Any bluegrass fans?

Emmylou Harris: "Roses In The Snow", from 1980, all acoustic, incl. Ricky Skaggs, Tony Rice, Albert Lee, Brian Ahern, Emory Gordy, Jr., Jerry Douglas, Willie Nelson, Dolly Parton, Linda Ronstadt, etc. Awesome backup vocals on "Jordan" by Johnny Cash. (Warner Bros. 3422-2.)

Also fun is the recent DVD "Down From The Mountain" concert from The Ryman Theater. Includes backstage rehearsals and chatter along w/ great performances. Excellent sound quality.

Not only do I only listen to gospel bluegrass, but I go to the festivals. One near my home, check it out at Gettysburgbluegrass.com. Some of these groups you have mentioned have been there. Great concerts, highly recommend Blue Highway, Rhonda Vincent, Ricky Scaggs. You jazz lovers try this cd, Irl Hees, I'm just a bass player. A must have if you like the string bass. Heard him in person, awesome! I owe my love to this bluegrass to little Roy Lewis who is up in age now. What great showmanship on stage when playing the banjo. If you want a great vacation come to PA at Gettysburg in Aug when the festival is on. I could stay on here for hours for this is my love. This music is played from the soul. Why it got it's roots from gospel music in the mountains. Country rocks, but BLUEGRASS RULES!

For classic bluegrass, find any Bill Monroe and the Bluegrass Boys when he had Flatt and Scruggs. That's when the bluegrass sound really gelled. And was before studios started adding a lot of reverb (mostly a 50 and 60's trend).

Some old favorites include :

Flatt and Scruggs - The Complete Mercury Sessions
Bill Monroe and the BBG - Live Recordings 1956-1969 Vol 1
The Stanley Brothers - The Complete Mercury Recordings
(The classic for the gentler "duet" sound)
Any live bluegrass releases from the Newport Folk Festival on Vanguard

Some newer ones with the traditional sound :

Ricky Skaggs - Bluegrass Rules ! (Highly recommended)
Dolly Parton - The Grass is Greener (Her best BG release)
Patty Loveless - Mountain Soul
Anything by Del McCoury

Some favorites that stretch the boundaries a bit :

Any live Kentucky Colonels
Seldom Scene - Live at the Cellar Door
Tony Rice - Manzanita

One that's gotten well reviewed for sound quality is the recent live one by Hot Rize called "So Long of a Journey".

Wow! Looks like there is a lot of interest. Now I don't want to start a flame war but IMHO some of the acts mentioned aren't really bluegrass (for example, the Kaukonen disc). I have it, and while it is good music to me it just doesn't have that hard-driving bluegrass sound.

I have the 4-disk MCA Bill Monroe box set. It is a great collection, and the included book is first-rate.

I think I should mention some older recordings:

JD Crowe & the New South "JD Crow & the New South" (a lot of people consider this to be the best bluegrass album ever)

The Johnson Mountain Boys "Live at the old Schoolhouse"

The Country Gentleman "Calling my Children Home" (one of the first all-gospel bluegrass albums)

Speaking of live shows I am going to see Ralph Stanley perform tonight! I can't wait!

the dillards-tribute to an american duck/roots and branches bgo cd twofer...they are the beatles of bluegrass.