Play That Funky Bluegrass, White Boys

by Trent Gilliss, senior editor

This eight-year-old banjo player and his older brothers (11 and 13) just might knock your socks off with this version of Earl Scruggs’ “Flint Hill Special.” You ought to share this with your friends.

Sleepy Man Banjo Boys coverWhat may go unnoticed is the overtly religious language that peppers the The Sleepy Man Banjo Boys’ website. At the top of the page, embedded in the scrollwork of the trio’s logo, is a passage from the book of Psalms:

I lie down and sleep; I wake again because the Lord sustains me.

And their first album is promoted with a passage from Isaiah:

Seek justice; encourage the oppressed.
Defend the cause of the fatherless;
plead the case of the widow.

Why is it necessary to note this? While we are wowed by the talent of these boys, we may focus on the facts — technique, teachers, musical influences, and so on — and forget or ignore that something else may be core to what they do and why they do it. And knowing this, in and of itself, adds to our understanding of American culture: in this case, God, Bible, family, bluegrass.

(via publicradiointernational)

307 Notes/ Hide

  1. start-dog-walking-business reblogged this from bobslawblog
  2. orange-calories reblogged this from beingblog
  3. tulipalo reblogged this from remembersin
  4. jo4love reblogged this from nprfreshair and added:
    Just in case you thought you had talent…
  5. us-coolkids-never-die reblogged this from anindiscriminatecollection and added:
    NO WORDS.
  6. anindiscriminatecollection reblogged this from wheredomybluebirdfly
  7. futureisfiction reblogged this from publicradiointernational and added:
    I also love the completely non-ironic taxidermy in the kids bedroom.
  8. thekittles reblogged this from nprfreshair
  9. bone-rush reblogged this from queerkegaard
  10. queerkegaard reblogged this from publicradiointernational and added:
    DAMNNNNNNNNNNNNN
  11. surrenderrdorothy reblogged this from nprfreshair
  12. lecaca reblogged this from publicradiointernational
  13. approachingfarewell reblogged this from nprfreshair
  14. 3dollarbill reblogged this from nprfreshair
  15. jjezebel reblogged this from nprfreshair and added:
    whattttt
  16. lizczukas reblogged this from kdhart and added:
    Yeah, well my kid bang ineffectively at...drums, so there.
  17. jmallay reblogged this from nprfreshair
  18. cresell reblogged this from nprfreshair and added:
    I’m just coming across this video now, and funnily enough during volunteering yesterday morning, the instructor and I...
  19. bobslawblog reblogged this from cameronchristopher and added:
    holy shit lmfao the FOX!!!!
  20. teasingyourassumptions reblogged this from wherethefuckdidiputmycigarettes and added:
    if this is real time ima freakout
  21. annaironside reblogged this from nprfreshair
  22. ekittles reblogged this from nprfreshair
  23. thenerdwholived reblogged this from nprfreshair
  24. lauraoz reblogged this from cameronchristopher
  25. seanrrwilkins reblogged this from nprfreshair and added:
    Let’s get these kids out to SF for Hardly Strictly 2011! via nprfreshair
  26. publicradiointernational posted this

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