Personnel: Earl Scruggs (banjo); Lester Flatt (guitar); Chet Atkins, Louis Innis, Ray Edenton (guitar); Josh Graves (dobro); Curly Seckler, Everett Lilly (mandolin); Chubby Wise, Howdy Forrester, Paul Warren , Benny Martin (fiddle); Ernie Newton, Bob Moore , Jake Tullock (bass instrument).
This 1957 long-player (bluegrass, or "mountain music" as it was often called then, had mostly been the province of 78s) collects 12 top-notch cuts by the group many consider to be bluegrass's all-time finest. Earl Scruggs and Lester Flatt met in Bill Monroe's band in the mid-'40s, where they helped Monroe pioneer the classic bluegrass sound, then later left Monroe to form their own group, with Scruggs's blazing banjo leads and Flatt's flat-picking guitar lines and steady tenor taking the spotlight. Fiddlers Chubby Wise and Paul Martin, dobro player Buck Graves, and mandolin player Curly Seckler also lent their skills to the air-tight artistry of the outfit.
FOGGY MOUNTAIN JAMBOREE is an excellent sampler of old-time country at its absolute best. In addition to the Scruggs's jaw-dropping banjo proficiency (displayed prominently on instrumentals like "Flint Hill Special" and "Shuckin' the Corn"), and the sweet, tight harmonies throughout (especially notable on the a cappella "Reunion in Heaven"), all of the compositions--many of which were penned by Flatt and Scruggs--are strong. Superior playing, glorious multi-part singing, and an overall down-home, good-time, rootsy feel make FOGGY MOUNTAIN JAMBOREE an incontestable classic.
