Rounder Records is releasing another single in advance of their upcoming double live album from the Earls Of Leicester, Live at The CMA Theater in The Country Music Hall of Fame.
Just as the title indicates, Jerry Douglas and the Earls recorded two nights of live shows in Nashville, set to be released on September 28 on CD, and on October 12 on LP. It includes 24 tracks, all of them drop dead perfect reproductions of the music of Lester Flatt, Earl Scruggs & the Foggy Mountain Boys.
It’s a bit hard to believe that more than 60 years have passed since much of this music was first recorded by Flatt & Scruggs, and the devotion to recreating it for a modern audience by these contemporary masters is a wonder to behold. That was the mission when Jerry started this band in 2013, and in short order they had become one of the top draws in the acoustic music world.
In addition to Douglas on reso-guitar, The Earls are Charlie Cushman on banjo, Shawn Camp on guitar, Johnny Warren on fiddle, Jeff White on mandolin, and Barry Bales on bass. All six have other commitments in the music business, so their availability for touring is limited, but you can find them out on the road through the end of September, including a show at the Wide Open Bluegrass Festival in Raleigh, NC following IBMA’s World of Bluegrass.
Releasing tomorrow is their rendition of Earl’s Breakdown. Check out this video from the Hall of Fame taping and listen to the audience reaction after Charlie’s second break (and Jerry’s), which is precisely how people reacted back when Lester and Earl were touring the country in the ’50s.
The audio track for Earl’s Breakdown will be available for download purchase on Friday.
You can check the Earls’ tour schedule online.
