Bluegrass Music -- John Duffey
John Duffey may be a name that some bluegrass music fans don't recognize. Duffey was a Washington, DC based bluegrass music innovator. John Duffey founded two very influential bluegrass bands. The Country Gentleman and The Seldom Scene. Duffey was the son of a singer at the Metropolitan Opera. He possessed the ability of shifting his singing voice from a tenor to falsetto unnoticeably. His voice coupled with the baritone of The Country Gentlemen's Charlie Waller created a sound like no other in bluegrass music. Duffey was inducted into the International Bluegrass Music Hall of Honor in 1996.
Bluegrass Music - The Osborne Brothers
Nobody can talk about BLUEGRASS music without mentioning the Osborne Brothers. They were a very popular act in the 1960's and 1970's. They were best known for their 1968 song, "Rocky Top", named after a mountain in Tennessee and written by Felice and Boudleaux Bryant.
Although the Osborne Brothers were born in Hyden, Kentucky, they spent their childhood near Dayton, Ohio where they first began experiencing entertainment. Sonny Osborne went to work for Bill Monroe after Bobby was drafted into the military in 1952. When Bobby Osborne returned from service in 1953, they brothers teamed up with Jimmy Martin and performed at radio stations WJR in Detroit, Michigan and WROL in Knoxville, Tennesee. In their only recording session together with Jimmy Martin, they recorded six songs for RCA Victor. This occurred on Nov. 16, 1954. In late 1955, the Osbornes left Jimmy Martin and performed with Charlie Baily until Christmas of the same year. They returned to Dayton in 1956 and played with guitarist Enos Johnson. Johnson left and then the Osbornes hired fiddler Art Stamper and guitarist Red Allen to form their new group, the Osborne Brothers and Red Allen.
This newly formed group recorded for Gateway Records in February and March of 1956. In the spring of '56, Tommy Sutton, a local disc jockey helped the Osborne Brothers get a contract with MGM. The new group consisted of Red Allen on guitar, Tommy Jackson and Art Stamper on fiddles, and Ernie Newton on bass. Their first released single for MGM was "Ruby Are You Mad", marked the first time that twin banjos were used on a bluegrass music recording. Red Allen left the group in the spring of 1958.
The Osborne Brothers became known in bluegrass music with their tight vocal harmonies and virtuostic instrumentation. Their "high lead' vocals became their signature sound and during the '60's, they started a controversy among the bluegrass music purists for using electronic and percussion instruments in their music.
In 1960, the Osborne Brothers became the first bluegrass music group to perform at a college campus when they performed at Antioch College. In 1963, they switched to Decca Records and their hit "Rocky Top" sold 85,000 copies within two weeks. On August 8, 1964, they were inducted as members of the Grand Ole Opry and in 1973, became the first bluegrass music band to perform at the White House.
Although the Osborne Brothers were born in Hyden, Kentucky, they spent their childhood near Dayton, Ohio where they first began experiencing entertainment. Sonny Osborne went to work for Bill Monroe after Bobby was drafted into the military in 1952. When Bobby Osborne returned from service in 1953, they brothers teamed up with Jimmy Martin and performed at radio stations WJR in Detroit, Michigan and WROL in Knoxville, Tennesee. In their only recording session together with Jimmy Martin, they recorded six songs for RCA Victor. This occurred on Nov. 16, 1954. In late 1955, the Osbornes left Jimmy Martin and performed with Charlie Baily until Christmas of the same year. They returned to Dayton in 1956 and played with guitarist Enos Johnson. Johnson left and then the Osbornes hired fiddler Art Stamper and guitarist Red Allen to form their new group, the Osborne Brothers and Red Allen.
This newly formed group recorded for Gateway Records in February and March of 1956. In the spring of '56, Tommy Sutton, a local disc jockey helped the Osborne Brothers get a contract with MGM. The new group consisted of Red Allen on guitar, Tommy Jackson and Art Stamper on fiddles, and Ernie Newton on bass. Their first released single for MGM was "Ruby Are You Mad", marked the first time that twin banjos were used on a bluegrass music recording. Red Allen left the group in the spring of 1958.
The Osborne Brothers became known in bluegrass music with their tight vocal harmonies and virtuostic instrumentation. Their "high lead' vocals became their signature sound and during the '60's, they started a controversy among the bluegrass music purists for using electronic and percussion instruments in their music.
