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There’s like a million banjo pickers I like more than Steve Martin. That’s honestly a slap in the face to Earl Scruggs
Favorite musician by instrument
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Sorry, I didn't know that we were supposed to post your picks. I have seen Earl play live and would still rather listen to Roy Clark strumming a banjo before Lester. Don't get me wrong, Lester was a beast and all-time great but, in my band, the world class banjo player Steve Martin would be bending strings.
Can't you see ... oh can't you see. BTW that was my plan, to put great musicians out that people don't necessarily think of but are great. I almost went with Shorty Medlocke on harmonica just for Train Train.
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Lester was a guitar picker. If we’re both starting a band, I’ll let you have Steve on banjo, I’ll take Earl Scruggs/Roy Clark/Bela Fleck/Raymond Fairchild and have a far superior product
You understand that for you it may be true, but it is subjective and may very well be the wrong assessment for others?
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Nah, saying Earl Scruggs was a far superior technical and creative banjo player than Steve Martin isn’t even an opinion. It’s straight facts homie. You can delegitimize rock or country all you want, you leave my bluegrass alone though
Fuckin ay
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You best possible 4 piece bluegrass lineup:
Vocals/guitar- Jimmy Martin(still the GOAT IMO)
Banjo- Earl Scruggs
Mandolin/fiddle- Sam Bush
Bass- John Cowan
Vocals/guitar- Jimmy Martin(still the GOAT IMO)
Banjo- Earl Scruggs
Mandolin/fiddle- Sam Bush
Bass- John Cowan
You do realize that Steve has more Grammys than Earl, right? And if Earl's opinion means anything, consider this: Steve and Earl won a Grammy together for best instrumental in 2002. I doubt that Earl would put a song on a album with a no talent hack. I am not saying that Steve is better, but I do like hearing Steve play better than hearing Earl. That is what this thread is about, BTW.
When I listen to old bluegrass today, I would much rather hear Ralf Stanley than Earl. I am not disputing Earl as the GOAT, but that doesn't mean I think he had the best sound for my taste. I don't think the SteelDrivers are GOAT material either, but I would rather hear them when Chris Stapleton was a member than any other bluegrass band in history.
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Please stick to the parameters.
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Cool people no show awards shows. Ralph Stanley wasn’t a banjo player, and Earl rarely sang, they’re not really comparable. I just can’t wrap my head around how a supposed fan of bluegrass would prefer a hack comedian pretending to be a banjo player over the GOAT
The version of New Grass Revival with Sam Bush, Bela Fleck, John Cowan and Pat Flynn is probably the most talented band ever assembled, regardless of genre, but I probably listen to Jimmy Martin more than any other bluegrass act, and I knew who he was but never really checked out his music until Hank 3 had the line “If the king, Jimmy Martin was still here he’d tell em all to suck his dick” on “The Grand Ole Opry Ain’t So Grand Anymore”
Really???? Would you care for me to post videos or are you capable of YouTubing the Clinch Mountain Boys, or using Wikki or even the Library of Congress. Ralph was king in these parts and I saw him play several times at the Carter Fold. BTW, every August(maybe September) the Crater Fold has a festival celebrating bluegrass and old country. If you love the genre, it is a bucket list worthy item.
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I got Ralph Stanley and Doyle Lawson mixed up. My bad. Used to see both every year in Maggie Valley, NC at Raymond Fairchild’s Opry House.
Raymond Fairchild and Bela Fleck are the only banjo players I’d put in the same tier as Earl Scruggs
Carter Stanley was the superior Stanley Brother IMO.
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Only harmonica player I know is the dude from Blues Traveler
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You could cop out and just say Bob Dylan
Good list. Personally I'd have Sam Bush just on the fiddle, then add Bill Monroe (maybe Ricky Skaggs) on the mandolin.
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Ricky Skaggs would be a good add, I like Bill Monroe, but he was also a bit of a diva. You don’t need both a fiddle and mandolin in most songs, they usually fill the same role, and both are chorded the same, if you can play one you, as long as you can get the bow/picking down, you can play the other.
I’d probably put Jerry Douglas on Dobro and ditch the bass though now that I think about it
No problem, I named Lester instead of Earl earlier. In my defense, I don't ever remember talking about either one without mentioning the other in most of my life. Again, I am not saying Steve is better than Earl. I am saying I like to listen to Steve more.
I watch the Professor of Rock channel on Youtube. It is kind of like behind the music with historical context. That is where I found out about Shorty Medlocke. Apparently he is Rickey Medlocke's (Skynyrd and Blackfoot) grandpa and great in his own right with the harmonica in bluegrass, country and blues. He also played the banjo. I guess what amazed me most was my ignorance ... I did not know any member of Blackfoot and damn sure didn't know that Rickey Medlocke was ever a lead singer.