The Excellent label, out of Cincinnati, Ohio, was one of a number of small regional labels that issued Country and Bluegrass music on 78rpm discs in the early 1950s (this label went on to later release 45s as well). The England based British Archive label has been doing a nice job in presenting this type of material for the die-hard collector, with their CDs usually containing anywhere from 25 to 30 tracks. The Excellent label featured more early Bluegrass music than most other companies, and while nothing here is spectacular, there are some interesting artists and songs. Most recognizable may be Dave Woolum, Taylor Porter, Charles Sidebottom and the funky instrumentalist Ray Lunsford and his electric mandolin. Woolum (who often paired with the fine early Scruggs style banjo picker Noah Craase) had a few records that actually sold fairly well --these included MAPLE ON THE HILL, ROLLING STONE and SINGLE GIRL. For those fascinated by the early days of Bluegrass, this CD should be of more interest than most in this series.
