The joy and genius of Michael Cleveland playing Muleskinner Blues

A magic moment at RockyGrass 2012 - Michael Cleveland sits in with Peter Rowan and the Travelin' McCoury's. Joy abounds as Michael carries everyone away. Jason Carter has to just let him fly.

[@terryfreeman1018]

Michael Clevelands timing is perfection. That killer man.

[@wandarose4274]

Fantastic job by all...that singer is great....and that guy in the red shirt is real meant on that fiddle! Somebody fan him!

[@kevino6416]

Thats the one and only Michael Cleveland.

[@trwagner1]

Michael can feal his way through any song. The best fiddler ever born!

[@julesviolin]

Michael's double stops are incredibly in tune all the time every time. INCREDIBLE 🎶🎻🎶🎻🎶🍺🍺🍺

[@michaelangelo9024]

The Good Lord blesses us with our own gifts. Michael was blessed to play the fiddle. God given talent.

[@bennyshaversmusic590]

Michael Cleveland *IS* bluegrass fiddle.

[@Merkinmacher]

May God bless this man with a long life! Such talent and a wonderful person!

[@kishintuchis4133]

THIS ENTIRE SONG IS FABULOUS FROM BEGINNING TO END . ROWAN S' VOICE AND THE FIDDLES ARE THE DRIVING FORCE OF THIS WONDERFUL VERSION OF MONROES' CLASSIC SONG . BILL WOULD BE PROUD OF IT .

[@wandarose4274]

I love this singer ! He is good,and that fiddle manis scorching hot ...somebody 😊get the fan!

[@thetwoboyos8366]

He plays from within the music..

[@robertmcnorth8317]

I like how the guy, Jason Carter, that won a bunch of 'Best Bluegrass Fiddler of the Year' awards just sits back and watches Michael roll.

[@banjerstring1304]

Joy and Genius of Michael Cleveland is absolutely descriptive...He's a great musician..thanks for posting!

[@icewaterslim7260]

Damn this guy is good

[@ChristianW1975]

The guy to the right of Michael Cleveland shows exactly how i feel about his playing. I would just stand and smile with a look of awe on my face !

[@UncleCaptainMidnight]

Jason Carter!

[@robertmcnorth8317]

Michael has won about 9 or 10 Fiddler of The Year awards and 'the guy next to him' about 7 or 8.

[@richardcarew4708]

he sure enough is grinnin... fiddling around...grinnin like mad... can't help it

[@richardcarew4708]

@@robertmcnorth8317 oh. . ;;☆》.. he is pretty good... heh heh heh

[@OlJarhead]

Local Hoosier boy. Been watchin him since he was about 6 years old. Still a thrill every time I see him.

[@WvhKerkhof]

The master is recognized in simplicity.

[@amyhayden8137]

Just love hearing these guys playing together. Thank you for posting!

[@47Banjoman]

I could listen to Cleveland & Carter all night long! Part of the greats of bluegrass. Talent with skills handed down from the great ones such as Baker, Hicks, Clements, and on and on. The well is deep from which young talent can draw.

[@robertmcnorth8317]

Check out Mike Cleveland and The Traveling McCoury's do John Hartford's "Vamp In The Middle" , Awesome !

[@tonyhoward4770]

Love Jason Carter's (old Greenup countian) reactions to Mike. They both love what they do !

[@robertpolk4646]

That guy on the right is Jason Carter a great fiddler in his own right. Jason has been bluegrass fiddler of the year 5 times and Michael has been awarded the title 10 times. Those two and one of my favorites Stuart Duncan have held the title for probably the last 20 years. By the way Jason Carter is in the Del MCCoury Band.

[@sandygrungerson1177]

being new to BG, i didnt know about carter, very good position work and intonation

[@JohnDoe-cp3yg]

That's the best stuff ever!

[@robert-oq9jq]

Yeah that's about the best fiddle player I've ever heard I'd like to have seen him team up with Sonny Osborne the best banjo picker ever

[@bxnnyblues6033]

I am impressed.

[@sandymunroful]

He's just full of music.

[@ulrichfriehe3459]

Hats off to M. Cleveland and the boys: it simply don' get any better than this!

[@ulrichfriehe3459]

This song would make Bill Monroe proud, I'm sure.

[@randyelliott9152]

Michael Cleveland See's more with his ears than most of us do with our eyes.....

[@BeingRomans829ed]

His joyful look blesses me.

