Didn't know whether to post this here or in the
concert thread...here's a picture I took of
Dr. Ralph Stanley on 5-string banjo and
George Shuffler on guitar.
It's a still from a video I'm working on. I'm just
getting around to editing the footage I got back
in May.
During this song, while I had a close-up of George,
he looked at Ralph and said "old times." Couldn't
have been better if I'd planned it.
These guys are both past 80 and still kick ass.
I have absolutely amazing Columbia Stanley
Brothers 78s from
1949 with these two
guys on them.
(Back then George was the bass player.)
Both of these gentlemen invented new ways of playing
their instruments which are now used by everyone in bluegrass -
with Ralph it's "Stanley-style" picking, which he is sadly unable
to utilize anymore due to arthritis. When he plays now it's
strictly clawhammer, like his mama taught him 70 years ago.
And with George it's a particular method of cross-picking,
based on Mother Maybelle's Carter-style picking, which is
used by absolutely everyone. I got as much of a thrill of
seeing these guys because of THAT as I did for the music.
Walking history. Walking a little slow, but still walking.
The picture above was taken on May 26, 2007.
Here they are forty years ago. They'd already played together for 18 years at that point.

Disclaimer: These are my opinions and not fact as realised in these here United States, lest I give my friends the idea that everyone thinks like me.