In 1960, the Osborne Brothers became the first bluegrass music group to perform at a college campus when they performed at Antioch College. In 1963, they switched to Decca Records and their hit "Rocky Top" sold 85,000 copies within two weeks. On August 8, 1964, they were inducted as members of the Grand Ole Opry and in 1973, became the first bluegrass music band to perform at the White House.
Bluegrass Music - Mac Wiseman
Mac Wiseman was sometimes known as the Voice with a Heart. This bearded, Virginia born bluegrass singer is a major legend in the bluegrass music ranks. He began his musical career and a guitarist for the country singer Molly O'Day. After Flatt and Scruggs left the Bluegrass Boys, he became a guitarist for the Foggy Mountain Boys and later played with Bill Monroe & The Bluegrass Boys. He later became popular as a solo artist after a performance at the Louisiana Hayride.
During the folk revival in the 1960s, Mac Wiseman had successful concerts at the Carnegie Hall and Hollywood Bowl.
He joined producers Randall Franks and Alan Autry for the In the Heat of the Night (TV Series) cast CD “Christmas Time’s A Comin’” performing "Christmas Time's A Comin'" with the cast on the CD released on Sonlite and MGM/UA for one of the most popular Christmas releases of 1991 and 1992 with Southern retailers.
In 1993 he was inducted into the International Bluegrass Music Hall of Honor. His substantial girth and light tenor voice gave rise to the quip that "Mac Wiseman sings like Gene Vincent looks, and looks like Ernest Tubb sings."
During the folk revival in the 1960s, Mac Wiseman had successful concerts at the Carnegie Hall and Hollywood Bowl.
He joined producers Randall Franks and Alan Autry for the In the Heat of the Night (TV Series) cast CD “Christmas Time’s A Comin’” performing "Christmas Time's A Comin'" with the cast on the CD released on Sonlite and MGM/UA for one of the most popular Christmas releases of 1991 and 1992 with Southern retailers.
In 1993 he was inducted into the International Bluegrass Music Hall of Honor. His substantial girth and light tenor voice gave rise to the quip that "Mac Wiseman sings like Gene Vincent looks, and looks like Ernest Tubb sings."
The King of Bluegrass Music
In 1949, a man by the name of Jimmy Martin knew of Mac Wiseman's departure from Bill Monroe & The Bluegrass Boys. Martin, also known as the "King of Bluegrass", sneaked backstage at the Grand Ole Opry and began picking his guitar. He was overheard by banjo player Rudy Lyle who brought Martin foward and introduced him to Bill Monroe. Martin proceeded to sing two songs with the Bluegrass Boys and was hiared on the spot as guitarist and lead vocalist.
When Jimmy Martin and Bill Monroe's voices met, it became known as the "High Lonesome Sound". But Martin's high-strung personality inevitably clashed with Bill Monroe's stubborn temperament. He left the Bluegrass Boys and went to work for the Osborne Brothers until he formed his own band, "The Sunny Mountain Boys", in 1955. The lineup in his band consisted of the likes of J.D. Crowe and "Big" Paul Williams. The Sunny Mountain Boys became known as "Good 'n Country" among the bluegrass crowd with their simple harmonies, catchy melodies and strong rythm guitar playing by Jimmy Martin. Martin had credited himself with developing the "G" Run, and widely used guitar lick in bluegrass music. However, other evidence clearly showed Lester Flatt doing this run on his guitar when he performed with the Bluegrass Boys years earlier.
Martin was famous as a dangerously unpredictable but highly entertaining stage presence. He freely acknowledged his problems with drinking and volatile mood swings, which kept him from realizing his life-long dream of joining the Grand Ole Opry.
When Jimmy Martin and Bill Monroe's voices met, it became known as the "High Lonesome Sound". But Martin's high-strung personality inevitably clashed with Bill Monroe's stubborn temperament. He left the Bluegrass Boys and went to work for the Osborne Brothers until he formed his own band, "The Sunny Mountain Boys", in 1955. The lineup in his band consisted of the likes of J.D. Crowe and "Big" Paul Williams. The Sunny Mountain Boys became known as "Good 'n Country" among the bluegrass crowd with their simple harmonies, catchy melodies and strong rythm guitar playing by Jimmy Martin. Martin had credited himself with developing the "G" Run, and widely used guitar lick in bluegrass music. However, other evidence clearly showed Lester Flatt doing this run on his guitar when he performed with the Bluegrass Boys years earlier.
