> Del McCoury Stands Up for His > Genre > > When Steve Earle got it in his head to >make a > bonafide bluegrass album, he didn't cut >any > corners. By his own admission, he >wanted to > write and record bluegrass music that >would > stand the test of time. It's a bit >early to gage > whether or not he succeeded on that >front > (The Mountain was only released in >February), > but future musicologists are bound to >give him > credibility points for recruiting >arguably the > best bluegrass outfit of the later >Twentieth > Century, the Del McCoury Band. > > And what, the uninitiated might ask, > distinguishes a good bluegrass band >from a > bad one? Del, the silver-haired >patriarch of the > Del McCoury Band and father of two of >its > members, ponders the question for a >minute > and responds, "You can't use >electronics. It's > got to come out of your instrument and >out of > your voice. You have to really be able >to play." > > His son Ronnie, who is now in his early > thirties and has played mandolin in his >father's > band since he was fourteen, adds, "I >think it's > about pushing the envelope in the >singing." > Robbie McCoury, the banjo-playing >younger > brother in the band, points out, "If >you can > play bluegrass, you can play any kind of > music." Although none of them can >pinpoint > what defines the music they love so >dearly, > they can all agree on one thing: "When >it's > bad, it's really bad!" > > But as Earle or any other true-blue >bluegrass > fan can testify, the inverse is also >true, i.e., > "When it's good, it's great." The Del >McCoury > Band -- it's current incarnation >rounded out by > Nashville bluegrass veteran Mike Bub on >bass > and fiddler Jason Carter -- reproves >this slogan > every time it hits stages across the >country > and around the world. Their music is >rooted in > the bedrock of tradition but never >weighed > down by it. They have the good looks and > demeanor of perfect southern gentlemen. >Their > edge, highlighted by Del's high voice, > pompadour and short sideburns, is >offset only > by their unfailing modesty and > wholesomeness. All these elements, >added to > their virtuoso musicianship, have made >them > the most successful bluegrass band in >years. > > Success is hard-won on the bluegrass >circuit > and the type of popularity that the >McCourys > enjoy makes them part of a tiny elite >which > includes Ricky Skaggs, Alison Krauss and > Bela Flek. Of that group, only Del and >his > band have achieved their status without > departing from the rigid paradigm set >out by > Bill Monroe, Lester Flatt and Earl >Scruggs in > the Forties. In Del's group, pure >bluegrass is > like truth, and it's best practitioners >are > revered as geniuses. While the members >are > reticent to tout their own successes, >they > speak with unabashed pride about their > beloved medium and its place in music > history. > > "All those rock & rollers were >bluegrass fans," > says Ronnie. "The Everly Brothers took >the > harmonies from bluegrass, and then the > Beatles came and took the harmonies from > them. Monroe's in the Rock & Roll Hall >of > Fame because of the influence of his >mandolin > on the electric guitar, his >downstrokes, and > his songs. Listen to Chuck Berry's > downstrokes -- Bill Monroe was doing >that in > the Forties." > > Del thinks back wistfully to the dawn >of the > music that defines him and remembers, >"They > said that when Monroe would sing > 'Muleskinner Blues' and all those high > numbers, it was like an Elvis Presley >show." > > Of course, bluegrass has never been that > popular since, but it is currently >enjoying one > of its most successful periods. The >Mountain > debuted in the Top 20 on the Billboard >Country > chart. Not bad for a genuine Nashville >rebel > and a group of sharp-dressed men >playing an > antiquated style of acoustic American >music > far removed from the latest hi-tech >suburban > SUV pop cranked out by Garth, Shania, >et. al. > The Del McCoury Band's own new album, >The > Family, probably won't sell as well as >the The > Mountain, but rest assured they're not >about to > give up the crusade. The ultimate goal, >they > say, is to spread the bluegrass gospel >to as > many people as possible. > > "There was one couple that heard us at >a folk > festival and they told me that they >first > thought, 'Well we'll just have to put >up with > that bluegrass,'" smiles Del. "Then >they heard > it and something just grabbed them. >They told > me, 'We can't believe we like >bluegrass, but > we guess we never heard it before.'" >
