The Seldom Scene
Encyclopedia
The Seldom Scene is an American
bluegrass
band formed in 1971 in Bethesda, Maryland
.
player Ben Eldridge
. These sessions included John Starling on guitar
and lead vocals, Mike Auldridge
on Dobro and baritone vocals, and Tom Gray
on bass. Then came mandolin
ist John Duffey
, who had quit the Country Gentlemen
two years before due to disillusionnment with the music business. Duffey
was invited to the jam sessions, hit it off with John Starling, and decided to give music another try at the time when Auldridge
arranged for the group to play as a performing band.
Music Hall in Alexandria, Virginia
.
style played by The Seldom Scene was particularly popular. Duffey's stratospheric tenor anchored the group, but the vocal blend of Duffey/Starling/Auldridge set a new standard that attracted new audiences to what had been a niche music. Their weekly shows included bluegrass versions of country music, rock, and even classical pop. The band's popularity soon forced them to play more than once a week—but they continued to maintain their image as being seldom seen, and on several of their early album covers were photographed with the stage lights on only their feet, or with their backs to the camera.
Though the Scene remained a non-touring band, they were prolific recorders, producing seven albums in their first five years of existence, including two live albums (among the first live bluegrass albums). But the band's philosophy of not touring and maintaining their day jobs eventually caused some changes in membership.
(recorded in 1978).
Around the same time, the group switched record labels from Rebel
to Sugar Hill. Starling recorded a solo album for Sugar Hill in 1980 called "Long Time Gone" and another in 1982 called "Waitin' On A Southern Train," on both of which Mike Auldridge played.
Reid left the band in 1993, and Duffey convinced former member John Starling to return to the band for the next year. During that year the Scene recorded the album Like We Used to Be, but Starling did not wish to stay with the band long term. He was replaced in 1994 by lead singer Moondi Klein.
Throughout these changes, John Duffey remained the group's spiritual center and greatest influence, and his initial ideas about keeping a light touring schedule and staying close to home continued to prevail. Though there had been disagreements about this philosophy before, it wasn't until after Starling left for the second time that it cost the band a majority of its members at once. During 1995 and 1996, Klein and Coleman, along with original member Mike Auldridge
, left the group to form a new band called Chesapeake. This new band became a full-time project for its members, and for a time the Scene stopped recording.
Duffey and Eldridge, the two remaining original members, recruited resophonic guitar player Fred Travers, bassist Ronnie Simpkins, and guitarist and singer Dudley Connell to join the band, and the reconstituted group recorded an album in 1996 and continued live appearances.
. The Seldom Scene continues to tour, and remains on the Sugar Hill Records label for future recordings.
, recorded in 2007, was nominated for a Grammy award.
In July 2008 Seldom Scene performed at a White House
dinner honoring the 2008 U.S. Olympic team as well as previous U.S. Olympians. Seldom Scene also played the National Folk Festival
July 11–13, 2008 representing bluegrass music.
The band currently consists of Dudley Connell (guitar/lead vocals), Ben Eldridge (banjo), Lou Reid (mandolin/tenor vocals), Fred Travers (dobro/lead vocals), and Ronnie Simpkins (bass/baritone vocals). Ben Eldridge's son, Chris
, also frequently performs with the group.
Recorded under Sugar Hill Records
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
bluegrass
Bluegrass music
Bluegrass music is a form of American roots music, and a sub-genre of country music. It has mixed roots in Scottish, English, Welsh and Irish traditional music...
band formed in 1971 in Bethesda, Maryland
Bethesda, Maryland
Bethesda is a census designated place in southern Montgomery County, Maryland, United States, just northwest of Washington, D.C. It takes its name from a local church, the Bethesda Meeting House , which in turn took its name from Jerusalem's Pool of Bethesda...
.
Early history
The band formed out of the weekly jam sessions in the basement of banjoBanjo
In the 1830s Sweeney became the first white man to play the banjo on stage. His version of the instrument replaced the gourd with a drum-like sound box and included four full-length strings alongside a short fifth-string. There is no proof, however, that Sweeney invented either innovation. This new...
player Ben Eldridge
Ben Eldridge
Ben Eldridge, is a five-string banjo player and a founding member of the seminal bluegrass group The Seldom Scene. He also works as a mathematician. Eldridge is best known for his scat singing on "Lay Down Sally."-Biography:...
