Unlimited Streaming
Listen to this album in high quality now on our apps
Start my trial period and start listening to this albumEnjoy this album on Qobuz apps with your subscription
SubscribeEnjoy this album on Qobuz apps with your subscription
Digital Download
Purchase and download this album in a wide variety of formats depending on your needs.
Bill Monroe is often cited as the man who gave birth to bluegrass, and his contribution to the genre simply can't be overestimated, but one can reasonably argue that Lester Flatt and Earl Scruggs had nearly as much to do with the growth of the music as Monroe (they certainly played a huge role in popularizing the revved-up acoustic style), and Scruggs more than anyone changed the role of the banjo in bluegrass, pioneering his own brand of fingerpicking that would come to supplant the clawhammer style as the dominant approach to the instrument. Jerry Douglas, widely acknowledged to be the finest dobro player in the game, is a serious Flatt & Scruggs fan, and he's created a remarkable fan's gesture by bringing together a handful of superb pickers to pay homage to his heroes. Douglas, noted guitarist and singer Shawn Camp, ace banjo player Charlie Cushman, Hot Rize founder and mandolin master Tim O'Brien, gifted fiddler Johnny Warren, and longtime Alison Krauss sideman and bassist Barry Bales team up as the Earls of Leicester on this album, playing 14 classics from the Flatt & Scruggs songbook in the classic style. It's certainly a pleasure to hear six players this strong playing music they clearly love, and everyone on board has a superb touch and a sincere appreciation of the material, especially Douglas, Cushman, and Camp. The Earls of Leicester is a loving tribute, re-creating the sound and feel of some of bluegrass' most influential and timeless music, but there is one real problem with this album: the players, great as they are, only bring so much of their personality to these songs, and while these performances are excellent, the Flatt & Scruggs originals were also excellent as well as being of massive historical importance. Which is to say that you might do just as well to get a good collection of classic Flatt & Scruggs sides as listen to this, and the players on board might just tell you the same thing. As a tribute, The Earls of Leicester is nearly flawless, and this may encourage some younger bluegrass fans to dig into the Flatt & Scruggs catalog, but as far as having a mind and a character of its own, these sessions leave a certain amount to be desired.
© Mark Deming /TiVo
You are currently listening to samples.
Listen to over 100 million songs with an unlimited streaming plan.
Listen to this playlist and more than 100 million songs with our unlimited streaming plans.
From $10.83/month
George Sherry, ComposerLyricist - Stanley Johnson, ComposerLyricist - The Earls Of Leicester, MainArtist
℗ 2014 Rounder Records. Manufactured and distributed by Concord Music Group, Inc.
Louise Certain, ComposerLyricist - Wayne P. Walker, ComposerLyricist - Gladys Stacey, ComposerLyricist - George Sherry, ComposerLyricist - The Earls Of Leicester, MainArtist
℗ 2014 Rounder Records. Manufactured and distributed by Concord Music Group, Inc.
TOM JAMES, ComposerLyricist - Jerry Organ, ComposerLyricist - The Earls Of Leicester, MainArtist
℗ 2014 Rounder Records. Manufactured and distributed by Concord Music Group, Inc.
Louise Certain, ComposerLyricist - Gladys Stacey, ComposerLyricist - Buck Graves, ComposerLyricist - The Earls Of Leicester, MainArtist
℗ 2014 Rounder Records. Manufactured and distributed by Concord Music Group, Inc.
Newton S. Thomas, ComposerLyricist - The Earls Of Leicester, MainArtist
℗ 2014 Rounder Records. Manufactured and distributed by Concord Music Group, Inc.
Earl Scruggs, ComposerLyricist - Lester Flatt, ComposerLyricist - The Earls Of Leicester, MainArtist
℗ 2014 Rounder Records. Manufactured and distributed by Concord Music Group, Inc.
Louise Certain, ComposerLyricist - Wayne Walker, ComposerLyricist - Gladys Stacey, ComposerLyricist - Marijohn Wilkin, ComposerLyricist - The Earls Of Leicester, MainArtist
℗ 2014 Rounder Records. Manufactured and distributed by Concord Music Group, Inc.
Louise Certain, ComposerLyricist - Wayne Walker, ComposerLyricist - Gladys Stacey, ComposerLyricist - Marijohn Wilkin, ComposerLyricist - The Earls Of Leicester, MainArtist
℗ 2014 Rounder Records. Manufactured and distributed by Concord Music Group, Inc.
