Mar 28, 2009
Bela Fleck or Earl Scruggs? (Feel free to answer “both” if you want.)
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Are you more of an Earl Scruggs…
…or Bela Fleck…
…banjo person?
Of course, you can be both, as Steve Martin proves:
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Definitely Earl. I appreciate Bela and enjoy his music at times, but Earl is the man!
Definitely Bela. I appreciate Earl and the musical style of past decades, but Bela has built upon traditional Western tonality and infused much more diverse, complex rhythmic structures while incorporating less traditional bluegrass timbres, chord structures and progressions.
Always, always , always Bela
Bela Fleck!
Both.
Earl developed the classic style that has made bluegrass what it is today, but Bela went and took the banjo in a whole ‘nother direction.
Yeah, I agree. Earl :)
i love ‘em both! i could never choose!
Of the choices given, I would rank as:
First place – Earl
Second – Steve
Third – Bela
Then again, I do own a banjo and am teaching myself old timey bluegrass and celtic styles, so I’m biased. *smile*
The jazz fusion that Bela and others like Alison Brown bring to the banjo are a nice change of pace, sort of like getting that milder cup of coffee with a rich aroma on a lazy holiday instead of the usual strong cup of ‘joe’ that gets you going each morning.
My banjo-picking friend would say… “I’ll take ‘em both.”
Yes.
I was going to say Steve. But I think I appreciate his humor more than his banjo playing.
However, knowing the the banjo is a very difficult instrument to master, I have to say, he looks pretty good for someone who has made a living on humor and acting.
As far as the others, I lean toward Earl as the favored, but it really depends on the mood I’m in. And there is no denying Bela Fleck is an incredible master of his craft!
I like different things about each of them.
I would agree with the rankings M Russell gave above me.
I had the privilege of taking an Appalachian music course last semester and it was so much fun. We had weekly concerts with some legendary bluegrass musicians. One musician I really came to love is a banjo legend: JD Crowe. Also, if you’ve never heard of Tim Lake, he’s a great banjo player I really enjoy who takes more of the Steve Martin approach of mixing traditional with modern. (Interestingly enough, his doctoral dissertation resulted in “An American Concerto for 5-String Banjo and Orchestra.”)
I LOVE the jazz fusion played on a banjo or ANY more traditionally bluegrass instrument.
Oh yeah. So nice!
Bela’s got it!
Earl
I love Earl, but Bela has been able to make the banjo translate *well* to so many different styles of music. He’s gotten nominations in 13 categories of music.
Earl
bela has taken and is taking the banjo to new levels… earl is lots of fun, though…
Wow, I don’t think I knew that Steve Martin played the banjo!
I prefer Earl. Especially when it comes to watching a performance.
If I really had to pick, it would be Scruggs, but I do like them both.
I didn’t know Bela until I read this question but from what I’ve heard so far I would have to say Earl. I’ve been barrowing a bajo for about 2 months now. Not much progress made. But my kids like the instrament and are excited when they hear a song with one. And that is a good thing.
Definitely Bela and the rest of the Flecktones.
Bela… I had no idea Steve Martin could pick the banjo like that!
Earl just slightly edges out Bela. I have to admit I am very impressed with Steve. I knew he played banjo but, I didn’t know he was that good.
Earl Scruggs all the way, although the guy on the flute was pretty good. I never knew Steve Martin played the banjo till this!
Both, both, both!
I prefer Bela’s style. I echo Scott’s reasoning. Vic Wooten is the man!
Anyone who can play the banjo well impresses me immensely. It takes such dexterity and speed! I say both.
I do have to say that, as a floutist, though, I was most enraptured by the flute part in the second video. I’d love to have that kind of skill.
Both are legends and innovators, but I think even Bela would pick Scruggs. The man defined the instrument.
I pick Scruggs and as to Steve Martin, some of his best comedy included the banjo. I recall him saying that is was impossible to be depressed and play the banjo. He also said, during the Nixon-Watergate days, that he could of avoided the whole scandal if he played the banjo. “I would like to talk about the break in boys, but first a little Foggy Mountain Breakdown.”
Earl. But, if I had my druthers, I prefer hearing the clawhammer style. I’m sure both men can rap the claw hammer but….and I know Steve Martin generally plays clawhammer but it looks like three-finger style here…
Earl be the man! But I’m impressed with Steve Martin!
bluegrass rocks! doesn’t matter who plays it.
Mr. Scruggs was just as radical musically in his day as Fleck is today. They both blow me away.
Knowing scruggs style is necessary to “pick the banjer solid,” however, Fleck is clearly a more versatile player; so I think I listen to more of his music.
Oh, that’s a tough one.
Can there be grace without truth?
We need ‘em both!
Definitely Bela.
His stuff with Chick Corea absolutely blows my mind. (Of course, so did the Flecktones stuff when I first heard it 10 years ago.)
Gotta love them both for what they do so well.
That said, I suspect Béla can do most of Earl’s material, but would be surprised if Earl could do Béla’s, for example, his arrangement of Bach’s violin partita #3. Could be wrong though.
Another factor: Béla had Earl to learn from and not the other way ’round.
Definitely Earl…
Bela is obviously and impressively talented but that “good old timey pickin’ and grinnin’” style is my favorite.
Great post!
[...] Bela Fleck or Earl Scruggs? (Feel free to answer “both” if you want.) « 22 Words Both. (tags: cjh_comment) [...]
Bela.
But Bela wouldn’t be Bela without Earl.
Bela!!
Earl, he is the standard all others will be judged by.
Earl. I have the DVD of Steve Martin playing banjo on the original Muppet-Show.
Abraham, I need to give your banjo back.
oh, this makes my day–a post on banjos!
i definitely prefer old school earl. i really appreciate bela flek’s musical genius, too, but if i had to listen all day it’d be earl. i’m a music nerd, but jazzy stuff gets hard for me to listen to, pretty quickly. :)
Both great, but, Earl.
I know its been said before in similar ways but you wouldn’t have a Bela without an Earl. Both.
TBH
My girls are definitely big into Bela…and the guy on his album who does the wierd singing. And the bass player is nasty.
But all us old timers who like The Beverly Hillbillies have to go with Earl.
Scruggs.
Give me Scruggs or give me death.
Bela sounds kinda like Nickel Creek (which I like), but Scruggs sounds more fun. And apparently Bela and I are on a first name basis.
So that means “both”
They are both, of course, remarkable. For me personally, the thing that tips the scales in favor of Bela is the fact that Bela can sit in with the Superpickers (Tony Rice, Mark Schatz, Sam Bush, et. al) and rip off traditional bluegrass, and the next day be recording an album of classical music with Edgar Meyer, then making a recording of ethnic African banjo (gourd) playing, doing duets with players whom he has never met in a faraway land. But I do love both players-just not quite equally….
bela. because he plays with victor wooten!
Both. But mostly Earl.
“It’s impossible not to smile when you see someone playing the banjo.” – Steve Martin
Bela Fleck…no question.
Earl–definitely. I’ve met him and heard him in his prime. If you want Bluegrass–Earl. If you want Jazz–go for Bela–I’m not into Jazz. Bluegrass is American music, and Earl is one of the most humble, important Bluegrass figures of “grass” from the beginning.