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Album Release Date: March 4, 2022

CD’s Mailed March 7, 2022

“Rare & Fine” is a project of instrumental music written but never commercially recorded or release by the late great Bill Monroe, and the music showcases his love of fiddle music. The cast of musicians includes some of the greatest contemporary performers of the bluegrass genre, including Michael Cleveland, Shad Cobb, Laura Orshaw, Russ Carson, Jeremy Stephens, Mike Bub, and myself.

This "Rare & Fine" project started percolating in my mind after Mr. Monroe's death in 1996-when it uncomfortably started to sink in that there would be no more new tunes from him. The music in the "Rare & Fine" project comes from material spanning most of Monroe's career. Some of it has been recorded on a couple of projects by acquaintances and some on projects that were never released to the public...and some have not been recorded ever before (the 'lost tapes' that have been floating around for decades.) It was important for me to have these tunes recorded to celebrate that sound from these 'lost tapes', to both honor Monroe, and so that these tunes would not be lost forever.

Recorded at Cowboy Jack Clements Studio and Produced by Mark Howard.

1. The Old Stagecoach (2:35)

2. Trail of Tears (4:20)

3. Reelfoot Reel (2:52)

4. California Forest Fire (2:57)

5. Galley Nipper (2:41)

6. Orange Blossom Breakdown (2:29)

7. Bill’s Blues (3:58)

8. Mississippi River Blues (4:03)

9. Let’s Get Close Together Blues (2:36)

10. Big Spring (4:20)

11. Nanook of the North (3:01)

12. Up in the Front & Out in the Back (2:44)

13. Jemison Breakdown (3:30)