Craft Recordings announces the first-ever vinyl reissue of Backwaters—the acclaimed 1982 album from innovative bluegrass outfit The Tony Rice Unit. Spanning an array of musical styles (dubbed “spacegrass”), Backwaters blends original material (“Backwaters,” “Just Some Bar in the French Quarters”) with acclaimed classics, including “My Favourite Things” and “On Green Dolphin Street.” Arriving September 12th, the LP is pressed at Fidelity Record Pressing with lacquers cut from the original tapes (AAA) by Kevin Gray at Cohearent Audio. This reissue marks the first time the original analog tapes have been used in the cutting process, as the original pressing was digitally mastered. Fans can also find the album on standard and hi-res digital platforms on June 27. Click here to pre-order and stream the album.
One of the most revered names in bluegrass, Tony Rice (1951–2020) was instrumental in shaping the genre during his lengthy career, while his distinctive touch on the guitar influenced countless others. Born in Virginia and raised in Los Angeles, CA, Rice launched his career in Louisville, KY, where he became the lead vocalist and guitarist of J.D. Crowe’s legendary group The New South. In the mid-’70s, not long after the release of their self-titled bestseller (featuring fellow bluegrass icons Jerry Douglas and Ricky Skaggs), Rice returned to California to join David Grisman’s esteemed quintet.
During his time with the celebrated mandolinist, Rice broadened his musical palate, incorporating jazz, classical and other styles into his repertoire while honing his guitar technique. Those explorations informed his projects at the turn of the ’80s—particularly those with his group, The Tony Rice Unit. Coining the term “spacegrass” for their experimental work during this period, the group blended extended improvisations with elements of jazz, plus dashes of classical and even prog-rock—all on acoustic instrumentation (a style broadly referred to as “new acoustic”). 1982’s Backwaters is among their most famous albums from this era—and a pioneering title in the new acoustic canon.
Backwaters finds Rice joined by a stellar line-up of bluegrass musicians, including his brother Wyatt Rice (rhythm guitar), John Reischman (mandolin), Todd Phillips (bass), plus Fred Carpenter and Richard Greene on violin. Rice’s world-class acoustic guitar picking skills are on display throughout, as he leads his group through originals like the upbeat “Backwaters,” the languid “Just Some Bar in the French Quarters” and the Latin-flavored “Mobius Mambo.” The band also showcases their versatility through a selection of jazz standards, including Dave Grusin’s “A Child Is Born,” Rodgers & Hammerstein’s “My Favourite Things” (in the up-tempo style of Coltrane) and Bronislaw Kaper’s “On Green Dolphin Street.”
While Rice’s work would shift to more traditional-sounding folk and bluegrass music in the years following Backwaters, the album has long been considered a masterpiece in his prolific catalog of work. Today, it remains a sought-after fan favorite. In a retrospective review, AllMusic declared, “This is excellent music, impeccably played by a group of guys who are all virtuosos on their respective instruments…. Every note sounds right, and each member of the ensemble plays with exceptional taste and class.”
Rice, meanwhile, remained a force in bluegrass for the next three decades, releasing more than a dozen albums under his own name and more than two dozen collaborative titles, including those with The Rice Brothers, Norman Blake and The Bluegrass Album Band—a supergroup, which he founded alongside J.D. Crowe. Hailed by Ricky Skaggs as “The single most influential acoustic guitar player in the last 50 years,” Rice was also a sought-after session musician who appeared on recordings by Mary Chapin Carpenter, Béla Fleck and Emmylou Harris, to name a few. A GRAMMY® Award-winner and multiple IBMA recipient, Rice delivered his final public performance in 2013, during his induction into the International Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame.
Click here to pre-order and stream Backwaters.
Tracklist (LP):
Side A:
1. Common Ground
2. Just Some Bar In The French Quarters
3. Backwaters
Side B:
1. My Favourite Things
2. A Child Is Born
3. On Green Dolphin Street
4. Mobius Mambo
Tracklist (Digital):
1. Common Ground
2. Just Some Bar In The French Quarters
3. Backwaters
4. My Favourite Things
5. A Child Is Born
6. On Green Dolphin Street
7. Mobius Mambo
