Del McCoury

To say Del McCoury is one of bluegrass' last great practitioners is to seriously undervalue the man. Del is one of music's great singers and stylists, period. He's found a way to make traditional bluegrass sound contemporary without falling into the typical aesthetic pitfalls (too progressive, too retro, etc.). Family Circle is a stone-cold classic, and that's all there is to it. Tunes like "Hello Lonely" and "Bad Day for Love" stand alongside anything from Bill Monroe or the Stanley Brothers.