Craft Recordings is celebrating Bluegrass legend Tony Rice with a special vinyl reissue of his long-out-of-print classic, Church Street Blues. The 1983 album finds the Grammy Award-winning guitarist, singer, and songwriter interpreting an eclectic selection of modern and traditional Folk songs, including Norman Blake’s “Church Street Blues,” Tom Paxton’s “Last Thing on My Mind” and Bob Dylan’s “One More Night.”

Set for release on April 5, 2024, Church Street Blues has been cut from the original master tapes (AAA) by Kevin Gray at Cohearent Audio and pressed on 180-gram vinyl at RTI. A limited edition transparent red pressing will also be available exclusively via Vinyl Me, Please. Additionally, the album will make its debut in stunning HD digital audio.

Tony Rice (1951–2020) shaped the sound of the genre during his lengthy career, while his distinctive touch on the guitar influenced countless others. Born in Virginia and raised in Los Angeles, Rice launched his career in Louisville, KY, where he became the lead vocalist and guitarist of J.D. Crowe’s Bluegrass group, The New South. In the mid-’70s, not long after the release of their self-titled bestseller (featuring Jerry Douglas and Ricky Skaggs), Rice returned to California to join David Grisman’s quintet. Working alongside the mandolinist, Rice broadened his musical palate, exploring Jazz, Classical and other styles.

This prolific period also found Rice embarking on a variety of collaborative projects, including co-founding the supergroup Bluegrass Album Band alongside J.D. Crowe, Bobby Hicks, Todd Phillips and Doyle Lawson, and forming The Tony Rice Unit. Rice’s solo endeavors, meanwhile, often served as an outlet for the musician to record material outside of the bluegrass sphere.

1983’s Church Street Blues, which marked his fourth solo LP, found Rice interpreting some of his favorite Folk songs. Recorded in Berkeley, CA, the album featured the artist and his guitar, joined only by his brother, guitarist Wyatt Rice, on four of the 12 tracks.

Upon its release in 1983 (via Sugar Hill Records), Church Street Blues became an immediate fan-favorite, while today, it remains a classic title in Rice’s prolific discography.