Search - Seldom Scene :: Act One

Amazing Music...

B. Schmucker | Buffalo, NY | 04/11/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I grew up on Mennonite singing which was based on harmonies 150 years old. Of course, many of my family members performed some of the best bluegrass in the country and I was raised singing it. I heard a National Public Radio Fresh Air program featuring Seldom Scene when John Duffey died. I immediately went out and bought this album. I've been listening to it ever since. I can't imagine not having it. Heaven surely gained an angel when John left us. The instrumentals and vocals are all incredible. It's a must for any good music library, even if you've never listened to bluegrass before."

The Band's Excellent 1972 Debut

Steve Vrana | Aurora, NE | 06/02/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"The Seldon Scene has undergone numerous changes since its inception more than thirty years ago and even survived the death of it founding member John Duffey in 1996, but they will be remembered most for their early albums with the classic lineup of Duffey on mandolin, John Starling on guitar, Ben Eldridge on banjo, Mike Auldridge on Dobro, and Tom Gray on bass.



ACT 1 is their 1972 debut and it sets a pattern they would follow throughout their career, namely tight musicianship and a song selection that featured both traditional and more contemporary material. On the traditional side, they performed numbers like "Darling Corey" and "Will There Be Any Stars in My Crown." But even on their debut they were pushing the boundaries of bluegrass music by incorporating more rock and pop oriented songs like James Taylor's "Sweet Baby James," Steve Goodman's "City of New Orleans" and "What Am I Doing Hanging 'Round," a song first popularized by The Monkees. And the band featured two fine lead vocalists. There was Duffey's high lonesome leads, and Starling's smooth tenor leads.



In addition to a pair of fine vocalists, each member of the band were excellent musicians--check out the instrumentals "Joshua" and "Cannonball." The Seldom Scene set the bar high with their debut, and the amazing thing was they were able to maintain that high level throughout their carer. [Running Time - 35:25] VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED"

This album hooked me on Bluegrass.

Steve Vrana | 08/28/1999

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I was teethed on this album, yes album, not cd. The best bluegrass instrumentation ever and great harmonies. You will love bluegrass after you listen to this album."