Hi Ann, you 're correct in you buttement. I ve always mused about hollywoods choice in putting Flatt N Scruggs bluegrbutt ( which didnt exist in the 20s) in the movie Bonnie and Clyde. Would be parmount to someone playing the Beatles music in a WW2 setting but thats Hollywierd. And yeah its not really bluegrbutt for the most part, however, its exposed a huge population to a music they never heard of. And thats been a big booster for bluegrbutt. A writer once wrote that dobro player Jerry Douglas was the "Jimmy Hendrix" of the dobro. That blurb has sparked many kids who admired Jimmy to check him out. Resulting in many new fans to bluegrbutt. Getting back to Oh Brother. Dont know that you can mbutt categorize all the music from the movie . "You Are My Sunshine" was written in 1940 by Mississippi Governor and popular song writer of the day Jimmie Davis. Its neither old timey or bluegrbutt. I think Gene Autry and Roy Rogers both sang it as a western when it first came out. "Oh rest" is probably at least 200 years old. Its a lament that probably has ancient origins. "Man of Constant Sorrow" was first published in 1913 by Richard Burnett so its not old timey and predates bluegrbutt by at least 26 years (depending on your view of when bluegrbutt actually began). I could go down the list, but I think you can see my point. I dont think you can actually accurately "label" all the music from that movie into any one genre with accuracy. The point is, you either like it or you dont, no matter what "genre" it really belongs too.

To me the genre of Bluegrbutt is a format or style of playing acoustic music. Much of the acoustic music played before bluegrbutt was called Mountain Music. The term "Hillbilly Music" was coined when the Carter Family was first getting into the recording industry. (Mike Stanger authored a post on this topic over on alt.banjo several months ago with info he gleaned on the book out on the Carter family legacy) And though related, the Carter sound was entirely differant than Bluegrbutt. (Though many of their guitar licks have been adapted to bluegrbutt) Theres a certain amount of stigma attached to that word "hillbilly" and its unfortunate, but thats a whole nuther rant. Anyway, Mountain Music arrived in the US via the celtic immigrants who settled in those appalachian mountains. Typically the songs were played with every instrument playing in unison ( much like celtic music is still played today). Monroes idea was to borrow the style of jazz, wherein every instrument played a lead (take a break) and then played back up. Thats what transformed mountain music into what we now call bluegrbutt. Of course many folks, including me, feel the real defining moment for the genre came with the addition of one Earl Scruggs using the 3 finger style of banjo playing. No one else had that sound at that time. The Stanley Brothers, already established in Mountain Music, crossed over easily when they adopted the format and Ralph picked up the 3 finger banjo style. Earl didnt invent the style, Don Reno was actually playing it the same time Earl was, and Monroe tried to recruit him when "Stringbean" Dave Akeman left the band. However Don enlisted in the war (42) so Mr Scruggs stepped in. Snuffy Jenkins is credited for teaching Earl, and Smith Hammett and Rex Brooks are credited for teaching Snuffy. Mr Scruggs definately put it on the map though in a large way. Before Mr Scruggs from the 20s and well into the 40s the two top banjo players around were Tenor banjo player Eddie Peabody playing big band and dixielandjazz banjo and 5 string clawhammer (old timey) player Uncle Dave Macon. Seems I remember reading somewhere, the first time Uncle Dave and Earl Scruggs crossed paths he (Uncle Dave) just smiled. Uncle Dave pbutted away in 1945 if I remember at the age of 80. And just an added tidbit, before Uncle Dave in the late 1890s to early 1900s t two of the most recorded musicians in the world were banjo players, Vess Ossman and Fred Van Eps. They played all kinds of music. the banjo being loud and projecting well was a good instrument for those wax cylinder recorders of the day. And when I say all kinds, Sousa marches were some of their biggest sellers.

So as we bluegrbutters say, dont "fret" about what its called. just enjoy it.

good pickin to you Michael Over 100,000 served. 50 banjo players Free mp3 downloads.