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Bluegrass recommendations

kahlfin1k

kahlfin1k

Well-Known Member
Not a genre I really ever explored and am interested in. I'm really mostly interested in more instrumentally driven stuff. Especially bluegrass with some jazz influence. Bela Fleck is the obvious one here but maybe something more off the beaten path maybe. Not necessarily interested in traditional or purist bluegrass only but also fusion or bluegrass "influenced" music. Hope I was specific enough lol.

Thanks!
 
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kahlfin1k said:
Not a genre I really ever explored and am interested in. I'm really mostly interested in more instrumentally driven stuff. Especially bluegrass with some jazz influence. Bela Fleck is the obvious one here but maybe something more off the beaten path maybe. Not necessarily interested in traditional or purist bluegrass only but also fusion or bluegrass "influenced" music. Hope I was specific enough lol.

Thanks!
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Bela Fleck is the only bluegrass I have that is 1) jazz influenced, and 2) largely instrumental, and there are at least a couple of his albums that are really jazz banjo, not bluegrass (to my ears). The rest has some vocals. Flatt & Scruggs are good. I think anything with the late Vassar Clements is pretty good. Old and in the Way (Jerry Garcia, David Grisman, et al), Union Station...you could almost put very early New Riders of the Purple Sage in this category, but I tend to think of them as more alt-country though definitely bluegrass influenced.
 
I would suggest you go to your local library and check out what CD's they have to offer.

A good "starter" is the soundtrack to the film Brother Where Art Thou because it has a decent cross section of old/new school Bluegrass. If you like genre hopping music try the Pickin' On Pickers for their Bluegrass versions of popular music.

Alison Krauss and Union Station are worth looking at (be aware I've been accused of liking music performed by beautiful women):

Bluegrass Jam 2011

Google "Bluegrass Jam 2011 Live" and one of the hits you'll get is...

10 Bluegrass Jam Bands You Should Know

I know a couple of these bands but I'm going to check out the others.
 
For instrumental, string-driven music that isn't quite bluegrass (or anything else), try some of David Grisman's stuff, especially Mondo Mando or Hot Dawg.

For something a bit more towards 'grass, there's a great album called Skip, Hop and Wobble, featuring Jerry Douglas, Russ Barenberg and Edgar Meyer.

Another personal favorite is Ultraspontane with John Jorgenson - more towards the Gypsy Jazz direction.

Happy trails,
Larry B.
 
I stumbled onto a dozen bluegrass records in a thrift. The Stanley Brothers are the Gods of bluegrass.

Here is a thread I started which may help you.

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Sarah Jarosz
Nickel Creek
The Punch Brothers
Trampled by Turtles
The String Cheese Incident
The Devil Makes Three
Old Crow Medicine Show

You could also check into the New Grass Revival, the group where Bela Fleck got his start and the group that is generally credited for progressive bluegrass (aka New Grass).
 
Going back a ways I would suggest The Dillards, the hillbillies family from the old Andy Griffith show. They were primo. Look to find their Backporch Bluegrass album. Also look for Old and in the Way albums and Tony Rice. You might also like Steve Martin, yes the comedian, because he is a class 1 banjo picker.
 
I second finnbow's mention of Sarah Jarosz, especially given your mention of jazz-influence. She is at the leading edge of what some call the newgrass genre, and her last two albums are stunning. Her core "band" = cello, fiddle/violin, and her on banjo/guitar/mandolin. And she's not yet 25 years old!

You might also want to give a listen to Allison Krauss/Union Station...early leaders of the neo-traditional bluegrass movement.
 
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kcbluesman said:
I second finnbow's mention of Sarah Jarosz, especially given your mention of jazz-influence. She is at the leading edge of what some call the newgrass genre, and her last two albums are stunning. Her core "band" = cello, fiddle/violin, and guitar/mandolin. And she's not yet 25 years old!

You might also want to give a listen to Allison Krauss/Union Station...early leaders of the neo-traditional bluegrass movement.
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I just saw her a couple of weeks ago and she was great. The cello player was feckin' unbelievable.
 
Yes, I saw her recently as well. All three of them play wonderfully, and I find her voice to be sublime. And to top it off, she is a particularly good song-writer. The line "the moon is a fingernail, scratching on the back of the night" from "Build Me Up From Bones" is a great example.
 
kcbluesman said:
Yes, I saw her recently as well. All three of them play wonderfully, and I find her voice to be sublime. And to top it off, she is a particularly good song-writer. The line "the moon is a fingernail, scratching on the back of the night" from "Build Me Up From Bones" is a great example.
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"Build Me Up From Bones" is a great album. I don't have any of her earlier releases though.
 
I like bluegrass but don't listen too much but the Oh brother where art thou is a great soundtrack imo. I really enjoy Iron Horse's Picking on Modest Mouse. Im a Modest Mouse fan too so that also makes it even better for me but a great album.
 
I have lots of Bluegrass music in my collection and my personal favorite is "Drive" by Bela Fleck. It's just well crafted, banjo driven instrumentals.
 
Bela Fleck's complete works
Ricky Skaggs
The Osborne Brothers
Jim & Jesse & The Virginia Boys
Doc Watson
Merle Watson
Bill Monroe
Jimmy Martin
The Seldom Scene
The Country Gentlemen
The Stanley Brothers
 
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