We thought that 8 volumes of these old TV shows would satisfy most Bluegrass lovers, but it has been amazing how many fans over the past few months have inquired about if and when there would be some more! Well, here are the ninth and tenth volumes of these classic shows, and that is probably all there will be, according to the producers. These particular shows were made in 1961 and 1962, when Lester Flatt & Earl Scruggs were still in their prime as a band. Even though they were already starting to record some of their poorest material (to please the "Hootenanny" crowd), Flatt & Scruggs (and their sponsor, Martha White) knew quite well what their rural TV audience wanted, and they gave their viewers wonderful, unadulterated Bluegrass music. Indeed, there is so much to recommend these shows, which thankfully were preserved for almost 50 years. Lester Flatt was probably the smoothest, most relaxed MC ever in Bluegrass, apart from being one of its greatest singers. And to see Earl Scruggs at his best is still a thing of wonder --it's really hard to comprehend the seemingly effortless skill, creativity, and good taste that he showed on every piece he played. Fitting into the band perfectly was Curly Seckler, whose matchless tenor worked so beautifully in his duets with Flatt. Add in the dynamic Dobro work of Buck Graves and the fiddling of Paul Warren and you have a group that was as near perfect as could be. We have not yet seen the list of song titles on these two new volumes (they are on the way to us as this Newsletter goes to press), but we can be sure there will be more of the same highlights that have made the previous volumes so popular. By the way, all of the earlier eight volumes in this series are still available at the price of $ 18.00 each. GREAT STUFF!
