The Howling Brothers: providing your every bluegrass need

I have to be honest, I was a bit skeptical that we'd find anything much bluegrass in Nashville, that it would only be country music town and my expectations would be shot.  They weren't, we had a fantastically bluegrassy time.  

Our first evening there we spent at the band's house and they had some friends over for a jam.  It wasn't very old timey, it seemed like they just wanted to play the most beautiful bluegrass songs you ever did hear.  I, in turn, took my place on their couch and sat for hours, grinning like an idiot.  I could not get enough.  

The next night was 'circle night' at a local bar, folk sitting around in circles jamming.  There was a straight country circle (not popular with our group), an old-timey circle, a happy-bluegrass circle.  There were more musos than punters at the bar.  I found my happy.grin.like.an.idiot spot again, but this time we were all singing along.  Just. So. Fun. For a while, our happy-bluegrass circle had a wash tub playing bass.  Literally.  I was in heaven. This is kind of what it was like.  Unfortunately the bones are so loud in that clip, you can't hear the bass, but you can see it.  Also, we were laughing a lot more than that group.

Before we left on Thursday night, the band had a gig in a pub on honky tonk row in downtown Nashville.  I have to say, I loved the sitting around and jamming of the previous nights a lot more.  It's more natural, with some down time, and the solos were more exciting as the musicians could improvise  freely without the pressure of keeping their audience.  

'They' are the Howling Brothers, you can find their website here.  We've also recorded a few clips and Jbird has posted them up on my new youtube site here.  Thanks darlin'.

When I refer to old-time, I'm referring to the very early style of bluegrass, with a lot of layers of fast rhythm, especially banjo.  My favourite old-time album is 'Tis Sweet to Be Remembered by Flatt and Scruggs.  My favourite newer group is Nickel Creek - we danced our first dance at our wedding to this waltz.  Then there's Old Crow Medicine Show who are just fabulous all round.  We've found a festival not far from here where they'll be playing this summer.  Yeeeehaw!