“The Last Song”
Jimmy Martin & The Sunny Mountain Boys
In fitting style, this will be my last post. I’ll leave the blog up for y’all’s enjoyment. I’m still good for my personal blog, though.
“The Last Song”
Jimmy Martin & The Sunny Mountain Boys
In fitting style, this will be my last post. I’ll leave the blog up for y’all’s enjoyment. I’m still good for my personal blog, though.
“Theme Time”
Jimmy Martin & His Sunny Mountain Boys
Big and Country Instrumentals
One of the most famous instrumentals his group played, from a great album. Jimmy Martin became the King of Bluegrass by having stellar talent in his lineup, just like Bill Monroe. Past Sunny Mountain Boys include banjo legend J.D. Crowe, singer Doyle Lawson, Tony Rice, Bill Emerson and Tater Tate
“Martin dropped out of school in the eighth grade and left home for work as a painter and factory hand, playing music on the side. Hearing that lead singer and guitarist Mac Wiseman would be leaving Bill Monroe in 1949, the 22-year-old took a bus to Nashville and insinuated his way backstage at the Grand Ole Opry. Monroe’s banjo player Rudy Lyle heard him sing and arranged an on-the-spot audition. A week later, Jimmy was on the road as a Blue Grass Boy.”
(Source: bluegrass-museum.org)
“Future on Ice”
Jimmy Martin & His Sunny Mountain Boys
50 Golden Years
This week, we’ll be featuring Jimmy Martin, the King of Bluegrass. Here’s a little preview. Y’all enjoy, now.
“Body and Soul”
Bill Monroe
High Lonesome: The Story of Bluegrass Music
This song is my second favorite of Monroe’s. If I had to give one song for someone looking for the definition of “high lonesome”, this is it. It’s Monroe’s defining sound, shared by others like Ralph Stanley and Lou Reid. Kenny Baker plays a great fiddle intro.
Find the live performance for this song here.
Any suggestions on which bluegrass artist y’all’d like to see featured next?
So my sister got me the best Christmas present. Bill Monroe’s “Country Music Hall of Fame”, a greatest hits release from MCA, on vinyl. Not a scratch to be found!
and did you notice who was playing banjo on “Footprints in the Snow” (one of my favs)? That’s right, Sonny Osborne. He played a short stint with Monroe until he teamed up with his brother, Bobby. That song also features Jimmy Martin as a Blue Grass Boy. What a great lineup.
hay y’all, look.
“Rocky Road Blues”
Bill Monroe & The Blue Grass Boys
Essential Bill Monroe
Rocky Road Blues is a perfect example of early Monroe. Trying to find the perfect mix between folk, blues and pop (swing) influences, Monroe has a heavy blues influence with folk instruments. The accordion player, Wilene “Sally Ann” Forrester, was the first woman to play with Monroe. While this honky-tonk style of playing, a quite progressive sound for the time, would never leave Monroe, he would later perfect it with Earl Scrugg’s banjo and Lester Flatt’s distinctive back-up guitar.
This week we’ll be profiling Bill Monroe.
“Heavy Traffic Ahead”
Bill Monroe & The Blue Grass Boys
The Essential Bill Monroe & His Blue Grass Boys
I’m going to be featuring Bill Monroe this week. There’s no special reason and he does get a fair amount of coverage on Tumblr. I’d like to focus on his early years and formation. Consider this a genealogy of the man’s early work. This song, in particular, is one of my favorites.
Recently I’ve tagged, or seen tagged, his band as “Bill Monroe & The Bluegrass Boys” or “Bill Monroe & His Bluegrass Boys”. When he began the group, bluegrass wasn’t even formed. As we’ll see tomorrow, there was no banjo in his early tunes. As we all obviously know, it can’t be bluegrass without a banjo. Originally named “The Blue Grass Boys”, they weren’t even all boys; the accordion player of the early years was a lady, in fact.
Regardless, bluegrass is the genre born from “The Blue Grass Boys”, his band. Thus, Bill Monroe & The Blue Grass Boys.
“The Darkest Hour is Just Before Dawn”
The Stanley Brothers
Gospel Sunday in honor of those poor souls in Connecticut.
“I’ll Go Stepping, Too”
Lester Flatt & Mac Wiseman
Over The Hill To The Poorhouse
this has been a Mac Wiseman appreciation PSA. The more you know..
“Bugle Call Rag”
The Bluegrass Album Band
Live, Great American Music Hall, San Francisco
….get back to me when you can play like that.
