Bela Fleck, Sam Bush, Jerry Douglas on Grand Ole Opry - Major Honker

[phakajuju]

I cant believe the band introducer didnt mention BELA FLECK!!!!!

[BanginBanjo]

tony rice is still the guitar king....

[MrTweeel]

Cream of the crop!!!!!

[grinch08]

Also ........ Stuart Duncan and Bryan Sutton ya retard!!

[jltei]

Sam Bush,Bela Fleck,two of my all time favorite players!!What a fantastic band!!!

[cdub42]

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA I posted that before the end of the video

[cdub42]

I can't believe she didn't mention Bryan and Stuart..

[pappymcdamnit]

Stuart Duncan looks like Dana Carvey

[bobiscool1232002]

Someone stole the back of her dress.

[clyderf]

n2gqs..You have it reversed. Earl was a HUGE influence on both Bill and Bela, and if asked, either would be the first to tell you so. Earl's influences were Smith Hammett, Snuffy Jenkins, and other N.C. locals he heard as a youngster. Bela is probably the only other banjo man to be considered in some degree a world wide legend in the sense that Earl is. Bill is a consummate musician and the primary opener of the melodic approach. Who is best? Bela the complexity; Earl the tone-- both unique.

[strawman8]

This is awesome,only ones missing are Vince Gill and Tony Rice. Thanks for posting.

[quahog900]

jerry douglas played on leo kottke ice water album  cannda change my life

[stillwater215]

Bela fleck or Earl Scruggs? who do you think is more legendary?

[Telelikeitis]

@stillwater215 Earl is a legend, he commercialized the banjo. Bela just took it around the moon and back.

Bela will always be the best. He is the banjo player everyone wants to sound like.

[n2gqs]

@Telelikeitis Don't forget that Bill Keith had a big influence on how both of them play.

[JimmyDeLocke]

OOPS -- NEVER MIND . . .

[JimmyDeLocke]

WHY NOT MENTION THE OTHER GUYS? They're legends also.

[Telelikeitis]

@JimmyDeLocke Yeah I thought that was kind of rude.

[damhippy69]

bluegrass sessions lineup...

[brodank]

Who is the Interviewer? she is cute

[BluegrassLibrary]

@brodank

That's Lorrie Morgan. She was married to Keith Whitley before he died.

[brodank]

@BluegrassLibrary - awesome! thanks for the info and the GREAT videos that you post.

[wtfhah]

vince gill also!

[ArkRed1]

Ah, yes, St. Jerry of Douglas. 

[drewby613]

Practically everything I hear these awesome guys play (when they get together) has that same drifty, improvised feel that bores me to tears. I am in absolute awe of their virtuosity, but I confess that their improvisational ideas leave me cold. Full disclosure: I feel the same way about a lot of jazz; once I lose track of the melody they are riffing on I get that "there goes grandma again" feeling. As it is, the "melody" on this one isn't that compelling to begin with.

[jeffk1007]

Would you all stop making music a competition. Some of the best players in the world are in this video and you make it to be a sports game of who's best. Stop putting musicians against each other in a death match and just enjoy what they are presenting. I have had the pleasure of meeting a few of the musicians on this stage and the furthest thing on their mind is "I am better than you". Stop analyzing the music and enjoy!

[tonguetied83]

this was great. these guys were lucky to have bela fleck there- who is not only the best banjo player of all time but arguably the best musician of all time. i think it is perfectly fitting he plays he least understood instrument.

[AClodNamedIv]

@!MrEd - I didn't know they were still playing, I'd love to see them.

I'll be seeing Bryan with Hot Rize next week, should be a Mighty Fine show!

[north005]

I bought the NGR hits CD. The studio version of this song does not compare. At all.

[kbless551]

Best in Nashville? Try THE WORLD........

[AClodNamedIv]

Awesome talent on the strings! But I think the Telluride All-Stars lineup, from 1986-1987, is even better. Mark O'Connor on violin and Edgar Meyer on bass - incredible heights and interplay!

