Bona Fide Bluegrass and Mountain Music

O Bandwagon, Where Art Thou? In the frenzied rush to capitalize on the unprecedented success of the film (oh, you know which one), many labels have cranked out one old-timey collection after another. Luckily in this case, the RCA labels have the archives to back up their compilation and what results is sort of a second primer on traditional country music from the likes of Bill Monroe, the Carter Family, Jimmy Martin, and the underrated Wade Mainer. Spanning from 1928 to 1956 in a roughly chronological order, Bona Fide Bluegrass Mountain Music documents the evolution of this American roots music into the modern recording era. While longtime bluegrass fans will be familiar with all of the big names, the deeper cuts from Jimmy Murphy, the Morris Brothers, and the Country Pardners should be worth the price of the disc alone. Those who enjoyed the rich textures and pure honesty of the best-selling soundtrack will certainly enjoy this second volume of old-timey goodness. – Zac Johnson