Skip to content
Register |
Lost your password?
Subscribe
logo
  • Magazine
  • The Tradition
  • The Artists
  • The Sound
  • The Venue
  • Reviews
  • Podcasts
  • Lessons
  • Jam Tracks
  • The Archives
  • Log in to Your Account
  • Contact
  • Subscribe
  • Search
  • Login
  • Contact
Search
  • Magazine
    • Current Issue
    • Past Issues
    • Festival Guide
    • Talent Directory
    • Workshops/Camps
    • Our History
    • Staff
    • Advertise
    • Contact
  • The Tradition
  • The Artists
  • The Sound
  • The Venue
  • Reviews
  • Podcasts
  • Lessons
  • Jam Track
  • The Archives

Home > Articles > Reviews > A Tribute To Flatt & Scruggs

StringDusters-Feature

A Tribute To Flatt & Scruggs

Bob Allen|Posted on May 1, 2023|Reviews|No Comments
FacebookTweetPrint

Not much time passes before there’s a fresh musical salute to one or another of bluegrass’s founding figures. These tributes not only strengthen and reaffirm bluegrass’s crucial links to its past, they also seem to provide a subtle moral compass in terms of reinforcing the music’s integrity with each new generation of musicians.

Along those lines, it’s worth noting that at least one of the Stringdusters has a direct intergenerational connection to Flatt & Scruggs. As a young man, Dobro player Andy Hall played and toured with Earl Scruggs.

As the accompanying media material makes clear, some soul searching went into this heartfelt project—as if you would expect anything less from the Stringdusters, who already have about a dozen albums and a slew of awards (including a Grammy) under their belts. Each bandmember chose a song from Lester’s and Earl’s extensive catalogue with which he felt a personal connection. 

Once in the studio, though, spontaneity prevailed.  The band laid down these six songs much like Earl and Lester would have back in the day. They circled around one microphone and let it rip.

A shining example of the results is the Stringdusters’ galvanizing version of “Cabin on the Hill” (which came to bass player Travis Book’s attention when he heard guitarist-singer Josh Williams playing it one night in a hotel room during an IBMA conference). The band fully captures the song’s abiding sadness and yearning, as all five Stringdusters harmonize in unison.

There’s similar power and conviction in the Stringdusters’ reprise of Flatt’s & Scruggs’ take on Alton Delmore’s “Will You Be Lonesome Too.” Ditto for “I’d Rather Be Alone,” which was brought to the attention of bass player-vocalist Travis Brook by his close friend Jon Weisberger.

The upbeat “Earl’s Breakdown,” among other exemplary tracks, draws out all the precise, yet relaxed and good-timey vibe that is central Flatt’s and Scruggs’ enduring influence and appeal.

FacebookTweetPrint
Share this article
Facebook
X (Twitter)
Linkedin

Leave a Comment Cancel Reply





This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

May 2023

Flipbook

logo
A Publication of the Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame & Museum / Owensboro, KY
  • Magazine
  • The Tradition
  • The Artists
  • The Sound
  • The Venue
  • Reviews
  • Survey
  • New Releases
  • Online
  • Directories
  • Archives
  • About
  • Our History
  • Staff
  • Advertise
  • Contact
  • Subscriptions
Connect With Us
Facebook
Instagram
Twitter
YouTube
bluegrasshalloffame
tannerpublishing
tannerwest
Subscribe
Give as a Gift
Send a Story Idea

Copyright © 2025 Tanner Publishing Co. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy
Website by Tanner+West

Subscribe For Full Access

Digital Magazines are available to paid subscribers only. Subscribe now or log in for access.