Five time Grammy award winner (with sixteen nominations!) and Grand Old Opry and Country Music Hall of Fame member Marty Stuart and his remarkable band played a sold out and highly anticipated show at the Edmonds Arts Center last week. Stuart is a veteran of both Johnny Cash’s and Lester Flatt’s bands as well as being the owner of a very successful and sustained solo career and, as such, it was only fitting and appropriate that it was his name above the fold for this troupe of truly next level players. That said, the group could just as easily and accurately be called the ‘Stuart, Vaughan, Scruggs, and Stinson Band’ as each member of this quartet of world class musicians is equally crucial to the to the sound and aesthetic of the highly regarded act. No one appears more aware and appreciative of this dynamic than Stuart himself as he went above and beyond to make sure that each player got a chance to take the mic and lead the band for a couple of songs of their own choosing.
While they identify and present as a country act, Stuart and the Superlatives effortlessly sail above and beyond mere genre classifications, being equally comfortable and proficient playing twangy, psychedelic Byrds-style Americana, acoustic bluegrass & gospel, old school traditional C&W, spirited rockabilly, and delightfully spacey Dead-esque jams. Speaking of the Byrds, Stuart played the very same ‘B Bender’ Fender Telecaster guitar once owned and played by flat picking legend Clarence White. Hearing that gorgeous, unmistakably identifiable tone pouring out of Stuart’s Fender amplifier was enough to give this fan of psychedelic 60’s rock a case of the goosebumps that lasted for a good part of the band’s generous set. As wildly talented as Stuart is as a guitarist, a compelling case could be made that he is in fact the 3rd best guitar player in the band. Lead player Kenny Vaughan is a Nashville legend and has toured and recorded with the likes of Lucinda Williams, Sweethearts of the Rodeo, Billy Joe Shavers, and many more. Bass player Chris Scruggs (grandson of the great Earl Scruggs) is also a highly accomplished acoustic, electric, and pedal steel guitar player. He also took a stint behind the drum kit during this performance while drummer Harry Stinson stepped out to lead the band on acoustic guitar for a couple numbers. Not to be outdone, Marty Stuart took a solo excursion on mandolin through bluegrass warhorse ‘Orange Blossom Special’, allowing the rest of the band to take a breather while he thrilled the audience on 8 strings. I’ve not heard the mandolin played with more zeal and finesse. The packed house clearly agreed as they rose in unison to salute the performance with one of the evening’s many standing ovations.
Near the conclusion of the evening’s performance, Stuart stopped the thank the audience, mentioning that this is the third time that the Superlatives have played the Edmonds Center for the Arts. He vowed that it would not be the last and, judging from the capacity crowd’s response, he will be playing to a full house when he returns.
