Bluegrass legend Earl Scruggs dies at age 88

[rostasi]

"...Earl Scruggs was an innovator who pioneered the modern banjo sound.

His use of three fingers rather than the clawhammer style elevated the banjo

from a part of the rhythm section — or a comedian's prop — to a lead instrument..."

[J.A.W.]

Sad news. A great loss for bluegrass.

[alocispepraluger102]

bluegrass has been a big part of my life for 60 years, and earl scruggs has always been there in the limelight.

i know i've enjoyed this martha white theme over 10,000 times.

Edited March 29, 2012 by alocispepraluger102

[JSngry]

[JSngry]

[JSngry]

[alocispepraluger102]

thx-

scruggs said "the beauty of simplicity cannot be exceeded." he was also a splendid guitarist.

[JSngry]

[Neal Pomea]

I've got some of those late Flatt and Scruggs Columbia lps, like the one with Dylan songs, the Story of Bonnie and Clyde (Tom T Hall songs), etc., but the deserted island one for me is Final Fling, One Last Time (Just for Kicks). Best version of Dylan's Wanted Man, a song he wrote for Johnny Cash at the time of the Nashville Skyline album.

http://earlscruggs.com/colcd6476.html

[BeBop]

Flatt, Scruggs and Watson - to name but three from the bluegrass field - all significantly broadened my musical tastes and heightened my musical enjoyment. So thanks and rest peacefully, Earl Scruggs.

[danasgoodstuff]

Amazing as many of Earl's recordings are, coulda/ahoulda/woulda been even more so - he's known to have played with, among others, King Curtis & Ravi Shankar - hearing them play "Soul Serenade" in my head right now...

[MomsMobley]

"The Last Public Hanging in West Virginia" is one of T's best, though F&S didn't quite nail it, alas. It later became a signature piece for Dave Evans-- I prefer the studio version but this will git ya' most of the way there (albeit a little slowly)--

Comparison of the contemporary solo Flatt and Scruggs Revue sides is an interesting endeavor-- both are worthy.

I've got some of those late Flatt and Scruggs Columbia lps, like the one with Dylan songs, the Story of Bonnie and Clyde (Tom T Hall songs), etc., but the deserted island one for me is Final Fling, One Last Time (Just for Kicks). Best version of Dylan's Wanted Man, a song he wrote for Johnny Cash at the time of the Nashville Skyline album.

http://earlscruggs.com/colcd6476.html

Edited March 30, 2012 by MomsMobley

[Neal Pomea]

Thanks Moms! Enjoyed that.

http://npmusic.org/StoryofBonnieandClyde.mp3

The Story of Bonnie and Clyde

http://npmusic.org/StoryofBonnieandClyde.mp3

http://npmusic.org/WantedMan.mp3

Wanted Man (nice Dylan tune in the tradition of John Wesley Harding)

http://npmusic.org/WantedMan.mp3

(links weren't showing up for me in Firefox 10.0.2)

Edited March 30, 2012 by Neal Pomea

[paul secor]

Enjoyed that version of "Wanted Man", Neal.

[skeith]

Hard to underestimate his importance.

My first Earl Scruggs record was the 45 rpm of Flatt & Scruggs "Foggy Mountain Breakdown"

I still have it in the original sleeve. I wonder what it is worth now?

[danasgoodstuff]

Hard to underestimate his importance.

My first Earl Scruggs record was the 45 rpm of Flatt & Scruggs "Foggy Mountain Breakdown"

I still have it in the original sleeve. I wonder what it is worth now?

I hope you mean 'hard to overestimate his importance', otherwise you're insulting him...

[skeith]

Hard to underestimate his importance.

My first Earl Scruggs record was the 45 rpm of Flatt & Scruggs "Foggy Mountain Breakdown"

I still have it in the original sleeve. I wonder what it is worth now?

I hope you mean 'hard to overestimate his importance', otherwise you're insulting him...

Yes, I did mean overestimate - I started to say something else and flippped and it came out wrong. He was clearly one of the greatest!!