A string band pilgrim who had already soldiered through bluegrass, folk, and rock, mandolinist David Grisman helped jump start a new chapter in instrumental music with the release of this 1977 album, carving out a jubilant acoustic style borrowing equally from Bill Monroe's bluegrass legacy and Django Reinhardt's '30s swing as immortalized by his Quintet of the Hot Club of France. Grisman's band, including violinist Darol Anger and multi-instrumentalist Mike Marshall, bring jaunty lyricism to a set that introduces this hybrid fully- formed. Grisman would continue to explore its boundaries with various lineups (including collaborations with the peerless Stephane Grappelli, violinist for the original Hot Club), but he would never improve on the music here. --Sam Sutherland