" are pretty damn effective. ~ James Christopher Monger

Personnel: Dennis Clifton (vocals, guitar, slide guitar, dobro, background vocals); Larry Cordle (vocals, guitar, background vocals); Andrew Kinsey, Rani Arbo (vocals); Dennis "Cannonball" Caplinger (guitar, acoustic guitar, dobro, banjo, mandolin, fiddle, percussion); Dave Dick (guitar, banjo); Tim Crouch (guitar, mandolin, fiddle); Tom Corbett (guitar, mandolin); Booie Beach (guitar); Kim Gardner , Roger Williams His Piano and Orchestra, Randy Kohrs (dobro); David Talbot (banjo, background vocals); Richard Bailey, Scott Vestal, Ben Krakauer (banjo); Chris Hillman, Pete Frostic (mandolin); Jeneé Keener, Nate Leath (fiddle); Jim Hoke (harmonica, clarinet); Kurt Mason (harmonica, Jew's harp); Tom Ball (harmonica); Sharon Whyte (accordion, keyboards); Darrell Muller, Beau Bassman (upright bass); Mike Furkins (drums); Tom Roady (percussion); Kim Morrison, Terry Eldredge, Carol Chase (background vocals).

Unknown Contributor Role: Tim Crouch.