In the 1940s, fiddler and guitarist Glen Neaves formed the Virginia Mountain Boys, and the band performed in varying lineups through the next three decades. In many cases, the members of the band were the first in their families to play bluegrass rather than the older Appalachian string band styles they grew up with. However, this older music strongly influenced their choice of instrumentation and songs; for example, this album includes modern renditions of "Let That Circle Be Unbroken" and "John Henry," both of which originated before the advent of bluegrass. The album also includes "Conversation with Neaves," an excerpt of Neaves reminiscing about his early career and the musicians who influenced him.