Banjoist
J.D. Crowe was one of the most influential progressive bluegrass musicians of the '70s. Initially influenced by
Earl Scruggs, as well as rock & roll and the blues,
Crowe worked his way through several bands during the '60s, developing a distinctive instrumental style that melded country, bluegrass, rock, and blues.
Crowe didn't receive national exposure until the early '70s when he formed
the New South, but after the release of the band's eponymous debut in 1972 he became a fixture on the bluegrass scene for the next 20 years.
Born and raised in Lexington, KY,
Crowe picked up the banjo when he was 13 years old, inspired by one of
Flatt & Scruggs' performances on the Kentucky Barn Dance. After that show, he regularly attended the duo's performances, sitting down in the front row to study
Scruggs' revolutionary picking. Soon,
Crowe was playing with various groups in Kentucky, including an outfit that also featured Curley Parker and Pee Wee Lambert. The young banjo player frequently played on local radio stations, and that is where he got his first major break in 1956.
Jimmy Martin was driving through Lexington when he heard
Crowe on the radio station, and was so impressed with what he heard that he drove to the station and asked him to join his band,
the Sunny Mountain Boys.
Crowe immediately accepted and began touring with
Martin. While he was in
the Sunny Mountain Boys,
Crowe didn't stick to a strict bluegrass set list -- he often added rock & roll songs to his repertoire.
After spending six years with
Martin,
Crowe left
the Sunny Mountain Boys in 1962 to pursue a solo career. For a while, he played Lexington bars and hotels, developing a new, progressive direction for bluegrass which incorporated stronger elements of folk, blues, and rock. In the mid-'60s, he formed the Kentucky Mountain Boys with
Red Allen and
Doyle Lawson; they released their first album,
Bluegrass Holiday, in 1968 on Lemco Records. The Kentucky Mountain Boys had a varied repertoire, but played solely acoustic instruments. Two other records followed -- Ramblin' Boy and
The Model Church -- before the group broke up in the early '70s.
Following the disbandment of the Kentucky Mountain Boys,
Crowe formed
the New South, which was the most revolutionary bluegrass outfit of its time. Originally, the band consisted of guitarist
Tony Rice, mandolinist
Ricky Skaggs, dobroist
Jerry Douglas, and fiddler/bassist
Bobby Sloan, and they played a wildly eclectic brand of bluegrass on electric instruments. When they released their debut,
J.D. Crowe & the New South in 1975 on Rounder Records, it caused an instant sensation -- it marked a genuine turning point in the sound of the genre. All of the musicians in the original lineup of
the New South were acclaimed and would later go on to popular solo careers -- in fact, most of them had left within a few years of the debut. By the end of the decade, the band featured guitarist/vocalist
Keith Whitley, mandolinist
Jimmy Gaudreau, fiddler
Bobby Slone, and bassist Steve Bryant.
During the '80s,
the New South featured an ever-revolving lineup, as former members came back for guest appearances and
Crowe discovered fresh, developing talents -- the group became known as a source for new musicians who would later go on to individual success. In 1980,
Crowe formed
the Bluegrass Album Band with
Tony Rice,
Bobby Hicks,
Doyle Lawson, and
Todd Phillips. The Bluegrass Album Band toured and recorded sporadically throughout the course of the decade, always to great critical and popular acclaim.
J.D. Crowe continued with
the New South until 1988, when he decided to retire from the road. Following his decision, he appeared at special, one-shot concerts -- including a tour with
Tony Rice -- but concentrated on studio work, particularly producing records for developing bands.
Retirement from the road proved somewhat of an selective decision for
Crowe, however, and he continued to head
the New South's ever-varying linups, both live and in the studio.
Flashback appeared in 1994 from Rounder Records, followed by
Come on Down to My World in 1999 and
Lefty's Old Guitar in 2006, both also on Rounder. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine