Two years ago this month, the bluegrass world lost one it's greatest pioneers when John Duffey suddenly passed away. Only months before, we had mourned the loss of Bill Monroe. No one, of course, can minimize the impact of losing the father of bluegrass, but at the same time we were prepared for the end. Mr. Monroe was in his eighties and had been ill for quite a while, which always seems to help us accept the ultimate loss represented by death. The sudden loss of Mr. Duffey may have dealt bluegrass fans an even harsher blow.Duffey may not be looked upon by some bluegrass fans as having the same impact as, let's say, the Stanley Brothers or Flatt and Scruggs; however, it can be argued that Duffey was the father of "progressive" or modern bluegrass. Much has been said about his larger-than life presence and of course his outrageous stage antics. Let us look a little closer at his impact on bluegrass. The popularity of bluegrass had waned steadily throughout the 1950s. Then the country music establishment attempted to sound the death knell by its' exile of bluegrass from radio airplay. It can be argued that first the folk music revival, and then the festival movement saved bluegrass musicians from starvation, or worse yet assimilation into mainstream country. The genius of the Country Gentlemen was their ability to appeal to a wide audience. Although fans of today's "progressive" bluegrass may not realize it, in the 1960's Duffey, Charlie Waller , Eddie Adcock and Tom Gray were redefining the sound of bluegrass. Things would never be the same.
John Duffey was from the suburbs of Washington D.C., not the hills of Virginia or Kentucky. This never diminished his love for traditional bluegrass, but he was astute enough to envision the potential of appealing to a more urban audience. With the passion of a musicologist he researched to find material the group could adapt into their new sound. The Country Gentlemen, and from them bluegrass in general, gained worldwide attention with their precise, intricate vocal harmonies and instrumental virtuosity. Duffey possessed one of the great voices we have heard in bluegrass. His clear, ringing tenor is still one of the most distinctive in bluegrass. To this day, you always know when you're hearing John Duffey. One of his greatest contributions was the level of perfection he brought to the art of vocal harmony. The standards were definitely raised once the bluegrass world heard the Country Gentlemen.
Duffey "retired" from the music business in 1969, but the creativity and desire were still there. Soon he helped form the Seldom Scene with John Starling, Mike Auldridge, Ben Eldridge and Tom Gray. Just as in the rest of the world, things changed dramatically in bluegrass during the 1960s and 70s. Thanks in part to the Country Gentlemen, bluegrass now was absorbing more influences and reaching more people than ever. Although the Seldom Scene was formed as a local group, they had an immediate impact. Now the material came from every possible source. The Seldom Scene wove elements of rock, jazz, folk or whatever else came along into their unique sound. It was clean, sharp, smooth and yet always possessed the elements that define bluegrass. If the Country Gentlemen can be considered the first group to play "progressive" bluegrass, then the Seldom Scene refined it into an art all of its own.Even through numerous personnel changes, the Seldom Scene carried on. Their latest release for Sugar Hill "Dream Scene" featured new members Dudley Connell, Ronnie Simpkins and Fred Travers joining Duffey and Ben Eldridge. Everyone who worked with Duffey during the last year before his death comments about the fact that he seemed revitalized and was enjoying himself more than he had in years. As a bluegrass fan in the Washington D.C. area, I am lucky to have seen the group during this time and can certainly agree. Duffey saw a lot of promise and was truly excited about the new line-up. It is sad he never got to explore the full potential of the new Seldom Scene and, unfortunately, bluegrass fans are deprived of the results of that exploration. To the group's credit, they have remained together and continue to create music befitting the memory of Duffey by pushing the envelope of progressive bluegrass.
On November 14, 1998, the musical "children of John Duffey", to quote longtime Seldom Scene vocalist/guitarist John Starling, gathered together at the Birchmere to pay tribute to the man and celebrate his music. The Birchmere contacted Starling a few months before to see if he could help organize the event. To his credit, Starling did more than bring together a large jam session. Much thought was devoted to picking material that best showcased Duffey's many talents. Each artist who performed was given the task of performing songs either written by or introduced to bluegrass by Duffey, although a few Monroe and Stanley Brothers standards were included to represent his traditional influences.
In keeping with the chronology of Duffey's career, the first set began with material from the classic Country Gentlemen of the 1960s. Jimmy Gaudreau, who had replaced Duffey in the Country Gentlemen in 1969, and Dudley Connell filling in for the ailing Charlie Waller joined classic Gents Eddie Adcock and Tom Gray. Pete Kukyendall, editor of Bluegrass Unlimited, also made guests appearances on two songs, "Sad and Lonesome Day" and "This Morning at Nine." Adcock, Connell and Gaudreau beautifully recreated the sweet harmonies associated with the original group. A particularly moving moment was a performance of the lesser-known composition "The Traveller." Duffey wrote the song for his wife Nancy, who was among the audience at the Birchmere. Connell's tender rendition was evidence he still possesses one of the most expressive, soulful voices in bluegrass.
The next phase of Duffey's career to be covered brought members of the Seldom Scene, past and present, onstage for such classic Scene material as "Darling Corey," "Fallen Leaves," and "Heaven," noted as Starling's personal favorite. Noticeably absent from the proceedings was Mike Auldridge, who was previously committed to a tour with Lyle Lovett. Fred Travers, currently with the Seldom Scene, gained many new fans handling all of the Dobro chores for the evening, or as Duffey referred to it, "the guitar with a '57 Plymouth hubcap in the middle." The first set closed with guest Bill Emerson on banjo for "How Mounatin Girls Can Love" and "Little Georgia Rose." Duffey and Emerson are musically linked all the way back to the 1950s.
The second half of the evening continued in similar fashion. Eddie and Martha Adcock opened the set while other guests throughout included Tom Gray, Tony Rice, Japanese-born mandolinist and Duffey protégé Akira Otsuka, and former Scene members Phil Rosenthal, Moondi Klein and T. Michael Coleman. The current line-up of the Seldom Scene performed three Duffey classics. "Walk Through this World with Me" and "Reason For Being" featured the vocals of Fred Travers, who's high and clear tenor, especially on ballads, reminds listeners quite a bit of Duffey. Lou Reid, former lead vocalist/guitarist with the group from 1986 to 1992, has rejoined the Seldom Scene to succeed Duffey. Kudos to Reid for assuming that awesome task on a full-time basis. Another treat of the evening, and current Scene shows, is Reid's rendition of "Small Exception of Me," a song Duffey learned from the Dean Martin TV variety show. Ben Eldridge notes that Duffey and Martin were "kindred spirits", after all!
The evening ended with a grand finale including all of the evening's guests, three encores in all. Although long retired from the current set lists, any longtime Seldom Scene fan would not have felt the tribute complete without the classic "Rider." The sentiments in the old folk song, made famous on the "Live at the Cellar Door" recording aptly applies: "I know you rider, gonna miss me when I'm gone". As time goes on, the bluegrass world will realize just how much we all miss John Duffey.
John Duffey photo courtesty Kyle Travers