THE DAVID GRISMAN QUINTET "Dawg's Groove" Acoustic Disc THE DAVID GRISMAN BLUEGRASS EXPERIENCE "DGBX" Acoustic Disc ANDY STATMAN & DAVID GRISMAN "New Shabbos Waltz" Acoustic Disc

THE DAVID GRISMAN Quintet is the mandolinist (and owner of Acoustic Disc) Grisman's primary group, a touring band that specializes in what Grisman calls "Dawg" music, his personal fusion of bluegrass, jazz and world music. Since the quintet's last album, "Dawgnation," percussionist Joe Craven has been replaced by George Marsh, but the rest of the band -- guitarist Enrique Coria, flutist Matt Eakle and bassist Jim Kerwin -- has been on board since 1995's "Dawganova" album. The result is a finely honed rapport that makes the new "Dawg's Groove" a pleasure.

Grisman's opening composition, "Limestones," makes punning reference to Django Reinhardt's "Limehouse Blues" and Miles Davis's "Milestones" and manages to combine those different kinds of jazz into a terrific performance pushed along by Marsh's rumbling tom-toms and topped off by dazzling solos from Grisman and Eakle. The disc ends with "Blues for Vassar," Grisman's tribute to bluegrass fiddler Vassar Clements. In between are songs flavored by borrowings from French cabaret, Brazilian samba, Beatlesque pop and Caribbean salsa, all proving that Bela Fleck is not the only ex-bluegrasser giving jazz musicians a run for their money.

Grisman began his mandolin career as a Bill Monroe devotee, and in recent years he has formed a bluegrass band based on the Monroe template for occasional gigs in the San Francisco Bay Area. "DGBX" is the first recording from the David Grisman Bluegrass Experience, and the repertoire is typical bluegrass bar-band fare: the Carter Family's "Engine 143," Flatt & Scruggs's "Down the Road" and Grisman's own "Old and in the Way." Unfortunately, the performances are typical bar-band quality: flashes of brilliance, hit-and-miss ensemble and underwhelming vocals.

Like Grisman, Andy Statman got his start as a bluegrass mandolinist. But in the '80s, Statman fell in love with klezmer music, that inspired fusion of East European string-band music, Jewish liturgical music and early American jazz, and taught himself clarinet. On "New Shabbos Waltz," Statman and Grisman devote one of their periodic reunions to Jewish music -- from klezmer and other sources -- associated with the Sabbath, a.k.a. the Shabbos.

You don't have to be Jewish, however, to appreciate this all-instrumental project. Statman's clarinet captures the plaintive loveliness of slow melodies such as "Our Father, Our King" and "Jerusalem, Your City." By contrast, numbers such as "Song of Glory" and "May Our Supplication Ascend" are kicked into dancing gear by Grisman's choppy mandolin, Bob Brozman's slide guitar and the firm push of Phil Spector's legendary drummer Hal Blaine.

-- Geoffrey Himes

Appearing Monday at the Birchmere and Tuesday at the Rams Head Tavern.

Listen to an audio clip of the David Grisman Quintet

Listen to an audio clip of the David Grisman Bluegrass Experience

Listen to an audio clip of David Grisman & Andy Statman