I've been looking for recordings and shows with various iterations of a band I grew up listening to and often saw playing around here. Recently a friend of mine who was killed in a motorcycle accident that used to play with these guys put them back in mind. This is before his time, but he would have seen this and studied it well for the gig.





The guy playing banjo here... Gene Parker. One of the finest to ever pick up the instrument. Gene sometimes turns up at HBG shows. He's been a mentor to our banjo player Stewart, and countless more here in this part of Virginia. Virtually unknown outside of banjo-picker circles but a GIANT within. One of the most humble fellas around... won't take the mildest compliment.

One of Gene's signature tunes is this funny little banjo instrumental he wrote called "Struttin' To Ferrum" (Ferrum is a small rural community a few miles west of Rocky Mount on 40 in Franklin County Virginia). Here he is playing it back in the day-



And he got talked into a reprise at a birthday party I was at a couple years ago. He ain't lost a trick.

Listened to a whole bunch of Stanley at work today.
Rocks, Pebbles and Sand was the 2nd album of his that I purchased...forgot how good it was.

Opening track:





This is from If This Bass Could Only Talk, Freddie Hubbard's trumpet just climbs and climbs going into the 5:00 mark - goosebumps

Gillian Welch & David Rawlings play Dead:


Peter

Wake Of The Flood - live performances of each tune, in order; different nights: 

Peter (who has been going nuts the last few days waiting to share this one!)

Playing 4 Change