Bluegrass w/o the high lonesome?

[AlanN]

Ah, LBV...the tune that makes 'em or breaks 'em. I love the 'story' numbers, but will not sing this one, simply for the 'Nobody knows...' part. Too painful for me (and the listeners).

[Philip Halcomb]

I think that bluegrass definitely exists without the high lonesome singing as well. Although, I personally like the high lonesome sound quite a bit especially Bill Monroe. It is an acquired taste though. I don't think anybody in this day an age that is exposed to the very polished singing on the radio and what not can put in some Bill Monroe and not raise a couple eyebrows the first time they hear that high lonesome sound. I personally like the roughness of it but that's just my taste. I also like a little bit of the more polished stuff. John Duffey was another one who could launch his voice up into the stratosphere and still maintain smoothness. I'd recommend listening to some seldom scene.

[AlanN]

As great as Duffey was, and as much as I love the man, his voice was, at times,...er...ah...

[hoffmannia2k7]

That Peter Rowan Don Edwards High Lonesome Cowboy album really is a treasure!

Tom T. Hall
Mac Wiseman
Lester Flatt
John Hartford
Doc Watson
Charlie Poole
Peter Stampfel

[evanreilly]

The 'High Lonesome sound' is an integral part of the Blue Grass music of Bill Monroe. Required reading to understand this is the liner notes, written by Ralph Rinzler, on the reverse of Decca album DL7-4780, The High Lonesome Sound of Bill Monroe and his Blue Grass Boys: "This Collection of songs represents a side of Bill Monroe's music and nature which is an inextricable part of blue grass music. Many call it 'that high, lonesome sound' - while others say 'it's white blues' - 'mountain blues'. Most of the songs are ...lonesome and bluesy sounding."

Now, to hear the defining element of Monroe's high lonesome sound, listen to John Hartford's recitation on "The Cross-eyed Child". Hartford tells how the young Bill would listen to the World War One veterans hollering their backwoods hollers coming down the roads and railroad line. Bill would try to holler like that and he reckoned that that was where his singing style came from.

If one considers blue grass music to be the personal musical epression of Bill Monroe (as proposed by Rinzler), then the 'High Lonesome' element is part of the music.

[mandolirius]

<If one considers blue grass music to be the personal musical epression of Bill Monroe (as proposed by Rinzler), then the 'High Lonesome' element is part of the music.>

True. But if that's all that bluegrass music is, or is ever going to be, it's not going to have a long life span. Myself, I think bluegrass has already broadened to become more than simply Monroe's personal expression. That's at the core of it, of course, but it's no longer the whole enchilada. IMHO.

[chip]

If you have satelite radio just listen to the bluegrass channels, write down the artists that you like, download the tune off of Itunes and your ready to go...:p

[mando_dan]

Another vote for Peter Rowan. To me he sounds very natural and, importantly, like himself. Put another way, I don't think he tries to sing bluegrass, he just sings. And I love his voice.

As Sam Bush once said at a festival after a Rowan set, "It doesn't get much better than listening to Peter Rowan sing on a fine summer afternoon." Amen!

[allenhopkins]

Couple other "less high lonesome" bluegrass sounds:

Sixties-era Flatt & Scruggs

Charlie Waller with the Country Gentlemen

John Starling with the Seldom Scene

[entau]

Tony Rice - back when he was singing - even commented on the fact that his rendition of "mule Skinners" ( from cold on the shoulder I think) was not quite authentic because he could not do the high lonesome

some might call it "newgrass" but I always liked it

he sings a few on Grisman's "Home is where the Heart is"

I think that qualifies as a bluegrass album

how about Blue Railroad Train ?

[cooper4205]

Red Allen (especially his stuff on Bluegrass Reunion, as well as some of the stuff with Wakefield) is lonesome, while not getting too high.

[AlanN]

On a JD Crowe and NS video from 1975, they talk about their conscious effort to 'smooth out' the sounds. I think they succeeded, and that record (Rounder 0044) went a long way to bringing new listeners to bluegrass.

[Alex Fields]

I've got an idea...you could get some bluegrass gospel music with four part harmony singing and turn the treble on your sound system all the way down.

[Trey Young]

Another vote for John Hartford here.

