It started 30 years ago, when we went to Nashville to make Will the Circle Be Unbroken, and inadvertently began what has now become a series. The excitement of the 30th year anniversary re-release of that first album led to discussions of 'what would happen if we do another one?" Plans were made for recording in June, and we put together our wish list of great performers ready and willing to join us to again make what will be considered one of our best works.

The main difference between then and now is many of the artists, even ourselves, grew up with and learned from the original Circle album. This time we had a lot to live up to, and I think we did….

Here are some background notes on Circle III:

This album reflects more cross-generational influence with guests that include Doc Watson's grandson Richard Watson, Jonathan McEuen, Jamie Hanna, Del McCoury's sons (Rob & Ronnie), and Jimmy Martin's son Ray, joining Earl's son and our producer, Randy Scruggs, and includes a great song written by Gary Scruggs.

Recorded in a similar fashion as Circle I, the combinations of people jelled perfectly. Sam Bush with Vince Gill, Willie Nelson with Tom Petty. Doc with Josh Graves. Emmylou and Matraca, then Dwight with us. The almost jug band treatment of Fishin' Blues with Taj took us all back to our roots on and on.

Poignant moments? There were many. The excited, "We nailed that one!" moments came often. Johnny Cash told us he had a song he'd written about Maybelle and Sarah for this album, called Tears in the Holston River, and we couldn't wait to be a part of making that piece of history. It was chilling. It was an honor to record with this great icon of what Country is all about.

June's (Carter/Cash) contribution, Diamonds In The Rough, lovingly recaptures the original sounds of Maybelle Carter on the first Circle album. On first hearing, it was eerie…she's talking a little bit, and then the song starts. It was as if Maybelle was in the studio. It sounded like she was going to say (as on the first Circle) 'on the original record. I started it like this "... (June may be age Maybelle was on the first Circle??)

Iris Dement brings her fresh true Appalachian sounding voice to Mama's Opry that made us feel that we were a part of a new old time recording era. We were fortunate to be with her on this lovingly delivered song that captures a beautiful picture, on that makes me feel like we went back to 1946 to record.

It was important to get the Don Reno classic Love Please Come Home performed with one of the best in bluegrass, The Del McCoury Band, and to pay homage to Mr. Reno's banjo style. Reno's contribution has been under-appreciated and this song represents some of the best in bluegrass from his direction, hopefully pointing some attention his way.

When Vince Gill first played All Prayed Up for us, it sounded like he had found a classic unknown Flatt and Scruggs gospel song. It was his, brought in for this album! With Sam Bush on mandolin I got to play Earl's guitar style, and we all felt like we were in the Flatt and Scruggs band of the early 50s. Ibby, Jeff, and Carp gave it that cool vocal of an old gospel trio they are so good at.

I was especially proud of Jonathan (my son) and Jaime Hanna singing Gary Scruggs' "The Lowlands" in the way that they did, drawing the listener into this mournful song. I have long considered this a classic great song. It was always one of my brother's (producer of the first 'Circle' album) favorite songs; he calls it the "Walk Away Renee of country music". It probably would have been on he first Circle album had we known of it then.

When Tom Petty was offered the chance to sing with Willie Nelson he was as excited about the opportunity as we were to have him join us. Good Night Irene couldn't have been a better choice, as these two make it come alive and poignant. Petty made it sound like he belongs in our band, singing country music with us. Willie's harp player, Mickey Raphael, paired up with his mentor (the NGDB's) Jimmie Fadden made the harmonica duo absolutely beautiful. It was great to watch Jeff deliver the harmony over Petty's shoulder.

That was the same day Dwight came in and almost sheepishly said something like, "I want to do one with you guys." It fell into place... Jeff and Ibby wanted to have Dwight Yoakam sing with them and the chosen song represents one of the best songs of the California country rockers - Graham Parson's and Chris Hillman's Wheels. Ibby has been singing this song ever since I've known him, and he was excited about giving it over to Dwight. It was so good, in fact, that we went ahead and did Dark Hollow, one of Dwight's favorite bluegrass classics, that just came up while we were waiting to record.

When Doc said he wanted to do Milk Cow Blues with Josh Graves on dobro and us being his band again, it was the same great feeling we had going in to record Tennessee Stud on the original Circle. Fadden's harp and Doc recaptured the perfect marriage they had the first time around, and I can't think of a better feeling than having Doc Watson say to you. "Take one" and then saying, "Now let me do it."

I had called Josh Graves to be on the first Circle in '71, but at the time he could not do it due to 'job constraints'. Josh is responsible for making the Dobro come to the forefront as a lead instrument starting in the '50's with Flatt & Scruggs. It was 'a must' to have him on Circle III showing the style for what is so well represented today by genius Jerry Douglas. It was nice to see Jerry drop in to watch his mentor pick on this session.

