Are bluegrass and gypsy jazz compatible?

judson

I don't know if most gypsy guitarists have played bluegrass... probably not, but maybe a little. I've met tons of bluegrass guitarists though, and most of the modern guys (starting with Doc) have studied Django. Moreover, the grandfather of country music (Jimmy Rogers' mentor and inspiration) was Emmett Miller (who was the true father of western swing), and Eddie Lang was his guitar player! The Georgia Crackers consisted of Eddie Lang, Gene Krupa, both Dorsey brothers and and sometimes even Scatman Kruthers (which is pretty remarkable considering that Miller was a blackface performer). I love Emmett Miller's music! He would shout, "Eddie, you is killin' me" when Lang would pick a particularly good solo. Eddie Lang was a big influence on Django. Emmett Miller and Eddie Lang were huge influences on Bob WIlls, Milton Brown, Hugh and Karl Farr, Eddie Arnold, Hank WIlliams, etc. Clayton McMichen, of GId Tanner's band was very influenced by Emmett MIller. McMichen was a big influence on The Mainer brothers of Mainer's Mountaineers, who were perhaps the biggest influence on Bill Monroe and provided the pattern for his Bluegrass Boys. The music is all connected.

klaatu

Wow, that's a great piece of history. Every name in that post is recognizable to me except Emmett Miller. Thanks for that!

judson

Almost all of Emmett Miller's music is out of pint. However, here is a link to a site where all of his old 78's have been ripped at a very high quality and offered to music lovers for free:

http://westernswing78.blogspot.com/2007 ... iller.html
http://westernswing78.blogspot.com/2008 ... set-2.html

While there, you might also want to give a listen to the Farr Brothers. They were the instrumental core of the cowboy band, Sons of the Pioneers. They were also hot jazz players and devotees of Eddie Lang and Joe Venuti. I read once that they were favorites of Django.

klaatu

The connections are just endless, aren't they?

judson

Here is an article I wrote on Emmett Miller: http://www.ncvisitorcenter.com/Birth_of ... Music.html

It meanders a little at first, because I had to tie it to the Bristol Sessions, but It still think it is pretty good.