gospelman97 - Posted - 12/12/2016:  10:20:13

Hi folks. I've been busy editing some of my favorite live performances and uploading them to my youTube page.  I have created individual playlists for when you want to hear a specific song but don't want to listen to an entire hour show.  I will be adding to them in the weeks ahead, and will post them here for you as well.  Please like and subscribe to my page!

Here is a playlist with 36 songs by Flatt and Scruggs on the Martha White Radio Show around 1953.  It features Benny Martin on fiddle and is prior to adding the dobro.  Listen to Earl on that hide head!

gospelman97 - Posted - 12/12/2016:  10:22:11

Here is the first JD Crowe and the New South band in 1974 at the Red Slipper Lounge.

JD Crowe - banjo; Tony Rice - guitar; Ricky Skaggs - mandolin; Bobby Sloan - bass

gospelman97 - Posted - 12/12/2016:  10:23:53

The first Bluegrass Album Band tour in 1981, prior to adding Jerry Douglas on dobro.

JD Crowe - banjo; Tony Rice - guitar; Doyle Lawson - mandolin; Bobby Hicks - fiddle; Todd Phillips - bass

gospelman97 - Posted - 12/12/2016:  10:25:18

My favorite lineup of the Lonesome River Band from the Winterhawk festival in 1997.

Sammy Shelor- banjo; Ronnie Bowman- bass; Don Rigsby- mandolin; Kenny Smith- guitar

Edited by - gospelman97 on 12/12/2016 10:25:41

gospelman97 - Posted - 12/12/2016:  10:27:37

IIIrd Tyme Out from the Cherokee Bluegrass Festival in 1994.

Russell Moore- guitar; Steve Dilling- banjo; Ray Deaton- bass; Wayne Benson- mandolin; Mike Hartgrove- fiddle

warpdrive - Posted - 12/12/2016:  12:00:45

As good a Christmas present as i'm ever going to get, Thanks for posting Bryan! especially love the Early Flatt and Scruggs, Earl was hitting on all 5 back then!

gospelman97 - Posted - 12/12/2016:  12:03:29

quote:

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Originally posted by warpdrive

 

As good a Christmas present as i'm ever going to get, Thanks for posting Bryan! especially love the Early Flatt and Scruggs, Earl was hitting on all 5 back then!

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Sure thing, Kevin.  Come back tomorrow and I'll have more Flatt and Scruggs from around 1964. Totally different tone on Earl's banjo with a plastic head and another decade under their belts.  Still good though!

Tim13 - Posted - 12/12/2016:  12:24:46

We all know that Earl could pick, but when you hear this stuff from the early 1950's, it's amazing.  Simply amazing.

Tim

warpdrive - Posted - 12/12/2016:  12:31:21

I must admit i am not as drawn to a lot of the Foggy's stuff after about 66 or so, especially when the did the Columbia stuff, and Earl was really starting to focus on his boys and the machine in Nashville starting pushing material that just wasn't suited for the Foggy's sound or Lester's voice!

I have heard some live recordings from the early 60's that were good, Earls tone was different yes, but he still had the completeness to his roll, and for the most part was still quick and fluid, but he drastically had a change in his roll due to injury and then about the time of the re-cut of FMB in 67, as i have said before, that i where i came in at on Scruggs banjo. The instrumental album was cut in what,63? i'm just guessing, it was good, and i enjoyed Live @Carnigie Hall, i've heard some stuff from Houston TX i think it was, but anyway, i look forward to your new additions and again, thanks a bunch for posting these gems!
warp!

gospelman97 - Posted - 12/13/2016:  02:22:47

Here's Larry Sparks in Fairfax, Virginia in 1992. It features Barry Crabtree on the banjo.

gospelman97 - Posted - 12/13/2016:  02:27:01

Here is the next to the last show that JD Crowe worked before officially retiring.  It is two sets from Dollywood on June 2nd and 3rd 2015.  It features the guys that helped him record the Flashback album: Richard Bennett, Don Rigsby, Phil Ledbetter, and Curt Chapman.

