Vacant Horizon Posted March 13, 2011 Share Posted March 13, 2011 i'm having a personal resurgence of interest in this stuff. was really into david grisman and jerry garcia stuff as well as bela fleck in the early 90s. now i'm just LOVING tony rice. god damn that guy is amazing. too bad he doesn't sing anymore. i'm gonna pick up that famous JD Crowe New South record he was on and from there who knows ;-) so, any fans, recommendations, etc? btw-one of the things i really like about this scene is the professionalism and collegiality. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
LouieB Posted March 13, 2011 Share Posted March 13, 2011 Bluegrass may have the oldest fan base of any genre. I saw Tony Rice when he was with David Grisman many years ago. Great show. LouieB Quote Link to post Share on other sites
LouieB Posted March 14, 2011 Share Posted March 14, 2011 As I suspected...no one gives a rats ass about bluegrass....not new grass or old grass either. Even the material you are talking about is nearly 40 years old. Meanwhile it is always fun to listen to, but it is very much a niche genre anymore, mostly confined to grey haired fans or young hot shots still coming out of the areas along the Virginia/North Carolina/Tennessee borders. I can't think of a single club in Chicago, with the exception of the Old Town School, where you can see bluegrass (I guess you can at the VFW in Evanston too I understand.) There are a few groups that did sort of catch people's imaginations, including Jim and Jenny and the Pinetops, The Infamous String Dusters, and Splitlip Rayfield, but everyone else is pretty old (or dead.) I took a trip a few years back along the VA/NC/TN border and everywhere we went, to song circles or bluegrass events, the crowd made me feel downright young. LouieB Quote Link to post Share on other sites
PopTodd Posted March 14, 2011 Share Posted March 14, 2011 OLD CROW MEDICINE SHOWOne of the best live bands that I have seen in a long time. Really, really great. Strongly suggest that, if you have interest in bluegrass/newgrass/whatever, you RUN to get tickets to see them when they come to town. Closest thing to a Dead show that I have seen since seeing the Dead, themselves. Only much higher-energy.Everybody dancing everywhere. Also, Dolly Parton put out a pretty great bluegrass record a few years ago (1999) called The Grass is Blue.As unoriginal as the album title is, Dolly does not disappoint.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lNj5P6SpdRo Quote Link to post Share on other sites
lamradio Posted March 14, 2011 Share Posted March 14, 2011 Spacegrass? Sounds intriguing... I'm a big fan of Bluegrass guitar. There's no one that can play as fast with as much precision as a great Bluegrass guitarist. Doesn't matter who you are, it's impossible to listen to Bluegrass without smiling. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Lammycat Posted March 14, 2011 Share Posted March 14, 2011 There's tons of Bluegrass/Newgrass out here. Lots of people are into the scene. Fests like Planet Bluegrass' Rocky Grass and Tellluride Bluegrass are heavy hitters for the genre. YMSB, Whitewater Ramble, Greensky Bluegrass, even String Cheese tyo an extent, Trampled By Turtles, Punch Bros, Henhouse Prowlers, etc., etc. The scene is very much alive, imo. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
PopTodd Posted March 14, 2011 Share Posted March 14, 2011 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YH0CnjXqCLE Oh, and the upbeat songs, live... are a dervish. Amazing. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Vacant Horizon Posted March 15, 2011 Author Share Posted March 15, 2011 Bluegrass may have the oldest fan base of any genre. I saw Tony Rice when he was with David Grisman many years ago. Great show. LouieB cool. i've seen grisman several times and really enjoyed it. hope to see tony rice this fall. bela fleck was another great show. OLD CROW MEDICINE SHOWOne of the best live bands that I have seen in a long time. Really, really great. Strongly suggest that, if you have interest in bluegrass/newgrass/whatever, you RUN to get tickets to see them when they come to town. Closest thing to a Dead show that I have seen since seeing the Dead, themselves. Only much higher-energy.Everybody dancing everywhere. Also, Dolly Parton put out a pretty great bluegrass record a few years ago (1999) called The Grass is Blue.As unoriginal as the album title is, Dolly does not disappoint.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lNj5P6SpdRo Not a huge old crow fan. i know they had an album produced by dave rawlings a few years ago. