Bill Monroe is likely the only man recognized for single-handedly creating a distinct musical idiom, i.e., Bluegrass. Though he'd already begun to carve out a unique musical identity with the Blue Grass Boys, the band he formed in 1939, it all came together in 1945 with the addition of Earl Scruggs and Lester Flatt. The combination of Monroe's virtuoso mandolin and "high, lonesome" singing, Scruggs' revolutionary banjo style, and Flatt's smooth vocals captured the public's imagination and launched dozens of imitators.
For more than five decades, Monroe toured and recorded relentlessly with an ever-changing cast of fine musicians. By the time he died in September 1996, he'd created a legacy that will last as long as musical history is recorded. Though I have many photos of Big Mon, there's something about the characteristic sneer of this shot that appeals to me.
|
|
|
|