The first time I saw the CD track listings, I thought there must be a mistake. I thought, "Surely, David Grisman's version of 'God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen' doesn't really last six minutes and 51 seconds. I've never heard a version of that carol that's that long."
Grisman's version is nearly seven minutes, however, and justifies its expansive length. By upping the carol's tempo, jazzing it up with a Dave Brubeck, "Take Five"-ish feel, and indulging in some fast runs on mandolin with underscoring from a game rhythm section, his fellow musicians and he make his version feel only half as long as it is.
It's such a fun romp that even after nearly seven minutes, I still wanted to hear more.
