Friar Tut

Since Brother Oswald Kirby popularized the Dobro in his work with Roy Acuff, there have been a select few players to stand out on the instrument: Josh Graves, Mike Auldridge, Jerry Douglas, and Tut Taylor. Although Taylor often joined with more-progressive minds such as John Hartford, his passion is for the traditional, old-timey sounds of Brother Oswald. Recorded in 1971, Friar Tut focuses on the warmer, mellower tones of the Dobro, mostly in the context of duets with guitarist Norman Blake (another Hartford sideman). Exceptions include two mandolin trios (with Sam Bush rounding out the group) and a hot-picking tribute to Graves. Even though he uses a flat pick (rare for the instrument), Taylor coaxes a wonderfully soft and welcoming tone from the Dobro on this delightfully understated reissue. --Marc Greilsamer