Bill Monroe - New Bear Family Box Set

[Clay Fink]

Bill Monroe - "Blue Moon of Kentucky"

A six cd set containing ALL of the Monroe Brothers (Charlie and Bill) recordings plus the initial version of the Bluegrass Boys from the early 40s with Clyde Moody and others, AND the edition of the Bluegrass Boys with Lester Flatt and Earl Scruggs. The first 4 cds are master takes, cds 5 and 6 are alternates.

The motherload.

The Monroe Brothers were not the greatest harmony singers in the world, but they got that sound. Charlie is actually more prominent thant Bill as a singer on these sides but Bill really rips that mando apart. Charlie Monroe had a pretty sucessfull solo carreer in the 40s and emplyoed Ira Louven and Lester Flatt at one time or another. He really deserves a lot more recognition than he gets as a pioneer of Bluegrass music All those great songs too.

Not enough can be said about the Monroe/Flatt/Scruggs sides. This is where the Bluegrass sound really came together. I always thought that it was interesting that Bill, Lester and Earl were inventing a music based on more traditional formas that relied on an insane level of musicianship and improvisation at the same time that Bird, Diz and Monk were doing the same thing with Bebop. Not that Bluegrass has atained tha status of "art" music or anything, but there must be something about the cultural and social environment of the mid 20th century that contributed to the "invention" of new musics.

Anyhow, this is the real shit.

[Captain Hate]

I totally agree with you on the level of musicianship displayed on these bluegrass early releases; I've marvelled at some of the slightly later Bill Monroe's ability to get the propulsive drive that he does out of his mandolin.

I take it that you own this; I'm sure that the booklet that comes with this (its not fair to refer to it as "liner notes") is up to the usual Bear Family standards.

[bluenoter]

Here are the lyrics to one of my favorites:

>Love Please Come Home

As you read this letter that I write to you
Sweetheart I hope you understand
That you're the only love I knew
Please forgive me if you can

CHORUS:
Sweetheart I beg you to come home tonight
I'm so blue and all alone
I promise that I'll treat you right
Love, oh love oh please come home

That old wind is cold and slowly creeping 'round
And the fire is burning low
The snow has covered up the ground
Your baby's hungry sick and cold

[CHORUS]

Author: na [?]
Version: Bill Monroe
Lyrics provided courtesy of Bluegrass Lyrics.Com!

[SinginSumo]

I always think of bluegrass as a true synthesis-blend of country and jazz. What other albums do posters recommend to the bluegrass neophyte?

[Clay Fink]

I'd recommend the Bear Family twofer of the Stanley Brother's Mercury sides; the Flatt and Scruggs Mecury recordings which is available as a single CD; and either the Bill Monroe Columbia recordings or early Decca recordings. The Monroe stuff should be available on various budget reissues (or you could drop the cash for the Bear Family stuff (:)). There is also a nice Smithsonian Folkways release of live Bill Monroe; one is Bill and Doc Watson in duet and the other is live Bluegrass Boys stuff from the 50s and 60s. The latter contains a chilling version of "Wayward Stranger" with Peter Rowan and Richard Greene.

Rounder put out the Monroe Brother stuff on separate CDs. Any of them are worthwhile.

As far as other early bluegrass stuff. Mac Weisman, Don Reno and Red Smiley, Molly O'Day, Jim and Jessie - any of their things from the 50s are worth getting. There's a nice Mac Weisman on County records called "The Early Dot Recordings, Vol 2.". O'Day and Jim and Jessie have a double and a single cd, respectively, dedicated to their stuff.

While you're at it, you might as well check out the Delmore Brothers "Sand Mountain Blues" on County. They are among the progenators of this music, along with the Carter Family, the Stonemans and Wade Mainer, and are worth a hearing.

Capt Hate: Yea, I bought it. Collector's Choice had a good price on it. And yes, the book is insainly detailed AND in hardcover. I've never been disappointed with a Bear Family collection (even the insainly awful "Bonanza" box my wife gave me). I can't speak for the sixteen disc Dean Martin or Doris Day sets which sort of scare me. I do have my eyes on the Johnny Cash Sun sides and the Louis Jordan box. I have the Bill Monroe 50s box and 60s box, both of which are essential, IMO.

[Root Doctor]

I'd add two Stanley Brothers discs, Early Recordings (on Revenant) and the Complete Columbia Recordings. There's an excellent comp of Jim & Jesse's Capitol sides on Bear Family (1952-1955), but I think the same stuff is now available domestically at about half the price. Jimmy Martin's You Don't Know My Mind (Rounder) is mighty fine, as well. I also recommend Mountain Music Bluegrass Style, on Smithsonian.

[Clay Fink]

The first Stanley Brothers Bear Family CD, the Columbia recordings, is almost too great to recommend as just a Bluegrass recording, but I recommend it to anyone who loves music. I think the later Mercury recordings, and the earlier Rich-R-Tone stuff, sound like what we usually think of bluegrass. The Columbia recordings include more of the old-time mountain ballad stuff, not too mention the serial killer broadsides "Pretty Polly" and "Little Glass of Wine".

Continued listning to the new Monroe box and discovered that the last session, from 1949, features Mac Weisman on lead vocal. What a voice!

