The Doug Dillard Expedition

This recording, from 1970, shows Bluegrass music at its absolute best. Four young musicians, all loving the music that they make, playing for an audience that really appreciates what they are doing.

At the time of this recording, banjo & fiddle player Doug Dillard had just split from touring and recording with The Byrds Gene Clark and from his band formed with his brother Rodney – The Dillards. The lineup of this outfit included Byron Berline on fiddle, Roger Bush on bass & vocals and Billy Ray Lathum on guitar, banjo & vocals. Bush & Lathum come from Bluegrass royalty and Dillard had been steeped in the music since a very young age (at 15 he met and had lessons from Earl Scruggs and was also a founding member of the Ozark Mountain Boys).

The album contains nearly 20 beautiful vignettes of Bluegrass music. All perfect to dance to but also good for detailed listening. There are a few classic tunes – ‘Cumberland Gap’, ‘Take A Whiff On Me’, ‘Durhams Reel’, ‘Dixie Breakdown’ – and a number of originals but the standard of playing is remarkable throughout and the audience reaction to the band is excellent.

Bluegrass is an acquired taste but when the playing is this good, it brings a smile and a lift to the soul of the listener.