This is to me the pinnacle in Blue Grass music. I do not think there will ever be a collective of musicians on stage all at once in this style that could rival all these guys for title of the best! They all individually are unbelievably amazing at what they do but elevate it to a completely different level when put on a stage together! Every now and then the stars align, the planets move, Earth is shifted and things just go right and history is made. I believe this will forever be one of those very rare occasions when it all comes together and we should all thank God that the cameras were rolling and the sound was right and somebody had enough love for music and generosity to share it with us all on RUclips! Thank you for the post!!!
These guys top to bottom are the pinnacle of this era. They are innovators that have inspired thousands upon thousands of musicians young and old! Thank God for these treasures!
Mark O’Connor- MY GOD- I have been through all of the bluegrass instruments-no words justify how good this guy is- one of the world’s greatest musicians.
The Tony Rice All Stars is how this was billed. Footage taken from the Pickin' For Merle documentary series filmed at the 1992 festival. Nine Pound Hammer, Freeborn Man, Molly & Tenbrooks, and Cold on the Shoulder from this set were also included, possibly more; a couple of them are also on YT.
Years ago when YT first started when you searched "Bluegrass" the first video in the list was a 8-10 min jam by this line up from this festival. I wish I could find it. It seems to have disappeared. :(
WOOOOW! That is a collection of some of the best, at they're best, in their prime. Wow, Sam Bush: I don't know how you can play a mandolin so hard that it seems like the wood will start burning. That was amazing.
I am so glad i got to see every one of these amazing performers through the years and many more during my bluegrass magical mystery tour back in the day. Bluegrass sure isn't like it use to be.
Awesome video. Thanks for sharing! FYI - this is Bela's tune from his album, but that's not just Tony Rice. It's Mark O'Connor, Sam Bush, Jerry Douglas and Mark Shatz. A truly all-star lineup.
In my humble opinion the very best collective that will ever be on a stage! Every single one of these guys revolutionized their instruments and how people perceived them! EVERY SINGLE ONE OF EM! All stars at every level! INFLUENCERS. By definition you cannot be a leader if no-one is following you.... Musicians will be "following" these guys for generations to come!
This is from 1992...awesome display from a stage full of talent..i never tire of listening to these guys pick..i was there ..i had to move back to Texas in 1995.. i surely miss the Merlefest ( my first Merlefest was 1989)..some of the best times of my life were in those hills of Wilkes County...may God bless you all
Sam Bush, the best mandolin player this side of David Grisman, and the best bluegrass banjo, guitar, and arguably fiddle player of all time. It’s a wonder the stage didn’t catch fire
Sounds about right. I remember I bought a Tony Rice video on VHS about 20 years ago and it had this performance on it, along with a bunch of other numbers.
This is definitely from the 1992 Merle Watson Memorial Bluegrass Festival, before the name was officially changed to "MerleFest" (everyone called it that though). It was filmed for a PBS 10 part TV special called "Pickin' For Merle" which as far as I know still has not yet surfaced in complete form. There are a handful of other clips, all of which I think are from a single "best of" episode that aired on and off during pledge drives for a few years. Agreed with several other commenters that this might be the single most potent recurring lineup in the history of bluegrass. It's true that this lineup (or minor variations of it) played together at many festivals over the years, but I was at this one (and many of the others too) and remember it quite clearly & recognize the stage, the outfits, etc... At the time I was barely wise enough about bluegrass to know how lucky I was to witness this go down - but I was, and as the years have passed and I've learned the music better, the performances have only grown in my estimation. There is also a Doc Watson led jam session featuring many of the same players from this weekend that is equally stunning. Great upload, thank you.
@@wentworthcaniac if there is any chance you would be willing to lend those tapes or make copies of them it would be a major service to the bluegrass community. I have responsible, reliable friends all over the country and if you are willing to help we can make this thing happen in whatever way you're comfortable with. You are the first person to have a copy of the tapes I've found in over 2 decades of looking!
Thanks so much. 'Wish they'd put the 'where and when' in the youtube description! Nice to know it was Merlefest... A comparable lineup (arguably) happens every year with the Telluride All Star Band... But Tony is/was irreplaceable. Now there's Bryan Sutton, who IS awesome too...
Just fantastic live music being played by real musicians, not like today with all the digital and electronic garbage that make nonentities sound good and also make them rich
Tony Rice might wear a suit, but he's no city boy, that's for sure! Dude is just standing there with a straight back, casually shredding an acoustic guitar with bluegrass riffs that he's been practicing for 40+ years daily.
