September Mixtape: High and Lonesome (A Bluegrass Mix)
I’m posting the September installment of our monthly mixtape project right at the last minute, with a whopping 5 hours left in the month. The inspiration for this month is a genre that we give very little attention to at Stranger Dance: bluegrass.
One of my best friends just moved to southwestern Kentucky, so this was a good excuse to give her a quick primer on Bluegrass State’s gift to music, and one of my favorite genres (yeah, I actually own both a banjo and mandolin, and used to work for a bluegrass radio station).
With the Hardly Strictly Bluegrass festival around the corner, it’s also a good time to get better acquainted with some choice pickin’.
I think bluegrass is tragically underrated and woefully misunderstood. With the possible exception of Django Reinhardt and maybe old bossa nova, no other music can lull me into a blissful trance like bluegrass. Judging by the above cartoon, I think Mr. Schulz agreed. Hope you do too.
Download the whole mix as zip file: High and Lonesome Mix
- David Grisman – “I Ain’t Broke (But I’m Badly Bent)”
- Tony Rice – “Old Train”
- Del McCoury – “Cheek to Cheek with the Blues”
- Jerry Douglas – “Shoulder to Shoulder”
- JD Crowe & the New South – “The Old Home Place”
- Rice, Rice, Hillman & Pedersen – “Friend of the Devil”
- Butch Robbins – “I’ll Be on that Good Road Someday”
- Tony Furtado with Tim O’Brien – “Man of Constant Sorrow”
- Alison Krauss – “Down to the River to Pray”
- David Grisman – “A Life of Sorrow” [f. the Nashville Bluegrass Band]
- Bluegrass Cardinals – “Blue-Eyed Boston Boy”
- Tony Rice – “Ginseng Sullivan”
- Béla Fleck – “Crossfire”
- Tasty Licks – “Blue Days, Black Nights”
- Bluegrass Album Band – “Head over Heels”
- Doc Watson – “The Train that Carried My Girl from Town”
- Joe Val – “Along about Daybreak”
- Bill Keith – “Crazy Creek”
- Norman Blake – “Ginseng Sullivan”
- Alison Krauss & Union Station – “Every Time You Say Goodbye”
- David Grisman & Del McCoury Band – “Can’t Be Darlings Anymore”
- Bill Monroe & His Bluegrass Boys – “Blue Moon of Kentucky”
- Lonesome Standard Time – “Lonesome Standard Time”
- Boone Creek – “Drifting Too Far from the Shore”
- The Stanley Brothers – “Angel Band”
- Tony Rice Unit – “House of the Rising Son”
could you maybe please try and put this post back up in working order? MAybe? Please?
Jamie, I see what you mean. We’ll try to get this up and running … Sorry about that, the Internets don’t always cooperate.
thank you Stranger!!!
Nice mix. I enjoyed it.
I’d debate if “Down the River” (a version of “Down to the Valley”) is bluegrass, traditionally or here. It doesn’t have the bluegrass vocal style to it at all.
I had this on in the background but only took about 30 seconds to come back to this page and skip to the next song once that Bela Fleck song came on. He’s a talented picker but I can’t say I like his stuff.
Also, “Act Naturally” (which the Beatles covered) has a melody very similar to “Can’t Be Darlings Anymore”. I believe Act Naturally was written quite a bit later.
Adrian – glad you liked the mix (most at least). You’re right that not everything on here is 100% bluegrass. Tried to throw some tunes in that poked at the borders of the genre to offer some variety. Krauss’ bluegrass credentials are unimpeachable, but “Down in the River/Valley” is more spiritual than true bluegrass.
Bela can be tough. He’s an undeniable virtuoso, but his taste is suspect at times. You should check out his “Tales from the Acoustic Planet” series – some truly gorgeous stuff on there.
thank you! good to hear all of this, and anyways who is strictly a bluegrass fan, it is good to hear all this stuff, no matter what the fringe is.
very, very nice mix!