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Thread: Ricky Skaggs

  1. #51
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    In my opinion, I think that Bill Monroe would have been more concentrated on the developent of bluegrass music, not the maintenance of it to as close to his style as humanly possible. Therefore, if he looked years into the future and saw most of the bluegrass bands out there still playing his cover tunes and things that he himself played, but better I might add, he probably would have frowned upon it. Now, I'm going to go out on a limb here and say that one of the significant torchbearers that I see is Chris Thile and Nickel Creek. I am of the opinion that Nickel Creek is not to be considered strictly bluegrass, but it is also obvious that their roots are in bluegrass, and the music that they play branches off of bluegrass. Therefore, if Bill Monroe were to see that bands of young people, like Nickel Creek, who are attracting many other young people to the bluegrass genre that would never been exposed to it if we relied on Del McCoury and Ricky Skaggs to try and show them bluegrass, I think Big Mon would have a smile on his face.
    God made me a mandolin player, and when I play, I feel his pleasure.

  2. #52

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    Bill to Chris..."Son..that aint part of nothin"

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    Quote Originally Posted by (Scotti Adams @ June 12 2004, 06:19)
    ..JDart...go ahead and tell us how you really feel...now dont hold back none..ya hear....Ive heard the same thing about Ricky..esp. from people who are associated with the Hicks camp...And Skagg's mando style has changed too...hes more Monroish now....I liked his style he had back in the 70's and 80's.....he was truly one of a kind then..
    Wonder if Doyle Lawson went the same way. When I heard him
    with JD Crowe in
    Lexington in 1969 his stuff sounded somewhat "progressive"
    to my ears, reminiscent of the stuff that Grisman played with
    Red Allen.

  4. #54
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    I have been a Ricky fan back to the days when he was touring with Ralph and sitting in on Seldom Scene sessions. #Ricky does NOT get my vote as the torch bearer for two reasons 1 (his propensity to confuse performing and preaching) and 2 (his recent works with KT are so overproduced that my brain runs out of the room). #There is nothing like three or four superpickers taking a break at the same time or stepping all over each other. #Someone earlier said he has too many musicians on stage, which I think is a different way of making the same point. #The torch bearer (if there is one) must also preserve the simplicity of bluegrass music. #Much of the beauty of bluegrass is in its basic simplicity. #Those who fail to see that turn it into the Boston Pops with acoustical instruments. #I don't think there will be a single torchbearer but several and would claim that it was always that way. #If WSM was the only torchbearer, the music would have been regional and (if he had had his way) he would have been the only one to have done it. #The popularization of bluegrass was mostly done by Flatt & Scruggs and the Stanleys. #Sadly, Bill wasn't the best or most polished performer of his music. #To summarize, I think there will be a number of torchbearers with the parking lot pickers being the most influential as it is us that spend the bucks. #That's my humble opinion.
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  5. #55
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    I'll second that! Except the part about Bill.



    Aaron Garrett

  6. #56
    Bill Healy mrbook's Avatar
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    Monroe started the music, but if Flatt & Scruggs, the Stanleys, Reno & Smiley, and others hadn't carried it on and spread the word we wouldn't have the music we like today. I don't think the people who are really carrying Bill's torch care about that - they are too busy playing music. My choice for the band that has that hard-driving , high lonesome bluegrass sound (however you define it) while adding something of their own is the Del McCoury Band. There are a lot of others, though - David Davis, the Bob Paisley Band, and others I've heard and haven't heard. I don't think Monroe had one heir in mind.

    As for Ricky Skaggs - he has made some great music. The Bluegrass Rules album knocked me out, except for some spoken comments (which I edit out when playing the CD), but each album seems to stray a little more from what I think is pure bluegrass, and the music seems too polished and slick - I'd rather hear Frank Wakefield, where you never know what will happen next. The comments get in the way - ever listen to the hidden track at the end of Live at Charleston Music Hall? Who would put that on a recording? There are some great players in his band, but as far as being the heir apparent, I think it's better to have other people say it than announce it yourself.

  7. #57

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    ..you said it Salty...

  8. #58
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    James MONROE ? ... Just kidding ! #
    Just because you can, doesn't mean you should!

  9. #59
    Mandoholic Mike Bullard's Avatar
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    As far as torchbearers go I would cast my vote for Ricky but when you look at bluegrass music as a whole it would be everyone who picks, plays, sings, writes and buys this music in either ticket or CD/Album formats. It is the pickers and singers who bear the burdon of taking this music further. If we as users don't go to the festivals and help promote it then we are the reason it will go away. Yes, Del and his sons as do others carry on as do the no name groups who give it all to be a Bill Monroe wannabe. I never go on stage or pick at a jam session that I don't think of Bill and how he would want it played. He was my mentor as was my paternal father. I miss them both dearly and will meet them again someday. But till then Ricky, Del, Ralph and whats their names will carry on.