Mark O'Connor is the fiddle player. He has a ton of his work on RUclips. He is an awesome musician and pretty good composer as well. Check out his performance at his induction into the Fiddle Players Hall of Fame.
This is so fast, it's nearly musically incoherent, but they somehow hold the groove. I think what happened is Sam kicked it into high gear with his first solo and there was no turning back then...(you can even see Tony mouth what I think was "too fast"). Ha ha...amazing.
Bela Fleck posted an article about Tony after he passed. He said that Tony didn't like rehearsals so they got in one room and recorded the album Drive pretty much live. Get some?
Sitting in Charelston SC parked on the side of an industrial park drive with all the windows down and this performance cranked to 11 in my Peterbilt, daring anyone to tell me to turn it down.
I do that in my car in the summertime, have been since I was a teenager. I wait until I'm beside some punk in traffic blasting rap and turn up my bluegrass full blast 🚥😂 🎶
don't you just wish this band would learn to play before they start practicing in public? ha! ha! i could listen to these ole boys all day long. very very hard to beat.
This is to me the pinnacle in Blue Grass music. I do not think there will ever be a collective of musicians on stage all at once in this style that could rival all these guys for title of the best! They all individually are unbelievably amazing at what they do but elevate it to a completely different level when put on a stage together! Every now and then the stars align, the planets move, Earth is shifted and things just go right and history is made. I believe this will forever be one of those very rare occasions when it all comes together and we should all thank God that the cameras were rolling and the sound was right and somebody had enough love for music and generosity to share it with us all on RUclips! Thank you for the post!!!
Amen
Well said Tony
Had a chance to see them and blew it
Still kicking myself
The best I agree
Wow that is so true
What about Punch Brothers?
Moments like these I'm reminded why RUclips is a good thing
A stage full of G.O.A.T.s !!
I'm convinced that Sam Bush has to move his head like that to cool his face so it doesn't melt while he's soloing.
I just choked on my dinner reading this
Lmao!! I think you're right!
I can't disagree
LORD JESUS IT'S A FIRE! And it's on Tony Rice's second guitar solo!
May be the best solo I've ever heard in this era of bluegrass. Tony blending in the jazz licks perfectly without going overboard
These guys top to bottom are the pinnacle of this era. They are innovators that have inspired thousands upon thousands of musicians young and old! Thank God for these treasures!
RIP, Tony. Always the Gentleman in the bunch! What a crew.
Pure chaos and I love it
I was there for this show, I still wonder why I am not mentally scarred from it......
Holy cow, always loved this one, but this live version is wild. Insane picking at an insane speed!!
Mark O'connor, Sam Bush, Mark Shatz, Tony Rice, Jerry Douglas, Bela Fleck, 1993
Mark O’Connor- MY GOD- I have been through all of the bluegrass instruments-no words justify how good this guy is- one of the world’s greatest musicians.
VERY WELL SPOKEN and very true! Mark O'Connor is one of the best musicians in general on the face of the planet.
Have you seen him with Winton Marsalis - Sweet Georgia Brown - one of the greatest pieces of live music I ever saw - all of them just brilliant
Is this Mark O’Connor?
The Tony Rice All Stars is how this was billed. Footage taken from the Pickin' For Merle documentary series filmed at the 1992 festival. Nine Pound Hammer, Freeborn Man, Molly & Tenbrooks, and Cold on the Shoulder from this set were also included, possibly more; a couple of them are also on YT.
Years ago when YT first started when you searched "Bluegrass" the first video in the list was a 8-10 min jam by this line up from this festival. I wish I could find it. It seems to have disappeared. :(
Oh. That's good stuff!!
I love how every time Sam Bush’s head goes this way, his hair goes that way.
Bluegrass royalty, every one of them.
Very few stages have ever had this much overwhelming talent placed on them. This is truly mindblowing stuff I only wish the world knew.
Everybody's so young!!!
This group supports each other and brings out the best for each. So is the truth with experts I all fields
I had the pleasure of meeting Tony Rice years ago in Tulsa Oklahoma, he was so nice and took a lot of time to chat with everyone around him.
WOOOOW! That is a collection of some of the best, at they're best, in their prime. Wow, Sam Bush: I don't know how you can play a mandolin so hard that it seems like the wood will start burning. That was amazing.
