The Johnny Staats Project arrives riding a wave of big-time media acclaim (The New York Times People CBS and NBC to name a few) and big-time expectations for Staats as a mandolin savior. JudgeWires & Wood by that criteria and you may never find it a satisfying listen. However when you finally grasp the idea that this is a debut record from a heretofore amateur musician and full-time UPS driver in West Virginia you start to realize thatWires & Wood is an amazing achievement. Backed by many of Nashville s finest players Staats nimbly balances a number of styles ranging from straight-ahead bluegrass to Celtic reels to gentle lullabies to thoughtful folk. He s well versed in the jazzgrass style popularized by folks like offering several crafty cunning instrumentals that prove him to be a surprisingly evocative and engaging composer. At the heart of it all of course is Staats s astonishing mandolin work: it s incredibly fleet and fluid boasting clarity precision and taste at even the most ridiculous speeds. He doesn t resort to pet licks and there rarely seems to be a superfluous note amid the torrent. He s also a rich honey-voiced tenor singer even if his voice is not his greatest strength; at the very least his earnest vocal songs give you a chance to catch your breath. Ultimately the Staats Project may not do anything that the Grisman Quintet or the didn t do 25 years ago but the fact that he does it as well says quite a bit about this no-longer-hidden talent.--Marc Greilsamer