Kenny Baker's fiddle playing is just beyond words.

Pike County Breakdown is one of the greatest tunes ever and with these here folks playin it so well, I could sit here and listen to it over and over. Bill Monroe and Earl Scruggs are and will always remain my all time bluegrass heroes. Heck they're legends these founding fathers of bluegrass. Enjoy this wonderful legacy from these truly great men !

A smiling Kenny Baker? This is indeed a unique and wonderful video. Once saw him smile after lighting up a Lucky.

Rest in Peace, Kenny Baker June 26, 1926 - July 8, 2011. The fiddler's fiddler.

That fiddle playing is the ultimate. Absolute perfection and elegance. BRA VO!

What a treat to hear Bill again along with Kenny and the rest of the Bluegrass Boys. Thanks for sharing this.

Kenny Baker is sooo smooth! Thanks for posting this.

Kenny Baker is just beyond words.

...anybody ever think about this tune being a speeded-up version of TRAVELING THIS LONESOME ROAD ?...that Bill was 'crafty' !

Good picking ❤

It's like he owns that song and it fits him perfectly. Amazing person.

The person asking the questions happens to be really fine fiddle player by the name of Aly Bain

Thanks for posting this!!! Amazing to see Bill Monroe sitting there with others discussing his song the Pike County Breakdown. What year was this recorded? I wonder if this is where Aly Bain got the idea for the Trans-Atlantic sessions? Bain of course recently recived a national medal from Scotland for his great fiddle work. Like you say he is excellent esp. with Celtic music

wow this treasure recording must have been in the digital archives now getting a bit of a dusting as I am just now viewing this for the first time algorithms are digging deep and way back in time 12/3/2021 1:53 pm.

oh man, just imagine - sitting out on a porch under the light green trees with Bill Monroe and the Bluegrass Boys just doing their thing!

love to see bill

damn that banjo is smooth.

Americana... savor it while it is still around.

If you clock on the "more" link in the "About This Video" section at the top right hand side, you will see it's from a 1985 TV series, so was possibly recorded in 1984.

sweet tune

No I don't think was that late -- I can tell from how young Bill looks that this was filmed in the early 1980's. Keep in mind this tape was being played on a 1985 TV show so it could not have been shot in 1990.

You're both right (sort of). The modern form of the banjo was invented in the early Nineteenth Century in the USA. However its ancestors were very similar gourd instrumens invented in Africa. For more information see Wikipedia

don't forget Kenny Baker the fiddler for Bill who is also Kenny is also my uncle

The banjo actually comes from Africa and was imported concurrently when Africans were brought to this nation

yup Mr. Bill Monroe does a wonderful job on this song because he wrote it! SMILE! Along with about a thousand other original tunes. It is a great mandolin tune as well as great banjo tune. Although all of Bill's songs were "written" on the mandolin some sound better on other instruments - like "Jerusalem Ridge" -- this is fiddle tune no doubt.

@RebelGibson Awesome!

Yes America always

You gonna do some prayin' for me, boy. And you better pray good.

haha i am actually from pike county i love this song

Yea

Pike County Kentucky 😊

How does Kenny play that

The camera man hated guitar players...

you'd have to rise early in the morning to beat these guys! b/g at it's best improvo!

5 string developed here from its 4 string relative jeffy jeff

2 people have rigor mortis.

Nice video. Aly bain, the other fiddler should have taken a break, He's excellent.

HIPPIES LIKE !!!!!!!!

How do you steal bluegrass music?

I've always loved Bill Monroe and the Bluegrass Boys and always will. Does all bluegrass in my opinion have to sound like the original standard? No it does not but I love to hear dynamics and people getting in great tune together no matter what genre it is. The past 16 or so years EVERYBODY is just trying to play at breakneck speed as loud as they can and it sounds horrible. It's not even good music or songwriting so I'm just thankful I have older music around from older groups.

Who doesn't??? LOL

Half truths. The banjo came here from Africa. The 5th string was added in the U.S.

surely banjo derived from Africa? a drum and a fiddle

Not to detract from the excellent music but it would be nice if they knew, and shared, at the outset of the video that the banjo is fashioned after an African instrument.

Banjo came from Africa ..the picking developed in America.

The banjo was brought to this country by slaves from africa. Of course it didn't look like the banjo we have today but still It originated in africa.

Squeal like a pig boy! No only kiddin', I love Bluegrass!