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GRASS ANYONE?

I mean Blue Grass,as in music.
I have expanded my musical tastes a bit into "pop country" Its "ok" but I would rather concentrate on some awesome Blue Grass music.
Any suggestions for some great music??
HEE HAH!!
david99
rockadanny
1,037 posts
 
The Del McCoury Band is responsible for the best lunch "hour" I've ever taken. Years ago I traveled to a customer's site in Philadelphia to train them to use our software. Walking around downtown one evening I ended up in a record store (Tower?) and noticed The Del McCoury band was performing there live in the store for free the next afternoon. Since I was in charge of the class I scheduled lunch the next day from noon to 2:00 pm (or something like that), telling the class I had a conference call to attend. They were happy to get a two hour lunch so did not object. Next day just prior to noon I ran out the building, bought an apple on my way to the store, and ate it while Del and his band performed some terrific music in the store. To this day it was by far my most memorable lunch hour ever.
bdp24's avatar
bdp24
4,908 posts
 
In my Top 10 All-Time Best Shows is Steve Earle and The Del McCoury Band at The House Of Blues in Hollywood in the 90's. Steve on vocals (of course) and acoustic guitar, Del and his boys on harmony vocals, guitar, mandolin, stand-up bass, fiddle, and banjo, all acoustic and unamplified. The six men were arranged in a semi-circle around a single large-diaphragm mic, whoever was performing the "lead" part a step closer to the mic than the others. While singing song verses that would be Steve, who when the verse concluded would step back in line with the others. When the fiddle player took a solo he would take a step towards the mic, stepping back in line when it was over. Fantastic music, fantastic sound!
rockadanny
1,037 posts
 
Finally pulled the trigger on the CD "The Hillmen" recorded in the early 60s. Terrific bluegrass (and folkgrass too), California style (Chris Hillman on mandolin).
tostadosunidos's avatar
tostadosunidos
1,096 posts
 
I like Muleskinner:  Peter Rowan, Clarence White, David Grisman, Richard Greene, Bill Keith--hippiegrass never sounded better than this.  I also like the trio of John Hartford, Tony Rice and Vassar Clements.
bdp24's avatar
bdp24
4,908 posts
 

Love Muleskinner tostado! Rockadanny, Chris Hillman’s solo albums on Sugar Hill are fantastic too, as is his Country group with Herb Pedersen and John Jorgenson, The Desert Rose Band.

Here’s a warning, of a sort: There are two main strains of Bluegrass, Traditional and Progressive. Traditional is "song-based"---singers accompanied by instrumentalists. Progressive Bluegrass is akin to Progressive Rock, mostly instrumental music featuring a lot of soloing. There is a Progressive Bluegrass band named Psychograss, whose "A-list" members include a bass player who was in the same Pop Group (!) as I in ’71, Todd Phillips. I was just joining the group as he was leaving, going up to Marin County to study mandolin with David Grisman. Dave told him there was a shortage of Bluegrass bass players, that he should learn to play stand-up (acoustic) bass. Todd took his advice, and carved out a nice little career for himself. He’s was touring with Joan Baez last I heard. I got myself a Psychograss album, and hated it! Traditional Bluegrass si, Progressive no, for me at least.

Anyway, the point is that not all Bluegrass is the same, anymore than The Beatles are the same as, say, King Crimson. I just went and saw Jerry Douglas, master Dobro player (Alison Krauss, Nashville 1st call recording), whose playing as an accompanist I love to death. Wouldn’t ya know it, solo (with a 4-piece band) he plays Progressive Bluegrass!

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