Doc Watson: An Old-Time Folk Musician With Soul

September 3, 2010

Listen Now

Fresh Air from WHYY

[21 min 6 sec]

• Add to Playlist
• Download
• Transcript

Enlarge Rick Diamond/Staff/Getty Images Entertainment

Doc Watson performs at the 2009 New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival on May 1, 2009.

Rick Diamond/Staff/Getty Images Entertainment

Doc Watson performs at the 2009 New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival on May 1, 2009.

MerleFest, the acoustic music festival founded in 1988 by Doc Watson to celebrate the life of his son, is held once a year on the Wilkes Community College campus.

text size A A A

September 3, 2010

Doc Watson has been called “a living national treasure” for his virtuoso flat-picking and his repertoire of traditional folk and bluegrass tunes.

For more than five decades, the blind guitarist has been one of America’s preeminent folk and country performers. Watson, who learned to play the banjo and the guitar as a young child, got his start performing on street corners around Raleigh, N.C. After picking up the electric guitar as a teenager — and learning how to play rockabilly and old rock standards on his Les Paul — Watson switched exclusively to the banjo and acoustic guitar.

By Keith Lawrence

Owensboro Messenger-Inquirer

(MCT)

STEVE GULLEY AND TIM STAFFORD, “Dogwood Winter,” Rural Rhythm. 14 tracks.

Steve Gulley and Tim Stafford have been writing songs together for years. In 2008, their “Through The Window of A Train” was named song of the year by the International Bluegrass Music Association.

Both have made their marks separately as singers and musicians.

Gulley, a member of Grasstowne, honed his skills with Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver and Mountain Heart

The 39th annual Delaware Valley Bluegrass Festival — which kicks off today at the Salem County Fair Grounds and runs through Sunday — may not be one of the fanciest festivals out there, but it’s certainly one of the most enjoyable. And that’s part of the reason why the acclaimed family bluegrass band Cherryholmes keeps returning.

“We’ve played this festival two or three times in the past,” Sandy Cherryholmes said by phone recently. “It’s a terrific time for the performers and for the audience members. We always look forward to it.”

Established in 1972, the rain-or-shine Delaware Valley Bluegrass Festival is known for both its diverse array of talent and its relaxed vibe. More than 6,000 people are expected to attend over the weekend to hear a mix of top-ranked national bluegrass bands, talented regional bands, as well as bluegrass-related genres like old-time, Cajun and Appalachian music.

Aug 31, 2010

This Labor Day Weekend the 39th Annual Delaware Valley Bluegrass Festival will be held at the Salem County Fairgrounds in Salem, New Jersey. This is the 20th year the festival will be held on the rolling farmland of Southern New Jersey along US Route 40, seven miles east of the Delaware Memorial Bridge and just down the road from Cowtown Rodeo.

The Festival is presented by The Brandywine Friends of Old Time Music (BFOTM) which was founded in 1972 with the goal of helping preserve traditional American music by presenting live performances of bluegrass and old time music in Northern Delaware and the surrounding areas of Maryland, Pennsylvania and New Jersey.  From the outset this all volunteer non-profit organization has been encouraging local traditional musicians.

Loving Bluegrass Music and Lyrics

People have always enjoyed music, for several different reasons: to relax, have fun, communicate. The reason isn’t that important as long as the music is good and attracts listeners. The ones that listen to music as well as the ones that create music always look for something new and better to bring people together. A much appreciated genre that satisfies the demands of the public is bluegrass music. The melodies and the shows of the bands which sing bluegrass songs have always lived up to their fame as this music is a medicine for the soul.

Bluegrass songs know their beginnings around the 1940s and this music is considered to be a form of American root music, even though the English, Irish and Scottish traditional music can be considered as roots as well. The name, of the bluegrass songs comes from the founder of the genre, Bill Monroe. The name of his band was the Blue Grass Boys and that’s how their music came to be known as bluegrass music. Being mostly instrumental music, the predominant sounds are produces by traditionally accepted bluegrass instruments. Unlike mainstream country music, bluegrass songs rely mostly on acoustic string instruments (fiddle, banjo, acoustic guitar, mandolin, and sometimes the resonator guitar). On of the trademarks of bluegrass songs is the difference from old time music or classical music. While in classic music the instruments are in perfect harmony with each other or one of the instruments leads and the others just follow, in bluegrass songs all the instruments have a part of their own and almost a mind of their own. This type of music is known for its solos and the bluegrass songs’ improvisation is famous. One can hear the sound of each instrument and the talent of the man behind it in raw form, without any written notes and rehearsed shows. The soul of the player is the soul of the bluegrass songs.

According to Goldstein, bluegrass music, which was brought to the country when British, Scottish and Irish settlers moved to the mountainous regions of the south, uses instruments such as the guitar, mandolin, banjo, fiddle, bass and occasionally a Dobro (resonator guitar) to create this unique form of music.

“The instruments make an interesting, striking sound together,” Goldstein said. “It’s very difficult to master these instruments and it’s extremely hard to play bluegrass well.”

The 39th Annual Delaware Valley Bluegrass Festival comes to the Salem County Fairgrounds in Pilesgrove Township from Friday, Sept. 3 through Sunday, Sept. 5. For ticket prices and to purchase tickets visit www.delawarevalleybluegrass.org.

Pandora now offers bluegrass genre

 posted by John Lawless on 08.26.10 @ 9:02 am
 Tags: Bluegrass Radio

Pandora has launched a new wrinkle for its personalized online radio service. Listeners can now build a stream based on more than 100 “micro-genres,” including bluegrass.

Pandora users have always been able to create a bluegrass stream, but based on the names of favorite artists. The system would then suggest a series of tracks which you could enjoy in turn, or skip between as you see fit. The newly-revised service allows the listener to select by musical style. Bluegrass is listed in the broader folk category, along with Old Time and Americana. You can also find the bluegrass sub in the Country style.

Pandora Internet Radio is a free service, but registration is required. Check it out online

Listen to non stop bluegrass on your computer

Top bluegrass bands will descend on Lodi this week for the 13th annual Pickin’ in the Pasture extravaganza, which will be held today through Sunday. The event draws top traditional bluegrass talent and plenty of campers, and features activities for youngsters. Bluegrass Unlimited magazine recently chose it as one of the top five family bluegrass festivals among more than 500 held around the nation.

Among the performers at this year’s show: The U.S. Navy Bluegrass Band, Lost and Found, Danny Paisley and the Southern Grass, Little Roy Lewis and Lizzy Long, Coal Town, Straight Drive, David Davis and the Warrior River Boys, Grasstowne, Smokey Greene, The Larry Gillis Band and The James King Band.