Back Porch Bluegrass

Reuben's Train

Jim Dickson, an LA-based producer, who would later manage The Byrds, brought the Dillards to Elektra. The group recorded the first of five albums for Elektra, Pickin’ And Fiddlin’, in 1963.

Elektra was no stranger to the top instrumentalists who regularly played bluegrass in Washington Square on weekends, but The Dillards hailed from Missouri even if their appeal was to the same urban-folk market. They were already known nationally as regular guests on TV, appearing as The Darling Family on the networked Andy Griffith Show.

The Dillards, featured brothers Rodney on guitar and dobro and Doug (who later teamed up with Gene Clark) on banjo, and recorded two further, spirited bluegrass records for Elektra before leaving the label in 1964. A few years later they were re-signed, by which time The Dillards had moved beyond bluegrass in a more country rock direction.

Wheatstraw Suite, released in 1968, and a couple of years later, Copperfields, skillfully and cleverly stretched the conventions of the genre though still resting on their same brilliant musicianship and keen harmonies.