. These sessions included John Starling on guitar
Guitar
The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
and lead vocals, Mike Auldridge
Mike Auldridge
Mike Auldridge is widely acknowledged as a premier resophonic guitar player. He played with The Seldom Scene for many years, creating a fusion of bluegrass with jazz, folk and rock.Auldridge started playing guitar at the age of 13...
on Dobro and baritone vocals, and Tom Gray
Tom Gray
Tom Gray is a bluegrass musician widely considered one of the best bass players in the genre. He is probably best known for his bass playing with The Country Gentlemen and The Seldom Scene. In 1996, as a member of The Country Gentlemen, he was inducted into the International Bluegrass Music Hall...
on bass. Then came mandolin
Mandolin
A mandolin is a musical instrument in the lute family . It descends from the mandore, a soprano member of the lute family. The mandolin soundboard comes in many shapes—but generally round or teardrop-shaped, sometimes with scrolls or other projections. A mandolin may have f-holes, or a single...
ist John Duffey
John Duffey
John H. Duffey was a Washington DC-based bluegrass music innovator and musician....
, who had quit the Country Gentlemen
The Country Gentlemen
The Country Gentlemen were a bluegrass band that originated during the 1950s in the area of Washington, DC, United States, and recorded and toured with various members until the death in 2004 of Charlie Waller, one of the group's founders who in its later years served as the group's "focal point...
two years before due to disillusionnment with the music business. Duffey
John Duffey
John H. Duffey was a Washington DC-based bluegrass music innovator and musician....
was invited to the jam sessions, hit it off with John Starling, and decided to give music another try at the time when Auldridge
Mike Auldridge
Mike Auldridge is widely acknowledged as a premier resophonic guitar player. He played with The Seldom Scene for many years, creating a fusion of bluegrass with jazz, folk and rock.Auldridge started playing guitar at the age of 13...
arranged for the group to play as a performing band.
Members background
Duffey proposed some rules that the others agreed to, including playing only one night a week at local clubs, doing occasional concerts and festivals on weekends, making records, and keeping their day jobs. Duffey repaired musical instruments, Eldridge was a mathematician, Starling a physician, Auldridge a graphic artist, and Gray a cartographer with National Geographic. The band's first home scene was the Red Fox Inn in Bethesda, Maryland, where they spent six years before starting weekly performances at The BirchmereThe Birchmere
The Birchmere is a concert hall in Alexandria, Virginia, known for presenting performers in the bluegrass, country, folk, and jazz genres. The main stage has table seating with dinner service. The room seats 500 people and the tables in front are about two feet from the stage...
Music Hall in Alexandria, Virginia
Alexandria, Virginia
Alexandria is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia. As of 2009, the city had a total population of 139,966. Located along the Western bank of the Potomac River, Alexandria is approximately six miles south of downtown Washington, D.C.Like the rest of northern Virginia, as well as...
.
Rise to popularity
Bluegrass reached a second peak in popularity in the early 1970s, and the progressive bluegrassProgressive bluegrass
Progressive bluegrass is one of two major subgenres of bluegrass music. It is also known as newgrass, a term attributed to New Grass Revival member Ebo Walker. Musicians and bands John Hartford, New Grass Revival, J.D. Crowe and the New South, The Dillards, Boone Creek, Country Gazette, and the...
style played by The Seldom Scene was particularly popular. Duffey's stratospheric tenor anchored the group, but the vocal blend of Duffey/Starling/Auldridge set a new standard that attracted new audiences to what had been a niche music. Their weekly shows included bluegrass versions of country music, rock, and even classical pop. The band's popularity soon forced them to play more than once a week—but they continued to maintain their image as being seldom seen, and on several of their early album covers were photographed with the stage lights on only their feet, or with their backs to the camera.
Though the Scene remained a non-touring band, they were prolific recorders, producing seven albums in their first five years of existence, including two live albums (among the first live bluegrass albums). But the band's philosophy of not touring and maintaining their day jobs eventually caused some changes in membership.
Departure of John Starling
In 1978, John Starling left the group to focus on his medical career, and was replaced by singer and songwriter Phil Rosenthal, whose song "Muddy Water" had been recorded by the Scene on two earlier albums. Starling and Rosenthal shared their lead vocals on the groups sixth studio album, BaptizingBaptizing (album)
Baptizing is an album by the progressive bluegrass Maryland band The Seldom Scene. It is marked as a last album for John Starling and arrival of new singer/guitarist Phil Rosenthal...
(recorded in 1978).
