In the midst of processed pop music that rules the mainstream, bluegrass music has made a surprising resurgence in the past year.
Much of this wide acceptance and interest in the genre is attributed by many to the success of the “Oh Brother Where Art Thou” soundtrack released in Dec. 2000.
The soundtrack has sold over five million copies and has spent several weeks at the top of the Billboard album chart while still remaining the top selling country album for the 70th week.
The compilation album also earned several 2002 Grammy awards including Album of the Year.
The success of this album, which features bluegrass great Ralph Stanley along with other bluegrass artists, has many wondering why it has received such new found popularity in a somewhat unnoticed genre. And more importantly, will it last?
According to University of Memphis Professor of Music Dr. David Evans, this public interest in bluegrass music is a response to the synthesized, fabricated music that frequents the music industry.
“I think that people are searching for some stability as a reaction against all the technology and sampling you find in music today,” Evans said. “You have one trend that is moving away from live music, then the reaction to that is towards a traditional, roots music. Roots music encompasses bluegrass, but it also encompasses many different styles of music.”
Although Evans said he appreciates bluegrass music and is happy about its comeback in the contemporary music world, the inevitable is that bluegrass’ overwhelming popularity could be short lived.
“I’ve always liked traditional music, certainly music that comes out of ethnic regions that speaks about regional subjects,” Evans said. “Whether this will be a sustained resurgence of bluegrass — I don’t know. Perhaps we’re seeing a mini-trend from country. I’m glad to see it as a phenomenon. I wish the interest that pops up among these various styles would settle in deeper and not be so faddish.”
The fad is surely welcomed by Yarbrough’s Music, a musician’s store located in Memphis.
Yarbrough’s sales manager Mike Stoker said the sales of bluegrass instruments has heightened over the past year.
“We try to cater to bluegrass musicians,” Stoker said. “I would definitely have to say we’ve increased sales at least fifty percent in bluegrass instruments along with the increased interest in bluegrass music itself.”
Banjos, dulcimers and mandolins, to name a few, are classified as bluegrass instruments.
One expert, however, that disagrees that there is a sudden emergence of bluegrass into pop culture is WEVL radio host Jim Lillard.
Lillard, who’s radio name is the Ridge Runner, hosts two bluegrass-themed radio shows on WEVL — Hillbilly Jazz and Bluff City Barn Dance, which is in its 12th year of production.
“It’s a good time for bluegrass music at the moment,” Lillard said. “I don’t think it’s anything that has come about all of the sudden. I’ve seen this move coming for several years.”
Like Evans, Lillard said people are looking for a more pure sound in today’s music, but there still is the steadfast, loyal fans of bluegrass that have always been around.
“There’s a lot more interest in acoustic and roots music in general and bluegrass definitely fits into that,” Evans said. “Bluegrass has a core of fans that stay fairly constant.”
Over the past few decades, various types of roots music have taken on the spotlight of the music industry, only to fade and be embraced by the less massive groups of devoted listeners.
Both Evans and Lillard said the most obvious example of the sudden popularity of bluegrass was thirty years ago when many young people were embracing folk music.
“Bluegrass has had periods of resurgence in the past,” Evans said. “In the 60’s, it was moving on to college campuses as folk music spread. It became a kind of national, not regional, type of scene. Sometimes it was used as a kind of flavoring.”
Lillard also said that aspects of bluegrass have always been present in different genres of music. These ingredients of bluegrass are especially evident in Grateful Dead frontman Jerry Garcia’s music.
“I don’t think you can exaggerate how Jerry Garcia influenced getting people into bluegrass,” Lillard said. “He had a lot of side projects. He had a deep connection with the audience. If the Grateful Dead thought (bluegrass) was cool, then it was.”
However, Lillard did say that the “Oh Brother Where Art Though” soundtrack has had a minimal effect on any type of popularity of bluegrass.
“It only has one song on it that would qualify as bluegrass,” Lillard said.
Despite trends and fads, bluegrass music is making its way into unexpected places. According to Lillard, the roots music known for its high lonesome sound is only going to gain more acceptance and adoration from music lovers.
“I’ve said that when bluegrass started showing up at places like Newby’s, it would be a great day,” Lillard said. “That actually has been happening.”
