It was a beautiful afternoon in Portola Valley, California at the home of Joan Baez. Bluegrass County Music Legend Earl Scruggs and his two sons Randy Scruggs and Gary Scruggs were traveling the country seeking out musicians who Earl admired. Earl had a vision that banjo and mountain and country music could come together with his incredible banjo style to make something new. At this time, Earl was tired of playing tunes like what he and Lester Flat did for Beverly Hillbillies (the TV series).

He reached out to musicians like Joan Baez, The Byrds, Bob Dylan and others, for get-togethers where they could make music and see what would come from it. I made a 90 minute documentary of Earl and his family while they were making this effort. This is a link to that film:
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This scene with Joan Baez and Earl and Randy Scruggs and Gary Scruggs is just fantastic and I felt so fortunate to be there to record it. Although I was the director and the cameraman, I set up the my 16mm camera & a single Neumann microphone. We said we were ready and we started rolling.

Remember that this was a time when Joan's husband David was in prison for protesting the draft during the Vietnam War. They just birthed their sonGabriel, who is in this scene. To answer some commentators, it was not alcohol that she gave him in that glass but water.

As you can imagine, being that I am now an 82-year-old documentary filmmaker with so many films to my credit, I have recorded a lot of musicians in my day. Country. Bluegrass. Mountain music. Old Time music,. Classical. Folk. Opera. Rock 'n roll. But this moment between Earl and Joan Baez backed up by Earl's brilliant guitar picking son Randy is in a class by itself.

I would like to thank some of those who have advertised on my YouTube video. Without this support, I couldn't keep presenting my work (I'd have to do other work to make a living). They include Nothin Fancy bluegrass. Bluegrass near me. Charm City bluegrass 2023. Appalachian bluegrass music. Live bluegrass near me. Bluegrass concert near me. Bluegrass music near me.

If you found this scene pleasurable, I would appreciate your supporting my efforts by clicking the super thanks button below the video screen. Your support gives me the resources to allow me to dig into my archive for more moments in time like this one.
Thank you
David Hoffman filmmaker

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