Bluegrass

Zoton

I've always enjoyed listening to Bluegrass music but i've never really been aware of the what particular artists i'm listening too when hearing it, and since there's a massive number of bluegrass artists out there i've no idea where to begin in regards to building a quality collection for myself.
So can ye make some good recommendations for me please?

Thanks,
Zoton

(i'm assuming this is the most appropriate place for this thread since bluegrass is pretty bluesy)

golfgirl

Hi Zoton,

I wouldn't have much idea where you should start there, I like bluegrass too, picked up the soundtrack to a movie called 'The Big Easy', and it has some foot tappin' french cajun bluegrassy tunes. Have you seen 'Prison Love', an Irish bluegrass band, they've got good energy. Sorry I can't be more help, but I'd be interested if anyone else here could point us in the right direction. :cool:

TheBigLebowski

Have you heard the soundtrack to O Brother, Where Art Thou?
Pretty good bluegrass...

zigzag wonderer

bill monroe and the blue grass boys are pretty good. more recent stuff would be Pete Wernick, Ricky Scaggs, Bela Fleck, and Allison Krause. the last two names mentioned being whats termed "new grass" its got a kind rock and or roll feel off it.

but yeah do listen to the blue grass boys. the best bet would be to get the essential bill monroe and his bluegrass boys.

Kennington

zigzag wonderer wrote:

Ricky Scaggs, Bela Fleck, and Allison Krause. the last two names mentioned being whats termed "new grass" its got a kind rock and or roll feel off it.

Id say Ricky Scaggs has more of a rock n roll feel to him, check out the song Country Boy, some great solos in there, and Béla Fleck is more Jazz in my opinion, and blues, I think the Flecktones were labelled Blu-Bop


P.S Béla Fleck and the Flecktones rule all

Zoton

Thanks for the help folks. I do indeed have the O Brother Where Art Thou? soundtrack. It's excellent. I've got one of Steve Earle's albums, Copperhead Road, it's good but it's a little too "country" for my liking.
I'll keep an eye/ear out for the other recommendations.
Thanks again.

Shane Smith

can't think of bluegrass without thinkin of that bit in Blues Brothers movie....:D

fuse

There's some old bluegrass recordings called the Smithsonian Folkways collection that contains some great bluegrass, home recordings and the likes from the 1950's onwards. Worth checking out.
Also get the Deliverance soundtrack, there's some animal banjo spasms on it!
Other artists - Doc Watson, Merle Haggard, Ricky Scaggs, Bill Monroe, The Dillards, Lester Flat, Earle Scruggs.

deedee lepoopoo

If you're in Dublin, there is a free Bluegrass gig every Friday night. PM me for the details.

dub45

Sony recently put out a box set called Can't You Hear Me Calling to You Have a look at the track listing on that and it will give you all the names you need or most of them anyways!!

Emmylou Harris made an album called Roses in the Snow which is apparently regarded as being very important in reawakening interest in bluegrass - anyways its great and you should be able to pick it up for under 10 euros. Another marvellous album is Blue Country Heart by Jorma Kaukonen (formerly Jefferson Airplane) it features a few of the people already mentioned here Jerry Douglas, Bela Fleck and Sam Bush. Yo Yo Ma of all people make a couple of crossover albums with some blue grass people and they are well worth a listen Appalachian Waltz and Appalachian Journey.

Some record label sites Rounder, Smithsonian Folkways,
Sugar Hill. and finally (phew!) theres a cheapo bluegrass box (Bluegrass Bonanza) on Proper which costs about 20 euros for 4cds.
Proper and jsp also have some other boxes of bluegrass artists including Bill Monroe.

Itunes has at least one Bluegrass radio station under 'Americana'.

Mulligan records in Galway should be able to help you.