Tony Rice, Bluegrass & Acoustic Guitar, part II: 1991-2013 -Some historic concerts with the "most influential acoustic guitarist of the last 50 years"

According to Ricky Skaggs, Tony Rice (1951-2020) is the "most influential acoustic guitarist of the last 50 years". This playlist includes historic live videos from his participation in the Bluegrass Alliance" band in 1971, to Tony's induction into the Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame (2013), the last time he played guitar in public, due to the lateral epicondylitis that affected his ability to play in his later years. IIn September 1971, in addition to Tony and band founder Lonnie Peerce (fiddle, vocals), the Bluegrass Alliance included the future founders of the New Grass Revival: Sam Bush (mandolin, vocals), Courtney Johnson (banjo) and Ebo Walker (bass). This particular Bluegrass Alliance lineup never made any studio recordings, but many consider them to be at the origin of the emergence of "newgrass". After leaving BU, Tony joins his brother Larry and banjo player J.D. Crowe to form The New South. The first album, "Evolution", recorded in 1973, was not released until 1977. The same year, Tony recorded his first solo album, "Guitar", with these same musicians. The "New South" record (Rounder 0044), released in 1975, is the one that put the band on the map, then made up of: J.D. Crowe (banjo, baritone vocals), Tony Rice (guitar, lead vocals),Jerry Douglas (resophonic guitar), Ricky Skaggs (fiddle, mandolin, viola, tenor vocals), Bobby Slone (bass). It is this Linup that is presented here. In 1976, Tony recorded his second solo album, California Autum (Rebel SLP-1549), produced by John Starling, guitarist and singer of the Seldom Scene band. As a result, in addition to the members of The New South (and his brother Larry Rice), the backing band included Seldom Scene members Ben Eldridge on banjo, Mike Auldridge on resonator guitar, Tom Gray on bass and John Starling himself. After that, in 1976, Tony was one of the main sidemen on Rounder's Bill Keith and David Grisman albums (#069 & #084). He left New South and returned to California to join Grisman's band. The David Grisman Quintet's first album, released in 1977, is considered a landmark in acoustic string music, "Dawg". There's no live video of this period on YouTube, but Bill Keith came to Europe around summertime with David Grisman and a few Quintet members, including Tony Rice and Darol Anger. As Bill's agent and organizer of the Courville-sur-Eure festival, I recorded the performance on a Nagra, and I added 2 tracks to this list. A good (undated, may be around 1985-1990s) live video of "E.M.D." (from the 1977 album DGQ) has been added to this playlist from Marc O'Connor's channel, with David and Tony together (Rob Wasserman bass). Tony took part in DGQ's second album (Hot Dawg - 1979) and remained a member of the group until the end of the 1970s, while producing his own Bluegrass album on Rounder (#085) and setting up his own "acoustic" band (without banjo), with Todd Phillips on bass, and others guests musicians such as Sam Bush and Richard Greene. The period ended at the turn of the 1980s with a Duo album with Ricky Skaggs. In 1980, Tony Rice, J.D. Crowe, Bobby Hicks (fiddle), Doyle Lawson (mandolin) and Todd Phillips (bass) formed the Bluegrass Album Band and recorded 6 albums from 1980 to 1996.