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    Hrm. All of this talk seems to be focusing on who is keeping BG music in the mold closest to Monroe's. I would like to suggest that one of Monroe's greatest contributions was to take an instrument and move it to areas it had never been before. From this perspective I think the "next one" would be Sam Bush or David Grisman. Thile may be the next "Next One I suppose, following this criterion.
    Jason Anderson

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  11. #61

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    I vote for Mike Compton, and believe he is underrated. When he gets his act together, I think he will make more of an impact on BG than Ricky Skaggs could hope for. I do however believe that no one will ever be the "entertainer" that Bill was.

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    ooooooooooouch!i am not a bg musician or even much of alistener to traditional bg, but im curious. why does their need to be a torchbearer?

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    Well.., it's kind of a traditional/societal/cultural thing - might even say it's kinda' like preserving and/or respecting the genre of a musical "form" and it's "founders".. - as opposed to the modern-day "throw-away" culture "thing"'..... I'd say kinda' like the bumper sticker.." It's a Jeep thing, you wouldn't understand".. - Guess maybe like the sayin'.."Ya' either get it or ya' don't" - (did I do OK, folks..) -

  14. #64

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    A torchbearer is one who is breaking new ground, leading the way, a visionary. Skaggs, and bluegrass music in general, seems to me to be working into a Society For Creative Anachronism.

    Who is the torchbearer today? We'll probably have some idea in 20 or 30 years. There is someone out there today making innovative stringband music that will stand the test of time. That person will probably be unrecognized or despised by their contemporaries. But that person will have an artistic vision that will take the long tradition of stringband music to another plane.

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    Now THAT'S really....profound!!! - Hear!!!.. Hear!! -

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    I'm glad someone finally mentioned Mike Compton, hands down the best Monroe style player. He is so under rated only because he does his playing without blowing his own horn about it. He was the mandolin behind the OBWAT scenes. I met him at the Kaufman Kamp and he was also very nice. I hope people will appreciate him someday.
    jon
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  17. #67

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    [QUOTE]I met him at the Kaufman Kamp and he was also very nice.

    I think that is his problem. Mike is too nice and too accomodating. He needs to step up to the plate and toot his own horn. He also needs an agressive agent or manager.

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    Blue Grass or Bluegrass. I think I've changed my mind. There is NO torchbearer. Ricky just does covers mostly. Del on the other hand does new music or brings it into bluegrass. That's kinda what WSM did. Nickle Creek is a new kinda music. Newgrass has been done and seems every time some hotlick band comes along it gets rediscovered as if it was new. But the advancement of bluegrass may have stopped significantly with the demise of Bill Monroe. Yeah others were, and are more popular. But there's no one who generates the music like he did. There's no one person who can currently weild the power of it. Parking lot pickers just rehash the same old songs. While we love the jams, there is no real creative element in it. Bluegrass may be set like "old time music" now. I wonder. I did see more young people at beanblossom fest. than at any festival I've been to in 25 years at least. That's a good sign anyway. Torchbearer or not. ( and none of the torchbearers so far mentioned here were there) maybe BILL MONROE is like Obie-one Kanobe (sp?) when struck down he became more 'PIRFUL'

  19. #69

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    I just saw a video last week of a Flatt and Scruggs Martha White show. They brought out this little kid of about 7 years old and Lester introduced him as little Ricky Scraggs. Well little Ricky played an A-style mandolin and really tore it up....One of those times you just have to shake you head cause it was so good coming from such a youngster. Ricky just stared straight ahead and played a couple of great solos. One thing you have to say about Ricky is that he certainly has a good resume and street credit.
    I never wanted them all, Just the ones I wanted.....

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    and AMEN!! (and so does Marty Stuart... who began has career with the late-great Lester Flatt) - RIP Lester Flatt. No flame-wars pls.., but a well-known Bluegrass DJ(yes, there are still a few of 'em around), once replied to a listener "...if you want to know the definition of Bluegrass Music, listen to Flatt and Scruggs from the 50's and early 60's on Mercury and Columbia Records."




  21. #71

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    ..can I get a big ol fat Hell yea...???..you said it Moose..F&S...now that IS the defintion of BlueGrass..

  22. #72
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    It is the definition of BANJO centered bluegrass. I love it still, don't get me wrong but is it alot different than when F&S were with Monroe? Only in that they add dobro and dont let Curley play much. Ricky IS playing bluegrass at least. Marty Stewart I remember use to holler from the stage " rock-N- roll" Lester would tell him to tone it down or something but he was a bright spot on the stage. Precocious kid!! Lots of memories there.

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    Yup! - I've mentioned this story before.. :In an interview a few years ago, Marty said he "...grew up on Lester Flatt's bus." - Go figure...

  24. #74
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    Bill WAS the torch! #We're all the fire that he lit. #The torch cannot control the fire that it set. #So let's keep burning it up.




  25. #75
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    Torchbearer is a mighty lofty role to live up to. Ricky is certainly a
    Bluegrass Ambassador and he was my early inspiration for the music.

    I agree with those who say that the people on this board (among others) are the collective torch-bearers of this genre.
    Growing old is mandatory, growing up is optional.

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