Tag Archives: old time music
The Origins of Bluegrass Music
I think Bill Monroe might have hired Stringbean more as a comedian to break the ice than for his banjo picking. Either that or because he was a good shortstop! Many early bluegrass bands had at least one member who did the rube comic act . . . a relic from minstrel and medicine show times. Continue reading
The Fiddling Seventies – Southern California
There was not as much concern about drawing a tine between bluegrass and country and old timey fiddling. In addition to traditional tunes Bobby Fenton would play Bob Wills and country songs. Speedy Smith and Harold Hensley would play really fast bluegrass barnburner style. Bob Rogers would play Kenny Baker tunes. Roscoe White would play everything from swing to Howdy Forrester tunes. IT FELT LIKE FREEDOM. IT WAS NEVER BORING. There were soooo many good fiddlers in one place and at that time I thought that was normal, but now I know it was very rare. Continue reading
The Ash Grove: Old Time Hits the Big Time in Hollywood USA
Born in the midst of the unreality and meaninglessness of the commercial pop world, the Ash Grove soon became the refuge and breeding ground for people’s music. Continue reading
Visiting Earl Scruggs
. . . He went down the hall and quickly came back, holding an old Gibson open-back banjo. “This belonged to Uncle Dave . . . here, play me a tune!” Continue reading
Microphones and Old Time / Bluegrass Music
I recently received the following e-mail: > Peter, > My band played to a loud room of people tonight. We had one hot mic for vocals and the crowd essentially drowned out instrumentation at times. I tried to play into … Continue reading