In the early 1980s, Marc Pruett, a Western North Carolina banjo player, established the Skyline label, and produced and released three albums of Raymond Fairchild’s work. From two of those releases, “Raymond Fairchild Plays Requests,” and “World Champion Banjo,” recorded in 1985 and 1987, respectively, thirteen tunes were chosen for this new compilation. Here, Fairchild – who plays banjo with a hard-driving, straightforward, and crisp style – demonstrates his inventiveness and agility as he interprets a full range of bluegrass music standards in his inimitable fashion.

Backed up by longtime musical companions Josh Crowe (guitar), Wayne Crowe (bass), and Arvil Freeman (fiddle), Fairchild plays his versions of the Earl Scruggs classics, “Flint Hill Special,” “Dear Old Dixie,” “Foggy Mountain Special,” “Shuckin’ The Corn,” and “Foggy Mountain Breakdown.” “Clinch Mountain Backstep” and “Daybreak in Dixie represent the Stanley Brothers” and the Bill Monroe mandolin tour-de-force, “Rawhide,” is transformed into a banjo showcase in Fairchild’s hands.

“Under the Double Eagle” dates from the 1800s, but entered the bluegrass tradition when recorded by Don Reno and Red Smiley; other traditional tunes that have become popular in bluegrass include “Turkey in the Straw,” “Roll On, Buddy,” “T for Texas,” and the old fiddle favorite, “Katy Hill.”

For those who have seen Raymond Fairchild in performance, this recording will be a reminder of the remarkable way an expressionless, stationary musician can pull rollicking, sparkling, interesting music from his banjo; for those who have not had that experience, it will explain how he has earned the title, “King of the Smoky Mountain Banjo Players.”