Bluegrass Thread

[Clay Fink]

Sitting back and listening to one of the Bill Monroe Bear Family boxes. I love this stuff. What's interesting is that when I lived in Kentucky in the 70s you heard little of this stuff. I moved to D.C. and it turned out to have a serious Bluegrass scene. WAMU played Bluegrass almost all the time back then (now it's restricted to Sundays - though they have great webcasts). I love the Stanley's, Jim and Jessie, Flatt and Scruggs, all the great old stuff.

[Squaredancecalling Steve]

I think we've included bluegrass in the

COUNTRY MUSIC THREAD

but certainly you'd have include Flatt & Scruggs' "Foggy Mountain Banjo", which is not only a great, classic album, but kickstarted the modern bluegrass revival.

I'm especially fond of Nickel Creek, bluegrass whiz-kids

Bashful Brother Oswald (Kirby), who was Roy Acuff's great dobro player -- his self-titled album on Rounder is a masterpiece

Bill Monroe

And the first of The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band's "Will The Circle Be Unbroken", with a great cast of all-star guests including Scruggs, Brother Oswald, & Vassar Clements (who leads the best version of "Down Yonder" I've ever heard!)

[Clay Fink]

Bluegrass is distinct enough to warrant its own thread, but WTHDIK.

Anyhow, I'm really partial to the Stanley's, especially their early Columbia sides. It's interesting that Monroe wasn't a hillbilly, while the Stanley's (and the McRenold's were).

Others: Mac Wiseman, Molly O'Day, Don Reno and Red Smiley, Bill Herald and Jimmy Martin. Wiseman I really love.

[bluenoter]

Clay--

Let me know if you ever want to go hear the bluegrass group that plays once a week (Wednesdays?) at Madam's Organ (in Adams Morgan)--Bob Perilla & His Something-Or-Others. I've never heard them.

[Cem]

Originally Posted by bluenoter

Bob Perilla & His Something-Or-Others.

Great name for a band!

Big bluegrass fan here. Sadly, very ignorant...limited knowledge. All I know is that I love those gorgeous vocal harmonies, great combo of strings and saws & such and that high lonesome sound. I particularly love those "Jesus songs"...almost devotionals, I guess. They come from a pretty honest place &/or sung by certain folk who make it work for them, especially if they're obviously not religious. I guess it was a "prog-grass" / "new-grass" outfit like Old & In The Way, that got me involved through my love of GD & JG, of course.

I've booked some good acts at Rime here. One band, The Breakmen, did a beautiful version of "Cocaine" (not the Clapton tune) that blew my mind...at least as good as any version I've heard. It's good to see many young players into roots & bluegrass music around here.

[BFrank]

There's a great FREE festival in Golden Gate Park - now in its 5th year - coming up in October called the Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Festival. I went last year and it was very entertaining. They have several stages going on at once. As you can guess by the name, it's not "strictly bluegrass" music, but that's the emphasis. Last year I saw Steve Earle (solo) and Jon Langford (from the Mekons).

[HenryMc]

Man I dig Bluegrass. I loved the Dillards back in the late sixties and have always had a bit of a soft spot for that appalachan (Is that how you spell it?) swing.

Check out Sam Bush's Ice Caps Peaks of Telluride. His playing is superb on this.

[RedJazz]

I used to like bluegrass. I remember when it hit really big at the first Newport Folk Festival. The Saturday Review characterized it as a string band version of dixieland or traditional jazz, which always intrigued me. I thought it would be really interesting to hear a bluegrass band do a whole album of traditional dixieland tunes. Though except for Bugle Call Rag and maybe Muskrat Ramble I never heard that done.

[Clay Fink]

Buell Neidlinger has done some interesting fusions of Jazz and Bluegrass, from Monk and Ellington tunes through a whole recording of Herbie Nichols. He's used Andy Statman and Richard Greene (a former Bluegrass Boy) on a lot of his sessions.

CEM: Peter Rowan, who you'd know from OITW, also played with Monroe and has a few great, classic Bluegrass recordings under his name. "The First Whippoorwill" is his dedication to Monroe, with both Greene and Sam Bush.

[Squaredancecalling Steve]

Originally Posted by Clay Fink

Buell Neidlinger has done some interesting fusions of Jazz and Bluegrass, from Monk and Ellington tunes through a whole recording of Herbie Nichols. He's used Andy Statman and Richard Greene (a former Bluegrass Boy) on a lot of his sessions.

