I just realized I've been waiting over two years for the definitive answer to whether Napier or Shuffler was the first to crosspick on a Stanley Brothers recording. Not that it makes any difference but I've been listening again lately to the wonderful guitar work Napier provided on early Stanley Brothers recordings and I thought some special mention should be made here.

Those Stanley Brothers recordings are a wonderful resource for the guitarist who would like to learn bluegrass technique. They feature the guitar almost exclusively so you can clearly hear every note played. Ralph was playing almost no banjo on those sessions. It's as though Carter and Ralph grabbed Napier and said “Lets go make some records. We'll sing and you back us up.”

On top of the clairity is the fact that most of what Napier plays is accessible. You get a complete course in backup guitar and a lot of leads that aren't too hard to copy by ear.

I hear a lot of flashy guitar players these days but very few that can lay down a bluegrass guitar line the way Bill Napier could.

      - Mark