Martin was famous as a dangerously unpredictable but highly entertaining stage presence. He freely acknowledged his problems with drinking and volatile mood swings, which kept him from realizing his life-long dream of joining the Grand Ole Opry.
Bluegrass Music -- The Foggy Mountain Boys
One of the most influential bands in the history of bluegrass music would have to be Lester Flatt, Earl Scruggs and the Foggy Mountain Boys. Both Flatt and Scruggs had previously played for Bill Monroe before deciding to start their own band, The Foggy Mountain Boys. The Foggy Mountain boys were influential through the 1940's, 1950's, and 1960's. With Scruggs on banjo along with Flatt on rythmn guitar and vocals gave the Foggy Mountain Boys a very distinctive sound that won them many fans. They even became members of the Grand Ole Opry in 1955. Combining the solid vocals of Lester Flatt, the unique sound of Earl Scruggs on banjo and the many other extraordinary musicians, it's hard to argue the fact that the Foggy Mountain Boys was a band that helped bring bluegrass music to international prominence.
The Foggy Mountain Boys was well remembered for their Martha White segment at the Grand Ole Opry along with their exposure on TV. The sitcom, "The Beverly Hillbillies", helped Flatt & Scruggs become famous with their playing of "The Ballad of Jed Clampett" which was the first bluegrass song to hit #1 in the Country Music Charts. In 1967, the use of the "Foggy Mountain Breakdown" in the movie Bonnie and Clyde furthered their exposure and gained them many new fans. This would make the "Foggy Mountain Breakdown" the best known of all bluegrass music instrumentals.
The Foggy Mountain Boys was well remembered for their Martha White segment at the Grand Ole Opry along with their exposure on TV. The sitcom, "The Beverly Hillbillies", helped Flatt & Scruggs become famous with their playing of "The Ballad of Jed Clampett" which was the first bluegrass song to hit #1 in the Country Music Charts. In 1967, the use of the "Foggy Mountain Breakdown" in the movie Bonnie and Clyde furthered their exposure and gained them many new fans. This would make the "Foggy Mountain Breakdown" the best known of all bluegrass music instrumentals.
Bill Monroe & The "Original Bluegrass Band"
A big development occurred in Bill Monroe's
Blue Grass Boys band in 1945 with the addition of Earl Scruggs to play banjo. Scruggs played the banjo with a distinctive three-finger picking style that caused an immediate sensation among Opry audiences. At this time, the band also featuerd singer/guitarist Lester Flatt, Chubby Wise on fiddle, and Howard Watts on bass. Watts was also known as "Cedric Rainwater".
These characterized all the elements of bluegrass music today with the breakneck tempos, vocal harmony arrangements that were sophisticated, and impressived instrument proficiency demonstrated in "breaks" or solos on the banjo, fiddle, and mandolin. At this time in his career, Bill Monroehad purchased the 1923 Gibson F5 "Lloyd Loar" mandolin that became his trademark instrument.
The 28 songs that the original bluegrass band recorded became classics. Some of them were: Blue Grass Breakdown, Toy Heart, Little Cabin Home on the Hill, and Monroe's most famous: Blue Moon of Kentucky. Several gospel songs were credited to the "Blue Grass Quartet" which featured four-part vocal arrangements accompanied by mandolin and guitar.
Both Lester Flatt and Earl Scruggs left the band in 1948 to form their own group, the Foggy Mountain Boys, and Monroe regrouped with Rudy Lyle on banjo and Jimmy Martin on guitar. This group is what most consider to be the "high lonesome" version of the Blue Grass Boys. Other great fiddlers of this era were "Red" Taylor, Vassar Clements, and Bobby Hicks.
Bill Monroe
Blue Grass Boys band in 1945 with the addition of Earl Scruggs to play banjo. Scruggs played the banjo with a distinctive three-finger picking style that caused an immediate sensation among Opry audiences. At this time, the band also featuerd singer/guitarist Lester Flatt, Chubby Wise on fiddle, and Howard Watts on bass. Watts was also known as "Cedric Rainwater". These characterized all the elements of bluegrass music today with the breakneck tempos, vocal harmony arrangements that were sophisticated, and impressived instrument proficiency demonstrated in "breaks" or solos on the banjo, fiddle, and mandolin. At this time in his career, Bill Monroe
had purchased the 1923 Gibson F5 "Lloyd Loar" mandolin that became his trademark instrument.The 28 songs that the original bluegrass band recorded became classics. Some of them were: Blue Grass Breakdown, Toy Heart, Little Cabin Home on the Hill, and Monroe's most famous: Blue Moon of Kentucky. Several gospel songs were credited to the "Blue Grass Quartet" which featured four-part vocal arrangements accompanied by mandolin and guitar.