[Juju]

For my money, Nitty Gritty Dirt Band's "Will the Circle Be Unbroken" is one of the best. Just check out all these top-flight musicians:

Norman Blake _-_ Dobro
Earl Scruggs _-_ Banjo, Guitar
Roy Acuff _-_ Vocals
Merle Travis _-_ Guitar, Vocals, Vocals (bckgr)
Doc Watson _-_ Guitar, Vocals, Vocals (bckgr)
Les Thompson _-_ Bass, Guitar, Mandolin, Vocals, Vocals (bckgr)
Larry Murray _-_ Vocals (bckgr)
Ray Martin _-_ Vocals (bckgr)
John McEuen _-_ Banjo, Guitar, Mandolin, Guitar (Steel), Vocals
Mother Maybelle Carter _-_ Guitar, Autoharp, Vocals
Mike Carr _-_ Vocals (bckgr)
Vassar Clements _-_ Fiddle, Guitar
Fred Cross _-_ Vocals (bckgr)
Jimmie Fadden _-_ Guitar, Harmonica, Autoharp, Drums, Harp, Vocals
Jeff Hanna _-_ Guitar, Drums, Vocals, Vocals (bckgr), Washboard
Roy M. "Junior" Husky _-_ Bass
Jimmy Ibbotson _-_ Guitar, Drums, Keyboards, Vocals, Vocals (bckgr)
Dino Lappas _-_ Engineer
Jimmy Martin _-_ Guitar, Vocals, Vocals (bckgr)
Tim Martin _-_ Vocals (bckgr)
Alice McEuen _-_ Vocals (bckgr)
William McEuen _-_ Guitar, Producer
Gary Scruggs _-_ Vocals (bckgr)
Randy Scruggs _-_ Guitar, Autoharp
Steve Scruggs _-_ Vocals (bckgr)
Chet Flippo _-_ Vocals (bckgr)
Gloria Belle _-_ Vocals (bckgr)
Martha Flippo _-_ Vocals (bckgr)
Pete "Oswald" Kirby _-_ Dobro
Ellis Padgett _-_ Bass
Louise Scruggs _-_ Vocals (bckgr)
Betty Travis _-_ Vocals (bckgr)

A virtual bgrass songbook, especially for new bgrassers such as myself!

[Clay Fink]

Never picked this one up but it seems like it was an intro to the music for a lot of people.

Mother Maybell was a hell of a gutar player. As for Norman Blake and Doc, what can you say? Take a trip down to Merlfest in North Carolina at the end of April if you want to get a good dose of this music. Doc hosts the festival (named after his son Merl) and it usually includes a lot of the big names in bluegrass, old-time and the few respectable country artists that are left.

[Juju]

Clay,

A resounding yes to your astute assessment. I got friends that live and attend Merlfest, but in my neck of the woods, the Winfield Bluegrass Festival in Kansas is the best! People camp for 2 weeks straight! Anyways, for a newer, lesser-known player, I have been praising Mike West.
Check him out at Allmusic.com for the specifics, but definitely up your alley it sounds. Just goes to prove that bgrass doesn't have to be old to be good.

Check out Split Lip Rayfield for high-octane bluegrass also.

What else is out there in your neck of the woods?

[bbrooksux]

Split Lip Rayfield, R.I.P. Too bad...not too often you get to see a bass crafted out of a gas tank from a Cadillac! Although I hear he is now playing with another great "new" bluegrass group Jeff & Vida. Definitely check them out if you get the chance.

Another great bluegrass group from Canada (of all places) is the Be Good Tanyas. Great stuff and wonderful harmonies!!

[Juju]

Speaking of,

SLR is from Wichita, where I am from - have seen well over 50 shows, countless in fact, from the different bands those boys have had over the years. The bass player is indeed playing with Jeff & Vida, which are playing at Davie's Uptown Ramblers Club in KCMO tomorrow if anyone else in the area cares.

SLR is unfortunately defunct, but Jeff & Vida are superb as well, and are also labelmates with Mike West, which ironically, his newest album cover's art was done by Jeff Eaton, said bass player of Split Lip.

Don't count this band completely gone, however. The banjo player, Eric Mardis, plays in a jazz band called Floyd The Barber, an absolute killer band in this area by anyone's standards. The whole SLR crew was there to support Eric, so maybe they'll come back someday like Aerosmith and rock for eternity.

Anyways, more info than you probably wanted, but there ya go ...

[Henry Mars]

I have always felt that if one once to kick shit it ought to be with Bill Monroe ....... I love this stuff.
I kind of like Hank Snow and Roy Acuff too.
..... wife says I have to go take my boots off.

[Clay Fink]

Roy Acuff and Hank Snow! Now you're talking.

I need to drop coin on one of those Hank Snow boxes. The early Canadian stuff is really nice.

[Tom Storer]

Juju,

By sheer coincidence I ordered "Will the Circle Be Unbroken" just before reading this thread.

A friend of mine introduced me to "old time music" by way of Doc Watson many years ago. I have a bunch of Doc, a few Alan Lomax things, and a handful of other stuff in the old time/bluegrass vein, but not nearly enough. This is a useful thread for me.

[bluenoter]

Could anyone comment on the sound quality of The Carter Family: 1927-34? It's just the right size for me (five CDs that include all of my favorites), but I'm a little leery of it because of the following comments from the AMG online blurb:

>The remastering isn't necessarily better than other Carter Family issues — rather than clean up the crackle, the engineers have simply boosted the sound level, and while that does bring out some nuances, the ever-present hiss is louder than usual. — Jim Smith

[Juju]

Tom,

"Will The Circle Be Unbroken" is the album that really started it for me. Consider it a "Kind of Blue" recording in that you can just pick a musician out and follow his or her recordings. Especially exciting is the Flat & Scruggs catalog –alumni from Monroe's band. They took it to that next level. But you're probably already on the right track if you're into Doc.

There's been a resurgence of sorts in the "high lonesome sound" as some folks call it over the last decade and festivals are a good place to learn about new musicians (see my last post).