Bill Monroe – RCA Country Legends

Does the world really need another Bill Monroe compilation? His reputation as the father of bluegrass is as widespread as ever, and most folks have already formed an opinion about his music.

Music historians have waxed eloquent about the primitive harmonies Monroe was making with his brother Charlie in the mid-’30s. This collection came later than that. It is commonly argued that bluegrass proper didn’t hit its stride until 1945, when Monroe hired Lester Flatt and Earl Scruggs to flesh out his sound. This music predates bluegrass.

So what was Monroe doing post-brother duet and pre-bluegrass juggernaut? Melding a potent blend of swing, blues, and old-time dance music. If folks still made music like this today — and they do — we’d probably call it alt-country.

This album offers sixteen tracks recorded for RCA Victor’s Bluebird imprint between October 1940 and October 1941. For those who can only envision Monroe as an old man, it’s worth noting he was not yet 30 when the first of these sessions took place.

This collection includes two Monroe originals (“Tennessee Blues” and the jumping “Honky Tonk Swing”), a couple of Jimmie Rodgers numbers, a handful of traditional tunes, and “Orange Blossom Special” long before it achieved the status of bluegrass standard. Only two cuts are duplicates from MCA’s box set, The Music Of Bill Monroe From 1936 To 1994.

There’s no banjo on any of these tracks. Instead, the hot fiddle playing of Tommy Magness and Art Wooten drives the music. The whole band seems to be having a ball, and you frequently hear them spurring one another on (a la Bob Wills) during solos. The slap bass alone is liable to make you dance.

Does the world need another Bill Monroe compilation? Not anymore.