Both Lester Flatt and Earl Scruggs left the band in 1948 to form their own group, the Foggy Mountain Boys, and Monroe regrouped with Rudy Lyle on banjo and Jimmy Martin on guitar. This group is what most consider to be the "high lonesome" version of the Blue Grass Boys. Other great fiddlers of this era were "Red" Taylor, Vassar Clements, and Bobby Hicks.
Bill Monroe
The Early Life of Bill Monroe
William Smith “Bill” Monroe was born on September 13, 1911, near Rosine, Kentucky on his family’s farm. He was the youngest of eight children born to James Buchanan “Buck” Monroe and Malissa Vandiver Monroe. Malissa and her brother, Pendleton “Pen” Vandiver were both musically inclined, so therefore, Bill Monroe grew up playing music at home. His older brothers Charlie and Birch played the guitar and fiddle so that left Monroe to play the smaller and less desirable mandolin.
Monroe’s mother died when he was only ten years old and his father passed six years later. Because his siblings had moved out of Rosine, Bill Monroe lived for two years with his uncle Pen Vandiver. He would often accompany his uncle to the local dances where Pen would play fiddle. This experience would later inspire Monroe to write one of his most famous compositions, “Uncle Pen”. Vandiver has been credited for giving Monroe “a repertoire of tunes that sank into Bill’s aurally trained memory and a sense of rhythm that seeped into his bones.”
In 1929, Monroe moved to Indiana to work in an oil refinery with his two brothers. The three of them, along with a friend Larry Moore, formed a musical group, the Monroe Brothers. Birch and Larry soon left the group so Bill and Charlie carried on as a duo. They eventually won spots playing live on radio stations in Indiana and later in Iowa, Nebraska, North and South Carolina from 1934 to 1936. RCA Victor signed the Monroe Brothers to a recording contract in 1936. They would score an immediate hit single with the gospel song “What Would You Give In Exchange For Your Soul?” and recorded 60 more tracks from 1936 to 1938.
When the Monroe Brothers disbanded in 1938, Bill formed The Kentuckians in Little Rock, Arkansas, but the group lasted just three months. Bill Monroe left Little Rock and headed for Atlanta, Georgia to form his first edition of the Blue Grass Boys with bassist Amos Green, singer/guitarist Cleo Davis, and fiddler Art Wooten. In 1939, he successfully auditioned for a regular spot on the Grand Ole Opry with a performance of Jimmie Rodgers’ Mule Skinner Blues. Monroe recorded that song along with seven others at his first recording session for RCA Victor in 1940. By this time, the Blue Grass Boys consisted of bassist Bill Wesbrooks, fiddler Tommy Magness, and singer/guitarist Clyde Moody.
At this point, Bill Monroe was still experimenting with the sound of his band. He seldom sang lead vocals and usually only sang high tenor harmonies as he had with the Monroe Brothers. In 1945, a recording session featured an accordion which was soon dropped. More important was that in 1942, Bill Monroe added David Akeman a.k.a. “Stringbean” to the Blue Grass Boys. “Stringbean” would play the banjo in mainly a primitive style and was rarely featured on instrumental solos.
Bill Monroe’s pre-1946 recordings represent the transitional phase between the string-band tradition and the innovation that would follow.
Monroe’s mother died when he was only ten years old and his father passed six years later. Because his siblings had moved out of Rosine, Bill Monroe lived for two years with his uncle Pen Vandiver. He would often accompany his uncle to the local dances where Pen would play fiddle. This experience would later inspire Monroe to write one of his most famous compositions, “Uncle Pen”. Vandiver has been credited for giving Monroe “a repertoire of tunes that sank into Bill’s aurally trained memory and a sense of rhythm that seeped into his bones.”
In 1929, Monroe moved to Indiana to work in an oil refinery with his two brothers. The three of them, along with a friend Larry Moore, formed a musical group, the Monroe Brothers. Birch and Larry soon left the group so Bill and Charlie carried on as a duo. They eventually won spots playing live on radio stations in Indiana and later in Iowa, Nebraska, North and South Carolina from 1934 to 1936. RCA Victor signed the Monroe Brothers to a recording contract in 1936. They would score an immediate hit single with the gospel song “What Would You Give In Exchange For Your Soul?” and recorded 60 more tracks from 1936 to 1938.
