# General Mandolin Topics > Mandolin Cafe News Discussions >  Article: A Brief History of Evening Prayer Blues

## Mandolin Cafe

You can view the page at http://www.mandolincafe.com/forum/co...g-Prayer-Blues

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FLATROCK HILL, 

Spruce

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## Spruce

...for those of you who haven't heard the original...

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FLATROCK HILL

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## 72rcgrad

Wonderful article & videos! Listen to Mr. Bill speaking about Deford Bailey:  https://youtu.be/6uzwL1XXSQM

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## ekalabacos

was so fortunate to have made it to this show. truly inspiring!

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## mandotool

Thanks Bradley..
for those interested...a great biography on DeFord.
https://www.amazon.com/DeFord-Bailey...=deford+bailey

some rare live performance video..
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z20d-eHcjhk

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## reddressproductions

Catch a bit of Evening Prayer Blues at the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2016...

- - - Updated - - -

Here's another version...
https://youtu.be/7G4dmPTsiSw

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DataNick

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## BradKlein

> for those interested...a great biography on DeFord.




Although I credited David C. Morton and Charles K. Wolfe and their bio, I haven't been able to find either through the usual social media channels. If anyone has their contact info, I'd love to thank them directly for a job well done.

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Spruce

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## BradKlein

Speaking of biographies, I'd like to share a bit of personal correspondence with Monroe's biographer, Richard D. Smith.






> Also significant -- and truly unprecedented -- is that when Monroe recorded "Evening Prayer Blues" on Feb. 19, 1981, for what became his Master of Bluegrass album, he performed it not as a solo but as a mandolin trio, in company with Larry Sledge and Jesse McReynolds. 
> 
> Bill Monroe occasionally played as part of impromptu mandolin harmony groupings on stage... but Monroe -- the supremely competitive musician -- never, to the best of my knowledge, recorded with other mandolin players in a studio. (If I've forgotten any other examples beside "Evening Prayer Blues, they were still extraordinarily rare.) So for Monroe to opt to record "Evening Prayer Blues" as a mandolin trio ... well, think about what a special act of musical communion this tune represented for him.

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## Spruce

> Bill Monroe occasionally played as part of impromptu mandolin harmony groupings on stage... but Monroe -- the supremely competitive musician -- never, to the best of my knowledge, recorded with other mandolin players in a studio. (If I've forgotten any other examples beside "Evening Prayer Blues, they were still extraordinarily rare.)


Well...
Besides "Evening Prayer Blues", Larry Sledge and Jesse McReynolds also played on "Melissa's Waltz For J.B." and "Lady Of The Blue Ridge" on the "Master of Bluegrass" LP...

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## sgarrity

Love hearing it on the oval hole....

https://youtu.be/x99v7DfS3dg

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FLATROCK HILL

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## BradKlein

Bruce's link to DeFord Bailey's solo harmonica recording seems to have vanished from the first comment, so I am linking to a youtube version, HERE. Enjoy. And thanks for the many kind comments and to folks who have shared this fascinating story.

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## FLATROCK HILL

Thanks Brad for putting up (replacing) that video. The original posted by Spruce disappeared for me too but I figured it was an issue with my computer. 

On the subject of the original DeFord Bailey's harmonica version I'm somewhat confused. I'll admit that the only version of Evening Prayer Blues I've been familiar with up until now is the Compton version. I understand (now, after reading the article) that Mike is paying tribute to Mr. Bailey's recording by doing the first part in 'A' and replicating the blues notes of the harmonica etc. When it moves into the key of 'G' it is more or less the Bill Monroe version. 

What I don't quite understand is how or why Bill Monroe's version in 'G' is even considered the same tune. I hear the basic roots of the Bailey tune in Bill's version, but to me, it sounds like Bill took a very simple and repetitive blues-run and fleshed it out into a structured 'fiddle-tune' with well defined A and B parts. 

I wonder if Bill Monroe took credit for writing his own version of this tune, or did bill allow his updated version to remain the property of DeFord Bailey?

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## Mandolin Cafe

Hmm, looked at the code he put in. Shouldn't have worked but did for awhile. Not sure what went on there. Sometimes it's better to move on and not spend a lot of time trying to figure it out. Either way, I put the video back in there.

