Craft Recordings concludes its celebration of what would have been Tony Rice’s 75th birthday with a reissue, on 4th December 2026, of Acoustics, the 1978 debut from his innovative ensemble, The Tony Rice Unit. Featuring some special talents—including David Grisman, Sam Bush, Richard Greene, and Mike Marshall—the instrumental album extends beyond the sounds of traditional bluegrass. Out of print for nearly 50 years, Acoustics returns to vinyl on December 4 and features all-analog (AAA) mastering by Kevin Gray at Cohearent Audio. The album will also be available in standard and HD digital.
One of the most revered names in bluegrass, Tony Rice (1951–2020) shaped the sound of the genre throughout his lengthy career, while his distinctive touch on the guitar influenced countless others. Born in Virginia and raised in Los Angeles, Rice launched his career in Louisville, Kentucky, where he became the lead vocalist and guitarist of JD Crowe’s legendary group, The New South. In the mid-’70s, not long after the release of their self-titled bestseller (featuring fellow bluegrass icons Jerry Douglas and Ricky Skaggs), Rice returned to California to join David Grisman’s quintet. Working alongside the mandolinist, Rice broadened his musical palette—exploring jazz, classical, and other styles—while honing his technique on the guitar.
That same passion led Rice to form The Tony Rice Unit as an outlet for his musical explorations. The group—who would later coin the term “Spacegrass” to describe their boundary-pushing work—blended extended improvisations with elements of jazz, plus dashes of classical and even prog-rock, all on acoustic instrumentation (a style broadly referred to as “new acoustic”). Their 1978 debut, Acoustics, set the groundwork for the innovative new style.
You can find the pre-save and pre-order links here and listen to the advanced single, Blues for Paradise, below.
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