Is bluegrass fading away?

[Dave Martin]

Originally Posted by nfblackburn13

i live in kentucky which is the heart of bluegrass and while i do not think of bluegrass as my favorite genre i do respect it and it's cultural impact in kentucky
old crow medicine show is easily the most popular bluegrass like band in the region (Tennessee)
but kentucky has ALOT of bluegrass bands and still have JD Crow

In my part of Tennessee, Old Crow wouldn't be anywhere close to the 'most popular bluegrass like band'. Those guys have worked in my studio and are nice kids, but for contemporary acoustic music I'll be listening to guys like Andy Leftwich and Randy Kohrs - and for traditional music I'll listen to Dr. Ralph, Jesse McReynolds, Ricky Skaggs or any number of others before I'll put on an Old Crow CD. Even better (since this is a bass forum), Missy Raines has a new CD!

[superman]

I have to agree with you Dave,,the Old Crow is really not bluegrass,,they are more what I call Old Time,they are a mix of Old Time and folk rather than bluegrass.
It seem nowdays that any time someone sees a banjo they think its bluegrass,,Skaggs gets my vote right now as far as real bluegrass.

[wineaux]

Love Missy and her music. But some bluegrass purists might need some time to adjust to the, um, drums! But then some folks had trouble with that Monroe fella, too. (I once had an old-time fiddler tell me that he preferred music the way it was before "that Bill MUN-row came along and ruined it."

[EggyToast]

The other thing about purists is that they can function as stodgy gatekeepers. They have a vision of what the genre should be, often typified by a set of songs from a certain era. THOSE songs define the music.

The ironic thing about all forms of folk music is that it's always been very flexible, with new ditties popping up, old ones being changed, instruments being swapped based on what's available, and so on.

If you have all of the instruments that comprise a bluegrass band, you could make music that qualifies as bluegrass. Whether people would accept it is a different story.

The question is, will you let that stop you? ;D

[Jake deVilliers]

I don't think that 'having all the bluegrass instruments' means you're playing bluegrass - far from it! Playing 'Freebird' on plugged-in banjo "aint no part of nothin'" as Mr Monroe used to say.

Bluegrass is much more than the sum of the instruments, its the ensemble groove, the harmony singing, the song structure.

Bruce Harvie made a great recording as a tribute to Bill Monroe, patterned after his 'Master of Bluegrass' Columbia disc. Its called 'Mangler of Bluegrass' and is a re-creation using drums, surf guitar and chicken whistle too! Its got the bluegrass soul through and through.

You can download it free from the net. http://www.radiofreeolga.com/RadioFr...Bluegrass.html

[EggyToast]

Right, I said you "could make music that qualifies as bluegrass." But it sounds like you'd be one of the people who didn't acept it, unless it had the groove, the harmony, the structure of a 'bluegrass song'

Which is fine, and I think that many genres have a lot of growth right in the middle. I mean, look at rock music and how much people have done within very tight constraints (by adjusting sound, playing style, rhythm, etc.). But the people who everyone talks about for years are the bands that were on the edge, trying new stuff that was outside the bounds of "normal" rock music.

I think that's true for most popular music genres, if not all. There's nothing wrong with challenging your band to write really awesome tunes within strict genre limitations.

But there's also nothing wrong with breaking convention if, to your band's ears, it makes better songs. Even if it's not as easily classified, or it challenges listeners. I mean, it would be simple to write new old-timey songs, but would that paradox be accepted by fans of the genre?

[Jake deVilliers]

I'm not saying that I wouldn't like it Egg, just that it wouldn't necessarily be bluegrass.

I love Del & the Boys and they're bluegrass and I love Alison Krauss and what do you think - are they a bluegrass band? Psychograss? Thile? Do I have to be over 300 lbs to be a 'real' bluegrass singer?

I LOVE Bill Monroe - I was the voice of Bill in John Reischman's 'Tribute to Bill Monroe' show (guess who was the hands!) and my favourite stage photo is of me singing with Bill. I also came of age in the CSN era and I love David Crosby so you can hear that in my harmony singing and my chords on the guitar but I write 'bluegrass' style songs.

I'm fine with many different approaches but to me, Uncle Earl isn't bluegrass, Old Crow isn't either and the Merle Haggard bluegrass album just pisses me off - its just Merle being Merle with an acoustic band. Just because 'Angie' has an acoustic guitar on it doesn't make the Rolling Stones a bluegrass band.

Now excuse me, my typing finger is tired.......

[bluegrasscat]

for me the sound of Bluegrass, is Bluegrass!! its somewhat distinct i think!!
i went to a show where someone had claimed this band to be Bluegrass. and all i heard was guys with Bluegrass instruments playing Folk with a REGGAE feel .. never even resembled Bluegrass!! not that i have anything against what they were playing.. cause some people were diggin them.(drunks in a bar). it just never resembled a Bluegrass sound!! and then there is Hot Buttered Rum.. who i saw one late evening at Strawberry Music Festival in Yosemite ca. playing on strawberry radio.. and these guys kicked ass.. unplugged and very Bluegrassy. then heard them here in Socal, at a bar. all plugged in and the sound was gone!! still great music, but they kind of lost the bluegrass sound.. more of a Jam Band sound.. but still a great band who i will be seeing soon!!

[400$Bass]

I just got an URB and told someone that I wanted to play a little of everything. Such as jam with bluegrass guys but not really get in a "formed" band. The party I was talking to then said "they will never let you play URB in a bluegrass band". I ask why? They replied "because you have all of your front teeth."

I didn't think that was very nice thing to say, but I do value my choppers protruding from my gums.

