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American bluegrass band

The Seldom Scene is an American bluegrass band that formed in 1971 in Bethesda, Maryland. The band's original line up comprised John Starling on lead vocals and guitar, Mike Auldridge on Dobro and baritone vocals, Ben Eldridge on banjo, Tom Gray on double bass, and John Duffey on mandolin; the latter three also provided backing vocals. Together they released their debut studio album, Act I, in 1972, followed by both Act II and Act III in 1973. In 1977, Starling left the group and was replaced by singer songwriter Phil Rosenthal. Starling and Rosenthal shared lead vocals on the group's sixth studio album, Baptizing, released in 1978. Around the same time, the group switched record labels from Rebel Records to Sugar Hill Records. In 1986, Rosenthal and Gray left the band, and were replaced by Lou Reid and T. Michael Coleman, respectively; Reid and Coleman first appeared on the band's 1988 album A Change of Scenery. Reid left the band in 1992, and Starling briefly returned to the group, performing on their 1994 album Like We Used to Be. Starling was replaced by Moondi Klein as the band's lead singer. During 1995 and 1996, Klein, Coleman, and Auldridge, left the Seldom Scene to form a new band called Chesapeake. Duffey and Eldridge recruited guitarist Fred Travers, bassist Ronnie Simpkins, and guitarist and singer Dudley Connell into the Seldom Scene, and together released the album Dream Scene in 1996. That same year, Duffey died of a heart attack. Reid returned to the band to replace Duffey on mandolin, and the group released the album Scene It All in 2000. The group's 2007 album Scenechronized was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Bluegrass Album. The band's original members (Auldridge, Duffey, Eldridge, Gray, and Starling) were inducted into the International Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame in 2014.

The Seldom Scene was established in 1971, and they would practice in Ben Eldridge's basement. These practice sessions included John Starling on guitar and lead vocals, Mike Auldridge on Dobro and baritone vocals, and former Country Gentlemen member Tom Gray on bass. The mandolinist John Duffey, who had also performed with the Country Gentlemen, was invited to jam sessions at the time when Mike Auldridge arranged for the group to play as a performing band. Another member of the Country Gentlemen, Charlie Waller, is responsible for the band's name. Expressing his doubt that this new band could succeed, Waller reportedly asked Duffey, "What are you going to call yourselves, the seldom seen?" The band had weekly performances at clubs and performed regularly at the Red Fox Inn, a music club in Bethesda Maryland. The band switched over to the Birchmere music hall in Alexandria, Virginia, which resulted in a residency.

The progressive bluegrass style played by the Seldom Scene had become increasingly popular during the 1970s, especially Duffey's high tenor and the vocal blend of Duffey/Starling/Auldridge.

In 1977, John Starling left the group to focus on his medical career, and was replaced by singer and songwriter Phil Rosenthal, whose song "Muddy Water" had been recorded by the Scene on two earlier albums. Starling and Rosenthal shared their lead vocals on the group's sixth studio album, Baptizing (recorded in 1978). Around the same time, the group switched record labels from Rebel to Sugar Hill. Starling recorded a solo album for Sugar Hill in 1980 called "Long Time Gone" and another in 1982 called "Waitin' On a Southern Train", on both of which Mike Auldridge played. The lineup of Rosenthal Duffey Gray Auldridge Eldridge recorded five albums of a comparable popularity to the ones with the founding members, including John Starling. Rosenthal proved to be as good lead singer as Starling and his baritone voice contrasted well with Duffey's high tenor extravaganzas. He also wrote typically two to three songs on each of the albums and also added acoustic guitar solos to the group.

In 1986, Phil Rosenthal and Tom Gray both left the band to focus on other pursuits, and were replaced by Lou Reid and T. Michael Coleman, respectively. Coleman proved to be very controversial, as many purists objected to his use of an electric bass in what is nominally an acoustic genre, but the albums produced by the band after Coleman's arrival maintained the traditional appeal of any of the Scene's earlier albums. Reid left the band in 1992, and Duffey convinced former member John Starling to return to the band for the next year. During that year the Scene recorded the album Like We Used to Be, but Starling did not wish to stay with the band long term. He was replaced in 1994 by lead singer Moondi Klein.

In late 1996, band leader and founder John Duffey suffered a fatal heart attack. Banjoist Ben Eldridge, the sole remaining original member of the Seldom Scene, assumed leadership of the band. Former guitarist Lou Reid rejoined the band, replacing Duffey on mandolin. In July 2008, Seldom Scene performed at a White House dinner honoring the 2008 U. S. Olympic team as well as previous U. S. Olympians. Seldom Scene also played the National Folk Festival July 11–13, 2008, representing bluegrass music. On April 22, 2014, the band returned with Long Time Seldom Scene, via Smithsonian Folkways. The collection features interpretations of 16 oft requested tunes and is the band's first studio album since the Scenechronized in 2007. In 2015, "Long Time Seldom Scene" and "Mean Mother Blues" won awards in the "Bluegrass" Album and Song categories at The 14th Annual Independent Music Awards. In January 2016, Ben Eldridge retired after 44 continuous years with the band. He was replaced by Rickie Simpkins. In 2017, Ron Stewart joined the Seldom Scene, replacing Rickie Simpkins. In 2019, the Seldom Scene released the album Changes, featuring songs by songwriters of the 1960s and early 1970s, through Rounder Records. The band currently consists of Dudley Connell (guitar/lead vocals), Ron Stewart (banjo/fiddle/guitar), Lou Reid (mandolin/tenor vocals), Fred Travers (dobro/lead vocals), and Ronnie Simpkins (bass/baritone vocals). Ben Eldridge's son, Chris, also frequently performs with the group.

YearTitleLabelNumberNotes1972Act IRebelREB 15111973Act IIRebelREB 15201973Act IIIRebelREB 15281974Old TrainRebelREB 15361975Live at The Cellar DoorRebelREB 1547/8live double album1976The New Seldom Scene AlbumRebelREB 15611978BaptizingRebelREB 15731979Act FourSugar HillSH 37091981After MidnightSugar HillSH 37211983At the SceneSugar HillSH 37361985Blue RidgeSugar HillSH 3747with Jonathan Edwards1987The Best of The Seldom Scene, Vol. 1RebelREB 1101compilation from 1972–74198815th Anniversary CelebrationSugar HillSH 2202live double album1988A Change of ScenerySugar HillSH 37631990Scenic RootsSugar HillSH 37851992Scene 20: 20th Anniversary ConcertSugar HillSH 2501/02live double album1994Like We Used to BeSugar HillSH 38221996Dream SceneSugar HillSH 38582000Scene It AllSugar HillSUG 38992007ScenechronizedSugar HillSUG 40032007Different RoadsRebelREB 7516compilation from 1973–762014Long Time Seldom SceneSmithsonian FolkwaysSFW401992019ChangesRounder