[MrEdyoulis]

@AClodNamedIv The current TAS lineup Bela, Sam Edgar, Bryan, & Stu ain't too shabby either

[north005]

What year was this performance recorded? Man, I miss TNN. Spike TV is dog doo.

[arstorch1]

Very good!

[Canawadry]

They're outrageously good but the guy eating bred in the audience stealed the show ! sweet 'stache man !

[Robin18us]

ungaknunap if you click just below the video on the names it will open up and you can read the entire title. It says: ela Fleck, Sam Bush, Jerry Douglas, Brian Sutton, Stuart Duncan, & Mark Schatz on Grand Ole Opry playing "Major Honker." You're right, they couldn't leave out Stuart Duncan. :o)

[Robin18us]

What a line up

[flashofthegap1200]

stompin,,

[clarktunes]

Why is this song not available on Itunes?

[TetanusStrings]

Gotta love the guy stuffing himself at 3:47.

[wenojnab5]

i love lorrie morgan

[wenojnab5]

i luv lorrie morgan!

[banjovi1953]

The very best!!!

[laurasIs2c]

Everything you can do with strings other than tie yourself to the chair.

[fishgutdumper]

yeah the guy eating at the end is great

[clutchit]

as Douglas would say: MONSTERS all of them!

[bluegrasslovely]

BluegrassLibrary, you never cease to amaze me!

And for anyone watching this out there, if you want to see this guys do that live, just head to Telluride Bluegrass Festival this summer! These guys (minus Mark Schatz) are the regular House Band this year and most years, which means a whole set of this stellar musicianship!

[cantstanga]

bryan sutton, stuart duncan and mark schatz got dicked in the intro

[Lucarius1]

from which year is that video? They all look still so young.

[funability1]

At 1:53 Mr Sutton ended a lil early...No worries ..still one of the best (if not the best) around ! Thanks for posting :)

[hotrock410]

Wonder why Bryan didn't get a 2nd break like everyone else? I would have loved to here more of the good ol' flatpick.

Recorded this song off a bluegrass special they ran off CMT years ago. Still sitting around on a VHS somewhere. Now if only still had a VCR lol...

[PointSpecial09]

Gosh, it's great and all... but I wish Sam would get into the music a little bit...

(yes, I'm kidding!)

Great vid!

[RobertELee01]

I didn't know they did "Major Honker" live. Sweet!

[BATENKILL]

HA!!! Get you some on dobro!! Damn Jerry's dobro must be set on destroy

[rollingredknuckles]

Love the shot of the good ol boy stuffing his mouth with some chips right after they finish playing! Man these dudes are the kings! Happy New Years all!

[banjobobbyify1]

To " goldensleeves" it's a cromatic starting at the D string at the 9th fret in triplets.

[nasty5oh]

"that guy on dobro" Now that is funny. Great video!

[billb0925]

The guy on the dobro? You don't listen to much bluegrass, do you 46r11? The guy on the guitar is pretty good, too, isn't he? How about the lad on the fiddle? Not bad, I guess. These five - Stuart Duncan on fiddle, Bela Fleck on banjo, Sam Bush on mandolin, Bryan Sutton on guitar, and most of all Jerry Douglas on dobro, are arguably the best players of their particular instruments in Nashville, which means they're arguably the best in the world, especially "the guy on the Dobro."

[chomperknocker]

@billb0925

46r11 didn't say anything negative about the rest of the players. He simply said the guy on the Dobro's fantastic. Which is true. There's no need to be so condescending. It's just a guy complimenting a musician.

[billb0925]

@chomperknocker - Sorry. I didn't mean to offend you or to be condescending to anyone. I read my comment and I probably was a little haughty with it. I was just making a point that you can have your opinion on who's the best anything player in Nashville, and there will be spirited arguments all around until you get to dobro. Jerry Douglas is simply the best ever, and no one else even enters into the discussion. I'm happy for anyone to listen to our music, though, and won't do it again.

