Rating:
Genre:
Country
Release Date: 11/18/2008
Earl Scruggs first stepped onto the legendary
Ryman Auditorium stage in 1945 as one of
Bill Monroe's
Blue Grass Boys. His signature three-fingered banjo style would go on to influence countless musicians in the years to come, cementing him as a legend in his own right. In 2007, at the age of 83,
Scruggs took the stage again, this time with family and friends who included
Rob Ickes (dobro),
Randy Scruggs (guitar, vocals),
John Jorgenson (mandolin, guitar, clarinet, vocals),
Jon Randall (guitar vocals),
Gary Scruggs (bass, vocals),
Hoot Hester (fiddle, vocals), and
John Gardner (drums) to record
Ultimate Collection: Live at the Ryman for
Rounder Records. Boasting 18 tracks that include perennial favorites like
"Foggy Mountain Breakdown," "Lonesome Ruben," "Ballad of Jed Clampett," "Soldier's Joy," "In the Pines," and
"Earl's Breakdown," it's not surprising that
Scruggs hasn't lost a beat, as he's been tearing through most of these songs for well over 50 years. While 2005's
Essential Earl Scruggs remains the best entry point into this
bluegrass icon's impressive canon of songs, it would be hard not to want to delve deeper into the man's history after an evening spent with him at the
Ryman.
~James Christopher Monger, All Music Guide
;)
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