The
Bluegrass Hall of Fame: Inductee Biographies 1991 – 2014 by
Fred Bartenstein, Gary Reid & Others (International Bluegrass
Music Museum, 2014, 242 pages, $39.95) is an ambitious and largely
successful effort to present mini-biographies of all the fifty-seven
bluegrass performers and industry people inducted into the Bluegrass
Hall of Fame, now located at the International Bluegrass Music Museum
in Owensboro, Kentucky. In order to remain within limitations of
space and price the writers and the producers had to make a number of
choices that may compromise the book as a work of art from the
perspective of some people who purchase it. Nevertheless, the book
serves as an attractive and informative addition to the coffee table,
while providing information about each of the interesting and diverse
group of people now inhabiting the Hall of Fame.
The layout is complex and useful. Each
profile presents major points in an essay format roughly three pages
long. Interspersed in the narrative are quotations from articles,
interviews, and liner notes about the subject, sometimes quotations
from the honorees themselves. The members of the Hall of Fame were
chosen by IBMA committees, and are not a function of the book's
authors. Sidebars present highlights including major dates of birth
and death, instrument noted for, number of songs composed and
copyrighted, the subject's early influences, the most important event
that led to their being well known,and the bands they played with.
Perhaps the most interesting sidebar comments can be found in
sections called “Led the Way,” which details the influence the
person had on others, and “By the Way,” containing interesting
tidbits not found in the narrative. This structure offers lots of
interesting details, even minutiae, that readers might wish to know
or find valuable. The book contains a reasonable index, but no list
of references or a bibliography, both of which would increase the
research value of the book. Perhaps publishing this information
online would be a valuable adjunct.
In order to maintain a reasonable price
that would seem accessible to most of the bluegrass audience and to
visitors to the International Bluegrass Music Museum in Owensboro, KY
(the sponsor of this project), compromises in quality had to be made.
The book is too small to dominate the coffee table it is intended to
inhabit, and the quality of photo reproduction for many of the
photographs used is sometimes marginal. Much of this can be explained
because the choice of photographs, almost all in color, reaches back
to capture most of these giants in their prime or even youth. The
kind of book I have in mind would have reached or exceeded the $100
level, which would have made its cost prohibitive. There is a heavy
reliance on liner notes in the narrative. Such material is often
heavier on marketing than on analysis, making it of marginal value
for accurate assessment of an artists work. Many of the pioneers of
country and bluegrass music developed their careers through making
grueling trips to local radio stations from which they broadcast live
fifteen minute of half-hour shows before rushing off to a gig. The
list of long disappeared, small, AM radio station call numbers
sometimes becomes overwhelming to me, although I know specialists
glory in them. Overall, however, the book provides a satisfactory
overview of those who pioneered the music.
This is not a book intended to be read
through, but, rather, one to dip into, which is exactly what coffee
table books are for. Here's how Wikipedia describes coffee table
books: “A coffee table book is an oversized, usually hard-covered
book whose place is for display on a table intended for use in an
area in which one would entertain guests and from which it can act to
inspire conversation. Subject matter is predominantly non-fiction and
pictorial or a photo-book. Pages consist mainly of photographs and
illustrations, accompanied by captions and small blocks of text, as
opposed to long prose. Since they are aimed at anyone who might pick
the book up for a light read, the analysis inside is often more basic
and with less jargon than other books on the subject.” Because of
this, the term "coffee table book" Careful reading of The
Bluegrass Hall of Fame often
elicits useful insights. Bill Monroe, for instance, is clearly a
giant. A genius whose musical vision changed country music forever.
He was also a difficult, combative, jealous, and tortured soul who
could be small and mean. These qualities, however, only appear in the
profiles of those who worked with him, and not in his own entry. The
line between analysis and hagiography is a tough one to negotiate,
and sometimes this volume misses the mark.
Fred Bartenstein
Fred Bartenstein has performed many roles in blugrass music, including magazine editor, broadcaster, musician, festival MC, talent director, scholar, and consultant. He was 2013 winner of the IBMA Print/Media Person of the Year and Liner Notes author. He was a recipient of the IBMA Distinguished Achievement Award in 2006.
The
Bluegrass Hall of Fame: Inductee Biographies 1991 – 2014
by Fred Bartenstein, Gary Reid & Others (International Bluegrass
Music Museum, 2014, 242 pages, $39.95) will prove itself to be a
desirable book to many bluegrass fans. The subjects of the profiles
in it each deserve more extensive showcasing, both for their
contributions and their complexities. Sitting at a picnic table at a
festival with relaxed musicians who played with and knew these people
provides wonderful, and often insightful or hilarious, insights into
the strengths and foibles of these people often creates a deeper
understanding of the bluegrass greats. Such reminiscences should be
collected and organized while those who traveled and played with the
greats are still here to share the stories. Probably such books lie
more in the realm of university presses than museum showpieces.
Nevertheless, The
Bluegrass Hall of Fame: Inductee Biographies 1991 – 2014
will bring pleasure to many. I received a copy of the book for free
in payment for the picture I contributed to it.
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