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FLATROCK HILL, 

Spruce

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## BradKlein

> I hear the basic roots of the Bailey tune in Bill's version, but to me, it sounds like Bill took a very simple and repetitive blues-run and fleshed it out into a structured 'fiddle-tune' with well defined A and B parts. 
> 
> I wonder if Bill Monroe took credit for writing his own version of this tune, or did bill allow his updated version to remain the property of DeFord Bailey?


A couple of thoughts come to mind. One is that Monroe travelled with Bailey, and heard him play this tune live numerous times. And he probably based his adaptation on what he'd heard and his very considerable musical memory rather than the recording which he may or may not have owned. There is a second non-commercial recording of Bailey playing the tune in G and it seems that Bailey did perform it in that key at times.

As for royalties, I presume they went to Bailey since Monroe seemed pretty clear that he considered it his tune rather than an original composition.

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FLATROCK HILL

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## mandotool

Came across an interview with DeFord's grandson ..Carlos DeFord Bailey..
He tells a story of DeFord out on the road on a Grand o'l Opry tour in the "Jim Crow South" days...
He says Monroe went out and bought a large suitcase that DeFord who (at 4'9"tall) could fit into and how Monroe and Acuff would sneak him into hotels and carry him up the stairs in the suitcase..  
Nothing says you care like carrying somebody up the stairs in a suitcase..

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BradKlein, 

DataNick

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## BradKlein

Wow! What a story. If you have a link to the interview, I'd like to read it.

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## Elliot Luber

That video was unvailable to me, but I found others. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z20d...Xdi3jGHHlWibxA

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## Mandolin Cafe

Noting that today is the birthday of DeFord Bailey, born this date 1899.

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## Mandolin Cafe

Bit of historical information for those wishing to dive deeper into the history of DeFord Bailey. On this date 2005 PBS ran *a feature on DeFord* that culminated in a lot of information still housed on their web site. The Timeline in particular is quite interesting.

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## Mandolin Cafe

Noting the anniversary of this fine bit of writing put together for us by Bradley Klein.

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BradKlein

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## Mike Romkey

Thanks for reposting. Don't know how I missed this. I must have been in Scotland. Oh, wait! I was.

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## Mandolin Cafe

Today is the anniversary of DeFord's passing in 1982. Can never get enough of this feature article. One of our favorites.

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## Mandolin Cafe

Happy birthday, DeFord Bailey

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dscullin

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## Mandolin Cafe

Another anniversary for this fine feature article produced for us by Bradley Klein!

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BradKlein

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## Mandolin Cafe

Today is the anniversary of DeFord Bailey's passing. Always enjoy seeing this article come up on occasion.

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## mandotool

Happy Birthday DeFord...
DeFord Bailey - Pan American Blues
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yjlR8eS0YPM

Bill Monroe - DeFord Bailey & "Evening Prayer Blues" 
Live at the Soft Rock Cafe, Vancouver, BC, Canada...Nov 3, 1980 - With the Blue Grass Boys:
Kenny Baker/ Butch Robins/ Wayne Lewis/ Mark Hembree

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6uzwL1XXSQM

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Bill Findley, 

Gene Summers

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## Mandolin Cafe

One of our more popular features of the past few years celebrating another birthday. Love this Bradley Klein article.

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BradKlein, 

Gene Summers

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## bigskygirl

Love this tune!  I’ve  challenged myself to learn a new tune a week this year and EPB was the first one, its so fun as written as well as just to jam on with others.

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## Mandolin Cafe

This date 1982 DeFord Bailey passed away.

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BradKlein

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## BradKlein

Fifteen years ago today, DeFord Bailey inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame. Nov. 15, 2005. That took a while! (the CM HoF was started in the 1960s)

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Frankdolin

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## Mandolin Cafe

Birthday wishes to the late DeFord Bailey, born December 14, 1899 in Smith County, Tennessee.

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BradKlein, 

Frankdolin

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## Mandolin Cafe

Noting today's anniversary of the publication of this feature.

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## Mandolin Cafe

Noting the anniversary of this feature interview. Lots of good things happening in Mike Compton's world right now with this new release of previously unrecorded Monroe tunes.

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BradKlein

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## Mandolin Cafe

Noting the anniversary of this important feature article.

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## Mandolin Cafe

Happy birthday today to Deford Bailey.

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