1. Itzbin Reel
2. Joe Ahr's Dream
3. Walk Along John to Kansas
4. A Prairie Jewel
5. Indian Arm
6. Little Maggie
7. Salt River
8. The Deadly Fox
9. Side-by-Each (duet)
10. Little Pine Siskin
11. Gold Mountain Blues
12. Ice on the Dogwater
13. Side by Each (band)
14. Anisa's Lullaby
15. Little Maggie(Uptempo)

Walk Along John is John ReischmanΓÇÖs first solo instrumental album in thirteen years, and itΓÇÖs a triumphant return to form. ItΓÇÖs also a celebration of his seminal influence in the world of bluegrass and ΓÇ£new acoustic music,ΓÇ¥ a movement he contributed to with Tony Rice in the 1980s. A new generation of musicians has now grown up playing his tunes at jams and obsessing over his recordings. Chris Thile of The Punch Brothers joins John on the opening tune ΓÇ£Itzbin Reel,ΓÇ¥ an early composition of JohnΓÇÖs that Chris has been playing since the age of 8. Eli West, from Cahalen Morrison & Eli West, listened endlessly to JohnΓÇÖs recordings while studying in college and guests on the album as well. Other next gen star players on the album include Sam Grisman and Mike Barnett from the young grasscore band The Deadly Gentlemen, and Canadian clawhammer banjo king Chris Coole. Old friends return as well, from renowned old-time fiddler Bruce Molsky to innovative banjo genius Tony Trischka and star bluegrass guitarist Kenny Smith, not to mention members of JohnΓÇÖs band The Jaybirds. But the real focus of the album is JohnΓÇÖs musicianship, both as an artist and as a composer. His compositions, many of which have become jamming standards, run the gamut from the old-timey ΓÇ£Little Pine SiskinΓÇ¥ to the bluesy (in the Dock Boggs sense) ΓÇ£Gold Mountain Blues,ΓÇ¥ the eerily modal ΓÇ£Ice on the Dogwater,ΓÇ¥ the blazing Bill Monroe tribute tune ΓÇ£Joe AhrΓÇÖs Dream,ΓÇ¥ and the softly gentle waltzes ΓÇ£AnisaΓÇÖs LullabyΓÇ¥ and ΓÇ£A Prairie Jewel.ΓÇ¥ JohnΓÇÖs compositions shine here because he has the subtle ability to draw out the true heart of the melody. He does this through his lifelong obsession with obtaining the purest tones from his mandolin playing. ItΓÇÖs the same quest that drove Monroe to the roots of the music looking for ΓÇ£ancient tones,ΓÇ¥ and itΓÇÖs a quest shared by other great mandolinists. Coupled with his renowned sense of musical taste, John Reischman is able to redefine the sound of bluegrass mandolin without ever veering away from the traditions at its core.

Walk Along John plumbs the deepest level of John ReischmanΓÇÖs talent. His years of touring, guesting, and inspiring have given his music a weight that few other artists have attained. After 35 years of playing at the forefront of the American bluegrass tradition, it should come as no surprise that he still has a lot to say.