[principalbass]

@billb0925 Don't be so patronizing. People who don't listen to this music regularly can be excused for not knowing who certain players are. To people unfamiliar with bluegrass, all Jerry Douglas really is only "the guy on the Dobro".

[billb0925]

@principalbass Did you read my second comment? I apologized for being condescending or patronizing, pick your word, and I'll do it again for your benefit. I didn't mean to come off that way, and I'm certainly happy for first time or casual bluegrass fans to watch the performances on YouTube and learn to appreciate these wonderful musicians. It's been my experience that people who watch the YouTube videos are usually people who are already fans of the genre. Sorry again...

[BATENKILL]

Damn thats the best of the best!!!!

[Tonefid115]

Great clip!

[jamsmi174]

these guys are Major players

[RobertELee01]

Tales from the Acoustic Planet Volume II: The Bluegrass Sessions.

[nickenamebluegrass]

very very very good picking! Jerry and Bryan are fantastic! =)

[1dudeman2]

they sound sooooooo good together..

[tomo1tanker]

Jerry Douglas absolutely is the best dobro player ever.

Stuart Duncan is my personal idol though, simply because I play the fiddle, and that man could play anything and make it sound amazing!

[azharkamal]

holy mackerel.what ASTOUNDINGLY GREAT PLAYING!!!!

[46r11]

The guy on the Dobro is absolutley fantastic

[celticagent]

Once again Stuart Duncan shows why he's the world's greatest bluegrass fiddler

[srvinfinity]

Just by the original sound I could hear it was a Bela tune. Great lineup and outstanding picking. (could it be less? I don't think so!)

[sometimescharlie]

the guy eating bread in the audience at 3:46 might be the major honker

[TheRipleys]

holy shit, that 's the funniest thing i've seen in a long time. that guy is definitely the major honker. well done sir, a tip o' the cap to you.

[sometimescharlie]

haha please welcome sam bush, béla fleck, and jerry douglas. well what about stuart duncan, brian sutton, and mark schatz. are they just the backup band?

[1FLEWUNDER]

Hot Hot fiddle! These guys are still fantastic.

[JimmyDeLocke]

These guy rule . .they rule. Thank you for posting. This isn't that long ago - It's the "sessions" tour. Tony allegedly had shut his hand in a car door and couldn't make it. "But don't worry ," sam said in the intros, "meet yer new best buddy, Bryan Sutton." and boy was he right - does this guy whup some ass on guitar or what? ;P

[1dudeman2]

thank you so much

[banjorino]

Excellent creation! :)

[chellovech813]

Fleck For life. He seriously rules.

[clarktunes]

Great stuff. Thanks so much for posting. It is actually spelled "Bryan".

[BATENKILL]

He's tuning that damn banjo HaHa I love it bela is tha man

[donnyaldridge]

I saw this live on TNN the night it aired. It was about 7 or 8 years back.....

[frangelica]

man, when was this? they're all so skinny!

[phriendlyphool]

umm it's really not that old...you want to see a young Sam Bush check out the short video of The Bluegrass Alliance with Sam and Tony Rice...or some New Grass Revival with Sam and Bela

[JimmyDeLocke]

check out "seven by seven" Vintage NGR

They're KIDS and Cowan's 'do alone is worth the price of admission

[bluegrasscanuck]

I like bluegrass but couldn't get into that tune...couldn' really hear a melody...?

[oewvrod]

that's Stu duncan on the fiddle

[clintonious]

She didn't know Mark O'Connor and Brian Sutton. That's a vocalist for you.

[goldensleeves]

How does Bela do that banjo lick at 3:29? Is he doing that "roll" on just one string? I know the thumb is still going throughout the lick but I'm not talking about that. How does he make that happen? I wish the camera was closer.

Does ANYBODY KNOW????????

