Bluegrass Revival Scene
tagStarted 1959Peak 1996-2010Last big hit still active
Located in 2 routes
Renewed energy in acoustic string-band music: virtuosic banjo, mandolin, fiddle, and dobro, tight high-lonesome harmony, and progressive 'newgrass' harmonic adventure alongside traditionalist reverence. Crisp, fast, fully acoustic arrangements with jazz and folk-festival influences. Picking precision over electric polish.
History
Rooted in the late-1950s folk revival that brought bluegrass to colleges, it surged again with the 1972 'Will the Circle Be Unbroken' sessions and the New Grass Revival's progressive turn. The 2000 'O Brother, Where Art Thou?' soundtrack and Alison Krauss's crossover success triggered a major 2000s revival led by players like Béla Fleck.
Defining artists
Essential listening
Sources
- International Bluegrass Music Association
- Neil Rosenberg, Bluegrass: A History
- Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum
- AllMusic bluegrass-revival essays