Fresh Air, Earl Scruggs and Adrien Brody (Nonfiction‪)‬

Bluegrass musician Earl Scruggs and actor Adrien Brody on this edition of Fresh Air. Bluegrass musician Earl Scruggs originated the staccato three-finger, five-string banjo technique that became known as the "Scruggs style." He got his start playing with Bill Monroe's band in the 1940s and then teamed up with guitarist Lester Flatt (fronting The Foggy Mountain Boys). The two penned and recorded the tune "Foggy Mountain Breakdown", and "The Ballad of Jed Clampett". Scruggs is 79 years old now. In 2001 he released his first album in 17 years, Earl Scruggs and Friends featuring his work with Elton John, John Fogerty, Dwight Yoakum, and others. Scruggs teamed up with Doc Watson and Ricky Skaggs for the new CD, The Three Pickers. Actor Adrien Brody won the Oscar last year for his role in Roman Polanski's The Pianist. He played Wladyslaw Szpilman, the Polish pianist and Holocaust survivor. The Pianist is now out on DVD (and earlier on VHS). Brody's other films include Summer of Sam, The Thin Red Line, Restaurant, and The Affair of the Necklace. He's now starring in Dummy. (Original Broadcast Dates: October 16, 2003 and September 17, 2003)