The enduring legacy of the Stanley Brothers serves as a testimony to the high standards that this duo placed upon their music. They are considered to be one of the most traditional bluegrass bands ever assembled. An emphasis of their record releases was their quality original material. However, a number of the “old-timers” Carter and Ralph routinely performed on their concerts never made it onto commercial recordings – until now!

Shadows Of The Past offers a fascinating look at the stage performances of one of the premier bluegrass bands from the golden age of bluegrass. The Stanley Brothers – at various parks and outdoor concerts between the years of 1956 and 1962 – performed the selections “live and in-person” that are featured on this CD. All of the material featured on this release has been previously unavailable to fans of the Stanley Brothers’ monumental work.

Also unique to this collection is a fine sampling of the comedy routines that were characteristic of bluegrass shows from the 1950s and ‘60s. “The Propaganda Routine” is one such skit, performed here between Carter and bass player Chick Stripling during a performance at Oberlin College, Oberlin, Ohio on March 17, 1962.

This project is indeed a shining example of the Stanley Brothers at their finest. Presented here is an interesting cross-section of many of the traditional tunes that the Stanley Brothers knew and a fine assortment of bluegrass standards. Shadows Of The Past will prove to be a true delight for anyone who draws pleasure from the strong bluegrass sounds of this phenomenal duo.