Around the same time, the group switched record labels from Rebel
Rebel Records
In 1980, Freeland sold the label to David Freeman, the founder of County Records. Rebel currently has 140 titles in print from more than 35 different artists and groups. In 2008, the label released 8 new titles, including ones from Ralph Stanley and Larry Sparks.-Notable artists:...
to Sugar Hill. Starling recorded a solo album for Sugar Hill in 1980 called "Long Time Gone" and another in 1982 called "Waitin' On A Southern Train," on both of which Mike Auldridge played.
Rosenthal as a lead singer
The band recorded several more albums in the 1980s and firmly established themselves as one of the most influential bluegrass bands. The lineup of Rosenthal-Duffey-Gray-Auldridge-Eldridge, might be called as "second classic", as they recorded five albums of a very comparable quality and popularity to the ones with the founding members, including John Starling. Rosenthal proved to be as good lead singer as Starling and his baritone voice contrasted well with Duffey's high tenor extravaganzas. He also wrote typically two to three songs on each of the albums and also added acoustic guitar solos to the group.More changes in lineup
In 1986, Phil Rosenthal and Tom Gray both left the band to focus on other pursuits, and were replaced by Lou Reid and T. Michael Coleman, respectively. Coleman proved to be very controversial, as many purists objected to his use of an electric bass in what is nominally an acoustic genre, but the albums produced by the band after Coleman's arrival maintained the traditional appeal of any of the Scene's earlier albums.Reid left the band in 1993, and Duffey convinced former member John Starling to return to the band for the next year. During that year the Scene recorded the album Like We Used to Be, but Starling did not wish to stay with the band long term. He was replaced in 1994 by lead singer Moondi Klein.
Throughout these changes, John Duffey remained the group's spiritual center and greatest influence, and his initial ideas about keeping a light touring schedule and staying close to home continued to prevail. Though there had been disagreements about this philosophy before, it wasn't until after Starling left for the second time that it cost the band a majority of its members at once. During 1995 and 1996, Klein and Coleman, along with original member Mike Auldridge
Mike Auldridge
Mike Auldridge is widely acknowledged as a premier resophonic guitar player. He played with The Seldom Scene for many years, creating a fusion of bluegrass with jazz, folk and rock.Auldridge started playing guitar at the age of 13...
, left the group to form a new band called Chesapeake. This new band became a full-time project for its members, and for a time the Scene stopped recording.
Duffey and Eldridge, the two remaining original members, recruited resophonic guitar player Fred Travers, bassist Ronnie Simpkins, and guitarist and singer Dudley Connell to join the band, and the reconstituted group recorded an album in 1996 and continued live appearances.
John Duffey's death
For 25 years The Seldom Scene remained extremely popular in bluegrass circles even with the near-constant personnel changes. But the band was dealt what seemed a crushing blow in late 1996, when founder and leader John Duffey suffered a fatal heart attack. Duffey had been widely regarded as one of the most powerful and entertaining stage performers in bluegrass, and there was no one who could replace him.Seldom Scene without Duffey
Nonetheless, the band was simply too popular to disappear for good. Banjoist Ben Eldridge, the sole remaining original member and a significant force in banjo music in his own right, assumed leadership of the band. Former guitarist Lou Reid rejoined the band on mandolin. Initially the new Scene concentrated on live performances, but in 2000 the group recorded a new album, Scene It AllScene It All
Scene It all is an album by the progressive bluegrass Maryland band The Seldom Scene. Ben Eldridge re-recruited Lou Reid, this time on mandolin to replace John Duffey who died in 1996.-Track listing:...
. The Seldom Scene continues to tour, and remains on the Sugar Hill Records label for future recordings.
Seldom Scene today
Seldom Scene continues to excel in the bluegrass scene and recently received critical acclaim for their work. Their latest CD, ScenechronizedScenechronized
Scenechronized is an album by the progressive bluegrass Maryland band The Seldom Scene.It was nominated for the Best Bluegrass Album Grammy in 2007.-Track listing:# Hometown Blues 3:07# Heart and Soul 3:18...
, recorded in 2007, was nominated for a Grammy award.
In July 2008 Seldom Scene performed at a White House
White House
The White House is the official residence and principal workplace of the president of the United States. Located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., the house was designed by Irish-born James Hoban, and built between 1792 and 1800 of white-painted Aquia sandstone in the Neoclassical...
dinner honoring the 2008 U.S. Olympic team as well as previous U.S. Olympians. Seldom Scene also played the National Folk Festival
National Folk Festival (USA)
The National Folk Festival is an itinerant folk festival in the United States. Since 1934, it has been run by the National Council for the Traditional Arts and has been presented in 26 communities around the nation...