Tony Rice is the man. Dresses like a pro, looks first class and plays like a god while looking at ease.
I couldn't put it better than Tony Eads. Bela's album, Drive, is the most inspiring instrumental album I know.
Absolutely agree.
a bunch of guys at the peak of their performance. just f'in incredible. thank you so much for capturing this for us
Insane banjo and guitar in that playlist!! Holy crap!
Good Grief, what talent..can't perceive all the thoughts going through their minds on those strings!
They're so good, they're probably just thinking about taking out the garbage when they get home.
BanjerString they just play naturally no thoughts just sending good energy to the crowd through their talent!
A 'who's who' of bluegrass with Sam Bush on mandolin and Jerry Douglas on dobro!!
To say this is an all star unit is a gross gross understatement
Damn, that two-note repeated figure Tony Rice starts at the beginning of his second solo is like WHERE THE HELL DID THAT COME FROM!!! Just astounding.
Tks Joe great vid .
Mark O'Connor never missed a beat when the camera man took a fall right in front of him. Now that's goood!!!
I am so glad i got to see every one of these amazing performers through the years and many more during my bluegrass magical mystery tour back in the day. Bluegrass sure isn't like it use to be.
Awesome video. Thanks for sharing! FYI - this is Bela's tune from his album, but that's not just Tony Rice. It's Mark O'Connor, Sam Bush, Jerry Douglas and Mark Shatz. A truly all-star lineup.
In my humble opinion the very best collective that will ever be on a stage! Every single one of these guys revolutionized their instruments and how people perceived them! EVERY SINGLE ONE OF EM! All stars at every level! INFLUENCERS. By definition you cannot be a leader if no-one is following you.... Musicians will be "following" these guys for generations to come!
still a marvel and a gem to this day
RIP Tony Rice!
He is the only one of these guys I never got to see live I will always regret that.
this song was taken out of youtube, i thought id never hear it again!!! thank you!!
Do you have Bela Fleck's 'Drive' album? The whole album is this band and is amazing. Whitewater starts the album off.
Loved that little quickie tunable moment at the end there.
One of the greatest moments in the history of the Universe
Haha
I’m speechless
I remember sets like this at winterhawk back in the day.
I like how tony looks back at mark at the beginning and is like "is bela out of his mind"
The A Team plays Whitewater!
That Jerry Douglas solo!
Marco Perissinotto for real tho. Buuuuuuddy. Dude just knows.
Sounded like a voice when he started man I was actually confused
This is from 1992...awesome display from a stage full of talent..i never tire of listening to these guys pick..i was there ..i had to move back to Texas in 1995.. i surely miss the Merlefest ( my first Merlefest was 1989)..some of the best times of my life were in those hills of Wilkes County...may God bless you all
Agreed! My first Merlefest was 1988 as well. Just doesn't get any better
Blazing a serious trail of smoke.
Thank you for uploading this 👍
Los mejores! Saludos desde El Salvador
Simply the best!!!!
Sam Bush, the best mandolin player this side of David Grisman, and the best bluegrass banjo, guitar, and arguably fiddle player of all time. It’s a wonder the stage didn’t catch fire
And dobro! Don't forget Jerry Douglas!
Sounds about right. I remember I bought a Tony Rice video on VHS about 20 years ago and it had this performance on it, along with a bunch of other numbers.
Jerry Douglas ON the Dobro is awesome too GREAT POST:) Brilliant work by all
Nice 👌
HELP MY FACE IS MELTING
Sam was on one 🙏🏻 GOAT
One thing about old Sam, he never let the melody stand on the way of a good break.
What a lineup! These guys scary.
This is definitely from the 1992 Merle Watson Memorial Bluegrass Festival, before the name was officially changed to "MerleFest" (everyone called it that though). It was filmed for a PBS 10 part TV special called "Pickin' For Merle" which as far as I know still has not yet surfaced in complete form. There are a handful of other clips, all of which I think are from a single "best of" episode that aired on and off during pledge drives for a few years.
Agreed with several other commenters that this might be the single most potent recurring lineup in the history of bluegrass. It's true that this lineup (or minor variations of it) played together at many festivals over the years, but I was at this one (and many of the others too) and remember it quite clearly & recognize the stage, the outfits, etc...
