Gems of Bluegrass # 1221 "Bluegrass is Jazzy. But What Does that mean?" For regular users, May 19-25, 2012. Others use anytime.

Also in the Gems of Bluegrass series

Gems of Bluegrass # 1327 (05:39)
From: Philip Nusbaum

In the late 1940s when bluegrass was new, it was considered an innovation. But in time, bluegrass became its own tradition with its own conventions. Over time, there have ...

Gems of Bluegrass #1325 "Another Look at Leaving" (04:44)
From: Philip Nusbaum

That’s it! I’m Outa Here! Well, that’s one way to make an exit. And that works sometime. But there is much more to leaving than being at the end of your rope. Traditional ...

Gems of Bluegrass #1324. Over the Hill to the Poorhouse (04:50)
From: Philip Nusbaum

Early Bluegrass is often viewed as a post WWII idiom reflecting great changes in the US. With that in mind, it makes sense that early bluegrass is filled with old home songs, ...

Gems of Bluegrass # 1323. Everybody Wants to Be the Banjo. for regular users, piece for June 1-7... (04:37)
From: Philip Nusbaum

A light-hearted look at people and other entities imitations fo the banjo.

Gems of Bluegrass 1319 "The First Generation of Bluegrass Artists". For regular users, program f... (07:52)
From: Philip Nusbaum

Bluegrass music represents a string band evolution plus 1940s innovations by Bill Monroe, who led a group called the Bluegrass Boys. Bill pitched the music in high keys and ...

Gems of Bluegrass #1318. Rock Music as a Context for Bluegrass (06:41)
From: Philip Nusbaum

The musical style of old time music and bluegrass come from Appalachia. The high singing, the accompaniments that are full of notes, are all a bluegrass calling cards. But ...

Gems #1316 Evolution of Hoboing to Homeless. For regular users, program for April 13-16, 2013. Ot... (07:13)
From: Philip Nusbaum

To some, there is a great advantage to living outdoors. It’s an advantage you can’t put a price tag on. And maybe some romance too, as in the case of the old songs about ...

Gems #1315. Changing Visions of Youth (06:31)
From: Philip Nusbaum

The bluegrass tradition’s depiction of young people is changing. A hundred years ago, songs about children often presented horrible things happening to them. But today, some ...

Gems of Bluegrass #1314 Peace in Bluegrass nation. For regular users, piece for Mar 30-Apr 5, 20... (08:45)
From: Philip Nusbaum

Old Time Music and bluegrass enjoyed a burst of interest in the 1950s into 1960s. At that time, the media got interested, and the folk music establishment discovered that old ...

Gems of Bluegrass #1313. For regular users, program for March 23-29. Others use anytime (06:27)
From: Philip Nusbaum

Bluegrass is considered old fashioned, and old time string bands even more so. After all, it is the old time string band that gave birth to the bluegrass band. But even ...

Related Pieces

Intro and Outro

In the early twentieth Century jazz and country music both had bad reputations among members of the music establishment. For one thing, with a lack of proper sheet music, there was no respect given to composers. Heck, in a lot of cases, the composer was not even known. Was there a connection between early jazz and early country music from before any lf it got recorded? Well, there would have to be, because musicians are frequently interested in the sounds of neighboring traditions. In the 1920’s, there were recorded several old time bands that had obviously been influenced by ragtime, and others like Dock Boggs and the Carolina Tar Heels that were influenced by the blues, and players like Clayton mcMichen interested in jazz. When Bill Monroe joined the scene, he continued the tradition of borrowing from the blues and jazz