Review: Molly Tuttle Leans into Her Flatpicking Roots on the Brilliant ‘City of Gold’

The group's sophomore album may very well eclipse the unexpected success of its predecessor.

The group's sophomore album may very well eclipse the unexpected success of its predecessor.

Molly Tuttle reflects on the life and guitar style of Tony Rice, as well as all the guitar players he inspired with his distinctive style of playing.
ADVERTISEMENT

Bluegrass superstar Molly Tuttle discusses playing music with friends and how a surprising wood made its way into her signature dreadnought.

Molly Tuttle and Golden Highway's Crooked Tree displays everything from deft clawhammer-style guitar playing to high-speed syncopation from the Clarence White canon to buoyant cross-picking.

Crosspicking is an essential technique in the bluegrass guitar toolkit. Here's a bluegrass guitar crosspicking lesson from Molly Tuttle.
ADVERTISEMENT

On an early afternoon last September, Molly Tuttle, who was holding a spruce-and-mahogany dreadnought that appeared to be not much younger than 80, showed me the back of the guitar, which sported telltale lacquer wear. Tuttle explained that the instrument…

Here are guitarist Molly Tuttle’s favorite Tony Rice albums.

Sponsored by Fender: In this video, Molly Tuttle opts for the tight bass and clear trebles of a mahogany dreadnought – a classic bluegrass combo – to complement her flatpicking skills. Learn more about the American Acoustasonic Series here:
ADVERTISEMENT

Among the many cool moments of Molly Tuttle’s variations are the jazz-informed block chords that suddenly appear in bars 61–65.

Sponsored by Thompson Guitars: There are always great players that are part of the Thompson family that play at Rocky Grass and this year was no exception, with the likes of Liam Purcell (2022 winner Flatpick Competition), Lindsay Lou, Tom Knowlton…