At the time I was barely wise enough about bluegrass to know how lucky I was to witness this go down - but I was, and as the years have passed and I've learned the music better, the performances have only grown in my estimation. There is also a Doc Watson led jam session featuring many of the same players from this weekend that is equally stunning.
Great upload, thank you.
I have the complete set. Plus I was there. A memory I will take to the grave.
Ken Yount Any way we could convince you to upload it to RUclips?
TheMrCompletely non
L.
@@wentworthcaniac if there is any chance you would be willing to lend those tapes or make copies of them it would be a major service to the bluegrass community. I have responsible, reliable friends all over the country and if you are willing to help we can make this thing happen in whatever way you're comfortable with. You are the first person to have a copy of the tapes I've found in over 2 decades of looking!
Thanks so much. 'Wish they'd put the 'where and when' in the youtube description! Nice to know it was Merlefest... A comparable lineup (arguably) happens every year with the Telluride All Star Band... But Tony is/was irreplaceable. Now there's Bryan Sutton, who IS awesome too...
Hot damn! Mighty fine picking by everyone!
The AAAAAA Team!!
Just fantastic live music being played by real musicians, not like today with all the digital and electronic garbage that make nonentities sound good and also make them rich
wow and wow. that rocked my socks off. They're the best. Yup. :)
If we could just get theses guys to run our country.
Best bluegrass band ever
Mark played with the Boston symphony, I believe.
Tony Rice might wear a suit, but he's no city boy, that's for sure! Dude is just standing there with a straight back, casually shredding an acoustic guitar with bluegrass riffs that he's been practicing for 40+ years daily.
That is some all star group!
I'm so glad they slowed it down. You can really her the notes.
Ohhhh yea
Great stuff !!
Has anyone noticed in the last few seconds, when they're playing in unison, Sam reaches up quick to adjust a tuner? Sheesh.
Yeah i just noticed that too. Can you imagine knowing your out and trying to adjust during a tune like Whitewater, lol. Guess thats why he's a pro.
He broke a string and changed it during Jerry's second solo. He was just fine tuning when he came back to the mic.
This is really good!!!!
Smokin'!🔥
AmazeBALLS!
Thanks.
WOW!!!! Just dammit Wow!!!!
they nailed it
Amazing, my mind is blown. Thank you for posting
...does he have two pens in his suit jacket pocket?
Yes he do
Total Fucking madness!!
Had to change my underdungers!!
got a lot of bluegrass albums but I listen to something from "DRIVE" most every day!
Cheers !!
3:10 Sam Bush. Powwwww!!
Superband !!!
Mark O'Connor is the fiddle player. He has a ton of his work on RUclips. He is an awesome musician and pretty good composer as well. Check out his performance at his induction into the Fiddle Players Hall of Fame.
Is there a DVD of these jams anywhere? There really ought to be. I'll buy it tonight! I wonder who has the nice, clean recordings?
This is so fast, it's nearly musically incoherent, but they somehow hold the groove. I think what happened is Sam kicked it into high gear with his first solo and there was no turning back then...(you can even see Tony mouth what I think was "too fast"). Ha ha...amazing.
Eugene Benjamin, the tempo takes a leap after the intro.
I think he said " ill go next"
Does anybody know where I can find more live versions of the songs from the “Drive” album? Please help
what was the date of that performance? Just unimaginably stellar...
Everybody looked so young thirty years ago, me too.
Temazo Bueno
fine!!!!
behold the metal gods of bluegrass!!!
You missed 4 of the greatest musicians of all time in your List of artists.
Bela Fleck posted an article about Tony after he passed. He said that Tony didn't like rehearsals so they got in one room and recorded the album Drive pretty much live. Get some?
Now that'll kick you in the ass in the morning
pheweeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee and yahooooooooooooooo
A time before Bela Fleck started playing world music😁
Sitting in Charelston SC parked on the side of an industrial park drive with all the windows down and this performance cranked to 11 in my Peterbilt, daring anyone to tell me to turn it down.
I do that in my car in the summertime, have been since I was a teenager. I wait until I'm beside some punk in traffic blasting rap and turn up my bluegrass full blast 🚥😂 🎶
Good Grief!
1:40 ..^__^..cameraman
Thank you ^^
i love the jerry douglas jean jean phase
don't you just wish this band would learn to play before they start practicing in public? ha! ha! i could listen to these ole boys all day long. very very hard to beat.
Put a bunch of thoroughbreds on the stage..this is what you get..magic