[@larryfeldman3755]

Its definitely Kenny Baker, with a dose of Richard Greene, but with Cleveland's own sound. Great!

[@stevesewall]

Cleveland is wonderful but the simple driving licks by Jason Carter at 2:06 and 2:26 get the band into a groove that contrasts nicely with Cleveland's wizardry. And at 2:49 that old timer shows can still sing! It's a great clip, everyone happy at the end.

[@joeosborn123]

Wow! Amazing! And what a tribute to Kenny Baker in Michael's amazing playing!

[@FoxLoulie]

Beautiful - - that's a musician!!

[@RobertMorrisKnowsStuff]

THAT was so great.. many thanks for sharing! Wow

[@acousticguitar130]

Amazing, amazing!!!!!! Mike is great and Jeff is just unbelievable. If you haven't seen the Travellin McCourys live.... you are cheating yourself of the best live show ever!!!!!

[@kamlopicker]

Michael is the best love his playing

[@jameslee5405]

Wow....brilliant player...fantastic Michael....from UK 🇬🇧

[@DjElSemtex]

Brings a big smile to my face, heartwarming.. :-)

[@davidsawyer988]

Michael always is and will be. “Hoss!”

[@davidcurlee9061]

Thank you Jesus for the gift of Michael

[@UncleCaptainMidnight]

NAILS IT!!!

[@robertrockwell7581]

Michael Cleveland is unreal.

[@davebob65]

Ole Michael is something else. He could play for anybody in the country.

[@bradr1913]

Wow and there you have it folks. The greatest of our time. Thats the mccoury crew. All bad asses.

[@billymann5325]

OMG this is awesome to watch this guy play the fiddle!

OUTSTANDING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[@twgibbs3]

I don't own a hat, but I'm going to go out and buy one just so I can tip it to Michael Cleveland! Amazing!

[@catsoandahalf]

Fabulous performance! Ain't get no better!

[@jackarcher7495]

This brightened my day more than I can say. Thanks so much, Mr. Munro.

[@suegirouard917]

Pure heaven!

[@bipolatelly9806]

well.... total awesomeness!

[@fazeassassin6077]

First time I saw Michael numerous years ago at the smithville tn.jamboree.good fiddle player.outstanding. Bill t.wanamaker,Trenton ga.

[@richardcarew4708]

can't help myself... gotta dance 🕺

[@wandarose4274]

Another dose of this great band! 1:46

[@keppich66]

The fat guy playing fiddle is probably the best bluegrass fiddler alive today. I take my hat off to him everytime I hear him play. Would like to see him live someday.

[@glenhayes7364]

Kenneth Eppich Michael Cleveland. And a side note. He is legally blind!!

[@richardleobold8295]

Michael Cleveland is the name, and he deserves a lot more respect!

[@nickkim583]

Thanks for uploading this Sandy. Seriously, an unbelievable gem! Everyone is so into it.

[@RedDesertFiddle]

I would pee my pants if Michael Cleveland decided to sit in with me!

[@virgilschmoe9435]

ME TOO, the man is ,Incredible Words can't say

[@virgilschmoe9435]

me 2

[@RURALELECTRICBAND]

+Red Desert Fiddle It's a life changing experience that I was lucky enough to experience. He sat in with me check my channel out.He's a monster talent no doubt,

[@inyobill]

Magic.

[@robertmcnorth8317]

I see the comment 'I can't believe someone didn't like this or that' but I am going to ask, why did 7 people give this video a thumbs down? I think it is great in so many ways.

[@12dbuck1]

Is that not peter Rowan singing

[@stevehunt2162]

They’re called “knuckleheads”

[@UncleCaptainMidnight]

Look at everyone smiling....

[@UncleCaptainMidnight]

Thank you for this video.

[@docham]

Lonesome! Son!

[@bendummitt888]

Michael Cleveland is like a re-incarnated Scotty Stoneman. I hear a lot of Scotty in his playing.

[@skatetodeath666]

Just goes to show you just need to feel music to play it for the most part

[@robertflagg2461]

Just amazing now if they can get Allison Krause a fiddle again and have a contest with pro's playing

[@g-man7938]

Michael says get that stuff out of here and let this fiddle do the talkin'.

[@Javy8a]

Sandy Do you have this performance taped form the beginning? Awesome!

[@sandymunroful]

Sorry, that's all I filmed.

[@sarahthornburg894]

YOU ARE HARD TO FIND

[@user-lz6rs7jp5c]

予祝

[@theeaskey]

The singing is not good.. everything else brilliant.