Foggy Mountain Jamboree

Flatt, Lester, Earl Scruggs, and the Foggy Mountain Boys

If You Like the Beverly Hillbillies Theme, You'll Love This

Lester Flatt (1914–1979) and Earl Scruggs (born 1924) were the great evangelists of bluegrass. Guitarist and singer Flatt and banjo picker Scruggs wrote brisk, accessible tunes in the style of former employer and bluegrass patriarch Bill Monroe. After leaving Monroe in 1948, they developed a more extroverted, upbeat approach to the music, and with the help of a crack band they called the Foggy Mountain Boys, set out to take bluegrass to a wider audience. The group recorded a series of singles first for Mercury and then Columbia that spotlight Flatt's guileless voice complemented by fleet instrumental interplay. They became regulars at the Grand Ole Opry and on radio, exposure that helped the group's profile grow over several generations. Flatt and Scruggs were there when the folk revival of the late '50s increased interest in roots styles. Then in 1962, they were heard (and seen) on network television, when they were hired to write "The Ballad of Jed Clampett," the theme of The Beverly Hillbillies. They made occasional appearances on the show, playing themselves.

This album, the first Flatt and Scruggs title for Columbia, collects singles recorded between 1951 and 1955 and produced in Nashville by veteran Don Law. These feature several Foggy Mountain lineups that are now considered "dream teams" of bluegrass: bassist Jody Rainwater, mandolinist Curly Seckler, fiddlers Paul Warren and Chubby Wise, and several guitarists (including, for a short time, the young Chet Atkins).

Jamboree alternates between vocal and instrumental tracks; it begins with "Flint Hill Special," one of several examples of a Flatt and Scruggs trademark, that controlled quick-stepping pace anchored by staggeringly complex banjo patterns. There are, naturally, more contemplative moments—the sad ballads that were a Monroe specialty, as well as songs of praise (more of these are available on the equally amazing Foggy Mountain Gospel). Seek this out to hear one of bluegrass's most unified ensembles tearing through barn burners and sorrowful laments, each brought to life with reverence, and no extra fanfare.

Genre: Country
Released: 1957, Columbia
Key Tracks: "Flint Hill Special," "It Won't Be Long," "Foggy Mountain Special," "Your Love Is Like a Flower," "Reunion in Heaven."
Collector's Note: The 2005 reissue, which has a much cleaner remastering job than previous CD versions, also includes three bonus tracks, including the great "Dear Old Dixie."
Catalog Choice: Foggy Mountain Gospel
Next Stop: Bill Monroe: The Music of Bill Monroe
After That: Nashville Bluegrass Band: Waitin' for the Hard Times to Go
Book Pages: 282–283