A Short History Of Bluegrass and Old Time Music

Scottish Charity No. SC034759

What is Bluegrass and Old Time music? Bluegrass is a musical style named after and developed around 1939 by Bill Monroe and his band, The Bluegrass Boys. He is acknowledged as the person who introduced Bluegrass to the world through the very influential and powerful radio station WSM from the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville. The station was known as the Grand Ole Opry. Bluegrass music was developed in 1945 when Earl Scruggs joined the band and brought the three finger banjo style to the forefront. Before these events, it has to be acknowledged that early string bands such as the Morris Brothers had been playing the same instrumental combination featured by The Bluegrass Boys. The faster tempos combined with Earl's syncopated banjo rolls and breaks gave the radio listeners and eventually the whole world a new exciting and hard driving sound.

The graduates from Bill's band and his string band imitators and competitors from the old South and Appalachia, contributed significantly to the further development of the genre. As a result Bluegrass music is an original American music formed from a number of varied influences including the early Old Time ballads, fiddle tunes and string band music with its proven roots to the homeland musical heritage of the immigrants who pioneered America.

Also contained in this varied  mix is the significant influence of the Carter family from Poor Valley Virginia, whose recordings, radio broadcasting and song collection from both ballads and from original material, provided a depth and range of wonderful source material for the early string bands and Bluegrass musicians. The music from Monroe's own writing and from the Carter family song collection conjures up vivid images of old Kentucky and the Appalachian Blue Ridge mountains; of foggy mountain tops, stories of murder and revenge and a whole variety of topics from love songs to train songs.

A significant influence was Bill Monroe’s own Scottish ancestry and Celtic musical inheritance as well as the influence of black blues and minstrelry. The music was described by Bill Monroe, the "father" of Bluegrass Music, as the old southern sound – a fusion, representation and development of the folk music brought to the new world by settlers to the southern mountains. Many of the settlers were Scottish or Scots-Irish, including Bill Monroe’s own ancestors, thus the connection to Scotland is a fundamental part of the heritage.

The addition of Earl Scruggs’s ragtime influenced driving three finger ‘North Carolina’ banjo style led to ethnomusicologists describing the genre as ‘folk music in overdrive’. The essential ingredients of Bluegrass are recognised as high lonesome singing often with two, three and four part harmonies. Accompaniment is provided by fiddle, mandolin and banjo with all instruments taking turns at breaks and kick-offs to songs. A key feature of the genre is the instrumental ‘Breakdowns’ backed by double bass and guitar. Gospel music was added to the mix, often unaccompanied of 'Acapella'.  The song content, usually 4/4 but occasionally 3/4, varies widely in subject from old time ballads, love songs, travel and train songs with a particular emphasis on songs of the old home and songs lamenting social change.

A significant portion of the content we hear in Bluegrass music is original Bill Monroe material. Bill has influences many of his understudies in the writing of new material. The collection is being added to year by year by new writers. However, much of it is still  rooted in the traditional ballad medium and Celtic fiddle influence of the settlers and their early string band music.

As the genre developed a whole first generation of Bluegrass bands and musicians contributed to the growth of the music. These include all the greats of Traditional Bluegrass many of them being one time members of Bill Monroe's band - Lester Flatt,and Earl Scruggs, Jimmy Martin, The Osborne Brothers. Following on from this many bands formed including the highly influential Stanley Brothers, Reno and Smiley , Jim and Jesse and a whole host of highly talented imitators, understudies, and emerging stars, too many to mention in this précis. Many of these first generation Bluegrass stars are receiving attention, having their early recordings re-issued in collections, compilations. and cover versions.

Dobro slide guitar has been accepted into the genre along with flat-picking on the acoustic guitar. Pop songs have been borrowed out of and into the Bluegrass style along with swing and jazz numbers. Every once in a while the film industry and television courts and features Bluegrass music. This has increased the music's acceptance and popularity.

Whilst there is debate surrounding exact definitions and precise origins of this music - all are agreed that the early first generation pioneers of this music created a mastery and magic that is captivating and addictive, appealing to strong sentiments and feelings. The Scottish and Celtic connections to this American music are vibrant and undeniable.

The Scottish Bluegrass Association welcomes Bluegrass and Old Time music back home with reverence, excitement and total enthusiasm.  Talented second and third generation players from around the world are creatively extending the boundaries of this great music and its influence is spreading into films, media and other cultures as far apart as Japan and Brazil. Bluegrass and Old Time music has been on a long journey and by its return to Scotland it has made its 'Long Journey Home'.

The wind is blowing’ cross the mountains

And down o’er the valley way below

It sweeps the grave of my darling

When I die that’s where I want to go

“The Walls Of Time” William Smith Monroe, 1911-1996

The Long Journey Home

In the late sixties Bill Clifton from the USA was a significant figure in bringing Bluegrass to Scotland and as a singer-song  writer and talented Bluegrass performer he brought Bluegrass to the Scottish folk music clubs. Bill Clifton, John Atkins and Mike Craig were instrumental in organising Bill Monroe and his Bluegrass Boys to play a concert at Uddingston near Glasgow in 1975. This concert was reviewed by John Atkins in the BMG ( Banjo, Mandolin, and Guitar) magazine. Recently  a copy  of the magazine has been donated to the SBA and pictures of the concert taken by SBA treasurer Alex Dunn at concert in 1975 have been archived. John Atkins has given his permission to the article being reprinted on this web site and it will be included here in the near future with Alex Dunn's recollections.

Throughout the eighties, well known Scottish Bluegrass activists, Dave Logan at Penicuik near Edinburgh, and talented musicians, Rob, Ian and Alan Mairs in Glasgow, ran a highly successful and influential series of Bluegrass concerts featuring top bands from the USA. These groundbreaking, seminal concerts were supported by our own home grown Scottish bands – Old Hickory, Runaway String Band, Okefenokee and Suburban Edge. These seeds sprouted and put down the roots of today’s growing Scottish Bluegrass scene.

Mike Craig and a variety of other pioneers had in the seventies organised and promoted Bluegrass in Scotland including the now legendary visit of Bill Monroe and the Bluegrass Boys. Bill Keith & Jim Rooney also visited and performed at a variety of gigs.  Mike, with his Aberdeen based mail order record service  has kept us building our Bluegrass record collections over the years and both he and Dave encouraged and supported John Sheldon in founding the Guildtown Bluegrass Festival. The first Guildtown festival succeeded in 1987 because of the mailing lists, which Dave and Mike supplied for the event. The festival has attracted international visitors and has enjoyed fullest support from Scottish Bands. The Guildtown Festival and the Scottish Bluegrass concert scene has continued to thrive due to the solid support from fans. Bluegrass music is now being played in venues all over Scotland by our talented Scottish bands and by European and American visitors.

Our commitment to, and love of Bluegrass and Old Time  music is a deep resonance to ancient tones that were carried from the Celtic fringes of the old world to the homesteads and deep hollows of the new. The Scottish Bluegrass Association consists of small but loyal and expanding community of over 250, turning out to support gigs and events in Scotland. The SBA organisers are developing and publicising Bluegrass music through a range concerts, festivals, master classes. schools presentations and promotions.

Further reading:

Check out Joe Ross' Bluegrass Unlimited article "Scotland: A bonny place for Bluegrass".

These books and many others are available from www.musicbooksrus.com