Neidlinger and Greene join Darol Anger on a swinging version of Monk's "Bemsha Swing" on Anger's GREAT album "Diary Of A Fiddler" (all-star crew on my all-time favorite fiddling album -- bluegrass, Celtic, newgrass, traditional, etc.)

[stonemonkts]

Originally Posted by Clay Fink

Sitting back and listening to one of the Bill Monroe Bear Family boxes. I love this stuff. What's interesting is that when I lived in Kentucky in the 70s you heard little of this stuff. I moved to D.C. and it turned out to have a serious Bluegrass scene. WAMU played Bluegrass almost all the time back then (now it's restricted to Sundays - though they have great webcasts). I love the Stanley's, Jim and Jessie, Flatt and Scruggs, all the great old stuff.

Funny, after reading this post a few weeks ago, I decided to flip my satellite radio channel to the Bluegrass selection, and have been hooked ever since.

I've been listening to all the names you mention. I love the old stuff.

Blue grass kicks ass!


I've been on a serious Allison Krauss/Union Station, and Ricky Skaggs kick lately.

[Xavier]

There are two young bluegrass bands that are tremendous: Old Crow Medicine Show and King Wilkie. The Old Crow studio CD that's out was produced by Gillian Welch's guitarist and it's really great. King Wilkie is a young band out of Charlottesville, Virginia. They have a good CD out "Broke" and an excellent EP (6 tracks) out called "Tierra Del Fuego" which I imagine could be part of their second CD which I'm looking forward to. All these guys are real young. King Wilkie ranges from 21 to 26 years old. I think Old Crow has a couple of "old" guys in their early 30's. I saw King Wilkie and they explained that King Wilkie was Bill Monroe's horse. Anyway, both bands are highly recommended.

[Squaredancecalling Steve]

Caught this tonight, and it was GREAT show! A sextet with David Grisman, a stellar banjo player named Keith Little, HOT twin fiddles, a fine rhythm guitarist/ high tenor, and Dawg's young son Sam on bass. Lots of Jimmy Martin ("Lost as ball in high weeds, lost as speedboat without any speed" -- a great tune I'd never heard before), Flatt and Scruggs, Vassar Clements, Osborne Brothers, Red Allen, etc.

Highlights included a sizzling "Earl's Breakdown", a killer "Salty Dog Blues" (now that I'm able to the alter the pitch on my singing call version, thanks to the laptop, and bring it into my comfort range, it's one of my favorite tunes to perform), "My Walking Shoes Don't Fit Me Any More", and a very jazz-influenced duet of a Bill Monroe medley by Dawg and his son (who is a jazz fan).

[Juju]

There's a big underground scene in Kansas as a result of the bluegrass instrument National championships held in Winfield, KS, (flatpick, mando, fiddle, dulcimer, finger pick ... ) each September. There's Split Lip Rayfield, Wilders, Mike West and Truckstop Honeymoon, Jeff & Vida, Dewayen Brothers, PoDank, Pagosa Hot Strings and a whole host of others. Some of the record labels are Bloodshot out of Chicago and Squirrel Records, owned by Mike West, from New Orleans (flooded) and now based in Wichita, KS.

These bands all have new things to say within the larger genre, but I wouldn't call them traditional bluegrass by any means.

[Sergio Zamora]

I recently picked up and heard for the first time Emmylou Harris' 'Roses in the Snow' and was absolutely floored by it. Just beautiful, beautiful music and singing. Not knowing anything about this genre, I'm going to assume this album is something like the Norah Jones of bluegrass, but oh well.

[Squaredancecalling Steve]

Originally Posted by Sergio Zamora

Not knowing anything about this genre, I'm going to assume this album is something like the Norah Jones of bluegrass, but oh well.

I haven't heard that album, but Emmylou has widespread credibility and is very highly thought of in bluegrass circles. That Grisman concert I went to was billed and delievered as strictly hardcore bluegrass, but at bluegrass festivals and jams there are all kinds of bluegrass fusions. There's one bluegrass band that does nothing but Motown covers!

Try Emmylou's "Wrecking Ball", with her heartbreaking reading of Lucinda Williams' song on the suicide of a friend, "Sweet Old World" (not bluegrass, really, not even alt country, just a great great song).

[Root Doctor]

Recently reissued by Smithsonian Folkways--and worth the wait:

[Xavier]

Anyone have some Peter Rowan recordings to recommend? Heard his "Yonder" duet with Jerry Douglas and was floored. Soulful vocalist that Rowan.

