Category Archives: Ramblings
Thoughts on the Bluegrass Music
I first met Bill Monroe in May of 1963. At that time, he told me (and I still have the interview on tape): “When it comes to music, I always considered myself as an inventor, sort of like Henry Ford. … Continue reading
Folk Song and Performance Style: “Haul Away Joe”
“Haul Away Joe” or “Haul Away My Rosy”: Choir vs. Sailor – a folk style comparison and a story of a backwards-looking quest for folk authenticity. Continue reading
A fine banjo film!
Yesterday, after following up on an assortment of leads, I happened across a website named Folkstreams.net. This website is truly a web treasure. It contains dozens of documentary films related to folklore, including a lot of music-related pictures. It’s a … Continue reading
The Future of Bluegrass?
Of that first generation, Bill Monroe was the *only* band leader to ever hire musical talent from the city. He was the only one with the vision to look beyond his own mileau to “help the music as it goes along” (as he told me more than once). Continue reading
Memories of Eck Robertson
Recently, I traded e-mails with my friend David Holt of Ashville, NC, who still travels and performs with guitarist Doc Watson and others. David had run across a reference in a book by British music historian and writer Tony Russell … Continue reading