Flatt & Scruggs at Carnegie Hall The Full Concert (Koch, 1998)

The original Columbia release of the infamous Flatt & Scruggs concert had 13 cuts. Koch has now released the entire concert, including the wonderful emcee work of the late Lester Flatt, with 32 songs.

The CD's excellent sound quality brings the music to life, serving as a time machine back to Dec. 8, 1962. Hear the rich clear voice of Flatt. Hear Earl's five-string banjo, the notes bouncing around the theatre like musical bullets.

The band works its way through many standards like "Down the Road," "Ballad of Jed Clampett," and "Hot Corn, Cold Corn." Scruggs gets to do "a little bit o'tunin' and a whole lot o'pickin'" on "Flint Hill Special" and "Reuben." Cousin Jake Tullock knocks the crowd out with "Little Darlin' Pal of Mine," an exiting banjo and bass duet. The dobro playing of Uncle Josh Graves, fiddlin' Paul Warren and rhythm guitar of Billy Powers fill out the Foggy Mountain Boys. Legend Merle Travis joins the group for two rousing encores, "Gotta Travel On" and "Mountain Dew."

The CD serves to "freeze frame" a point in time and give us glimpse of the genius that was Flatt & Scruggs. For any buegrass fran, this is a must have. I sure wish I had been there that night to be a part of the excitement, but this release serves as a close second.