Acclaimed Guitarist David Grier Readies WAYS OF THE WORLD For 3/29 Release

David Grier is pleased to announce his newfull-length album, Ways Of The World, due for release on March 29, 2019. Hosted on Grier's label, Dreadnought Recordings, and co-produced with Brent Truitt (The SteelDrivers), the project unveils ten original songs penned by Grier as well as two century-old fiddle tunes that are revived with a new twist. This is also the first album to feature Grier on lead vocals. The world-class musicians joining Grier on Ways Of The World include Stuart Duncan, Tim O'Brien, Bryan Sutton, Maura O'Connell, Mike Compton, Justin Moses, Dennis Crouch, Shad Cobb, Casey Campbell, John Gardner, Andrea Zonn, Jeff Taylor, Rod McGaha, and Cory Walker.

Named one of the "Artists of the Decade" by Acoustic Guitar Magazine, Grier is a master of the six-string, capable of exploring both the roots of bluegrass music as well as the progressive branches that add innovation and flavor to the genre.

In creating Ways Of The World, Grier showcases his talent and ability to allow his artistic muse to flow freely with his warm and worldly-wise original songs. 'She's Gone,' co-written with Tim O'Brien, has an upbeat feel from the first notes, as Grier and company tell the tale of a love gone wrong. Transitioning, the rollicking shake-off-a-love-gone-bad groove of 'Dead Flowers,' showcases the co-writing talents of Ashleigh Caudill.

Grier's work on Ways Of The World spawned from improvisational creativity rather than lengthy rehearsals, showcasing his undoubtable musical prowess. "You have to be open to discovering new things and when I record an album, I never have everything figured out beforehand," said Grier. "Before I go into the studio, I just practice playing the guitar itself so that when I go in to record, if I get an idea, I am able to do it on the spot and it will pop out. I will be ready to play and improvise. I like to leave room for something spontaneous."

The songs on the album range in influence from the title cut, featuring heavenly harmony vocals by Zonn, to the innovative waltz 'Farewell To Redboots,' enhanced by the sweet trumpet playing of McGaha, to the wonderful Celtic sounds of 'She Came From The Mountains,' which showcases the acclaimed Irish singer Maura O'Connell. The instrumental songs found on the album include 'The Curmudgeon's Gait,' 'Everybody Loves Crazy/Til Crazy Loves You,' and 'Waiting On Daddy's Money.' Standards 'Billy In The Lowground' and 'Salt Creek' also get the Grier treatment.

Track Listing:

1. Ways of The World - w/ Andrea Zonn
2. The Curmudgeon's Gait - w/ Justin Moses
3. Dust Bowl Dream - w/ Tim O'Brien
4. Farewell To Redboots
5. She's Gone - w/ Shad Cobb & Mike Compton
6. Everybody Loves Crazy / Til Crazy Loves You - Medley
7. Billy In The Lowground
8. Dead Flowers - w/ Shad Cobb
9. Waiting On Daddy's Money
10. Crossing Salt Creek / Salt Creek - Medley
11. She Came From The Mountains - w/ Maura O'Connell
12. Let's Think Why

Fellow guitar legend, Tommy Emmanuel describes Ways Of The World as, "beyond beautiful," complimenting the set on its tone, arrangements and choice of collaborators.

"Your guitar playing is imbued with honey-dripping taste and feeling that I get lost in when I'm listening." Said Emmanuel to Grier after hearing Ways Of The World, "I know that what you are playing is very difficult, but you make it sound so easy, and that's remarkable. The authenticity of your music is irresistible and timeless."

About David Grier

David Grier's journey to becoming one of the greatest flatpick guitarists in the world started at a young age at the feet of Bluegrass legend, Bill Monroe.

David Grier's father Lamar Grier, was a member of "Bill Monroe's Bluegrass Boys" in the mid-1960s. Throughout his childhood, David spent hours listening to Monroe as well as many other prominent pioneers of Bluegrass music. Among the most influential to him were flatpick guitarists Clarence White, Tony Rice and Doc Watson. David Grier quickly found a strong passion for guitar and began to develop what is now his own world-renowned distinctive style.

In 1985, David Grier moved to Nashville, TN and began touring and recording with established acts such as "The Country Gazette" and International Bluegrass Music Association (IBMA) Hall of Famer, Doug Dillard. He also formed the band "The Big Dogs" with Andrea Zonn and genre-bending banjo player, Tony Trischka.

In 1988, David began recording a series of critically acclaimed solo albums for the Rounder Records label. It was these recordings that pushed David to the forefront of the Bluegrass scene and brought him three IBMA Guitar Player of the Year awards.

In 1996, David became a hero of the contemporary acoustic music scene when he collaborated with former members of the David Grisman Quintet, Darol Anger, Mike Marshall and Todd Phillip. Together, they created the contemporary Bluegrass band, "Psychograss". This group set the tone for innovative and forward-thinking acoustic music.

In 1998, David launched his own record label, Dreadnought Recordings. Under this label, he released albums, "Hootenanny" with Dirk Powell and Tim O'Brien; Highly-acclaimed "Live at the Linda" (2007); "Evocative" (2009) featuring Victor Wooten, Paul Franklin, and Stuart Duncan; "I've Got the House to Myself" (2001), and "Fly On The Wall" (2014).

In 2000, David was recognized by Acoustic Guitar Magazine as one of the "Artists of the Decade". He has also played on four Grammy Award-winning albums (True Life Blues: A Tribute to Bill Monroe; The Great Dobro Sessions; Alison Brown's Fairweather; and Amazing Grace 2: A Country Salute to Gospel).

Recently, David assembled an all-star Bluegrass quartet, "The Helen Highwater String Band" in collaboration with Mike Compton, Shad Cobb, and Missy Raines. With this project, David discovered another side of his artistry through songwriting and singing. On his newest upcoming album, Ways Of The World, David showcases his vocals for the first time. The new album is a brilliant example of David's expansive capability and artistic evolution. He continues to captivate listeners with exciting new material while keeping traditional virtuosic flatpick guitar at the heart of his sound.

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