gospelman97 - Posted - 12/13/2016:  02:35:37

For those who are enjoying the early Flatt and Scruggs radio show, here is one from a decade later.  As far as I can tell, the recordings are from around 1964.  Please correct me if I'm wrong on that.  It's fun to compare the two sets of recordings.  Lots of dobro added, plastic head on the banjo instead of a hide head.  Still great though!

robbif - Posted - 12/13/2016:  10:01:40

Thanks to this topic, I'm happy to add Bryan's growing collection to my Recordings page in the From My Friends section.

gospelman97 - Posted - 12/13/2016:  10:04:37

quote:

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Originally posted by robbif

 

Thanks to this topic, I'm happy to add Bryan's growing collection to my Recordings page in the From My Friends section.

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Thanks Fred!  I have enjoyed listening to the music found on your page, and I'm honored to be included!

olhoss18 - Posted - 12/13/2016:  10:10:12

Hey Bryan! Killer stuff!!! The instrumental that JD Ricky Tony and Bobby we're playing in 74 is a banjo instrumental Sonny Osborne and Dale Sledd wrote, correct me on the Sledd role if I'm wrong I know Sonny did have a part in it called "Side Saddle" the original cut Sonny played it on the 6 string banjo. I got this information from Robby Boone I had posted about this tune a while back... the band I play in "The Bluegrass Unit" we play this instrumental the Crowe way and resurrected it up around these parts... digging this live stuff awesome!!!!

gospelman97 - Posted - 12/13/2016:  10:15:01

quote:

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Originally posted by olhoss18

Hey Bryan! Killer stuff!!! The instrumental that JD Ricky Tony and Bobby we're playing in 74 is a banjo instrumental Sonny Osborne and Dale Sledd wrote, correct me on the Sledd role if I'm wrong I know Sonny did have a part in it called "Side Saddle" the original cut Sonny played it on the 6 string banjo. I got this information from Robby Boone I had posted about this tune a while back... the band I play in "The Bluegrass Unit" we play this instrumental the Crowe way and resurrected it up around these parts... digging this live stuff awesome!!!!

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Thanks.  I love this old stuff!  I'm not sure of the origins of that instrumental, but I'm definitely finding some pretty rare things to share with you all.  I know that most of the full sets were available before, but I'm spending a lot of time editing them down to individual songs and putting them in playlists.  This should make things much more user friendly for the times you want to hear just one song.  Also, I don't believe that everything I'm posting has been uploaded to youTube in the past.  It's time consuming, but I'm having fun!

The Old Timer - Posted - 12/13/2016:  12:30:31

Oh that 1953 F&S stuff, Flatt is singing SO easy and Curly is just screaming! You can hear Curly's "stirring" mandolin rhythm well also. Benny sounds so smooth and fluid. Earl's playing like he has a gun to his head! WONDERFUL. I have a lot of the June 1953 first Martha White shows and they must have STUNNED the early morning listeners. Young Bob Moore and Junior Huskey were the bass players then.

That later Foggy Mt Chimes is interesting.  I can't recall hearing Paul Warren and Uncle Josh doing that one before. But it appears Flatt forgot the chords to the A part... 

O LORDY!!  I just heard F&S doing "The Family Who Prays", never heard them do that ever!  What a treat.  Beautiful.  I was way into Uncle Joshes' Dobro playing before I ever picked up the banjo at age 11.  Now I remember why.  Whooooo!

Edited by - The Old Timer on 12/13/2016 12:42:46

gospelman97 - Posted - 12/13/2016:  12:35:48

By the way, if anyone has any personal recordings (audio or video) and would like me to edit them and upload them to my youTube page, let me know.  I'm also open to suggestions on what else to upload.  Thanks for the kind words everyone!

Tim13 - Posted - 12/13/2016:  15:18:44

quote:

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Originally posted by The Old Timer

 

Earl's playing like he has a gun to his head! WONDERFUL.

 

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Hahahahahaha!  That about sums it up.  Perfect analogy.  I'll think of that and smile every time I listen the warly F&S early stuff.