[kenny weir]

Having just bought a new car, I indulged myself by driving to the this weekend's Wangaratta Jazz Festival instead of taking the train.

It's only a little thing, so it was an interesting experience. A tiny car going about as fast as it can with a rinky dink sound system. What would work. Grateful Dead? Nah. Eddie Condon Town Hall concerts? Nah. Bluegrass? Yup! All that treble, y'know, and no drums.

Luckily. just last week I bought a couple of Smithsonian Classic Bluegrass compilations.

I have the first Monroe Bear box, and used to own the second - which I'm probably going to buy again.

[Clay Fink]

Originally Posted by Xavier

Anyone have some Peter Rowan recordings to recommend? Heard his "Yonder" duet with Jerry Douglas and was floored. Soulful vocalist that Rowan.

That's a good 'un.

[Cem]

Originally Posted by Clay Fink

CEM: Peter Rowan, who you'd know from OITW, also played with Monroe and has a few great, classic Bluegrass recordings under his name. "The First Whippoorwill" is his dedication to Monroe, with both Greene and Sam Bush.

Hey thanks, Clay! Must check that out.

I was saddened to find out that just before Jerry died in '95, there was talk of an Old & in the Way reunion tour. A band like that would've had to play 2000 plus seaters probably, but still would've been a treat.

Grisman did gather 3/5 of the original plus some other folk together more recently, (Rowan, Grisman, Vassar, Herb Pederson, & Bryn Bright) & released Old & in the Gray. I haven't heard it but with Vassar, Jerry & John Kahn all gone now, sad to think the original band can't happen again.

[Xavier]

Any Rhonda Vincent CD recommendations? I have an early one, her first CD with the gray cover and blurb by Dolly Parton, which I really like but haven't picked up any of her recent ones. Any suggestions?

[Juju]

Originally Posted by Xavier

Anyone have some Peter Rowan recordings to recommend? Heard his "Yonder" duet with Jerry Douglas and was floored. Soulful vocalist that Rowan.

I've seen Peter a couple times in the last few years. He used to play with a younger couple named Brynn and Billy Bright ... trio format. Peter is a fabulous singer and a great songwriter.

I own Walls of Time (1982) featuring Sam Bush and Ricky Skaggs. Good album noted for Rowan compositions "Hiroshima Mon Amour," "Thirsty in the Rain" and "Plains of Waterloo."

I also have "Bluegrass Boy," which features many originals but doesn't do it as much for me.

The CDs are good, but you really got to catch this cat in concert to appreciate his talent.

If you want a recommendation, go check out some Doc Watson playing live if you can. He's not long for this earth, cuz he played with Bill Monroe back in the day, but he's still at it. Been blind all his life but plays the sweetest tunes. Check out Doc & Bill Monroe, live duet recordings '63-'80.

[Xavier]

Thanks for the Peter Rowan recommendations - I've got some CDs to track down! I recently picked up "You Were There For Me" which has Tony Rice with Bryn and Billy Bright on it. It's all Rowan compositions - very good. Rice plays a supportive role with most everything focused on Rowan and his writing. Anyway, another good one.

There's another new band that is excellent - that's Chatham County Line. They have two very good CDs out. Seems to be lots of good young/new bands out there.

[Xavier]

There's another real good up and coming bluegrass band - The Kenny and Amanda Smith Band from N.C. She's got an exceptional voice.

[Bill Barton]

Bluegrass was the first "live" music I ever heard as a kid. It was great then and remains so.

For traditional mixed with Old Timey one of my favorite groups is The Dry Branch Fire Squad. And for more "new-grassy" material, Nickel Creek has impressed me recently.

[GoodSpeak]

I'm not a Country and Western fan or a fan that cryin' in yer beer bullshit-type Country music.



But I just LOVE that Bluegrass.


What are your favorite Bluegrass musicians and which album would you recommend?

Gimme some of that Lester Flatt, Earl Scruggs, Bill Monroe or Ricky Skaggs any day.



I'm a Man of Constant Sorrow.

[Scott Dolan]

http://jazzcornertalk.com/speakeasy/...ad.php?t=12053

Dammitt, Goodz!

Pay attention!

[GoodSpeak]

Well, hell, Scott.

I did a search and nothing came up.



I seem to vaguely recall that I posted some sort of Bluegrass stuff before...but like I said I could not find it.












sheesh