Black Mountain Undergound: The Music of Bill Monroe

Bill Monroe - Part 3
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1) Watermelon Hanging on the Vine/Introductions>
Panhandle Country – Oak Leaf Park/Luray, VA – 7/4/61
2) Sweetheart of Mine (Can’t You Hear Me Callin’) – Oak Leaf Park/Luray, VA – 7/4/61
3) Linda Lou – Oak Leaf Park/Luray, VA – 7/4/61
4) Cotton Fields – 6/1/61/Bluegrass Ramble - Decca
5) Journey’s End – 1961/Bluegrass Ramble - Decca
6) Brakeman’s Blues – New York University/NYC – 2/8/63
7) Shady Grove – New York University/NYC – 2/8/63
8) Mary at the Home Place – Barre, VT – 10/64
9) On the Old Kentucky Shore – Barre, VT – 10/64
10) There’s an Old, Old House – Sunset Park/West Grove, PA – 8/23/64
11) Gotta Travel On – Sunset Park/West Grove, PA – 8/23/64
12) I Cried Again – the Bluegrass Cellar/Nashville, TN – 1965
13) I Live in the Past – the Bluegrass Cellar/Nashville, TN – 1965
14) Long Lonesome Day – Bean Blossom, IN – 11/7/65
15) Traveling This Lonesome Road – 1965/the Original Bluegrass Sound - Decca
16) I’m Going Back to Old Kentucky – 1965/the Original Bluegrass Sound - Decca
17) Fire on the Mountain – (Tut Reel #45) DJ Convention/Nashville, TN – 1966
18) Bluegrass Part One – Tex Logan’s’ House Party/Madison, NJ – 6/20/66
19) Willow Garden – Tex Logan’s’ House Party/Madison, NJ – 6/20/66
20) True Life Blues – Tex Logan’s’ House Party/Madison, NJ – 6/20/66

Some Notable Bluegrass Boys 1961-66

Kenny Baker/fiddle - 1957 to '58, 1962-'63, 1968- 7/77 & then 9/77 to 1984, jeesh - a Bluegrass Boy longer than anyone, Bill said of him "Kenny knows bluegrass music - there's never been a better one."
(This awesome photo of Kenny to the left was taken by my friend Scott Elmquist at Christopher Run Bluegrass Festival outside Mineral, VA around 2000 - copyright Elmquist)
Del McCoury/guitar, banjo - 2/63 - first subbed on banjo then was later asked to join on guitar and lead vocals for about a year before going on to become Del McCoury.

Bill Keith/banjo - 3/63 to 12/63 - Bill brought with him a new style of bluegrass banjo to the band, invented cool new tuners that he still sells for Beacon Banjos and is a kind, encouraging bluegrass elder and amazing player.
Buddy Spicher/fiddle - 1961 - Born in Dubois, PA, played with Hank William's widow Audrey, Asleep at the Wheel and on Dylan's Nashville Skyline as well as with Bill's band.
James Monroe/guitar, bass - 1964-'71 - son of the father, went on to form his own band.

Sandy Rothman/guitar, banjo - 6/64 - went on to play and record in one of the more influential modern acoustic string bands, the Jerry Garcia Acoustic Band.

Peter Rowan/guitar - 10/64 - went on to do so much after leaving the Boys, most notably Old & In the Way and a string of studio albums for Sugar Hill, also his long standing collaboration with guitarist Tony Rice.

Lamar Grier/banjo - 9/65 - father of guitar great David Grier

Richard Greene/fiddle - 2/66 to 3/67 - Bill Monroe on Mr. Greene - "Richard is adding a lot to Bluegrass. It's hard to keep him from adding too much"

Byron Berline/fiddle - 3/67 to 9/67 - fiddler/soon after became the wildman responsible for the fiddle on Country Honk and others by the Rolling Stones, played with Doug Dillard until starting his own band in 1996. Also runs his own fiddle business. I was lucky enough to see him at a small club with a glowing red fiddle as part of the great band California.

Roland White/guitar - 5/21/67 to 2/69 - Brother of the late great Clarence and co-founder of their band the Kentucky Colonels and later the White Brothers, he also played in the Grammy-winning Nashville Bluegrass Band

NOTES ON SONGS: