The Kruger Brothers doing soundcheck at the Opry – photo © Margaret Willows
Two weeks ago today, August 6, was a red letter day for The Kruger Brothers. Siblings Jens on banjo, and Uwe on guitar, along with longtime bassist Joel Landsberg, made a trip from western North Carolina out to Nashville for their official debut on the Grand Ole Opry.
For a couple of Swiss-born musicians, who grew up with bluegrass dreams of playing on the Opry someday, it was quite a heady experience, especially for Uwe, as Jens had appeared there once before in 1982 as a guest with Bill Monroe.
When we chatted a few days ago, Jens was exuberant with the excitement of their big night. He told me that the invitation came out of the blue, by mail.
“They contacted us directly from the Opry, wrote us a letter saying that they would love to have us play.
We had 15 minutes, including an interview. So we played about 12 minutes – two instrumentals – and a singing song.
Rhonda Vincent was on the show, and she hugged me and had tears in her eyes saying how happy she was that we were there.”
So how was the audience reaction?
“They wouldn’t stop clapping! They loved it so much. John with the Opry hugged us, and said that they loved it so much. The staff band all wanted selfies with us. They were all super nice.”
Jens also shared one aspect of the debut that meant a great deal to him.
“The nicest thing for me was to see my brother, who is such a great guitarist and a heartfelt singer, to look over and see him there singing on the same spot as all the famous Opry stars. It really moved me – he really deserves to be on that stage once and sing a song.
I’ve been touring for 50 years, and have had my share of honors, but Uwe never got anything.
One time Doc Watson described Uwe as his favorite guitarist, and of course he is my favorite guitarist, because I love my brother. So seeing him receive this recognition was very special to me. That is a personal satisfaction that is hard to describe.”
Jens had played the Opry once before, when he spent several months in the US as a teen.
“I had played as a featured artist with Bill Monroe in July 1982. We played Orange Blossom Special, and Dolly Parton was on the show, and Chet Atkins. I was only 19, and they were all very nice to me.
I played with Monroe many times during that summer of ’82. I had wanted to work in America, and was living on his farm with my fiancé. Every night at midnight we would all have ice cream and berries in his kitchen.
I grew up with horses, and he had horses on his farm. We would often go riding together.
One day he asked me what I wanted to do in life, and when I told him I wanted to keep playing banjo, he recommended against it. He told me that there wasn’t much money to be made in bluegrass, and that it wasn’t my heritage since I wasn’t from Kentucky.
Another time he asked me to play something for him. I played something, probably an Earl Scruggs tune, and he said, ‘Don’t you have anything of your own?’ I played something I had written, and he said, ‘That’s you, whether you like it or not.’
I really took to heart what he said. Everyone who has made it professionally in bluegrass has added something new.”
He expanded a bit on that, and why the Opry debut felt like such a personal victory for The Kruger Brothers.
“They asked us, and let us play our own music. The whole experience was a beautiful and heartwarming experience, and I wouldn’t have missed it. They sort of put a seal on what we have done.
This is not our heritage. The only way that we would survive is to make something of our own. It doesn’t have to be 100% old or new. Maybe add 10% or 20% to the tradition. That’s what we do, I think.
When the Opry asked us to play our own music at the Opry, we had never expected that to happen. Nashville is a very commercial place, and you have to be pretty famous to be asked to the Opry.”
As you can see, Jens Kruger is not only a virtuosic banjoist, but a clever music business professional, a loving brother, and a very kind man. We could sure use more like him in this world.
Congratulations to Jens, Uwe, and Joel on their Grand Ole Opry debut!
