The musical pairing of Buzz Matheson and Mac Martin is a vibrant echo from a rapidly fading past.

Martin has been playing rhythm guitar since the 1940s and has led the Dixie Travelers for many years. His musical accomplice, Buzz Matheson -- a master banjo player -- lends his talented hands to the mandolin, with his wife Pat a steady custodian of the double bass.

The songs are in close company with the bluegrass stylings of Bill Monroe and the vocal harmonies of the Louvins. These recordings overstep slick commercial production and achieve a warm and simple ambience, in keeping with such a refreshing and timeless set of tunes, and are highly recommended to any lover of older country, gospel or bluegrass. Also for fans of Ralph Stanley, the Louvins or anyone keen to hear music that enriches the soul and reminds us that beautiful and genuine art forms still get beyond gestation despite the commercial imperatives of the music business.

This articulate recording of prodigious virtuosity exposes the gulf between commodity and art and surely recalls a past when music was made purely for enjoyment, enrichment and the shared experience of our humanity.