Bluegrass music questions

Posted:
in General Discussion edited January 2014
I'm trying to learn about bluegrass music. Does anyone have any suggestions for must-haves? I'm looking for the well-known classics. iTMS doesn't have a bluegrass genre, but I assume it would be under the country section? But of course 'country' on iTMS seems to be about 90% pop country, so I'm having a hard time wading through it all.



Thanks in advance.

Comments

  • Reply 1 of 13
    rageousrageous Posts: 2,170member
    I'm not sure about "must haves", but the soundtrack to O' Brother, Where Art Thou is a very good starting point.
  • Reply 2 of 13
    You want to know about bluegrass...you've got a lot of learning to do. Start off with some Rickey Skaggs. Great music and not too old school for a new bluegrass guy. Look for some stuff at your local library to figure out what you like before investing a lot of money in it. Great music, just not for everyone.
  • Reply 3 of 13
    bungebunge Posts: 7,329member
    The first and foremost would have to be Bill Monroe. He invented the genre. Second would probably have to be Flatts & Scruggs who, like about 99% of all Bluegrass musicians from the 40's through the 60's, originally started with Bill Monroe.



    From there there are two directions to go. One is forward, with more modern takes on the genre. For that I recommend David Grisman and his Acoustic Disc label. Look 'em up on the web. He's added some jazz influence to the style that's kept the sound from staying old.



    But if you're into the old timey sound, then you should definitely buy the O' BROTHER soundtrack as a one disc starter. But even better than that would be The Carter Family. They have an amazing compilation called 'Can the Circle Be Unbroken' that's usually available for under $10.



    Lastly, the key to all modern music is probably held by the Harry Smith Anthology. Like the other old timey influences, it's not true Bluegrass as defined by Bill Monroe. But it's essential for any music fan that likes Blues, Rock or Country.



    Anyway, Bill Monroe is probably the best place to start. Look him up on www.allmusic.com for a little bio.
  • Reply 4 of 13
    applenutapplenut Posts: 5,768member
    I just got a Hot Rize live cd, I really like it
  • Reply 5 of 13
    I second the endorsement of David (a.k.a. Dawg) Grisman as a rep of more modern bluegrass

    As well as the Grisman Quintet (the 20yr anthology is nice), the best Acoustic Disc recordings are David Grisman/Jerry Garcia collaborations, and various permutations with notable session musicians like Joe Craven, Tony Rice, etc.



    Bela Fleck and the Flecktones (with Victor Wooten on electric bass for extra thump) work too.
  • Reply 6 of 13
    dmzdmz Posts: 5,775member
    Defintely Bela Fleck---Outbound is pretty modern, but still great. I would pick up the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band's _Will the Circle be Unbroken_ CD and then just about anything Doc Watson has done.
  • Reply 7 of 13
    brussellbrussell Posts: 9,812member
    Thanks all, especially bunge. That's exactly what I'm looking for.



    I do have the "O Brother" soundtrack, but I'm really looking more specifically for classic genre-defining albums/tunes/musicians, maybe like Beethoven's symphonies for classical or Miles Davis for jazz.



    I've heard the newer stuff like Bela Fleck but I'm going for the older stuff.



    Thanks again. Any other suggestions?
  • Reply 8 of 13
    bungebunge Posts: 7,329member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by BRussell

    Thanks again. Any other suggestions?



    Glad I could help.



    Don Reno and Arthur Smith wrote Feudin' Banjos, the original version of Dueling Banjos, the song from DELIVERANCE. If any song does, that song kind of defines the genre all on it's own at least in the mind of the general population.
  • Reply 9 of 13
    My dad has been a big fan of bluegrass for a while, which certainly annoys me every time I visit. Fortunately the opera music my mother tend to play drowns out the bluegrass in the other room. Yeah, I do actually like opera, and I find bluegrass and country music to be worse than most of life's experiences, but I'll help you out anyway.







    Of the stuff he listens to, the best is probably The Seldom Scene, particularly the albums made before a guy in the band named John Duffey died. That's mostly 70's and 80's I think.



    I absolutely detest Alison Krauss.



    Otherwise, he plays some Flatt & Scruggs every now and then, whose "Foggy Mountain Breakdown," is a song most people have heard before, at least at some point. It's not shrill and awful like most bluegrass out there, because it's instrumental.



    Anwyay, if you really want to test the waters, check iTunes Radio.

    Americana->Bluegrasscountry

    It's run out of WAMU, which is a DC station and perhaps the unfortunate side effect of bluegrass being quite popular in these parts. . . It seems to be getting mildly popular in certain metro areas around the country these days. . . I've had to put up with it all my life.
  • Reply 10 of 13
    you've gotten some really good suggestions, to which i'll echo, (bill monroe, doc watson, nitty gritty dirt band's "will the circle be unbroken" has everybody mentioned on it doing their signature tunes, flatt and scruggs)



    but my favorite is the dillards, they were popular in the early sixties and in fact were the Darling family, and were featured on the andy griffith show all the time. they have a good comp out called "there is a time"

    "back porch music" is good and if you ever see an album they did called "tribute to an american duck" pick it up for me, because it's fantastic.

    and i can't find mine anymore.



    but seriously "circle" is a great place to start and when you listen to it you can pick out the artists you like.



    another good modern bluegrass record was "roses in the snow" by emmylou harris. ricky skaggs was the leader of the band on this album and is pretty tremendous. emmylou does some bluegrass but not always, "roses in the snow" is a hunert percent bluegrass.



    my friend and old running partner, lisa vingleman (a bluegrass and american music expert without peer) would chastise me for not suggesting the louvin brothers as well.
  • Reply 11 of 13
    I'll add the Stanley Brothers and Jimmy Martin
  • Reply 12 of 13
    Quote:

    Originally posted by Splinemodel

    My dad has been a big fan of bluegrass for a while, which certainly annoys me every time I visit. Fortunately the opera music my mother tend to play drowns out the bluegrass in the other room. Yeah, I do actually like opera, and I find bluegrass and country music to be worse than most of life's experiences, but I'll help you out anyway.





    A bluegrass opera... hmm....
  • Reply 13 of 13
    trowatrowa Posts: 176member
    Read Alan Lomax's book



    "The Land Where the Blues Began"



    amazon link



    There is also a CD that is sold separately as well.



    amazon link



    Fascinating book and history
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