Customer Reviews

31 Banjo Favorites

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

If you're into bluegrass banjo, this cd is a great sampling of some old time bluegrass standards as well as some unusual tunes. There are no vocals on this CD. The song renditions are not squeeky clean. There are imperfections in the way they are performed and I think this human element gives the music more power. It's is not mixed, overdubbed, synthisized or pasturized. It's a great collection of bluegrass instrumentals the way bluegrass was meant to be performed. By human musicians with traditional mountain instruments. Simply fantastic.

Raymon Fairchild belongs to an exclusive group of super pickers that Bela Fleck has credited with providing inspiration for his own work. Fairchild's picking is raw and fast, and his sound is straight from the mountains. Listening to Fairchild and his unique 3-fingered style is a little like watching a Ken Burns documentary- like finding a missing piece of a puzzle- you'll begin to see the whole picture in the history of the 5 string banjo.
These recordings vary in quality from poor to fair, but each seems faithful to the original.

As i've heard, this man is over 50 years old. He lives in Fancy Gap, North Carolina, and has a restaurant with entertainment. This is one of the best banjo players I've ever heard. He plays exceptionally clean, and is one of the fastest pickers I've ever heard. He ranks right up with Earl Scruggs, Douglas Dilliard and all the other super pickers. Just listen to the first song, "Whoa Mule" and you will see the merit of this album.

This is one of the best bluegrass albums you will ever hear. Being a native of Maggie Valley, NC, where Raymond was born and still lives, I was raised on this type of music but never appreciated it until I was older. If you are new into bluegrass or a longtime follower of the craft, this collection of classics will be one of the best purchases you will ever make. If your ever in Maggie Valley, NC, Raymond plays seven days a week May-October at 8:00 p.m. at the Maggie Valley Opry House. He is truly a master of the banjo and well worth the trip to Haywood County, NC to see him.

I feel I know a little about this, because I'm Raymond's cousin. Being born and raised in N.C. my father told me stories of the family getting together and "pickin' n' grinnin' " on weekends out on the front porch in the country up in the mountains of N.C. (Not Maggie Valley by the way). My dad raised me on bluegrass and plays the mandolin, as I do now. Raymond was the first bluegrass music I ever heard. My favorite song of his as always been "Whoa Mule." I've seen Raymond perform live many times along with my Dad. The thing that's amazing about Raymond is that he has very bad vision if not legally blind. He's such a gracious soul that comes from a family deep-rooted in blugrass music from the Appalachain Mountains of N.C. Anything he puts out is so crisp, fresh, and real. He has lived and loved the life of bluegrass music. He and my Dad, who heard him play so often when they were "nobodies," have inspired me and rekindled my love for bluegrass music because it represents me, my roots, and where I'm from. You can listen to Flat and Scruggs, Ricky Scaggs, or whomever else, but the next one you should listen to is Raymond. He wails on the banjo.......even if I still think the mondolin is the greatest instrument ever made. He's my cousin and he works damn hard to bring REAL bluegrass music to those who REALLY love it.

Although I had not heard of Raymond fairchild, i was impressed with his style, had some good blue grassy tracks and the picking was great

I have been listening to bluegrass for quite some time now and have 30 or 40 cds. A few of which are instrumentals only. I also play a banjo. I didn't particularly like this cd. Some of the playing is very fast, but not clean. There are a lot of "plunked" notes. And, fast doesn't necessarily mean good to me anyway. On the first few songs it seems like the instruments are trying to catch up to each other on the tempo. Plus it sounds like all the instruments are playing lead breaks all the time instead of backing up the one instrument that should be taking a lead break. The pace settles down, but I still found the playing less than what I want to pay money to hear. I don't like gimmicky stuff like "talking" banjos or strumming the strings in places where they weren't meant to be strummed. You may be getting an "act", but there's no music there. You can listen to any number of banjo players out there including, but not limited to Earl Scruggs, to understand what is being said when "tasteful" is used to describe their work. Part and parcel of that is the people and arrangements they play with. There is so much better work out there with better taste and musicianship that they make this cd unnecessary..in my collection anyway.

If you're into bluegrass banjo, this cd is a great sampling of some old time bluegrass standards as well as some unusual tunes. There are no vocals on this CD. The song renditions are not squeeky clean. There are imperfections in the way they are performed. It is not mixed, overdubbed, synthisized or pasturized. It simply a great collection of bluegrass instrumentals the way bluegrass was meant to be performed. By human musicians with traditional mountain instruments.

To put it simply, Mr. Fairchild is awesome. I have had the privelege of seeing Mr. Fairchild in concert many times and it is always a humbling experience for aspiring banjo players like myself. To be dismissive of Mr. Fairchild's obvious talent, like a previous reviewer called it "gimmicky", is ridiculous. It is obvious that the reviewer is unable to simulate the style of this guy. I agree that the genius of Scruggs and Crowe is well known and they are considered "tasteful", but the "Scruggs" style is also a very simple one to emulate. I find it much easier to tabulate a "Break" by Crowe or Scruggs and to pick it out than to try and play a tune like Mr. Fairchild plays it. You just can't do it without having the talent to back it up. While a certain amount of showmanship is included in Mr. Fairchild's recordings and live-shows, it is the banjo playing that keeps me coming back for more. This CD is not perfect however, the sound leaves a little to be desired in comparison to todays releases, bear in mind this CD was recorded in the 1960's and the mix is weak at times. Also the back-up musicians are not of the caliber that Mr. Fairchild tours with now, but over-all,it provides a raw and true picture of an awesome talent displayed by Mr. Fairchild. More recent CD's by Fairchild such as "Lil Zane" and others, are more polished, so if you are obsessed with a polished product, check some of those out, but if you just like hearing a master at work, buy this CD and look past the imperfections and you will "see" what I "hear". It's not a "gimmicky" sound at all, but an awesome display of a true master that is in complete control of his instrument. If you don't believe me, just try and copy one of his tunes!! Better yet, go catch one of his live performances, where he really shines, and you will have no doubt of his standing of one of the true "elite" banjo players of our day.

I love bluegrass and love listening to the humming banjo. I had never heard of raymond fairchild, but soon fell in love with his amazing fingers. after listening to this back to back twice, I ended up buying several more CD's of his music.