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Vacant Horizon Posted March 15, 2011 Author Share Posted March 15, 2011 As I suspected...no one gives a rats ass about bluegrass....not new grass or old grass either. Even the material you are talking about is nearly 40 years old. Meanwhile it is always fun to listen to, but it is very much a niche genre anymore, mostly confined to grey haired fans or young hot shots still coming out of the areas along the Virginia/North Carolina/Tennessee borders. I can't think of a single club in Chicago, with the exception of the Old Town School, where you can see bluegrass (I guess you can at the VFW in Evanston too I understand.) There are a few groups that did sort of catch people's imaginations, including Jim and Jenny and the Pinetops, The Infamous String Dusters, and Splitlip Rayfield, but everyone else is pretty old (or dead.) I took a trip a few years back along the VA/NC/TN border and everywhere we went, to song circles or bluegrass events, the crowd made me feel downright young. LouieB i see what you're saying. what's interesting is that there are a shitload of new bluegrass bands. not to mention the bluegrass type jambands like yonder mountain. anyway, time to let the thread die Quote Link to post Share on other sites
LouieB Posted March 15, 2011 Share Posted March 15, 2011 Not suggesting we don't talk about it, nor is it true that there aren't plenty of bands out there. There are areas in the ountry where this type of music is still very popular, particularly in the south. Telluride has been around for a very long time and I am sure is still well attended. Old Crow Medicine Show certainly are the biggest stars of the genre at the moment. I guess I don't know how to express this, so I may be doing it badly. While the occasional bluegrass band may come through town, there not not many that have any large or mainstream following at all (this would also be true of Celtic music.) It seems to be odnfined to the folk circuit and the bluegrass festival circuit. Folks like Bela Fleck and David Grisman don't really play bluegrass although their instruments are identified with that type of music. Both play material that is more closely associated with jazz, or rock, or world music. Some mainstream arists like Ricky Skaggs and Dolly Parton have done bluegrass albums (in the last century mostly) and even the more hip groups like Split Lip Rayfield seem to have fallen off the radar. Certainly country radio doesn't play such material, even though it could and would be popular with folks who listen to country music. Meanwhile I suppose there are still some clubs like the Station Inn in Nashville where it is still popular(thank goodness) and there are plenty of fests around the country where you can hear it (mostly in the south. Attached is the lineup for Telluride and only about half of the acts seem to be bluegrass, in the same way that NO Jazz fest is not really all that jazzy. Another large music fest (that I have never been to) is Merlefest in NC, which features some bluegrass type material, but much more singer/songwriter,etc. I highly recommend "Blue Ridge Music Trails Finding a Place in the Circle" By Fred C. Fussell for finding bluegrass and traditional music venues, tourist destinations and other information. It also has great photographs. I used this book with a friend several years ago (on two trips actually) and we did all kinds of cool stuff recommended in this book. There is also a Bluegrass Trails organization which publicizes various fiddle fests and that kind of thing. I attended a very cool event in Mt.Airy NC which had been going on for decades. I don't know if it still going on, but they had local bluegrass bands all Saturday morning in the local movie theater. (again the audience was old.) and there is a music center along the Blue Ridge Parkway that is intersting too and has events on weekends. And I highly recommend a trip to Galax, Va. They also have regular bluegrass and traditional evens there as well as an old fiddlers fest which I would love to attend some day. I am not down on this type of music at all, quite the contrary. It is just that most folks here I think are not that interested in it, but again, maybe they are. LouieB Telluride ScheduleThursday, June 16, 2011Telluride House Band featuring Sam, Béla, Jerry, Edgar, Bryan & Stuart | Sarah McLachlan | Steve Earle & the Dukes | Michael Cleveland & Flamekeeper | Cornmeal | The Head and The Heart | Tim O'Brien & Kevin Burke Friday, June 17, 2011Railroad Earth | Béla Fleck & the Flecktones (The Original Line-Up)| Emmylou Harris | Trampled by Turtles | Jerry Douglas featuring Omar Hakim & Viktor Krauss | The Infamous Stringdusters | Chris Thile & Michael Daves | Joe Pug Saturday, June 18, 2011Old Crow Medicine Show | Sam Bush Band | The Decemberists | Yonder Mountain String Band | Tim O'Brien Band | Emmitt-Nershi Band | Nora Jane Struthers & the Bootleggers Sunday, June 19, 2011Robert Plant & Band of Joy | Mumford & Sons | Punch Brothers | Peter Rowan Bluegrass Band | Abigail Washburn | Edgar Meyer | Darrell Scott & Friends Father's Day Gospel Hour (clearly the same folks who were involved in the newgrass movement of the 70s and 80s still hold sway here decades later. Interesting!!! Throw in a few newer groups and some rock groups and you got yourself a bluegrass fest. Joe Pug, really???) (sorry about the typos, but I need to get to work.) Quote Link to post Share on other sites
