music (band) recommendations

[rickr]

Fairly new to bluegrass. Looking for a few suggestions on who to download.
Looking for classic as well as cutting edge stuff.
thanks

[kmanley_29649]

I'm not too versed in it myself, as I have jsut recently getting into blugrass myself, but a few bands/artists I like are:

Carolina Chocolate Drops
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XbcqGjeNz7w

Austin Lucas (maybe more "alt-country" than bluegrass, but I love it)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LASeB...eature=related

Chuck Ragan
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AvN3m...eature=related

[Steve Killingsworth]

For the traditional you can't beat this-- 4 discs that span Bill Monroe's career from the early 30s to his death. It also includes a brief biography. Also, this Flatt and Scruggs collection will give you a solid foundation.

As to newer stuff, try some Mountain Heart, IIIrd Time Out, or Sam Bush. The choices and groups are endless.

Ricky Skaggs and Kentucky Thunder tread the middle ground--sometimes cutting edge and sometimes very traditional but always fantastic musicianship.

You have a big ocean to explore.

[rickr]

thanks guys!

[ASBass]

The Bluegrass Album Band is as traditional as it gets.....

[bluegrasscat]

some of my fav's

the Grascal's

Hit and Run Bluegrass

Michael Cleveland and Flamekeeper

James King

Don Rigsby

and so many more!!!!

[Captain Howdy]

Hot Rize - the self titled album is my favorite bluegrass record, every song is great.

Also any Doc Watson, although besides pure bluegrass, some of his stuff is more folk, such as cowboy songs and ballads, etc. Awesome multi-instrumentalist.

[Alan Tompkins]

Allison Krauss and Union Station for the Barry Bales "tour de force."

Del McCoury band to hear Mike Bub.

It doesn't get any better than early 60s Flatt & Scruggs (Live at Carnegie Hall, fer instance).

Buy the Claire Lynch Band album "Crowd Favorites" for one reason - Missy Raines' extended bass solo on Wabash Cannonball. Been playing for decades, and Missy is a friend, and it's still spectacular in my humble opinion. Or here's an option - search and download it from amazon.com for a whopping $0.99. Worth 50 times that.

Just my $0.02.

Alan

[rickr]

Thanks for all the good recommendations fellows.
Steve, I bought the live mountain heart .... fantastic
and Alan, I also purchased wabash cannonball, you're right- great stuff!

[van_gogh_bass]

Check out Danny Barnes (http://www.dannybarnes.com/) and look for some of his old band, the Bad Livers (http://badlivers.com/). Danny can be a traditionalist, but isn't afraid to mash bluegrass up with other styles on some albums. Great stuff!

John Harftord is also awesome (http://www.johnhartford.com/).

Jim

[M Ramsey]

For those that may be interested, Aaron's group, Mountain Heart, will be appearing/playing on The Grand Ole Opry tongiht. The time slot for us here in NC will be from 9:45PM - 10:15PM. They've been in Nashville most of the week, working on their next recording.

If you'd like to listen old-timey style it's at 650 Am on your radio dial.

Or, you can tune in via the internet (much better signal :^) ) at http://radiotime.com/station/s_22867/WSM_650.aspx and then click Listen Live.

Mike Ramsey

[Zapp]

I realize how ancient this thread is, but rather than posting about Barnes, Rubin, et al I thought I'd chime in here....
I am an austinite - - guitar & bass, but sadly no doublebass... I think I touched one once. wish I could rewind

how does one categorize the type of music Bad Livers put out, which so helped define Austin's enigmatic music weirdness...

http://youtu.be/wo-_d6EnpV8
http://youtu.be/1rLLfEgj02k

Originally Posted by van_gogh_bass

Check out Danny Barnes (http://www.dannybarnes.com/) and look for some of his old band, the Bad Livers (http://badlivers.com/). Danny can be a traditionalist, but isn't afraid to mash bluegrass up with other styles on some albums. Great stuff!

John Harftord is also awesome (http://www.johnhartford.com/).

Jim

[dpollak]

I do not think your familiarization with the basics of bluegrass will be complete unless you get some Stanley Brothers music from the 1950's-1960's. Alternatively or in addition, Ralph Stanley's recordings from the 1970's with Roy Lee Centers on lead vocals are very similar in sound and repertoire but have higher sound quality.

[Zapp]

I understand. I've hit the older Stanley Bros' sporadically... not yet systematically

[chuck norriss]

I really like these kids called Monsters Calling Home

[Winoman]

It couldn't hurt to check out some of the older Seldom Scene albums, with Tom Gray. He's one of my favorite bluegrass bass players, and he did a tour with Emmy Lou Harris last year, IIRC.

[chuck norriss]

They don't look like they sound
http://vimeo.com/29350942
I love the two girls.
But no DB.

[Jake deVilliers]

Originally Posted by chuck norriss

They don't look like they sound
http://vimeo.com/29350942
I love the two girls.
But no DB.

Yeah, and they don't play bluegrass either...

[Damon Rondeau]

A lot of great suggestions. I'm going to toss on this one, the seminal 1972 double album credited to the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Will The Circle Be Unbroken.

Some folks might call it more country than bluegrass -- doesn't matter, it's fabulous and there's a ton of high lonesome on it. It's a great meeting between the hippie Dirt Band and a pile of country/bluegrass greats: Roy Acuff, Doc Watson, Jimmy Martin, Earl Scruggs, Mother Maybelle Carter, Vassar Clements and some I'm likely forgetting. Definitely worth checking out.

[Johnny IV]

I see a lot of great recommendations, I will throw in some of my 'newer' to the scene favs.

Trampled by Turtles

Old Crow Medicine Show

The Steeldrivers

Ricky Skaggs (not new but didn't see him in there)

Also, most anything Chris Thile is involved in is really good.