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Lester Flatt and the Nashville Grass The Essential Lester Flatt and the Nashville Grass
Review by Brenda Hough  

Songs:

I Don't Care Anymore
Is It Too Late Now
Shuckin' The Corn
The Legend of the Johnson Boys
Please Don't Wake Me
Good Times Are Past and Gone
Drink That Mash and Talk That Trash
Why Don't You Tell Me So
Gonna Have Myself A Ball
Ballad of Jed Clampett
Why Did You Wander
Regina, I Live The Life of Riley
Foggy Mountain Special
We Can't Be Darlings Anymore
I Still Miss Someone
Black Eyed Suzy
If I Should Wander Back Tonight
Bummin' An Old Freight Train
Thinking About You

CCMH Classic Bluegrass

PO Box 39439

Los Angeles, CA 90039


Lester Flatt was part of two of the biggest bluegrass bands: Bill Monroe's Bluegrass Boys and Flatt and Scruggs, the band that brought bluegrass into TV stardom on the Beverly Hillbillies show. Lester was often overshadowed by Bill Monroe or Earl Scruggs in the other bands, but Nashville Grass lets Lester get in the spotlight with his fine baritone voice and rhythm guitar playing. The band included Curly Seckler, Paul Warren and a young mandolin player-future country star named Marty Stuart. This collection features all the well-known "hits" such as "Regina" and "I Don't Care Anymore" and a great cover of Johnny Cash's "I Still Miss Someone." There's lots of instrumental hot licks including some fine banjo playing from Kenny Ingram and dobro licks and fills from Charles Nixon. If you're looking for high-powered instrumentals, the band cuts loose with "Shuckin' The Corn," and "Foggy Mountain Special." Lester's mellow voice is featured in "Please Don't Wake Me," and "Why Don't You Tell Me So." The tongue-in-cheek "Drink That Mash and Talk That Trash" is a humorous look at the moonshiner's life. Thirteen of the 20 songs were written by Lester Flatt and many of them are bluegrass jam session classics. This is an excellent collection from CMH Records and certainly an album that belongs in any collection of classic bluegrass.

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