Flatt & Scruggs

Best of the Flatt & Scruggs TV Show Vol. 3 (Shanachie)

Flatt & Scruggs

Best of the Flatt & Scruggs TV Show Vol. 4 (Shanachie)

The Flatt & Scruggs TV shows were immensely popular throughout the South from the mid-1950s until 1969, when the guitar/banjo duo broke up. Taken from recently discovered episodes, their existence is as remarkable as some of the performances they preserve. The follow-up to the first two volumes released earlier this year offers more treats for fans of bluegrass. Both editions contain two complete half-hour shows and concentrate on late 1961 and early 1962, a period when Lester Flatt, Earl Scruggs, and the Foggy Mountain Boys were at their peak as an ensemble. The inclusion of commercials for sponsors Martha White Flour and Pet Milk adds a bit of kitschy fun. Appearances by a 7-year-old mandolin-slinging Ricky Skaggs on Vol. 3 and an 8-year-old Randy Lynn Scruggs, Earl’s son, on Vol. 4 provide a brief glimpse into the future of bluegrass.

(Both) ****

This article appears in December 21 • 2007.

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