NY Post Jan 11, 2011: 3 1/2 STARS Banjo player Ben Freed, one of the top players on the New York bluegrass circuit, has always put out good recordings, but "American Idle" is not only a terrific collection of original instrumental string-band music, his production values are high throughout. The sound of Freed working with a full bluegrass band is crisply recorded, and his picking is flawless as he rambles from dark, jazzy melodies like "Ghost Dance" to playful banjo riffage on "Foggy Mountain Shakedown." In many ways, Freed is rivaling the contemporary masters of the banjo (such as Bela Fleck) with fresh music that has an old-time quality.

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