Mar West
Tony Rice Unit, 1980, from Mar West. Solo by Tony Rice.
A 'spacegrass' instrumental where Rice brings jazz harmony and extended soloing to an acoustic band.
Mar West is a spacegrass instrumental in which Tony Rice brings jazz harmony and extended soloing to an acoustic band. His lines are long, flowing and harmonically adventurous, moving through complex chord changes with ease. The Tony Rice Unit's sound blended bluegrass instrumentation with jazz sophistication, creating something entirely new. Rice's tone is big and warm, with a strong attack and remarkable clarity. The piece became a touchstone for acoustic musicians exploring jazz. Listen for the way Rice navigates the chord changes, using jazz-inflected lines that still retain a bluegrass drive, and for the interplay between his guitar and the rest of the acoustic band.
Mar West by Tony Rice Unit is featured in our Bluegrass (#13) list. The solo is played by Tony Rice and the song was released in 1980.
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Who played the guitar solo on Mar West?
Tony Rice played the solo on Tony Rice Unit's Mar West (1980).