[juuzek]

Originally Posted by 400$Bass

I just got an URB and told someone that I wanted to play a little of everything. Such as jam with bluegrass guys but not really get in a "formed" band. The party I was talking to then said "they will never let you play URB in a bluegrass band". I ask why? They replied "because you have all of your front teeth."

I didn't think that was very nice thing to say, but I do value my choppers protruding from my gums.

I am not certain how this post pertains to the topic of this thread, so much as panders to false stereotypes that the pioneers of this genre have tried to to dispel.

[Jericho1978]

I have two 16 year olds in my band that are thrilled about participating in this type of music. I think if we pass the tradition on, it will be perfectly safe.

[400$Bass]

Originally Posted by juuzek

I am not certain how this post pertains to the topic of this thread, so much as panders to false stereotypes that the pioneers of this genre have tried to to dispel.

My ancestry goes back into the hills and coalmining regions of Western Kentucky 150 years. Hence with all that being said I am numb to all the Kentuckian jokes and anything related to folks slant on anything related to Kentucky including Bluegrass music. I'm not wasting my time trying to dispel anything to anybody. I have more important things to do with my time, like getting on this forum and getting a tremendous education from many of the great minds of our land. The fraternity of the Bass Clef....

I love all kinds of music except Rap. Rap is not my cup of tea. There are two things that I cannot live without: Music & Pizza. I love both, a lot and often.

To me Bluegrass is wonderful. I was raised on it. Fact of the matter I can't listen to some songs without getting a lump in my throat. Many warm memories listening to Flat and Scruggs, Jim and Jess, Bill Monroe etc with my late Grandfather, (who mastered the JewsHarp).

To me there will always be a place in our culture for BlueGrass. In fact at one of the local festivals I noticed many young men...(some very young) taking to the stage and embracing BG in an impressive way. Hot young pickers they are.

If I might so bold as to say this....In Bluegrass music I prefer the real deal URB over an electric bass, be it accoustic or Solid Guitar. That scenario of NOT using an URB is really the only changes I casually see at times. But not often.

My agenda is to play my URB this coming summer with some Bluegrass pickers, if I am worthy and well qualified. If my skills are lacking a lot, I will pass as I don't want to be a "wet" blanket.

[shadygrove]

Originally Posted by 400$Bass

...If I might so bold as to say this....In Bluegrass music I prefer the real deal URB over an electric bass, be it accoustic or Solid Guitar. That scenario of NOT using an URB is really the only changes I casually see at times. But not often.

My agenda is to play my URB this coming summer with some Bluegrass pickers, if I am worthy and well qualified. If my skills are lacking a lot, I will pass as I don't want to be a "wet" blanket.

I can certainly understand why someone would choose an electric upright or slab when travelling to a bluegrass festival, but seems like lately half the local bands are using them too. I realize amplification is needed when performing, but IMHO double bass is just so much more satisfying than my electric and I'm going to do my part to keep the tradition alive. Sounds like you are too.

Don't worry too much about being worthy and qualified. There are pickers of all different levels at festivals so it's just a matter of finding a "slow jam" where you fit in.

I don't know how it is in other parts of the country, but around here (north of Seattle) there seems to be a dozen fiddlers and guitar players for every DB. Most of the time I'm the only bass at the local old-time fiddler jam and people are pretty tolerant of me hitting a wrong note here and there as long as I do it in rhythm.

Hey, if the Mrs is gonna get you a bass, the least you can do is get out there and play it $400, man that's a sweet deal! Sure, you'll be in over your head sometimes, maybe a lot of the time, but you'll learn from it. My advice is go, play, have fun!

[lanternhillbass]

What's it look like in your area?

I am from Wisconsin and I'd say Bluegrass is alive and well. As a family, we attend a large bluegrass/old-time festival in Minnesota and see 3 yr olds pickin' as well as 90 yr olds.

The group my spouse and I pick with are all under 40. Our toddler loves to strum his guitar and sing....he actually knows all the words to at least 8 of the bands songs (Rocky Top, Old Home, Rabbit in the Log, etc). He has a fit when it is time to stop pickin' and go to bed. He likes to turn his guitar into a fiddle, dobro, and bass too. The other day he asked for finger and thumb picks, so he must have been pretending the guitar was a banjo. Proud parent I am.

In our area, the audiance ages at concerts very greatly. Sometimes, they appear mostly 60+, other times newborns-100.

It is great having fans and people to pick with, but also nice that bluegrass is somewhat of a unique niche. At least that is my opinion.

[Bassman316]

I've just recently got into bluegrass within the past couple of years (A LOT within the past year), and I can vouch for how bluegrass isn't fading away. I'm a fan of jam bands (yeah, call me a hippie) and I can say from personal experience that there are a lot of young people who dig bluegrass. It's probably not what you would call traditional bluegrass, but back in May I caught the Hackensaw Boys in Raleigh and that place was PACKED. Every show I go to there's people in the parking lot jamming together in circles on mandolins, fiddles, banjos, acoustic guitars (haven't seen that many DBs in parking lots, though!). I think bluegrass is still going strong.

[ole Jason]

Bluegrass is alive and well in KY. Tons of younger folks are getting into it because it feels like part of our cultural heritage as well as being great music.

[M Ramsey]

Here's a shot:



Of the July 4th afternoon crowd (before it completely filled up) at the 2009 edition of The Red White and Bluegrass Festival. Photo by Cindy Baucom.

When you bring good bands together in good facilities with good food, with good emcee work along with good ticket prices, this was the result.

Location? My hometown of Morganton, NC. Next year's dates will be 1st thru 4th, 2010.