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Curly Seckler - 60 Years Of Bluegrass With My Friends

(Vine Street VSR D 107) 1996
reissued on CD (Copper Creek CCCD-0227) 2004.

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This album was the brainchild of Billy Henson, a Nashville producer/songwriter, and was released on his Vine Street label in 1995.

John Ray 'Curly' Seckler was born on 25th Dec 1919^[1] and played with Charlie Monroe, Jim & Jesse, The Sauceman Brothers; Flatt & Scruggs; Nashville Grass and for a few months from December 1951: The Stanley Brothers.^[2]

For the sessions at The Home Place Studio's in Nashville, Curly gathered together as many of his old band-mates who were available: Mac Wiseman, Josh Graves, Tater Tate, Benny Sims, Benny Martin, Jimmy Martin and Willis Spears; and they were augmented by Kent Blanton, Billy Henson, Charlie Cushman, Julia LaBella, Doyle Lawson, Gene Libbea, Larry Perkins, Billy Rose, Kurt Storey, Ernie Sykes and Gene Wooten.

Mostly recorded in 1994, two tracks were sourced from previous recordings:- Shine On Me a 1951 WCYB radio recording by The Sauceman Brothers, and Swing Low Sweet Chariot from Curly's 'No Doubt About It' (Revonah) 1979 LP, with Marty Stuart singing lead.

Ralph Stanley is featured singing harmony vocal on Lord I'm Coming Home with the following personnel:-

• Ralph Stanley: harmony vocal
• Curly Seckler: mandolin, lead vocal
• Josh Graves: dobro
• Billy Henson: harmony vocal
• Larry Perkins: guitar
• Billy Rose: bass
• Tater Tate: harmony vocal

In 2004, in time for Curly's 70th anniversary as a musician, Copper Creek reissued a revamped version of the album on CD, with new artwork. This added two tracks:- No Mother Or Dad which was only partially finished on the original sessions, and Mother Maybelle which was recorded at the 1994 sessions, but released on Larry Perkins' 'A Glad Reunion Day' album.

The Copper Creek CD reissue and other Curly Seckler material is available from http://www.curlyseckler.net/

^{[1] Penny Parsons' book 'Foggy Mountain Troubadour - The Life And Music Of Curly Seckler' (p.1)
[2] Gary B. Reid's book 'The Music Of The Stanley Brothers' (p.32)}