Month: April 2015

“Mule Skinner Blues” –Bill Monroe (1930)

• What instruments are used?
  • Fiddle, mandolin, guitar, bass, banjo
• How does the sound compare to traditional bluegrass?
  • Very traditional vocals, and playing styles
• How was the popularity of the song? How successful was it?
  • Performed on the WMV
  • Has been covered a few times (i.e. Dolly Parton)

“What a Friend we have in Jesus” –Doc Watson (1984)

• What instruments are used?
  • Harmonica
• How does the sound compare to traditional bluegrass?
  • Very different, it only used one person’s voice, and it was low
• How was the popularity of the song? How successful was it?
  • Did fairly well
  • It was on a more personal album “Down South”
  • All comments on it were saying it is true bluegrass

“Working Girl Blues” –Hazel Dickens (1986)

• What instruments are used?
  • Banjo, guitar, bass,
• How does the sound compare to traditional bluegrass?
  • Traditional style, but women singing together was very new
• How was the popularity of the song? How successful was it?
  • Received very well. Said to have inspired future female artists

“Man of Constant Sorrow” –Dan Tyminski (2002)

• What instruments are used?
  • Guitar, banjo, fiddle, bass
• How does the sound compare to traditional bluegrass?
  • Keeps with traditional blues music
• How was the popularity of the song? How successful was it? Received?
  • Made very popular by the movie “Oh Brother Where art Thou”
  • Said to have created the resurgence of bluegrass today
  • Used in many scholarly articles to show bluegrass progression
• Marketing???
  • Popularized by the movie
• Lyrical meanings

“Wagon Wheel” –Old Crow Medicine Show (2004)

• What instruments are used?
  • Banjo, fiddle, bass
• How does the sound compare to traditional bluegrass?
  • More traditional sounds, and the subject material is more traditional
• How was the popularity of the song? How successful was it?
  • It really reopened bluegrass to younger generations.

“Psycho Girls and Psycow Boys” – Sam Bush (2007)

• What instruments are used?
• How does the sound compare to traditional bluegrass?
• How was the popularity of the song? How successful was it?

“Kangding Qingge” –Abigail Washburn (2008)

• What instruments are used?
  • banjo
• How does the sound compare to traditional bluegrass?
  • Not at all. Not even in english
• How was the popularity of the song? How successful was it?
  • Popular in China

“This Girl” –Punch Brothers (2012)

• What instruments are used?
  • Mandolin, guitar, bass, fiddle, banjo
• How does the sound compare to traditional bluegrass?
  • Not at all. Very popular vocals and playing style. Almost beach like
• How was the popularity of the song? How successful was it?
  • Very well received by younger crowd

Over the past few weeks we have been going over gender in bluegrass. Discussing the hardships that women had to go through in order to create their space in the genre. Surprisingly, most of the speed-bumps came from other women who did not think that a woman should travel and do shows, but instead stay at home and care for the children.

Clearly this is not the way Abigail Washburn sees her role in the family, and going back further, Hazel Dickens fought long and hard to gain her place. In a past movie documentary, “Its hard to tell the Singer from the Song.” This is actually were I would like to maintain the focus of the blog. This film was absolutely perfect as far as explaining the hardships that everyone faced when people had to leave the farm and go to work in the cities.

One scene that was particularly interesting was when Hazel explains how she wrote her song “Workin Girl Blues.” It was pretty awesome that she wrote it on the back of an inventory list while at work stocking shelves. She had a great work ethic and it really came through in her music. Ever since she was young she began understanding the importance of music and her voice as it moved many people and enhanced the voices of the people around her.

One of my favorite parts in the film was when she sung her song “Black Lung” and the way she put so much passion and soul into it. She wrote it to protest the mines after her brother passed away from getting black lung from working down in the earth. The way she was able to move people and cause so much of a stir was brilliant. If you have not had a chance to see the film, I highly recommend it. You will laugh, you will get sad, and you will be moved. She really showed me the importance of the voice and its place in helping begin progression in society.

Upon reading  “Bluegrass Today” by Neil Rosenberg I saw a few things that I found interesting. The first of which was the fact that it took until 1971 to have the first real book published about the genre when it had been around for so long. But I suppose that it would make some sense considering all of the ground that one would have to cover (all of Appalachia) to gather the facts and listen to the different styles. But the book was by James Rooney and it was in most parts a focus on Bill Monroe. This would be fine and all, but for Rooney, it must have not looked like an important question to ask Monroe, about his feelings on the newgrass movement or any of the newer bands coming out.

The only reason I bring this up is that even to this day, fans are divided on the issue of what they consider bluegrass. You have your loyal Monroe fans and you have others who have more progressive stances on the genre. This does not seem to have affected the spread of the genre because it has moved into all corners of the Earth. Abigail Washburn for instance has done serious work in spreading the sounds of bluegrass in China. There are also bands that are starting to take up popularity in New Zealand and in many parts of Europe.

To me, the problems that were not addressed back when the genre started or when people began putting it in history books, may have had a hand in making the genre what it is today. It may be a good thing, and I look forward to seeing its continued progress.