Michael Cleveland – Let Er Go, Boys!

From a stylistic point of view, young fiddler Michael Cleveland belongs to his peer groups conservative camp; as he did on his award-winning Rounder debut, Flamekeeper, the three-time IBMA Fiddle Player of the Year keeps it between the strictly bluegrass lines. Still, his youth can be heard in the zestful energy he brings to a collection heavy on traditional numbers. Though he can be sweet and lyrical, Cleveland is more likely to spray notes with enthusiastic abandon, recalling the almost anarchic exuberance of a young Benny Martin. Backed by an accomplished crew that includes his longtime picking buddies (and occasional bandmates) Audie Blaylock on guitar and Jesse Brock on mandolin, Cleveland knocks them out of the park one by one, and even when hes supporting guest vocalists Dan Tyminski, Vince Gill and Jeff White, theres never any doubt as to whose album, or what kind of music, or how essential, this is.