Tim

robbif - Posted - 12/14/2016:  11:48:20

quote:

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Originally posted by gospelman97

 

By the way, if anyone has any personal recordings (audio or video) and would like me to edit them and upload them to my youTube page, let me know.  I'm also open to suggestions on what else to upload.  Thanks for the kind words everyone!

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That's perfect! The updates will then automatically be reflected in the link on My Recordings page!

A WIN-WIN!

jlsorbit - Posted - 12/14/2016:  12:22:35

Thanks, Bryan and Fred!  This is a great resource.

gospelman97 - Posted - 12/14/2016:  15:59:30

This is a set by the original lineup of Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver from the Smithsonian Museum in Washington, DC, on April 24th, 1982.  This was a lively audience!  You can tell by listening to this group that they really brought something new and refreshing to bluegrass music.  Dynamite vocal harmony (including a cappella arrangements), driving banjo by Terry Baucom, and that really active electric bass.  Pretty special in my opinion.  What do you think?

Doyle Lawson - mandolin

Terry Baucom - banjo

Jimmy Haley - guitar

Lou Reid - bass

Edited by - gospelman97 on 12/14/2016 16:01:55

gospelman97 - Posted - 12/17/2016:  03:40:36

Here are 21 songs from Jimmy Martin & the Sunshine Boys in 1960. It features a young JD Crowe on the banjo, and Paul Williams on the mandolin. I recognized so many of the songs because others have re-cut them in later years. Listen to that classic kickoff to "Hold Whatcha Got"! I wonder where JD got that trademark lick from?

bobdenver1961 - Posted - 12/17/2016:  08:44:44

Thanks. I listened to these yesterday while I was working.

Oldtwanger - Posted - 12/17/2016:  13:10:48

quote:

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Originally posted by gospelman97

 

Here are 21 songs from Jimmy Martin & the Sunshine Boys in 1960. It features a young JD Crowe on the banjo, and Paul Williams on the mandolin. I recognized so many of the songs because others have re-cut them in later years. Listen to that classic kickoff to "Hold Whatcha Got"! I wonder where JD got that trademark lick from?

 

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JD picked up that lick from a lick Buck Owens used when playing guitar with Tommy Collins on songs like "Watcha gonna do now" and "You Better Not do That".

gospelman97 - Posted - 12/17/2016:  16:42:17

quote:

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Originally posted by Oldtwanger

quote:

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Originally posted by gospelman97

 

Here are 21 songs from Jimmy Martin & the Sunny Mountain Boys in 1960. It features a young JD Crowe on the banjo, and Paul Williams on the mandolin. I recognized so many of the songs because others have re-cut them in later years. Listen to that classic kickoff to "Hold Whatcha Got"! I wonder where JD got that trademark lick from? 

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JD picked up that lick from a lick Buck Owens used when playing guitar with Tommy Collins on songs like "Watcha gonna do now" and "You Better Not do That".

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Thanks for the information.  Sorry for the typo in my original post.  Obviously it's the Sunny Mountain Boys and not the Sunshine Boys.  I just spent 30 minutes fixing my typo in all the Facebook groups I posted to.  Ugh!  Anyway, here's the original "Whatcha Gonna Do Now" by Tommy Collins if you are interested:

Pick1949 - Posted - 12/18/2016:  14:14:08

I would rather say it is Earl who is the man with said gun!! Not the other way around! Listen to that attitude!!!

quote:

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Originally posted by Tim13

 

quote:

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Originally posted by The Old Timer

 

Earl's playing like he has a gun to his head! WONDERFUL.

 

 

 

 

 

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Hahahahahaha!  That about sums it up.  Perfect analogy.  I'll think of that and smile every time I listen the warly F&S early stuff.

