AotM: "Country Songs, Old and New"

I was getting pretty burnt out on Punk a little while back, so I turned to folk music, which naturally lead me directly into a blue grass fling.  In the midst of that kick I found a group called The Country Gentlemen who got together in the mid 50's, a decade or so before the folk revival was a popular thing.  Their 1960 album "Country Songs, Old and New" is exactly what I would ever hope for from a blue grass album, and is, in my limited experience, the best blue grass I have ever listened to.
The group plays a great mix of toe tapping blue grass songs.  It starts of with the upbeat "Roving Gambler," a traditional blue grass tune.  The rest of the album has a few other standards but is mostly original songs.  Charlie Waller is the groups leader (on this album and throughout their career), and plays guitar.  The whole group does vocals, and they sing in beautiful tight harmonies that melt the heart and are enough to make me miss a time and place I have never been.  Banjo and bass contribute wonderfully to the sound while my favorite is consistently the dynamic mandolin playing by John Duffey, who brings a wide range of influence to his style.  The Country Gentlemen lineup went through lots of changes in their history, but this group laid the groundwork here on this first studio album.  It is traditional in all the right places, but pushes boundaries in ways that keep the sound relevant. 
It's tough to pick favorites, as there isn't a weak track in the lot.  "Drifting too Far" is a lovely ballad with gorgeous harmonies, while "Tomorrow is my Wedding Day" is super fun and zips through at hyper speed.  And they're both just within the first 5 tracks.  The album is that strong from start to finish.
This is a beautiful piece of America, and it is one of my favorite albums right now.  Find it, sit on the porch with some sweet tea, and enjoy life.