Surrounding himself with top-notch musicians and with excellent tunes, the influential and highly respected Emerson demonstrates his immaculate taste and consummate technical ability on the 5-string banjo on this neat all instrumental recording.  Tony Rice’s guitar work and Jerry Douglas’ dobro are particularly outstanding and get plenty of play without stealing the show.  Rice—who takes lovely breaks on just about every tune—referred to this record as “magic” in his recent biography “Still Inside”.  Jimmy Gaudreau (mandolin),  Jim Buchanan (fiddle), and Mark Schatz (bass) also contribute nicely to a well-textured, full bodied sound.  Happily, Emerson has included solid new recordings of his standout older pieces that have become standards over the years, SWEET DIXIE and THEME TIME.  The other 8 tunes are all Emerson originals and good vehicles for his straight, driving Scruggs-style.  A brilliant record.