I've been into bluegrass since the late 60's. I play bass and guitar. How many of you remember when
this song was the national anthem of Bg? I have a pickin partner (banjo) who can nail Reno's 2nd
break in this tune..We played 3 1/2 hours yesterday with 3 other pickers. I did bass.
I remember going to the first big name bluegrass festival to take place in America in Fincastle Va., at a horse farm called Cantrell’s Farm in 1965, 1966 and 1967. Anybody that was top shelf was there, including Reno and Smiley. He is/was one the very best 5-string banjo pickers to play bluegrass and he played without the use of a capo. He said it was easier to play the notes than try to use a capo back in the day. The capo were not good as the ones that can be bought today.
I remember taking my dad to Reno’s house in Lynchburg Va. for a visit some 41 years ago for a jam session for some new music my dad had wrote to see if fit Don Reno’s style of banjo picking. Dad played D-28 Martin like Lester Flatt and could cover any song that Flatt wrote and sung. To be nearly one on one with Don Reno’s banjo picking was like a crystal chandelier.
Earl Scruggs became the standard for the 5-string banjo in the early 1940’s while Reno was fighting Japes in the South Pacific with a group called Merlin’s Marauders.
Good one.
Recorded June 28 1960 King Recording Studio, 1540 Brewster Ave., Cincinnati, OH – Reno & Smiley (Don Reno [vcl/banjo], Red Smiley [vcl/rh gt], Steve Chapman [el gt], Ronnie Reno [mandolin], Ray Pennington [drums], Mack Magaha [fiddle])