LouieB Posted March 15, 2011 Share Posted March 15, 2011 Jeez there is so little interest no one was even upset when they thought I was actually dissing bluegrass, when clearly I wasn't. Within the last year John Laurie of Laurie's planet of sound said he has never owned a record with a banjo on it. On the other hand, I have dozens of them, and know plenty of banjo players. Banjo music was some of the first music to be recorded, because it recorded well during the accoustic recording era. I can sort of understand how some folks don't like it, but it is as American as apple pie isn't it? In Chicago, the Legands of Bluegrass series is at the Evanston VFW which is in northern Evanston. I have never been, but I have friends who go all the time and dig it. LouieB Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Lammycat Posted March 15, 2011 Share Posted March 15, 2011 The "Newgrass" movement is pretty big, imo. Traditional Bluegrass is harder to find as a lot of the younger/newer musicians have adapted Bluegrass to other influences. I agree with you there. I love the old sound of Bluegrass but also really respond well to/like a lot the newer sounds being blended into it with the younger bands. Telluride Bluegrass Fest has been open to non-traditional 9or simply non) Bluegrass acts since the get-go. Eeven fests like Merlefest stray from traditional here and there. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Vacant Horizon Posted March 15, 2011 Author Share Posted March 15, 2011 The "Newgrass" movement is pretty big, imo. Traditional Bluegrass is harder to find as a lot of the younger/newer musicians have adapted Bluegrass to other influences. I agree with you there. I love the old sound of Bluegrass but also really respond well to/like a lot the newer sounds being blended into it with the younger bands. Telluride Bluegrass Fest has been open to non-traditional 9or simply non) Bluegrass acts since the get-go. Eeven fests like Merlefest stray from traditional here and there. i like the older stuff too. there are so many jamgrass bands it's overwhelming. i think i need to just stick with tony rice, david grisman, and bela fleck for now. that should keep me busy:) Quote Link to post Share on other sites
lamradio Posted March 15, 2011 Share Posted March 15, 2011 Speaking of Bluegrass guitarists, this kid is a prodigy. 15 years old. The 12 year old female singer is great as well. Very talented little band. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
LouieB Posted March 15, 2011 Share Posted March 15, 2011 It is amazing how these kids learn bluegrass like that. Mark O'Connor was such a prodigy actually, winning contests as a young child. sa Not to belabor the point, but it is funny we are talking about newgrass as the younger generation since all of the major figures in that group are well into middle age. But then again it is because most of the original generation is long gone. I was lucky enough to attend Bean Blossom back when Bill Monroe was still alive. It was a very fun event, but really heavy on bluegrass gospel as I recall. I grew up with alot of this stuff. The Newgrass Revival and Special Consensus and other newgrass bands used to play regularly at places like Amazingrace in Evanston. Mostly they were opening acts actually. Guys like Vassar Clements, John Hartford, and Doc Watson would come through town like clockwork. As is evident from my posts on the reissue labels thread I am actually more interested these days in the old recordings of traditional American music. All this is good stuff to me. Both the old and new. As mentioned in one of the previous posts, when I was down south on those trips, alot of the bands were made up of young folks, but the audiences were considerably older. While some young people are really into the music, the audience is still sort of older, not unlike classical music (or jazz for that matter), which has (have) plenty of great players, but don't seem to be able to get as many younger fans out, compared to indie rock, alt-country, other more popular genres. Kind of sad rally. It is not unlike everyone here not wanting Wilco to be called alt-country (which of course they aren't anymore) because that is so unhip. Crossing over.....County Sales out of Floyd Virginia stocks an amazing array of new bluegrass and associated music. Check it out.Every year I try and buy a few CDs from them to make sure they stay in business. Their warehouse is open to the pubic so you can literally go in and pick stuff out from both their labels and the other stuff they stock to sell online and their catalogue. Floyd is a fun, down home, somewhat hippie town too. Good times. LouieB Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Lammycat Posted March 15, 2011 Share Posted March 15, 2011 Just a quick agreement on Floyd, VA. Lived in Salem (just outside of Roanoke) for a spell in 80s/90s and can attest to that towns roots. Great little area and some good music from there. Decent moonshine, too.... Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Vacant Horizon Posted March 15, 2011 Author Share Posted March 15, 2011 i'd say a lot of the jamgrass folks are not virtuosos by a mile. after doing some research, bluegrass bands seem to be a dime a dozen. the good ones climb to the top it seems. another interesting genre is the indie bluegrass types like Chatham County Line. fyi, my recurring interest may be subsiding Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Lammycat Posted March 16, 2011 Share Posted March 16, 2011 Curious why you say the "jamgrass" folks aren't "virtuosos." Bands like String Cheese, Leftover Salmon, Yonder Mountain, etc. that have risen to the top are considered by both their peers and many of the old school-ish players as such. Sam Bush, Del McCoury Band, Edgar Myer, Mike Marshall, Bela, Grisman, etc. all give respect to them (and them back, of course), for their abilities. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Vacant Horizon Posted March 16, 2011 Author Share Posted March 16, 2011 Curious why you say the "jamgrass" folks aren't "virtuosos." Bands like String Cheese, Leftover Salmon, Yonder Mountain, etc. that have risen to the top are considered by both their peers and many of the old school-ish players as such. Sam Bush, Del McCoury Band, Edgar Myer, Mike Marshall, Bela, Grisman, etc. all give respect to them (and them back, of course), for their abilities. i probably shouldn't have said it that way. i just think there are lots of really good players, but none stand out. those that do stand out to me seem to come from the traditional or progressive bluegrass side...fleck, bush, grisman, etc. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
rareair Posted March 16, 2011 Share Posted March 16, 2011 There's tons of Bluegrass/Newgrass out here. Lots of people are into the scene. Fests like Planet Bluegrass' Rocky Grass and Tellluride Bluegrass are heavy hitters for the genre. YMSB, Whitewater Ramble, Greensky Bluegrass, even String Cheese tyo an extent, Trampled By Turtles, Punch Bros, Henhouse Prowlers, etc., etc. The scene is very much alive, imo. Telluride Bluegrass is incredible. OCMS and Punch Bros. are two bands that I have seen recently that are well worth checking out. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
LouieB Posted March 16, 2011 Share Posted March 16, 2011 fyi, my recurring interest may be subsiding That was quick. LouieB Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Lammycat Posted March 16, 2011 Share Posted March 16, 2011 Telluride Bluegrass is incredible. It is. I haven't been in a bunch of years but the ex took my 3 boys down last year and they all attest it's still a huge, huge blast. I favor the smaller version (RockyGrass) these days as it's about 1/3 the crowd and a closer drive. Regardless, I like what both fests do in combining traditional bluegrass acts with newgrass acts, as well as non-bluegrass based acts all togther. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Excitable Boy Posted March 16, 2011 Share Posted March 16, 2011 The Punch Bros are incredible. I really like this cover of the Strokes "Reptilia". Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Vacant Horizon Posted March 16, 2011 Author Share Posted March 16, 2011 That was quick. LouieB yeah, i'm just gonna settle for tony rice. it's too huge to get into totally. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
LouieB Posted March 16, 2011 Share Posted March 16, 2011 yeah, i'm just gonna settle for tony rice. it's too huge to get into totally.I would say if you follow Tony's career you can't go too wrong. His work with Grisman is good, although not all of it bluegrass, it is of course "Dawg Music" which is fun, although I am sort of done with that myself. However if you want to go back aways and get into the original music, the early sides by Bill Monroe (even the pre-bluegrass sides with his brother) are all very good, as are the early Stanley Brothers. Lots of great old bluegrass out there from the late 40s and early 50s. LouieB Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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