It is not an exaggeration to call Earl Scruggs an American musical icon. As one of the founding fathers of bluegrass Earl Scruggs invented the three finger picking banjo style that bears his name, and that is a defining characteristic of bluegrass. This live recording brings together two primal elements from the birth of bluegrass music, Earl Scruggs and the Ryman Auditorium. In THE ULTIMATE COLLECTION / LIVE AT THE RYMAN, Earl Scruggs with Family & Friends reprise his best known songs, songs that form the bedrock of the bluegrass repertoire.