Alison chose Catfish John" and when she sings it she takes me right to where the lyric tells me to go. It was a great feeling to have an artist with her talents say, "That's the way it should sound."

I swear that Ibby's I Find Jesus will very likely become a classic bluegrass standard for the gospel Sunday shows; it fooled me when I first heard it. I don't know where he's hoping this goes other than this album, but I am sure others will cut it. It was great fun to have the song he says he wrote with his dad be the one that recently put us on The David Letterman Show.

An unusual happening came about when Matraca Berg joined Emmylou and delivered some of her fine writing, and put the first husband-wife team from the Dirt Band on record (her husband, Jeff Hanna). Doing Emmylou's I'll Be Faithful To You ... it was great to be in the studio with her again and NGDB sounded like her band. I've always loved the way Jeff and Emmylou's voices came together and they liked it so much we did Matraca's Oh, Cumberland.

As everyone knows, Jimmy Martin believes everyone has a right to his/her opinion; it's an outlook that has made him known as the best singer in early bluegrass music. We feel lucky that he shared his opinion with us again and brought Hold Watcha' Got and Save It, Save It to this album. Both are direct statements that give his point of view musically and lyrically.

How can a banjo player be any luckier than to again record with Earl Scruggs? Sallie Ann recaptures our twin banjo and bass combination as on Circle I's Soldier's Joy. I again played Uncle Dave Macon's old five string. Funny to note that it had the same strings on it as 30 years previous for the first Circle album. Earl owns this banjo, which he bought for $25 from Doris Macon after Uncle Dave passed away. (A few years ago I was proud to be honored with the "Uncle Dave Macon Heritage Award" as one who represents preservation of the old style of music… and here I was again playing that old banjo in Circle III.)

Taj Mahal completes our circular path in that we all started in the same L.A. clubs (The Ash Grove, Troubadour, Ice House) with the same dream of maybe someday we would make records... and maybe even someday together. It happened here simply because Fadden called his old friend and said, "Wanna pick one with us?"... and the joy of that being able to be done on Circle III is evident with Taj's performance of "Fishin' Blues." (he also appears on the revamped Circle)

As for another complete 'Circle' aspect of this album, my instrumental Return To Dismal Swamp II is the first song I played with the Dirt Band in 1966, just prior to actually being in the fold. I had them accompany me at the Topanga Canyon banjo contest, and since I won it only seemed natural that we should be together. It's been a winning combination since.

The differences between this album and the first circle album are many, but one main one is we play a lot better than we did then. We also personally knew almost everybody we were going in to record with, had performed with them in one fashion or another over the years, and had a better idea of what we could accomplish. We all (NGDB and the others) have wonderful careers, and were mutually excited about being involved with each other to make something we would be proud of in the years to come.

I would say one of the more difficult musician tasks on this album was for our keyboard player, Bobby Carpenter, to find his space. Using a variety of old accordions, Bobby made the perfect musical contributions. His great high singing voice and ability to match with other people's styles amazed me, as always. If I could play the accordion, I'd want to do it the way he does. His solo on Good Night Irene sounds like we hired the perfect guy from 1948. My mother's going to love it.

Fadden, teaming up with one of his early disciples, Willie's Mickey Raphael, was as exciting as putting a couple of hot fiddlers together. Mickey started playing harmonica because of Jimmie Fadden. (Another Fadden disciple is Fingers Taylor with Jimmy Buffet).

It's exciting to sit in the studio recording with people you've known for 35 years and hear in your headphones something that makes you look up to see what hot guy just walked in to play... and find out it is one of us. Jeff did that often with his slide guitar and finger picking. I think he's been studying behind my back!

One of my challenges was to cover three or four different banjo styles, using a variety of tunings (c-minor, c-major, E, g-minor and G) with frailing, barefingered and bluegrass picking.

Circle III is a melting pot of acoustic music . . . America, long called "the melting pot", finds its best blend of cultures in its music. Circle III is an ongoing example and testament to the power of this music, and a great demonstration of how broad the styles can be within the background of country music.

Mike Dungan and his team at Capitol are as excited about Circle III as we (the artists) all are. His succinct write to response to the question, "What do you think so far?" when he was sent a couple of cuts was, "Doc is a god. It's all beautiful." It's great to have such a good record company behind us be a part of this, as it means it will have its best shot at getting to the public.

With the legacy of the first Circle album over us, we had a high mark to aspire to and do take some pride in that the early reviews and fan's comments attest to the fact the mark was hit again. For more information check out Nittygritty.com or www.johnmceuen.com

We look forward to bringing this music to our fans and new listeners. Circle III again will transport the listener to a place in time where sweet singers and hot pickers gathered to make beautiful music for them to hear, and be a part of it along with us.

John McCuen

25 June 2003