[Western Music] Bluegrass masterpieces: recommended popular and signature songs
Bluegrass music is an acoustic genre that developed in the United States based on the traditional music of Scotland and Ireland.
Because the pioneering figure Bill Monroe was from Kentucky, the term “bluegrass,” which is both the name of a pasture grass and the state’s nickname, came into use.
It features ensembles centered on acoustic instruments, with the bright, lively sounds of banjo and fiddle being especially characteristic.
In this article, we present a lineup focused on classic songs in the traditional bluegrass style.
It’s a recommended selection even for beginners, so please take this opportunity to check it out.
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[Western music] Bluegrass masterpieces: Recommended popular and signature songs (41–50)
Insult and an ElbowYonder Mountain String Band
A song by Yonder Mountain String Band, a progressive bluegrass group formed in Colorado, USA, in 1998.
It is an autobiographical song written by lead singer Ben Kaufmann.
The track is included on the 2015 album Black Sheep.
[Western Music] Bluegrass Masterpieces: Recommended Popular and Signature Songs (51–60)
Old Dan TuckerGrandpa Jones
Louis Marshall Jones, known as Grandpa Jones, was an American banjo player.
The song Old Dan Tucker—also known as Ole Dan Tucker—is a popular American tune with unclear origins.
Today, it is considered a standard in bluegrass and country music.
Little Rosewood CasketReno and Smiley
Reno and Smiley is a duo formed in West Virginia by Don Reno and Red Smiley.
Among the duos active from the 1950s to the 1960s, they are the most highly regarded in the United States.
Wabash CannonballClaire Lynch
American bluegrass musician Claire Lynch has won the International Bluegrass Music Association’s Female Vocalist of the Year award three times.
Raised in a musical family where her mother played the piano and her father sang, she has lived her life alongside music since childhood, singing as a trio in church with her two sisters, among other experiences.
Down In The Willow GardenDave Evans
“Down in the Willow Garden” is a traditional Appalachian murder ballad about a man who is hanged for killing his lover.
It is said that the song likely originated in early 19th-century Ireland.
Soldier’s JoyDoc Watson & David Grisman
A song from the 1997 album “Doc & Dawg” by American folk music artist Doc Watson and mandolin player David Grisman.
Although it features a brisk tempo and a catchy melody, its content is very dark and carries a heavy meaning.
The term “Soldier’s Joy” later came to refer to a combination of whiskey and beer, and morphine used by soldiers in the Civil War.
Elvis Presley BluesGillian Welch
A song included on Time (The Revelator), the third album released in 2001 by American singer-songwriter Gillian Welch.
It references Elvis Presley and John Henry.
The track was written by Gillian Welch and David Rawlings.