John Reischman & The Jaybirds

Perhaps the title of this record is meant to evoke the field recordings of Mike Seegar and others. And by the sounds of these songs, it's a sure bet Reischman and the Jaybirds have grown up listening to a few of those field recordings. Field Guide is a record that will be easy to embrace for bluegrass lovers. There are modal mountain jams with lightening fast banjo runs courtesy of Seattle virtuoso Nick Hornbuckle ("Lonesome Dove") and soft fiddle-backed ballads sung by bassist Trisha Gagnon ("She Could Have Loved Him,") complete with Reischman's own soaring mandolin trills. The Jaybirds are a powerhouse bluegrass band whether they are deliberately tearing through old favourites like A.P. Carter's "Darlin' Nellie" or originals such as "Over the Levee" and "Plum Tree." In the field of bluegrass, John Reischman & the Jaybirds are consummate guides.