by Maria Konicki DinoiaEarl Scruggs practically invented the word banjo, and perhaps because of that he can count some of the most elite musicians among his "friends": Elton John, Sting, Melissa Etheridge, Don Henley, Johnny Cash, John Fogerty, and the list goes on. In a career that spans 50 years, Scruggs' five-string banjo stylings have helped to define American music. Here, on this 12-track compilation produced by son Randy, those banjo stylings can be heard in the same folk-based music he's known for, and also combined with a fresh and unequaled range of material that comes with having so many varied and dissimilar artists involved. Every song has a unique story to tell, but is always brandished with that distinctive Scruggs polish.