This is what happens when you throw a bunch of talented musicians in a studio with no planning. Ian Siegal, Alvin Youngblood Hart, Cody and Luther Dickinson, and Jimbo Mathus basically just sat down in front of some mics and started doing songs. The result is not groundbreaking, but it’s a hoot.

The ensemble does some old tunes of Siegal’s intermixed with covers that are country-blues, folk, and country. Since you’ve got lots of great players here, there’s no need to single any of them out. There’s fine acoustic playing, banjos playing the blues, and stinging dobro to go along with vocals that are authentic and soulful

If perfection is your thing, then you’re not going to want to listen to this. It’s loose as can be. As a matter of fact, some of the best moments might be the banter between some of the songs; It’s basically the fellas running through parts trying to figure out how to do them. Those vignettes are always followed by the “finished product,” so you can see how their preparation worked.

It ain’t perfect, but it sure is fun.

This article originally appeared in VG‘s September ’15 issue. All copyrights are by the author and Vintage Guitar magazine. Unauthorized replication or use is strictly prohibited.