At last year's Didmarton Bluegrass Festival*, by chance I heard an affecting performance of 'City Of New Orleans' performed by Salmagundi (Dan Norton and Guy Rogers)**, and was inspired to make the same investigations.

I did a lot of research and decided that the one place to start is the double set called No Big Surprise, subtitled, 'the Steve Goodman anthology', on Red Pajamas Records***. There's one studio disc and one live disc, and it includes a fair sprinkling of previously unissued cuts. It's superb, and is highly recommended.

* http://www.didmarton-bluegrass.co.uk/index.php

** http://www.salmagundi.me.uk/
They delivered a beautifully understated take of Jerry Jeff Walker's 'Mr Bojangles' as well.

*** http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B000000DM7

Thanks, that's absolutely splendid. I'm on it.

It's incredibly rare when you come across something that chimes so perfectly with what your own idea of what music should sound like is. I've been playing this in the car all morning and I really couldn't be happier. I'm having one of those David Hepworth "where has he *been* all my life?!" experiences. New music? To paraphrase Louis Armstrong "It's *all* new music".