Great instruments speak again

The Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum held last night (28 Oct.) its 'Big Night' fundraising event (see the BIB for 16 Sept.), featuring instruments from the museum's 'Precious Jewels' collection, previously owned by legendary musicians of the past, and now played by a stellar cast of distinguished musicians of today. The event, hosted by Marty Stuart, can be seen in a ninety-four-minute video on the Hall of Fame's YouTube channel.

The specifically bluegrass part of the event comes at 33:30 to 44:30, with 'Heavy traffic ahead' played by Ricky Skaggs on Bill Monroe’s 1923 Gibson F-5 mandolin, Alison Brown on Earl Scruggs’s 1930 Gibson RB-Granada banjo, and Marty Stuart on Lester Flatt’s 1950 Martin D-28 guitar; but there are riveting performances throughout the show, and you can choose to see particular spots here. Viewers should definitely read Tristan Scroggins's article on the Bluegrass Situation website, 'Ricky Skaggs reunites with Bill Monroe's mandolin for Big Night event', which also includes a fifteen-minute video of the occasion when Bill Monroe and his mandolin were reunited after its restoration by Charlie Derrington.

If you enjoy the Big Night - and why wouldn't you? - donations can be made to the Country Music Hall of Fame's Coronavirus Relief Fund.