I never received this item. Apparently the post office lost it? That's what the seller said anyway, and then they said they didn't have a second one to send. So I am waiting for a refund.

Overall I think this compilation is really good.
My favorite track is definitely "My Old Kentucky Home" performed by John Prine, and some other very good ones include "Nelly Was A Lady" performed by Alvin Youngblood Hart, "Old Folks at Home (Swanee River)" performed by David Ball, "Hard Times Come Again No More" performed by Mavis Staples (very soulful), "Slumber My Darling" performed by Alison Krauss, Yo Yo Ma, Edgar Meyer and Mark O'Connor, and the title track "Beautiful Dreamer" performed by Raul Malo.
Some of the tracks were re-arranged a bit to "fit the times", which is okay with me, since the melodies remained basically intact on most of these tunes. A good example of this is "Jeanie With the Light Brown Hair" performed by Roger McGuinn, and another good one (IMO) that was "modernized" a bit was "Camptown Races" performed by The Duhks.
One exception to this positive review was Michelle Shocked's version of "Oh Susanna", which is just AWFUL-- she apparently decided that a song that has been around for almost 150 years needed an entirely new melody. Why they invited her to perform on this compilation is beyond me.
The only other track which I don't like very much is Henry Kaiser performing "Autumn Waltz", which is MOSTLY good, but for some reason he peppers a pleasant harpsichord melody with some cacophonic, distorted guitar "solos" here and there.
Another knock I have on the album is that, other than Alison Krauss, it didn't have any of the folks I would call bluegrass/folk "heavyweights", or for that matter, any of the classic country stars that are still around (although Grey DeLisle and Judith Edelman sound to me like they might be big fans of Dolly Parton). I would have much preferred to hear Doc Watson doing "Oh Susanna", or possibly Ralph Stanley or Del McCoury or even some of the Newgrass Revival fellows on a few of these tracks, and certainly Dolly Parton on one or two, and possibly Merle Haggard or Willie Nelson doing a tune or two also.
Overall, I'd give it 4 stars out of five, although I may rip the tracks onto my computer and reburn the CD so that I can leave off the Michelle Shocked "contribution".

I love Foster, but Stephen Foster did NOT compose "In the eyes abide the heart"! He merely translated the words for it from the German. Von Kobell wrote the original words, Franz Abt wrote the music and Foster's friend Henry Kleber arranged it.

This collection is a thrilling and moving presentation of the core of American music, uniquely updated with new rhythms and insturments. The "Hard Times Come Again No More", by Mavis Staples, alone is worth the price. The rest of the songs are free.

This is a beautiful piece of work, obviously a labor of love for all involved. You can hear for yourself that Stephen Foster practically invented the modern song. How incredibly far ahead of his time he was. What other 19th century songwriter has received this kind of reverent modern tribute in the past 50 years??

My favorite track is No One to Love, which will break your heart.