Jubilee (Signature Sounds, 1998)

Although this is Tom Rozum's first solo album, bluegrass fans should already be familiar with his work in Laurie Lewis' Grant Street Band. In 1996, he and Lewis recorded "The Oak And The Laurel," a duets album nominated for a Grammy.

This is a delightful collection of uptempo songs like "Don't Fix Up The Doghouse," and the moody yet beautiful tones of the title track, a Mark Simos song dedicated to his parent's 50th wedding anniversary. While Rozum is primarily a mandolin and guitar player, he possesses a more than adequate singing voice and has the good sense and connections to surround himself with players like Laurie Lewis on fiddle (who also co-produced with Rozum), David Grier on guitar, Rob Ickes on lap steel and dobro, and Darol Anger on fiddle.

The composers represented here cover a lot of stylistic ground, from Merle Haggard's "One Sweet Hello" to Bill Monroe's "On The Old Kentucky Shore" to Irving Berlin's "Without My Walking Stick." Rozum ably channels such disparate source material into a cohesive sound and a well rounded album.