Live at the Linda (Dreadnought, 2007)

David Grier is recognized as a premier acoustic guitarist. He is sometimes heard within, or at least flirts with the bluegrass genre, but his music is usually skew on a broader scale. This recording was done live in an intimate setting (The Linda, WAMC's studio in Albany, N.Y. in September 2006) with less than a hundred guests. They were in close proximity to Grief, and part of the charm is listening to his patter as he interacts with the audience. He's relaxed and funny ("This is my first gig playing without the chicken wire up front.") and in complete control of his environment. There are no other musicians there, and he needs no one in support to make this an excellent example of acoustic guitar work.

From a reflective "High Atop Princess Cove" to his unique arrangement of "Red Haired Boy," the familiar "Bonaparte's Retreat" to a nod to Bill Monroe "Crossing the Cumberlands/Old Ebeneezer Scrooge," Grier aptly illustrates why he is held in such high regard. His playing is superb. His stories are funny.