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Noteworthy recent Bluegrass musicians include the Earl Brothers, Colorado’s Open Road, and Cherryholmes. In addition, though she is often considered a country singer, Alison Krauss, a vocalist and fiddler, is also one of today’s most prominent Bluegrass musicians. A major contributor to the “O Brother, Where Art Thou?” soundtrack, she has won twenty Grammy awards, the most of any female artist in the history of the award.

Originating in the late thirties with Bill Monroe — considered the “father of Bluegrass music” — and his band the Blue Grass Boys, Bluegrass is a genre of music that relies mostly on acoustic, stringed instruments. Bluegrass musicians traditionally rely on the fiddle, banjo, acoustic guitar, mandolin, and upright bass. The resonator guitar, popularly known by the Dobro brand name, is also used. These were the instruments that the Blue Grass Boys relied on. Bluegrass’ influences include traditional English, Irish, Scottish, and African music. The blues and jazz also influenced Bluegrass music. Similar to jazz, Bluegrass is played with each melody instrument taking turns in playing improvisational solos while the other instruments provide backing.

First generation Bluegrass musicians include Bill Monroe and the Blue Grass Boys, Lester Flatt and Earl Scruggs with the Foggy Mountain Boys, Mac Martin and the Dixie Travellers, the Lonesome Pine Fiddlers, the Stanley Brothers, the Osborne Brothers, Reno and Smiley, Jim and Jesse, and Jimmy Martin. These were the musicians who played during the “Golden Age” of Bluegrass and dominated the genre throughout the mid-forties to the mid-sixties.

The second generation of Bluegrass, which came to prominence in the mid-sixties, owed a great deal to the original Bluegrass bands, as many of the new bands’ members played in them. Second generation Bluegrass bands include the Dillards, Tony Rice, Norman Blake, Sam Bush, John Hartford, Doyle Lawson and J.D. Crowe. Second generation bands like the Country Gentlemen, the New Grass Revival, Seldom Scene, and Del McCoury and the Dixie Pals influenced the growth of progressive Bluegrass. Vassar Clements, a first generation Bluegrass fiddler, David Grisman, a mandolin virtuoso, with (Grateful Dead front-man) Jerry Garcia on banjo and Peter Rowan as the lead vocalist collaborated on the album “Old and in the Way.” The group’s connection with Jerry Garcia helped to expose Bluegrass to fans of rock music.

In the mid-eighties there was a revival of traditional Bluegrass songs, however, they were played in a newer style. The increased availability of high-quality sound-equipment led to the independent recording of instruments. This developed into the “wall of sound” style, exemplified by IIIrd Tyme Out and the Lonesome River Band. In addition, the electric bass became an acceptable alternative to the acoustic bass. Along with these changes, nontraditional chord progression became more accepted.

Since the late nineties, popular country musicians have crossed-over and experimented with Bluegrass. These include Dolly Parton, Patty Loveless and Ricky Skaggs, who had crossed over to country from bluegrass in the mid-eighties, and then began playing Bluegrass with his band Kentucky Thunder.

The 2000 movie, “O Brother, Where Art Thou?”, its popular soundtrack and subsequent “Down the Mountain” tour have all helped to bring Bluegrass even further into the mainstream.

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|| Bluegrass Music || Blues Music || Bossa Nova Music || Classical Music ||
|| Dance Music || Fiddle Music || Funk Music || Gypsy Music || Irish / Celtic Music ||
|| Italian Music || Jazz Music || Jewish / Klezmer Music || Latin Music ||
|| Rock & Roll Music || Ska Music || Swing Music || Tango Music || Violin Music ||

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