July 11–13, 2008 representing bluegrass music.
The band currently consists of Dudley Connell (guitar/lead vocals), Ben Eldridge (banjo), Lou Reid (mandolin/tenor vocals), Fred Travers (dobro/lead vocals), and Ronnie Simpkins (bass/baritone vocals). Ben Eldridge's son, Chris
Chris Eldridge
Chris Eldridge is an American guitarist and singer best known for being a member of Punch Brothers. He was also a founding member of the bluegrass band The Infamous Stringdusters. His father is noted banjoist Ben Eldridge of the Seldom Scene.-Punch Brothers:...
, also frequently performs with the group.
Discography
Recorded under Rebel RecordsRebel Records
In 1980, Freeland sold the label to David Freeman, the founder of County Records. Rebel currently has 140 titles in print from more than 35 different artists and groups. In 2008, the label released 8 new titles, including ones from Ralph Stanley and Larry Sparks.-Notable artists:...
- Act I (1972)
- Act II (1973)
- Act III (1973)
- Old Train (1973)
- Live At The Cellar DoorLive at The Cellar DoorLive At The Cellar Door is a live album by the progressive bluegrass Maryland band The Seldom Scene. The Washington Post called it "not only a landmark for the progressive bluegrass scene that originated here in Washington, but may be the band's finest representation on disc."-Track listing:# Doing...
(1975) - The New Seldom Scene AlbumThe New Seldom Scene AlbumThe New Seldom Scene Album is an album by the progressive bluegrass Maryland band The Seldom Scene..- Track listing :# Big Rig 03:44# If That's the Way You Feel 02:59...
(1976) - BaptizingBaptizing (album)Baptizing is an album by the progressive bluegrass Maryland band The Seldom Scene. It is marked as a last album for John Starling and arrival of new singer/guitarist Phil Rosenthal...
(1978) - The Best Of The Seldom Scene, Vol. 1The Best of The Seldom Scene, Vol. 1The Best Of The Seldom Scene, Vol. is a compilation album by the progressive bluegrass Maryland band The Seldom Scene.- Track listing :# City of New Orleans 2:57# Sing Me Back Home 2:56# Muddy Water 3:00...
(1987)
Recorded under Sugar Hill Records
- Act IVAct IV (album)Act 4 is an album by the progressive bluegrass Maryland band The Seldom Scene, the first record under Sugar Hill Records and with a new lead signer/guitarist, Phil Rosenthal...
(1979) - After Midnight (1981)
- At the Scene (1983)
- Blue RidgeBlue Ridge (album)Blue Ridge is the sixth studio album released by singer/songwriter Jonathan Edwards featuring the Bluegrass band The Seldom Scene.-Track listing:# "Don't This Road Look Rough and Rocky" 03:37...
with Jonathan Edwards (1985) - 15th Anniversary Celebration15th Anniversary Celebration-Personnel:* Phil Rosenthal – vocals, guitar, mandolin* John Duffey – mandolin, vocals* Ben Eldridge – banjo, guitar, vocals* Mike Auldridge – Dobro, guitar, vocals* Tom Gray – bass, vocalswith* John Starling – vocals, guitar...
(1986) - A Change of Scenery (1988)
- Scenic Roots (1990)
- Scene 20: 20th Anniversary ConcertScene 20: 20th Anniversary ConcertScene 20: 20th Anniversary Concert is a live album by the progressive bluegrass Maryland band The Seldom Scene.-Track listing:# Introduction 00:43# I Haven't Got the Right to Love You 03:05# Gardens and Memories 03:42...
(1992) - Like We Used to Be (1994)
- Dream Scene (1996)
- Scene It AllScene It AllScene It all is an album by the progressive bluegrass Maryland band The Seldom Scene. Ben Eldridge re-recruited Lou Reid, this time on mandolin to replace John Duffey who died in 1996.-Track listing:...
(2000) - ScenechronizedScenechronizedScenechronized is an album by the progressive bluegrass Maryland band The Seldom Scene.It was nominated for the Best Bluegrass Album Grammy in 2007.-Track listing:# Hometown Blues 3:07# Heart and Soul 3:18...
