In Brief

*** Marty Stuart, “The Pilgrim,” MCA Nashville. Concept albums are as rare these days as they are risky--even rarer in country music, which focuses almost exclusively on the catchy radio single. But Stuart pulls off this project admirably. Stuart’s role model seems to be his mentor Johnny Cash’s themed albums of the ‘60s. Here, a man who unwittingly ignites a tragedy through a romantic triangle hits the road, eventually finding solace. The moods shift appropriately through Stuart’s skilled use of honky-tonk, bluegrass and country rock, and a little help from his friends, including Cash, bluegrass great Ralph Stanley, Emmylou Harris and Pam Tillis. Stuart plays Tuesday at the Troubadour in West Hollywood.

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Albums are rated on a scale of one star (poor), two stars (fair), three stars (good) and four stars (excellent). The albums are already released unless otherwise noted.