Tompall Glaser, ComposerLyricist - The Earls Of Leicester, MainArtist
℗ 2014 Rounder Records. Manufactured and distributed by Concord Music Group, Inc.
TOM JAMES, ComposerLyricist - Marijohn Wilkin, ComposerLyricist - The Earls Of Leicester, MainArtist
℗ 2014 Rounder Records. Manufactured and distributed by Concord Music Group, Inc.
Riley Crabtree, ComposerLyricist - Gene Evans, ComposerLyricist - The Earls Of Leicester, MainArtist - Charles L. Haught, ComposerLyricist
℗ 2014 Rounder Records. Manufactured and distributed by Concord Music Group, Inc.
Rosa Lee Maphis, ComposerLyricist - Joe Maphis, ComposerLyricist - The Earls Of Leicester, MainArtist - Max M. Fidler, ComposerLyricist
℗ 2014 Rounder Records. Manufactured and distributed by Concord Music Group, Inc.
Maybelle Carter, ComposerLyricist - Sara Carter, ComposerLyricist - A.P. CARTER, ComposerLyricist - The Earls Of Leicester, MainArtist
℗ 2014 Rounder Records. Manufactured and distributed by Concord Music Group, Inc.
Ralph Stanley, ComposerLyricist - Carter Stanley, ComposerLyricist - The Earls Of Leicester, MainArtist
℗ 2014 Rounder Records. Manufactured and distributed by Concord Music Group, Inc.
Album review
Bill Monroe is often cited as the man who gave birth to bluegrass, and his contribution to the genre simply can't be overestimated, but one can reasonably argue that Lester Flatt and Earl Scruggs had nearly as much to do with the growth of the music as Monroe (they certainly played a huge role in popularizing the revved-up acoustic style), and Scruggs more than anyone changed the role of the banjo in bluegrass, pioneering his own brand of fingerpicking that would come to supplant the clawhammer style as the dominant approach to the instrument. Jerry Douglas, widely acknowledged to be the finest dobro player in the game, is a serious Flatt & Scruggs fan, and he's created a remarkable fan's gesture by bringing together a handful of superb pickers to pay homage to his heroes. Douglas, noted guitarist and singer Shawn Camp, ace banjo player Charlie Cushman, Hot Rize founder and mandolin master Tim O'Brien, gifted fiddler Johnny Warren, and longtime Alison Krauss sideman and bassist Barry Bales team up as the Earls of Leicester on this album, playing 14 classics from the Flatt & Scruggs songbook in the classic style. It's certainly a pleasure to hear six players this strong playing music they clearly love, and everyone on board has a superb touch and a sincere appreciation of the material, especially Douglas, Cushman, and Camp. The Earls of Leicester is a loving tribute, re-creating the sound and feel of some of bluegrass' most influential and timeless music, but there is one real problem with this album: the players, great as they are, only bring so much of their personality to these songs, and while these performances are excellent, the Flatt & Scruggs originals were also excellent as well as being of massive historical importance. Which is to say that you might do just as well to get a good collection of classic Flatt & Scruggs sides as listen to this, and the players on board might just tell you the same thing. As a tribute, The Earls of Leicester is nearly flawless, and this may encourage some younger bluegrass fans to dig into the Flatt & Scruggs catalog, but as far as having a mind and a character of its own, these sessions leave a certain amount to be desired.
© Mark Deming /TiVo
About the album
- 1 disc(s) - 14 track(s)
- Total length: 00:37:06
- Main artists: The Earls Of Leicester
- Composer: Various Composers
- Label: Rounder Records
- Genre: Country
© 2014 Concord Music Group, Inc. ℗ 2014 Concord Music Group, Inc.
Improve album informationWhy buy on Qobuz?
-
Stream or download your music
Buy an album or an individual track. Or listen to our entire catalog with our high-quality unlimited streaming subscriptions.
-
Zero DRM
The downloaded files belong to you, without any usage limit. You can download them as many times as you like.
-
Choose the format best suited for you
Download your purchases in a wide variety of formats (FLAC, ALAC, WAV, AIFF...) depending on your needs.
-
Listen to your purchases on our apps
Download the Qobuz apps for smartphones, tablets, and computers, and listen to your purchases wherever you go.