Hey yall,
Excuse me for cutting in, but I have a couple of comments about some of the artists discussed and about the bluegrass-folk and country movement in general.
In respect and admiration of Johny Cash, I have to say he is a pearl of recent American History. His legacy doesn't include being the greatest singer nor musician, but if you think long and hard about Johny, He has to be one of the most original. Hard to put my thoughts about him into words, But I'll try. Lets say you kind of liked a Garth Brooks song that came on the radio one day. You say "yeah, I like that song." Now take the same song, and have Mark Chesnut perform it, and still you think "yeah, I really like that song". Now take a Johny Cash song, lets say "Burning Ring of Fire". Have one of your favorite country performers do it. Everyone is different but in this case I would think "Gee, loved it when Johny did that song".
Its obvious that Johny didn't have alot of bluegrass or mountain influence in his music, but its still a style that Im sure he admired, or at least he learned to admire it after marrying June Carter.
The Carter Family is arguably one of the most influential familes in country or bluegrass music. Take for example the song "WildWood Flower", the first song I ever learned how to pick on a flat top guitar. And i'm confident in saying that if you were to ask 10 Bluegrass guitarists the first song they learned to play on the guitar, at least 7 of them would say " The WildWood Flower." That's a legacy in itself. Ill come back to this in a moment.
Begining in the 1950's, Traditional music, of any kind, was ignored in favor of the popular new Rock N Roll movment, And alot of performers of traditional music were hurt by this new crusade. As Dr Ralph said in the "High Lonesome" Documentary, "They were starved out".
Into the 1960's however, a new class of people had developed in American Society, commonly referred to as the "Hippi". Forgive me if this term is offensive, i just have no other words in my vocabulary to describe it. To define a "Hippi" in my own words, I would say a person who just simply has different tastes, likes and dislikes, as compared to the mainstream culture.
I have an article from a 1973 grass roots publication. It portrays Maybelle Carter, and discusses her lifetime accomplishments. At some point in the mid-1960's, She was scheduled to make a performance at a college campus, which I suppose was not common then. Her performance was very pleasing to the young crowd in attendance, hence was scheduled to come back. Needless to say, her popularity which was previously shunned by American Mainstream music, came back 10 fold with a new generation of people who I suppose were just growing tired of the mainstream music at the time.
In my opinion, this is what started the huge popularity of traditional music in the 1960's, hence the birth of the bluegrass festival. Only this time, it wasn't just kids from the Appalachian region. Bluegrass bands started to surface in California, Massachusetts, New York, Chicago, etc.....I Believe everyone enjoyed not just the music, but the fellowship of "parking lot pickin".
You know to this day, I believe bluegrass music is the only form of music that can be played, enjoyed, and sound pretty good without a script laid out. Depending on the caliber of the musician ofcourse, one person can introduce a new instrumental, start playing it. The rhythm guitar will pick up the chord progression while the bass follows. While the mandolinist, the banjo player, and the fiddler listen to the chord progression, and waiting for their turn to "take a break". This is done without any sheet music, directors or organizers. I think that says alot about this form American Music. A few years ago, I noticed something amazing while jamming with a group of people I had never met prior. Someone said "Lets pick a lil of that Road to Columbus". the banjo player was obviously influenced alot by Don Reno, and incorporated alot of Reno stuff in his opening break. The mandolin player took over and played it just like Bill Monroe would have, the fiddle player took his Chubby Wise style break, then it was my turn, and everybody smiled as we all noticed at the same time we all were showing our influences as I played my George Shuffler style break on guitar. Where else can you hear an instumental by Done Reno, Bill Monroe, Chubby Wise, and George Shuffler? Just go to a bluegrass festival, walk around the parking lot or camping area.
This parking lot fellowship that we share has undoubtedly been a big influence on a great deal of people, not just us hillbillies. If you look at some of these great musicians who dont even have previous ties to Appalachia. Ron Block, Sam Bush, all the kids from Nickel Creek, and thats just to name a very few of them.
Bluegrass Music tells true stories, about real lives, real people, real things. It tells the good, bad, the ugly, the pretty and so forth. Sure the smallest roots of this music can be traced elsewhere, but bluegrass music for the most part is American, and thats what makes it so great. Whether your an Appalachian native, a West Coaster, or maybe even Dessert Dweller, We are all American.
God Bless and Happy Thanksgiving to you all!!!! Willie Bruce Carter Bluegrass Bulletin Board brought to you by the fan club of Dr Ralph Stanley & His Clinch Mountain Boys subscribe or unsubscribe at http://drralphstanley.com/
