Though America was released in 1971 as a single LP, finger-style guitarist John Fahey conceived it as a double album. This CD finally allows Fahey's full vision to be heard (an additional nine tracks are included here for the first time). It's a true treat for Fahey lovers. The title track features the guitarist on the 12-string guitar, sounding more resonant than ever on the seven-minute composition. "Dvorak" is based on the composer's Eighth Symphony, which Fahey tackles in fine fashion. Fahey also performs a methodical rendition of "Amazing Grace" as well as covers of Sam McGee and Skip James tunes. But Fahey's original tunes-the soul-stirring, 15-minute-long "Mark 1:15", the playfully weird "The Waltz That Carried Us Away. ", and the gorgeous melody of "Song #3"-are obvious highlights. [+]

Earl Scruggs is widely credited for widening the appeal of the banjo to non-country audiences, and his virtuosity has attracted legions of celebrity admirers, several of whom appear on Earl Scruggs and Friends. Scruggs-a former member of Bill Monroe's Blue Grass Boys-was one of the creators of the classic bluegrass sound, but his career has been marked by his willingness to break beyond tradition. On Earl Scruggs and Friends, the five-string banjo player teams up with a number of artists and songwriters from pop and country, with mixed results. Though Scruggs' playing is never less than flawless, the restrained personality of his banjo picking sometimes gets swamped by the megastar personalities of singers like Elton John, Melissa Etheridge and Sting, where he's relegated to little more than session musician (albeit an excellent one). Country and bluegrass is his first love, and it's when he performs with other country and roots artists that his skills truly shine. Dwight Yoakam yodels and yelps his way through "Borrowed Love" (which was written specifically for this collection), John Fogerty lends his distinctive voice to the country standard "Blue Ridge Mountain Blues" and Don Henley and Johnny Cash perform an atmospheric "Passin' Thru". The two instrumentals, meanwhile, provide the perfect showcase for Scruggs phenomenal talent, especially on "Foggy Mountain Breakdown", where an all-star line-up that includes Vince Gill, Marty Stuart, Albert Lee and comedian Steve Martin perform this banjo standard at breakneck speed. -Robert Burrow.

What's left for Bela Fleck? Bluegrass, rock, jazz, classical, rock, folk-he's explored them all. After an epic, Grammy-winning live album, Fleck returns to the studio for a surprisingly subtle, intricate suite of instrumentals-and a number of vocal tracks-combining his usual daring on banjo with mandolin, synths, and theremin. The record is a dreamy soundtrack of reggae, pop, world beat, and techno, merging into an ambient-vibe-spin-club-funk-jazz (such a cumbersome label for his agile music). The most satisfying moments come with the most lovely melodies-as on the lilting "Big Country"-when Fleck's traditional soul rises with a clear voice through the virtuosity and studio wizardry. -Roy Francis Kasten.

You know this winter "reunion" is going to be a good one when Hawaiian slack-key guitar great Keola Beamer opens it with a stunning original, "Keiki's Dream. " Reassembling the artists who defined the Windham Hill sound, Reunion features pianist Liz Story arranging the Spanish traditional "Babe Is Born" for solo piano, Windham vet Alex DeGrassi bringing his graceful acoustic guitar work to bear on "It Came Upon a Midnight Clear," and capo William Ackermann rolling out his trademark steel-string arpeggios on a pensive, minor-key original, "Impending Death of the Virgin Spirit. " The man who put Windham Hill on the map, pianist George Winston, contributes a lovely reading of Alfred Burt's "What Are the Signs," and fretless bass wonder Michael Manring tickles the ivories as well as bass on a circumspect "Year's End. " More about the symbolism of the winter season than the joy of Christmas, Reunion is classic Windham Hill, meditative and a bit melancholy. Also features Mike Marshall, Ben Verdery, Paul McCandless, and others. -James Rotondi.