Foggy Mountain Banjo
Despite a painfully short running time of 25 minutes, this 1961 landmark remains one of the most important and influential banjo albums ever made. Released at the height of the folk boom, these 12 instrumentals inspired countless college kids to pick up a five-string banjo and try to emulate the great Earl Scruggs's spectacular three-finger attack. Paul Warren's fiddle and Josh Graves's Dobro keep pace with the master, who creates a template for bluegrass banjo. Although there are more definitive and comprehensive Flatt & Scruggs collections available,Foggy Mountain Banjowill always be a perennial favorite thanks to its original timely release and, of course, the timeless music within.--Marc Greilsamer