On paper, bluegrass lineage is more thoroughly interwoven than even the most convoluted of family trees. Particular lineups of particular bands are venerated for arriving at singular, influential sounds, only to have the pickers within their ranks part ways and team up with others, or to start their own outfits. Roland White and Alan Munde each played important roles in the story of the West Coast country, rock and bluegrass scene of the ’70s, and together they spent over a dozen years with the crisp and progressive-minded band Country Gazette. Banjoist Munde joined up at a time when the band was sharing players with The Flying Burrito Brothers, and White came on board a few years later, switching from guitar to mandolin in the process. It’s been a few years since the former bandmates have had the chance to play together — they each front their own groups now — and it’s a safe bet that they’ll be reviving some selections from the Gazette repertoire.
— Jewly Hight