When the Monroe Brothers disbanded in 1938, Bill formed The Kentuckians in Little Rock, Arkansas, but the group lasted just three months. Bill Monroe left Little Rock and headed for Atlanta, Georgia to form his first edition of the Blue Grass Boys with bassist Amos Green, singer/guitarist Cleo Davis, and fiddler Art Wooten. In 1939, he successfully auditioned for a regular spot on the Grand Ole Opry with a performance of Jimmie Rodgers’ Mule Skinner Blues. Monroe recorded that song along with seven others at his first recording session for RCA Victor in 1940. By this time, the Blue Grass Boys consisted of bassist Bill Wesbrooks, fiddler Tommy Magness, and singer/guitarist Clyde Moody.
At this point, Bill Monroe was still experimenting with the sound of his band. He seldom sang lead vocals and usually only sang high tenor harmonies as he had with the Monroe Brothers. In 1945, a recording session featured an accordion which was soon dropped. More important was that in 1942, Bill Monroe added David Akeman a.k.a. “Stringbean” to the Blue Grass Boys. “Stringbean” would play the banjo in mainly a primitive style and was rarely featured on instrumental solos.
Bill Monroe’s pre-1946 recordings represent the transitional phase between the string-band tradition and the innovation that would follow.
Bluegrass Music
Bluegrass music is a type of American roots music which is a sub-genre of country music. It also has its own roots in English, Scottish and Irish music. Bluegrass was inspired by the music of immigrants from the United Kingdom, as well as in Ireland; specifically among the Scots-Irish immigrants in Appalachia. It even links itself to jazz and blues. With bluegrass music, each instrument takes a turn playing the melody and improvising around it while the other instruments play accompaniment. The basic musical instruments used in bluegrass are the acoustic guitar, banjo, fiddle, mandolin, and the upright bass; also referred to as the "Dog House" bass.
Two things that make bluegrass music unique is that it relies mostly on acoustic instruments and a vocal harmony which may feature two, three, or four parts; which in turn, features a dissonant or modal sound in the highest voice. This style has been characterized as the "High Lonesome Sound". Many of the folks that grew up playing bluegrass music did so without electricity, hence the acoustic instruments. Many conservative country music people still frown upon the use of electrical instruments in bluegrass.
The term "BLUEGRASS" came from the "Father of Bluegrass" Bill Monroe and his "Blue Grass Boys". Monroe named his band in honor of his home state of Kentucky. No one person can be said to have 'invented' bluegrass music because it is a combination of country, old-time, jazz and ragtime. Bill Monroe formed his band, the Blue Grass Boys, in 1939; but it wasn't until 1945, when banjo great Earl Scruggs and his three-finger style playing joined, that bluegrass began to develop.
From 1946 to 1948, Bill Monroe's band featured, along with Scruggs on banjo, Lester Flatt on guitar, Chubby Wise on fiddle, and "Cedric Rainwater" (Howard Watts) on bass; while Monroe played mandolin. This group has been considered the "original bluegrass band" which created the instrumental configuration and definitive sound that remains a model for bluegrass music to this day.
Two things that make bluegrass music unique is that it relies mostly on acoustic instruments and a vocal harmony which may feature two, three, or four parts; which in turn, features a dissonant or modal sound in the highest voice. This style has been characterized as the "High Lonesome Sound". Many of the folks that grew up playing bluegrass music did so without electricity, hence the acoustic instruments. Many conservative country music people still frown upon the use of electrical instruments in bluegrass.
The term "BLUEGRASS" came from the "Father of Bluegrass" Bill Monroe and his "Blue Grass Boys". Monroe named his band in honor of his home state of Kentucky. No one person can be said to have 'invented' bluegrass music because it is a combination of country, old-time, jazz and ragtime. Bill Monroe formed his band, the Blue Grass Boys, in 1939; but it wasn't until 1945, when banjo great Earl Scruggs and his three-finger style playing joined, that bluegrass began to develop.
From 1946 to 1948, Bill Monroe's band featured, along with Scruggs on banjo, Lester Flatt on guitar, Chubby Wise on fiddle, and "Cedric Rainwater" (Howard Watts) on bass; while Monroe played mandolin. This group has been considered the "original bluegrass band" which created the instrumental configuration and definitive sound that remains a model for bluegrass music to this day.
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