In celebration of what would have been influential Bluegrass guitarist Tony Rice’s 75th birthday, Craft Recordings has announced the return of his 1977 self-titled album. The foundational recording captured a shift in Bluegrass toward an ensemble-driven sound.
Out of print for more than 40 years, Tony Rice features many Bluegrass legends, including David Grisman, J.D. Crowe, and Jerry Douglas, blending Bluegrass standards with contemporary compositions.
Cut from the original tapes with all-analog (AAA) mastering by Kevin Gray at Cohearent Audio, the album returns to vinyl on June 5, 2026, with packaging that replicates the original 1977 jacket design. The remastered album will also be available across digital platforms in standard and hi-res audio. Rice’s take on the traditional folk ballad “Banks of the Ohio” is available to stream and download now.
Tony Rice (1951–2020) was an innovative force who shaped the sound of the genre throughout his career, and who influenced countless others. Born in Virginia and raised in Los Angeles, Rice launched his career in Louisville, KY, where he rose to prominence as the lead vocalist and guitarist of J.D. Crowe’s group, The New South.
In the mid-’70s, not long after the release of their self-titled bestseller, Rice returned to California to join David Grisman’s quintet. With the celebrated mandolinist, he broadened his musical palette, incorporating Jazz, Classical, and other styles.
It was during this era that Rice released his self-titled third studio album. His first of many for Rounder Records, Tony Rice marked an early example of the new acoustic style, an improvisation-driven blend of Bluegrass, Jazz, Classical, and Prog-Rock on wholly acoustic instrumentation.
In the years following the self-titled album, Rice continued to explore the genre with his group The Tony Rice Unit on titles like Manzanita (1979) and Backwaters (1982), while as a soloist he recorded a variety of more traditional albums, including Church Street Blues (1983). Over the course of his four-decade career, Rice released more than a dozen albums under his own name and over two dozen collaborative titles.
A Grammy Award winner and multiple IBMA recipient, Rice delivered his final public performance in 2013, upon his induction into the International Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame.
Tony Rice Track Listing (Vinyl)
Side A:
1. Banks of the Ohio
2. Rattlesnake
3. Mr. Engineer
4. Plastic Banana
5. Don’t Give Your Heart to a Rambler
6. Farewell Blues
Side B:
1. Way Downtown
2. Stoney Creek
3. Hills of Roane County
4. Eighth of January
5. Big Mon
6. Temperance Reel
Tony Rice Track Listing (Digital)
1. Banks of the Ohio
2. Rattlesnake
3. Mr. Engineer
4. Plastic Banana
5. Don’t Give Your Heart to a Rambler
6. Farewell Blues
7. Way Downtown
8. Stoney Creek
9. Hills of Roane County
10. Eighth of January
11. Big Mon
12. Temperance Reel
