A Short History Of Bluegrass Music

For the past century, America's vast mix of people from all ethnic & religious backgrounds has provided the perfect ingredients for the evolution of such musical genres as Blues, Bluegrass (love the Earl Scruggs Banjo), Country, Jazz & Rock n' Roll. This Grass Series continues the tradition of blending different artists & styles of music drawn from the past few decades, full circle back to elements of their own essential roots.

Of all musical genres, there is no other that evokes the traditional heart & soul of North The united states over Bluegrass. It embodies a diversity of folk music & instrumentation from around the world yet is distinctively American. While the Blues was evolving in the American South, Bluegrass was developing in remote regions of Appalachia, & for centuries, this "mountain music" evolved from indigenous musical traditions ranging in style from the spiritual to the comical. Remarkably, it wasn't until the mid 20th century that mountain music was consolidated, refined & labeled as Bluegrass by way of a timely convergence of musical personalities & new technologies. These new technologies were the phonograph & radio, which, for the first time, brought rural music to people all over The united states.

Around the same time, Bill Monroe & the Bluegrass boys hit the scene appearing on the Grand Ole Opry in 1939 &, by way of these 'new technologies' as well as a active touring schedule came to be widely known as two of the most popular bands out of Nashville. As Bill was from Kentucky, the name, Bluegrass, came from his state motto; "The Bluegrass State". Bill Monroe's sound was matchless at the time because of its hard driving & powerful traditional acoustic instruments (such as the Gibson Mastertone banjo) & its matchless vocal harmonies. After experimenting with different instrumental combination, he settled on the mandolin, banjo, fiddle, guitar & bass for his band. When Earl Scruggs with his banjo, who is a banjo player from North Carolina joined the band in 1946 with his distinct 3-finger picking style, it further energized the public & helped define the Bluegrass genre.

When Earl Scruggs with his banjo & the guitar player, Lester Flatt left the group to form their own band called; The Foggy Mountain Boys, they decided to add a dobro (resophonic guitar) which done the definitive line-up of instruments which embodies Bluegrass music today. By the 1950's Bluegrass bands were wildly popular & Bill Monroe became known & acknowledged as the "Father of Bluegrass Music". Today Bluegrass music is heard around the world.