David Grier, the man with the Howdy Doody hair and the "how'd he do dat!?" guitar wizardry, has released his richest, most complex and sophisticated work yet on "Panorama."

Backed by the always brilliant Stuart Duncan, Sam Bush, Mike Compton, Todd Phillips and Craig Smith, Grier produces 10 startling works ranging from the furious newgrass progression of "King Wilkies Run" to the hauntingly beautiful "Jeff Davis."

Perhaps the most impressive achievement here is David's chameleon-like ability to reinvent his guitar technique and melodic approach to provide a unique guitar sound on each tune, then using that sound to construct a unique musical vision.

On "Forked Deer," his flatpicking carries a robust, traditional sound, while his melodic and rhythmic vision deconstructs the melody, turning it back onto itself like a Mobius curve to find hidden harmonic dimensions. "Apples and Oranges" finds him playing a fingerstyle-sounding piece based as much in blues forms and true bluegrass, adding yet another musical color to his flatpicking pallet.

As on his utterly brilliant interpretation of "Old Ebnezer Scrooge" on the "True Life Blues" tribute album to Bill Monroe, David makes superb use of his right-hand string dampening technique on several cuts here, including the "hidden" alternative take of "Chinquapin Hunting" that emerges unlisted at the end of Track Ten.

"Dead End" reveals even more stylistic innovations, blazing through a Wes Montgomery-influenced series of octave licks that effectively fuse flatpicking guitar with the break-out sensibilities of the best jazz guitar.

Ultimately, though, "Panorama" emerges as something far more fulfilling and gracious than an album of great flatpicking guitar. In his sophisticated interplay with the supporting musicians here, the genuinely moving and memorable melodies on both his original and cover tunes, and his utter command of each note, tone and rhythm emerging from the guitar, David Grier shows the vision and power only the very best musicians in any genre ever achieve. Think of Clapton's "Layla," Clarence's "Appalachian Swing," Miles Davis' "Kind of Blue," and the original David Grisman Quintet album as examples of the kind of unified musical statement that I believe "Panorama" will one day be viewed as.

The Tunes:

• Impulsive
• Jeff Davis
• King Wilkies Run
• The Skeleton
• Forked Deer
• Ticklebelly Hill
• Apples and Oranges
• Chinquapin Hunting
• Pear Tree/Double File
• Dead End

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