There are multi-instrumentalists, and then there is Chris Scruggs.

A singer, songwriter, and instrumentalist who plays guitar, steel guitar, bass, mandolin, fiddle, and drums, WikipediaScruggs comes from about as deep a well of country music royalty as Nashville has to offer. His paternal grandfather is bluegrass banjo legend Earl Scruggs, and his mother is singer, songwriter, and producer Gail Davies. WikipediaGrowing up surrounded by the architects of American roots music, an obsession with tradition wasn’t something he had to develop — it was simply the air he breathed.

The Washington Post described him as “part John Lennon pop and part Milton Brown western swing with a little bit of White Stripes edginess” First Avenue — a characterization that captures his essential appeal. He is deeply rooted in tradition while remaining genuinely restless.

Scruggs joined the country rock band BR549 in 2002, serving as guitarist and co-lead singer, and wrote and performed the title track of their 2004 release Tangled in the Pines. Wikipedia After departing in 2005, he built a reputation as one of Nashville’s most sought-after session players. His collaborators have ranged from George Jones and Charlie Louvin to Elvis Costello, Andrew Bird, and M. Ward, First Avenue a list that doubles as a map of his musical range. He has appeared on three Grammy-nominated projects, including Beautiful Dreamer: The Songs of Stephen Foster, which won a Grammy in 2005. First Avenue

The most prominent chapter in his career came in 2015, when he joined one of traditional country music’s most storied outfits. Scruggs became the bass guitarist in Marty Stuart’s Fabulous Superlatives, taking over for Paul Martin. Wikipedia Stuart has had plenty of positive words for his addition, nicknaming Scruggs “The Professor” Saving Country Music — a nod to his encyclopedic knowledge of country music history. The pairing made obvious sense: two musicians who believe that what Nashville used to be is still worth fighting for.

Perhaps his most distinctive individual contribution is his championship of non-pedal steel guitar. A master of the instrument played without pedals — an all-but-lost art form — Scruggs actively works to preserve older techniques while developing new ones. First Avenue It’s a mission that defines his broader artistic identity: someone who understands what’s worth saving, and has the chops to save it.

In a city that has spent decades chasing the next sound, Chris Scruggs — and the company he keeps — keeps pointing back to the best ones.