Melodie has always had a passion for Bluegrass Music. Please enjoy this glimpse into Bluegrass Music History.
Bluegrass Music
Where did it come from and where is it headed?
By Melodie Lael
”The history of bluegrass music begins with the people who migrated to America in the 1600s from Ireland, Scotland, and England and brought with them basic styles of music that are generally considered to be the roots of modern bluegrass music. As the Jamestown settlers began to move out into North and South Carolina, Tennessee, Kentucky, Virginia, and West Virginia, they wrote songs about day-to-day life in the new land.”(1) These people moved out to the country and the mountains. Many people think of bluegrass music as “mountain music”; perhaps there are others who simply think of it as “country music”.
Bill Monroe is credited with the name “bluegrass” music as well as truly developing the style. Mr. Monroe has been tapped the “The Father of Bluegrass”, as evidenced by a section heading in Kip Lornell’s Exploring American Folk Music (2). Bill Monroe was born in western Kentucky the youngest of three boys. He grew up playing music with his brothers. Monroe’s father died when he was a boy,”… so he went to live with his uncle Pen Vandiver, who profoundly affected Bill as a role model for life and secondarily for his fiddle playing. The well-known “Uncle Pen” (song) is named for Vandiver…” (3) and was written by Bill Monroe. It is a fast-driving song about Bill’s uncle going outside in the evenings and playing his fiddle; and how beautiful it sounds. It is actually one of my favorite bluegrass songs.
Bill Monroe played music with his brothers; and time found brother Birch staying behind for a factory job. Bill and brother Charlie worked as a duet, and found steady work on radio stations. They eventually had a falling out and parted ways. Afterwards, Bill formed The Blue Grass Brothers, named after his home state of Kentucky. The following is a description of Monroe’s band from “A Brief History of Bluegrass Music.”
“Bill’s band was different from other traditional country bands because of its hard-driving and powerful sound that used traditional acoustic instruments and featured distinctively high vocal harmonies. The music incorporated songs and rhythms from string band, gospel (black and white), black laborer work song, country, and blues music repertoires. Vocal selections included duet, trio, and quartet harmony singing in addition to Bill’s powerful “high lonesome” solo lead singing.”(3) Kip Lornell adds “The Blue Grass Boys caused an instant sensation in Nashville, winning immediate acclaim.”(4) “In 1941, the Blue Grass Boys went back to Atlanta for an important session, very close to the music that Monroe would be playing in ten years.”(5) He goes on to say the “one certifiable classic” was included, “The Orange Blossom Special”. I would agree that the Orange Blossom Special is one of the classic bluegrass tunes of all time. It is a train song that has been referred to as the “fiddle players’ national anthem”. The song I think of when I think of Bill Monroe is “Blue Moon of Kentucky.”
The name “bluegrass” music was derived from Bill Monroe’s Blue Grass Boys and their developed style of playing. “…this first generation of bluegrass musician left a marked impact upon Anglo-American traditions and, consequently, commercial country music. Hundreds of bands were playing this music and its impact had spread far beyond its hearth area, spilling across the entire South and into the Midwest. Surprisingly, the word “bluegrass” does not seem to have gained favor until the early to middle 1950’s when it began to be applied to this music.”
Traditional bluegrass is alive and well. Anyone at a bluegrass festival or event will certainly see older folks who love the music sitting in their lawn chairs drinking in the sounds. But what about young people in bluegrass? New musical ideas in bluegrass? Do these things exist at all? Absolutely! Over the past few years many very talented young musicians have hit the scene: Molly Tuttle, Billy Strings, Sierra Hull and I understand the Punch Brothers, even.
Over the past twenty years, bluegrass bands have put standard songs, beach music, Elvis songs, etc. to a bluegrass style. In addition, there have been innovative bands emerge like New Grass Revival, years ago; and Nickel Creek, some years back. It used to be that you would hear the hard-core bluegrass fans talking with great concern that there may not be anyone to carry the music forward into the future. I do not believe that is the case. Kip Lornell weighs in, “These creative musicians kept many of the basic elements of bluegrass, but they spawned groups that played “New Grass”, “Progressive Bluegrass,” and even “Dawg” music – a jazz/bluegrass fusion pioneered by David Grisman in the middle 1970’s. Despite these changes, all bluegrass performers pay homage to it progenitor, the late Bill Monroe, acknowledging his role as its king.” (6)
“Bluegrass music has never truly left the musical stage; it has merely adapted to meet new challenges. Since Bill Monroe's first time on the stage of the Grand Ole Opry in 1939, pickers and singers have been keeping his style alive even as they have added new elements to it, just as Bill did when he created bluegrass in the 1940s.”(7)
Citations:
(1) https://bluegrassheritage.org/history-of-bluegrass-music/, Making Bluegrass Happen, “A Brief History of Bluegrass Music”
(2) Exploring American Folk Music By Kip Lornell, (University Press of Mississippi 2012), p. 99.
(3) https://bluegrassheritage.org/history-of-bluegrass-music/, Making Bluegrass Happen, “A Brief History of Bluegrass Music”
(4) Exploring American Folk Music By Kip Lornell, (University Press of Mississippi 2012), p. 102.
(5) Exploring American Folk Music By Kip Lornell, (University Press of Mississippi 2012), p. 102.
(6) Exploring American Folk Music By Kip Lornell, (University Press of Mississippi 2012), p. 106.
(7) https://www.loc.gov/item/ihas.200152684/ Library of Congress article, “Bluegrass Music.”