[Wesley]

It's not the high pitch of the vocals that bothers me with some traditional bluegrass material but the subject matter of the lyrics. After a whole CD of "the tears that I cried over you" and "you broke my heart" and "you made a fool of me" I just want to slap the singer and tell him to grow up and grow a pair. I think what newgrass has added to the mix has been some new subject material with regard to the lyrics. I still love the sound of a lot of traditional bluegrass but sometimes I just have to ignore the lyrics - or I might be tempted to take an antidepressant.

[evanreilly]

One could never even think of telling Bill Monroe to his face to "...grow up and grow a pair". Slap Monroe? I think not!!! As Bill would often do, he referred to the fact, in the third person, that 'No man ever put that Bill Monroe fellow down'.
Ever shake his hand? I think not!
Growing a pair? Monroe grew lots of progeny, judging by looks alone

[f5loar]

All the Bluegrass Album Band stuff with Rice,Lawson,Crowe,Hicks,etc. is pretty smooth stuff that is still straight on bluegrass. Any JDCrowe and New South or Doyle Lawson Quicksilver is not high lonesome. I'd say just about anything that is not Bill Monroe or Stanleys should suit your bill. Osbornes and Jim&Jesse are smooth nice vocals. Can't beat the Dillards with Herb Pederson either.

[MWM]

Doesn't look like anybody mentioned Blue Highway. Their "Marbletown" CD has a lot of drive and is about as contemporary as modern bluegrass gets. All the band member write so you'll hear different influences on their songs. Their harmonies sound more country than traditional bluegrass.

[lgc]

"I just want to slap the singer and tell him to grow up and grow a pair.

I would have dared you to slap some of the first generation BG players, many of who had labor jobs before during and after their stints and BGers.

I may be assuming, but none of the Newgrassers ever went through the Depression or the change form rural agricultural to urban focused nation. People who grew up in the teen-30's were way tougher than their contemporary counterparts. They sang those songs because that was the reality of their lives. I think you may be missing the perspective here.

Plus Monroe would box the local bully and then play the town in a baseball game before many of his shows. Beat the bully, throw the game and everyone loves you.

I think the main difference is that the first generation guys were lonesome while contemporary singers tend to be whiny.

[Wesley]

Of course there are a lot of things I'm TEMPTED to do that I would never actually ATTEMPT to do. Big difference.

But some of those lyrics still make the singers sound like whiners to me.

[K3NTUCKI8oy]

It's gotta have the high lonesome sound or its not bluegrass allison krauss was bluegrass for maybe..5 yrs? nickle creek was never bluegrass to begin with. And GROW UP AND GROW A PAIR??? number one, the older generation
used alot of bluesy lyrics that gave feeling to there
music. Number two, most musicians 60 odd yrs ago worked
and slaved harder than you could ever imagine and i'm
sure they was alot tougher than you.

[Steve Cantrell]

Larry Keel and Natural Bridge...totally lacking in high lonesome. Keel just growls the lyrics out, but for him it works.

[hoffmannia2k7]

"I just want to slap the singer and tell him to grow up and grow a pair.

I would have dared you to slap some of the first generation BG players, many of who had labor jobs before during and after their stints and BGers. #

I may be assuming, but none of the Newgrassers ever went through the Depression or the change form rural agricultural to urban focused nation. #People who grew up in the teen-30's were way tougher than their contemporary counterparts. #They sang those songs because that was the reality of their lives. #I think you may be missing the perspective here. #

Plus Monroe would box the local bully and then play the town in a baseball game before many of his shows. #Beat the bully, throw the game and everyone loves you.

I think the main difference is that the first generation guys were lonesome while contemporary singers tend to be whiny.

in reference to lgc's post from above.

Hey, I am tough, I play baseball, and I work a 9 to fiver!

Screw the old folks

[hoffmannia2k7]

I have heard both Frank Wakefield (ON live at the Magic Mushroom cd available from frank, or possibly jim moss) and Buzz Busby (Live from the Hayride) Sing a version of Muleskinner blues that would make you giggle, and they both do the same mule-ish hee haw alternate take on the yodel.

[nashvillebill]

John Cowan with New Grass Revival- sings high, but never strains.

Mountain Heart- Steve Gulley sings pretty high, but Barry Abernathy has lots of soul. Not into their new guy Josh something or other- but you make like him- sounds like he'd rather be in an R&B band.