[tombrown417]

He explains one of his roll techniques on his website, under FAQ's I think.

[JacGout]

that's single string style mate. triplets with 3 fingers on one string.

[goldensleeves]

hhmmm... okay so it's the index, middle, and ring finger just like flamence guitarists do sometimes?? So he's not using his thumb on that particular string, right? I mean his thumb is picking a different string, right?

[tubulartom]

Thank you so much for posting! I first saw some of this clip on a TV special years and years ago and I've been longing to see it again ever since! Thank you!

[yank22257]

While Mark O'Connor is certainly a great fiddle player, there is one I like better. On Bela Fleck's album, "Tales From The Acoustic Planet, Volume 2: the BlueGrass Sessions, the song "Dark Circles". Fiddle is played by the late Vassar Clements, a great Blue Grass legend.

BTW, this song, Major Honker is also on the album

[giggleblaggle]

3:29-3:33 is absolutely amazing. That lick of Bela's is the most unique lick I've ever heard from any banjo player. AWESOMMMMMMEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!

[festivejaci101]

Thanks for posting this video of my very favorite music and my very favorite musicians, who are all incredible, even without the great Edgar Meyer and Mark O'Connor on stage with them this time.

[urfaceislolburn]

And what about Bryan Sutton?? He's better than most every other guitar player on the scene today. Duh...

[greengrower101]

what's this tune?

[obadiahe]

The tune is "Major Honker," an original of Bela's, the closing track from his "Tales of the Acoustic Planet Volume 2: The Bluegrass Sessions" CD.

[comment99]

fantastic!

[ungaknunap]

How could you leave the best fiddler in the world, Stuart Duncan, out of the list?

[BluegrassLibrary]

He is on the list. Look at the description. It's impossible to fit all names in the title.

[U2BRTOO]

@BluegrassLibrary

I think ungaknunap was talking about the introduction onstage.

[xms32]

The best? I didn't know Mark O'Connor was playing here. hmmm.

[JBRHC78]

In my opinion, Mark O'Connor is definitely the better overall player. He's more technical and more well rounded. A true virtuoso. But Stuart gets the nod in this kind of setting.  There's just something about his style. You can't go wrong with either though.

[xms32]

Well said. I agree.

[deviusag]

@xms32 ..agreed, check out "Sanctuary" on Bela Fleck's "Drive" CD... that thing gives me goosebumps, especially when they break out near the end - pity they guffawed near the end though - but it's all good...

[korgroland88]

@ungaknunap Mark O'connor can smoke Stuart. Hands down.

[AnnaGolly]

@korgroland88

keep your infantile thoughts to your self...your statement is laughable...this is music - not sports

[korgroland88]

@AnnaGolly just saying... O'Connor may not be in the spotlight as much anymore, but don't doubt he's still a beast. He's also an awesome Mandolin and Guitar player. Stuart is a very tasteful and awesome session player. O'Connor is a world class player and composer. Not sure if Stuart would be comfortable in a jazz or classical setting, but O'connor is comfortable in ANY setting.

[AnnaGolly]

@korgroland88

Your response is a lot more nuanced than your initial post...At least you are kind of motivating your statement...O'connor and Duncan are both terrific musicians - The latter happens to touch me more but tht's an opinion rather than a fact...Some people would argue that O'Connor's undoubtedly virtuoso playing - no matter what style/setting - can sometimes albeit flawless in nature - come across as sterile and lacking in expression and emotion

[BoFrazer]

@ungaknunap Yes he is! And Mark is great, but Stuart flies a bit more daring out on the improv limbs of the tree not knowing where he's going, which I love. His early Hot Club de Nashville stuff is some of the sweetest fiddle I've ever heard.

[BoFrazer]

@ungaknunap Yes he is! And Mark is great, but Stuart flies a bit more daring out on the improv limbs of the tree not knowing where he's going, which I love. His early Hot Club de Nashville stuff is some of the sweetest fiddle I've ever heard.