Bluegrass is one of America’s best-kept secrets, and before we discuss this week’s album (Bluegrass Instrumentals by Bill Monroe) I would like to begin by speaking about the history and nature of this unique genre. Bluegrass is a musical style that is quintessentially simple, but which proves to be a ripe pasture for virtuosic flourishing, and despite its simplicity, is not to be taken lightly. At its core, it is a remaking of old-time string music, combined with a little blues and gospel, and played at lightning-fast speeds. Although it could be confused with its first cousin, country music, to the untrained ear, it is most certainly its own genre, replete with a distinct repertoire, musical lexicon, and unique instrumentation.
Bluegrass, as opposed to country, is a totally acoustic music, although many reformers and revolutionaries within the genre experimented with electrification (as well as drums), some with great success. But originally, and at its center, bluegrass is acoustic. It is also a music which is (almost) always comprised of stringed instruments: guitar, mandolin, upright bass, banjo, and fiddle. This unique symphonic combination was first codified by Bill Monroe and his Bluegrass Boys (hence the origin of the genre’s name), and has been passed down in the tradition as a hallmark of bluegrass orchestration. However, even in the most traditional bluegrass outfits, the presence of the dobro has now become a staple within the genre as well.
The last essential element of bluegrass is its unique approach to vocals. Stacked harmonies consisting of close tonal ranges create an other-worldly sound, which has come to be known as that ‘high, lonesome sound’. This characteristic approach to vocals likely hailed from the hymn-singing of the American Protestant tradition. And although the album under review is instrumental, one should not have any difficulty finding an example of bluegrass harmonies among the thousands of recordings available.
This week’s LP is a recording by Bill Monroe and His Bluegrass Boys, entitled Bluegrass Instrumentals. Released in 1965 (although it is a compilation album ranging from the 50s through the 60s), Monroe was already a couple decades into his recording career. However, unlike some fading rockstar, the years did not wear on Bill Monroe, who, along with his music, seemed to age like wine. Furthermore, with a constantly evolving line-up always featuring the best up-and-coming pickers, the band, quite literally, never aged a day.
One unique feature of this album was Monroe’s decision to double-up on the fiddle, moving from his normal bluegrass quintet to the fuller sound of a high-and-lonesome sextet. This was a musical modernization reflective of his 1950s period. And the results are phenomenal. Right out of the gate, from the album’s first track (“Stoney Lonesome”) the double fiddles come out swinging with a screaming melody atop a bedrock of driving bluegrass rhythm, creating a cascade of sound that is more akin to a classical orchestra than a small, folk music ensemble. “Tall Timber”, the album’s third cut, keeps the driving pace moving forward, and reaches a tempo so fast that I can’t believe that no one broke their strings.
“Big Mon” is a fiddle tune, and the first track on the album’s B side (or the fifth track), and the melody played on the fiddle has a swirling effect, as if it were constantly turning around upon itself. The last notable track on the album is the cut titled “Scotland”. Once you hear the tune, it is clear that the title is quite literal: the fiddles are meant to mimic the sound of bagpipes, and they do so quite adeptly. This is a reminder to the listener that bluegrass not only hails from American soil, but also has international influences (via Appalachian immigrants) that reach back to Scotland and Ireland. In fact, many of the genres ‘fiddle tunes’ can trace their genealogy back to the old countries. But “Scotland” not only conjures up memories of bagpipes and kilts; if you listen closely, you can hear the sound of an old streamliner blaring through the Appalachian countryside, giving this Scottish tune an American element. Maybe the sounds were reminiscent of Monroe’s days as a young boy, watching the trains in awe as the industrial revolution made its way into the mountain country. And even if my thesis about trains appearing in a Scottish song are off the mark, the track is still hot as a flapjack fresh off the gridle.
Although I have only briefly glossed over the album’s highlights, the whole thing smokes, and I believe it would be a fine introduction to this wonderful genre if one had never heard much of it before. And if it turns out that that high-and-lonesome sound is your bag, you can thank me for introducing you to its grand patriarch, Bill Monroe.
Genre: Bluegrass
Artist: Bill Monroe and His Bluegrass Boys
Further Listening: The Bluegrass Album Band The Bluegrass Album Vol 6: Bluegrass Instrumentals