Tim

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gospelman97 - Posted - 12/19/2016:  03:12:42

For you today is a playlist with 19 songs by JD Crowe & the New South from 9/1/1979 at Aunt Minnies Farm - Stumptown, West Virginia.  It features some wonderful lead vocals by Keith Whitley!  Enjoy!

gospelman97 - Posted - 12/20/2016:  03:46:31

And today is a special playlist of 43 songs from around 1957. These were taken from radio shows of WWVA, in Wheeling, West Virginia, featuring the Osborne Brothers with Red Allen.  The audio is pretty rough, but it doesn't take but one song to tell that the Osborne Brothers were bringing something different to bluegrass.  They featured vocal harmonies with Bobby soaring above the rest, and Sonny was taking the banjo and pushing boundaries from what had been heard up until that point.  You get to hear their versions of some of the classics by Bill Monroe, Flatt and Scruggs, the Stanley Brothers, and even Elvis Presley!  Take a look at the first few songs:

Salty Dog Blues, Cripple Creek, Mama Blues, Sonny Mountain Chimes, Nine Pound Hammer, Pike County Breakdown, Pretty Polly, Ruby, Don’t Be Cruel, Foggy Mountain Breakdown, In the Pines, Cumberland Gap, Little Maggie, Groundhog, Dim Lights, Thick Smoke, Shortnin’ Bread, Don’t This Road Look Rough and Rocky, Lonesome Road Blues, etc...

ENJOY!!

Edited by - gospelman97 on 12/20/2016 03:47:54

gospelman97 - Posted - 12/21/2016:  04:19:50

Today we have a special live performance of "Roll In My Sweet Baby's Arms" that features both Flatt and Scruggs and the Osborne Brothers. Bobby Osborne is singing tenor to Lester Flatt's smooth lead. It sounds like Sonny Osborne takes the middle break on the banjo. Enjoy!

gospelman97 - Posted - 12/23/2016:  04:22:24

Here's a rare gem. This is a live performance of one of my favorite Christmas songs, "Beautiful Star of Bethlehem," by Ralph Stanley and the Clinch Mountain Boys in 1978. It features Charlie Sizemore on the lead vocals and Junior Blankenship on guitar. Enjoy!

gospelman97 - Posted - 12/26/2016:  04:23:34

Here is rare audio of a reunion of former Bluegrass Boys, Mac Wiseman​ and Don Reno​, with Bill Monroe​, at Watermelon Park in Berryville, VA on 8/14/1960.  There are 8 songs in this playlist.  Enjoy!

gospelman97 - Posted - 12/27/2016:  12:31:32

This is the earliest live show I could find by the Stanley Brothers. It contains 14 songs from the New River Ranch in 1955. I find it very interesting that just one year earlier ELVIS PRESLEY released a record with "Blue Moon of Kentucky" and "That's Alright Mama" on it. The Stanley Brothers did both of those songs on this show. I wonder if it was because they liked it, or because it was popular? Enjoy!

robbif - Posted - 12/27/2016:  17:01:58

Hey Brian, Please keep 'em coming.

I'll remind folks that I proudly have a link to your growing collection on My Recordings Page.

Happy New Year, all!

derekoftheold97 - Posted - 12/28/2016:  02:17:24

Thanks for posting Bryan. Your effort is appreciated. (PS 'All the best to you and yours')

gospelman97 - Posted - 12/28/2016:  03:16:58

A classic lineup of Doyle Lawson and Quicksilver from the Cody Creek Bluegrass Festival in Dobson, NC, on May 12th, 1990. There are 9 wonderful songs in this playlist. Enjoy!

Doyle Lawson - Mandolin

Russell Moore - Guitar

Jim Mills - Banjo

Ray Deaton - Bass

Mike Hartgrove - Fiddle

Edited by - gospelman97 on 12/28/2016 03:17:21

gospelman97 - Posted - 12/30/2016:  09:30:01

These rare recordings (18 songs) document the birth of Bluegrass Music as a genre. Adding the 5-string banjo style of Earl Scruggs to Bill Monroe and the Bluegrass Boys began to separate them from the rest of the country music acts playing on the Grand Ole Opry in the 1940's. The enthusiasm of the fan is reminiscent of what Elvis received about a decade later with the birth of Rock and Roll Music.

Bill Monroe - mandolin

Earl Scruggs - banjo

Lester Flatt - guitar

Chubby Wise - fiddle

Jody Rainwater - bass

gospelman97 - Posted - 12/30/2016:  09:31:37

This is a special reunion concert (8 songs in this playlist) with three original members of JD Crowe & the Kentucky Mountain Boys from the late 60's and early 70's. This was recorded at the Cody Creek Bluegrass Festival in Dobson, NC, on 5/12/1990.

