J.D. Crowe - Biography
By J Poet
J. D. Crowe is one of the finest banjo players in bluegrass and one of the first musicians to play progressive bluegrass, AKA newgrass, by incorporating rock, jazz and country music into his style. J. D. Crowe and his band The New South have been at the forefront of the progressive bluegrass movement since 1975. Crowe gave the first exposure to many players who went on to fame on their own including Keith Whitley, Ricky Skaggs, Tony Rice, Jerry Douglas, and Doyle Lawson. He also invented “Crowe spacing” by moving the banjo strings further apart and widening the neck of the instrument; the result is a sharper sound without overtones. At 72 years of age, Crowe retains his energy and still plays several dates a week.
Crowe was born in Lexington, KY, and started playing banjo when he was 13, after attending a Flatt & Scruggs show. Crowe’s parents lived near WNOX in Knoxville, and took their son to the studio where Flatt & Scruggs rehearsed for their radio show. Crowe memorized the finger movements of Earl Scruggs as he played and duplicated his moves at home. By 18, he was playing professionally with Mac Wiseman, Don Reno, and Red Smiley.
In 1956, Jimmy Martin asked Crowe to join the Sunny Mountain Boys; he started adding rock and country tunes to the band’s set list. Martin’s band emphasized rhythm and Crowe developed a fast, hard picking style. He also sang back up harmonies behind Martin. He made several albums with Martin’s band including Good 'n' Country (1960 Decca), Country Music Time (1962 Decca), Widow Maker (1964 Decca), and Big Country Instrumentals (1967 Decca.)
In 1967, Crowe left Martin and started the Kentucky Mountain Boys with Red Allen on guitar and lead vocals and Doyle Lawson on mandolin. Their first album, Bluegrass Holiday (1968 Lemco) laid the foundations for the progressive bluegrass/newgrass movement. After Allen left, the Kentucky Mountain Boys made Blackjack (1968 Rebel) and Model Church (1968 Rebel); when they were reissued in 1987 they were credited to J. D. Crowe and The New South.
In 1970, the Kentucky Mountain Boys morphed into J. D. Crowe and The New South. Their first album J. D. Crowe and the New South (1973 Starday, 1986 Rounder) electrified audiences with its lightening fast picking and covers of tunes by Fats Domino, Gordon Lightfoot and originals by group member Ricky Scaggs. Crowe continued evolving his sound on You Can Share My Blanket (1977 Rounder), My Home Ain't In The Hall Of Fame (1979 Rounder), a honky tonk album with electric guitar, drums and a cover of the Flying Burritos Brothers’ “Sin City,” Live In Japan (1979 Rounder, 1982 Rounder), Somewhere Between (1982 Rounder) with vocalist Keith Whitley delivering a few Lefty Frizzell standards, Straight Ahead (1986 Rounder), a more traditional acoustic album featuring Sam Bush and Jerry Douglas, Flashback (1994 Rounder), Come On Down To My World (1999 Rounder), an acoustic honky tonk album with covers of Haggard’s “Back to the Barrooms” and Towns Van Zandt’s “White Freight Liner Blues,” and Lefty's Old Guitar (2006 Rounder.)
In 1981, Crowe created the studio only Bluegrass Album Band to play hard-core traditional acoustic music. Over the years they made five albums: The Bluegrass Album, Vol. 1 (1982 Rounder), The Bluegrass Album, Vol. 2 (1982 Rounder), The Bluegrass Album, Vol. 3: California Connection (1983 Rounder), The Bluegrass Album, Vol. 4 (1984 Rounder), and The Bluegrass Album, Vol. 5: Sweet Sunny South (1989 Rounder.)