By james art 
The early country music pioneers’ 1979 compilation album is finally available digitally.
‘Feudin’ Again!‘ is the 1979 album reflecting the meeting between two legends of early country and bluegrass music, Arthur ‘Guitar Boogie’ Smith and Don Reno.
The legend is not an empty exaggeration. Don Reno first played banjo with Smith in the 1940s before joining the US Army in 1943. After leaving the Army, he filled in for Earl Scruggs as a Bluegrass Boy before moving on to build on a successful 14-year partnership with Red Smiley. Reno was an innovative banjo player and developed a distinctive sound, introducing 2- and 3-note chords as well as guitar movements into his solos. It was a style that at the time set it apart from the more established 3-finger rolling technique favored by Scruggs. He also pioneered bluegrass flat guitar, especially fiddle tunes: greats like Doc Watson and Clarence White cite Reno as an influence on their own playing.
Arthur Smith was a record producer, media personality, studio owner and co-founder of the CMH label. He was also an accomplished musician and composer, publishing over 500 original tunes. His 1945Boogie on guitar‘ was the first million-selling country instrumental, eventually selling over 3 million copies, and in 1955 he reunited with Rhyno to record a song he had written in 1954 – ‘Feudin’ Banjos‘. It later became the basis for the iconic country hit “Banjo Duel‘, for which Smith was awarded a Grammy as an original writer.
24 years after “Feudin’ Banjos‘ the duo returned to the studio with this Smith-produced collection of Dixieland, swing and cover tunes plus several Smith-penned originals. The popular song of 1918After you’re gone” gets the full Smith and Reno treatment. Smith’s guitar leads, working his way through the tune at the same, measured pace of the original, before Reno begins to employ his trademark double-bar accompaniment style on slower songs. The duo’s ability to play at breakneck speed is showcased in the jazz classic, ‘Bye bye blues“and dixieland storming the barn”Rag on 12th Street” which closes the album.
Fans of popular songs like “Somewhere over the rainbow‘, ‘A yellow bird‘, ‘Hi Dolly‘, ‘Five foot two, blue eyes“and”Cabaret‘ can be enjoyed as instrumental arrangements. However, for many listeners such a treatment would add little to the better-known versions and would not warrant repeat performances but for the mastery of Reno on banjo and Smith on guitar.
The distinctive track recalls the duo’s earliest records. Smith’s originalFollow Me Boogie“is”Feudin’ Banjos“meeting”Boogie on guitar‘. It opens with a call-and-response passage, guitar and banjo trading licks as the two instruments come together in a lively boogie tune. The tempo gradually spirals as each artist challenges the other to follow, interweaving parts as they go.
Overall, you get the feeling that the artists had a great time recording tunes they both like. This album is likely to be of primary interest to collectors and especially to those interested in Reno’s distinctive banjo style. For the casual listener, it’s worth seeing if only to enjoy the energy and exuberance of two influential masters of their craft at work.