JD Crowe - Banjo

Doyle Lawson - Guitar

Larry Rice - Mandolin

Ronnie Simpkins - Bass

nosepickerbob - Posted - 12/31/2016:  03:55:47

Bryan,

In your video pic of the BG boys is Flatt flatpicking.

Nose.

Flatt Flatpicking

 

Bronx banjo - Posted - 12/31/2016:  09:35:51

Isn't it Birch Monroe on bass, not Jody Rainwater?

gospelman97 - Posted - 12/31/2016:  09:39:51

quote:

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Originally posted by Bronx banjo

 

Isn't it Birch Monroe on bass, not Jody Rainwater?

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It was actually Howard "Cedric Rainwater" Watts.  I have corrected the information on my video descriptions, but could not edit my BHO post.  Sorry for the error.

Bronx banjo - Posted - 01/03/2017:  08:50:07

The photo on page 44 of Jim Rooney's book, "Bossmen, Bill Monroe & Muddy Waters", identifies the bass player as Birch Monroe.

gospelman97 - Posted - 01/03/2017:  08:52:07

quote:

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Originally posted by Bronx banjo

 

The photo on page 44 of Jim Rooney's book, "Bossmen, Bill Monroe & Muddy Waters", identifies the bass player as Birch Monroe.

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Thanks for the information!

Bow-tie75 - Posted - 01/03/2017:  10:49:40

Thanks for this Bryan, doing some mindless work here on the pc and now have some great tunes to help the time go! Currently listening to the IIItyme out..good stuff. As for the first post and as mentioned earlier, Earl's playing still blows me away....that timing....incredible.

Cheers

gospelman97 - Posted - 01/09/2017:  04:25:23

Here are 15 songs of Ralph Stanley & the Clinch Mountain Boys that originally aired on Kentucky Educational Television in 1977. It features Keith Whitley on the lead vocals.  It has been floating around the internet for a while.  Now it's all organized into a nice playlist:

gospelman97 - Posted - 01/09/2017:  04:26:38

Here's a great playlist of 33 songs from the Valley Barn Dance and other live performances in Harrisonburg, VA, by Reno & Smiley. There are also a few songs featuring Mac Wiseman on the shows. You hear everything from Bill Monroe classics, to some that Mac and Reno & Smiley made famous, to Elvis songs of the era. Enjoy!

gospelman97 - Posted - 01/10/2017:  03:55:15

This is a 27 song playlist of Jim & Jesse and the Virginia Boys recorded at Oak Leaf Park in Luray, Virginia on July 4th, 1961.

Jessie McReynolds - Mandolin

Jim McReynolds - Guitar

Alan Shelton - Banjo

Don McCann - Guitar

Bennie Simms - Fiddle

gospelman97 - Posted - 02/04/2017:  14:48:24

Here is the very first bluegrass festival that JD Crowe & the Kentucky Mountain Boys ever played in Reidsville, NC in 1969. The audio on this recoding is excellent.  They had just finished recording the Bluegrass Holiday Album and performed many of the songs on this set.  I think "Blackjack" sounds better than the album cut.  This was just after Red Allen left the band, but he performs about half the songs and the new lead singer, Bobby Morris, appears on the other half.  Pure gold!

JD Crowe - Banjo 

Doyle Lawson - Mandolin 

Red Allen/Bobby Morris - Guitar 

Bobby Sloan - Fiddle

Jim Hatten - Bass 

gospelman97 - Posted - 02/08/2017:  03:39:55

By special request, here is a playlist of 26 songs from Tony Rice​'s first public appearance with JD Crowe​ and the Kentucky Mountain Boys after only 3 practices.  The group would change their name to the New South a short time later.  The recording was made in September of 1971 at the Camp Springs Bluegrass Festival in Reidsville, NC.  Enjoy!

JD Crowe - Banjo

Tony Rice - Guitar

Larry Rice - Mandolin

Jim Hadden - Guitar

Bobby Sloan - Bass/Fiddle