(2007) - Different Roads (2007)
Band lineups
| 1971–1977 |
|
|---|---|
| 1977–1978 |
John Duffey John H. Duffey was a Washington DC-based bluegrass music innovator and musician.... - mandolin, vocals Mike Auldridge Mike Auldridge is widely acknowledged as a premier resophonic guitar player. He played with The Seldom Scene for many years, creating a fusion of bluegrass with jazz, folk and rock.Auldridge started playing guitar at the age of 13... - Dobro, vocals Ben Eldridge Ben Eldridge, is a five-string banjo player and a founding member of the seminal bluegrass group The Seldom Scene. He also works as a mathematician. Eldridge is best known for his scat singing on "Lay Down Sally."-Biography:... - banjo, guitar Tom Gray Tom Gray is a bluegrass musician widely considered one of the best bass players in the genre. He is probably best known for his bass playing with The Country Gentlemen and The Seldom Scene. In 1996, as a member of The Country Gentlemen, he was inducted into the International Bluegrass Music Hall... - bass |
| 1978–1986 |
John Duffey John H. Duffey was a Washington DC-based bluegrass music innovator and musician.... - mandolin, vocals Mike Auldridge Mike Auldridge is widely acknowledged as a premier resophonic guitar player. He played with The Seldom Scene for many years, creating a fusion of bluegrass with jazz, folk and rock.Auldridge started playing guitar at the age of 13... - Dobro, vocals Ben Eldridge Ben Eldridge, is a five-string banjo player and a founding member of the seminal bluegrass group The Seldom Scene. He also works as a mathematician. Eldridge is best known for his scat singing on "Lay Down Sally."-Biography:... - banjo, guitar Tom Gray Tom Gray is a bluegrass musician widely considered one of the best bass players in the genre. He is probably best known for his bass playing with The Country Gentlemen and The Seldom Scene. In 1996, as a member of The Country Gentlemen, he was inducted into the International Bluegrass Music Hall... - bass |
| 1986–1993 |
John Duffey John H. Duffey was a Washington DC-based bluegrass music innovator and musician.... - mandolin, vocals Mike Auldridge Mike Auldridge is widely acknowledged as a premier resophonic guitar player. He played with The Seldom Scene for many years, creating a fusion of bluegrass with jazz, folk and rock.Auldridge started playing guitar at the age of 13... - Dobro, vocals Ben Eldridge Ben Eldridge, is a five-string banjo player and a founding member of the seminal bluegrass group The Seldom Scene. He also works as a mathematician. Eldridge is best known for his scat singing on "Lay Down Sally."-Biography:... - banjo, guitar |
| 1993–1994 |
John Duffey John H. Duffey was a Washington DC-based bluegrass music innovator and musician.... - mandolin, vocals Mike Auldridge Mike Auldridge is widely acknowledged as a premier resophonic guitar player. He played with The Seldom Scene for many years, creating a fusion of bluegrass with jazz, folk and rock.Auldridge started playing guitar at the age of 13... - Dobro, vocals Ben Eldridge Ben Eldridge, is a five-string banjo player and a founding member of the seminal bluegrass group The Seldom Scene. He also works as a mathematician. Eldridge is best known for his scat singing on "Lay Down Sally."-Biography:... - banjo, guitar |
| 1994–1995 |
John Duffey John H. Duffey was a Washington DC-based bluegrass music innovator and musician.... - mandolin, vocals Mike Auldridge Mike Auldridge is widely acknowledged as a premier resophonic guitar player. He played with The Seldom Scene for many years, creating a fusion of bluegrass with jazz, folk and rock.Auldridge started playing guitar at the age of 13... - Dobro, vocals Ben Eldridge Ben Eldridge, is a five-string banjo player and a founding member of the seminal bluegrass group The Seldom Scene. He also works as a mathematician. Eldridge is best known for his scat singing on "Lay Down Sally."-Biography:... - banjo, guitar |
| 1995–1996 |
John Duffey John H. Duffey was a Washington DC-based bluegrass music innovator and musician.... - mandolin, vocals Ben Eldridge Ben Eldridge, is a five-string banjo player and a founding member of the seminal bluegrass group The Seldom Scene. He also works as a mathematician. Eldridge is best known for his scat singing on "Lay Down Sally."-Biography:... - banjo, guitar |
| 1995–1996 |
Ben Eldridge Ben Eldridge, is a five-string banjo player and a founding member of the seminal bluegrass group The Seldom Scene. He also works as a mathematician. Eldridge is best known for his scat singing on "Lay Down Sally."-Biography:... - banjo, guitar |