Historic Bibliographies and Reference Aids

Bluegrass Music: A Select Bibliography

Compiled by: Joseph C. Hickerson, Morellen MacLeish, and Hilary A. Selby
Publication Date: July 6, 1977

Adler, Thomas.
"The Ballad in Bluegrass Music." Folklore Forum, volume 7, number 1, January 1974, pp. 3-47.

"The Concept of Nidality and Its Potential Application to Folklore." In Conceptual Problems in Contemporary Folklore Study, ed. By Gerald Cashion, Bloomington, Ind.:  Folklore Forum (Bibliographic and Special Series, no. 12), 1974, pp. 1-5.

"Manual Formulaic Composition: Innovation in Bluegrass Banjo Styles." Journal of Country Music, volume 5, number 2, Summer 1974, pp. 55-64.

Ahrens, Pat J.
A History of the Musical Careers of Dewitt "Snuffy" Jenkins, Banjoist, and Homer "Pappy" Sherill, Fiddler. West Columbia, S.C.: Wentworth Corporation, 1970.

Artis, Bob.
Bluegrass: From the Lonesome Wail of a Mountain Love Song to the Hammering Drive of the Scruggs Style Banjo, The Story of an American Musical Tradition. New York: Hawthorn Books, 1975.

Atkins, John.
"Bluegrass." Series in BMG, beginning volume 66, number 763, November 1968, pp. 38-39.

Bartenstein, Fred.
"The Audience for Bluegrass: Muleskinner News Reader Survey." Journal of Country Music, volume 4, number 3, Fall 1973, pp. 74-105.

Blaustein, Richard.
"Will Success Spoil Old Time Fiddling and Bluegrass?" Devils Box, number 17, June 1972, pp. 21-24.

"Bluegrass Special Edition." Country & Western Spotlight, new series, number 9, December 1976, pp. 2-40.

Brassington, Dave.
"A Short Summary of Bluegrass Music." Country & Western Roundabout, volume 3, number 10, February-March 1965, p. 11. Beginning of series.

Cantwell, Robert.
"Believing in Bluegrass." Atlantic Monthly, volume 229, number 3, March 1972, pp. 52-54, 58-60.

Carlson, Norman.
Bluegrass Handbook. Fourth edition, West Lafayette, Ind.: N. Carlson, 1969.

Clarkson, Atelia and W. Lynwood Montell.
"Letters to a Bluegrass DJ: Social Documents of Southern White Migrants in Southeastern Michigan 1964-74." Southern Folklore Quarterly, volume 39, number 3, September 1975, pp. 219-231.

Cohen, John.
"Bluegrass." Sing Out!, volume 14, number 3, July 1964, pp. 97-103.

Cyporyn, Dennis.
The Bluegrass Songbook. New York: Macmillan Co., 1972.

Fleischhauer, Carl.
"The Public Named Bluegrass Music: An Interview with Everett Lilly." Old Time Music, number 21, Summer 1976, pp. 4-6.

Foster, Alice.
"Growing Up in Rosine, Kentucky: An Interview with Bill Monroe." Sing Out!, volume 19, number 2, July-August 1969, pp. 6-11.

"My Life in Bluegrass – An Interview with Bill Monroe." In Newport Folk Festival – 1969, New York: Newport Folk Festival, 1969, pp. 14-17.

Gentry, Linnell.
A History and Encyclopedia of Country, Western, and Gospel Music. Second edition, Nashville: Clairmont Corp., 1969.

Green, Douglas B.
The Origins of Country Music. New York: Hawthorn Books, 1976, pp. 115-130.

Green, James D., Jr.
"A Musical Analysis of the Banjo Style of Earl Scruggs: An Examination of Country Music (Mercury MG 20358)." Journal of Country Music, volume 5, number 1, Spring 1974, pp. 31-37.

Gruhn, George.
"A Brief Guide to Blue Grass Instruments." Muleskinner News, volume 2, number 3, May-June 1971, pp. 40-47.

Gruhn, George and Doug Green.
"A Photo Guide to Blue Grass Instruments," Muleskinner News, volume 3, number 3, May 1972, pp. 44-50.

Haglund, Urband and Lillies Ohlsson.
A Listing of Bluegrass Albums. Västeras, Swe.: Kountry Korral Productions, 1971.

Hentoff, Nat.
"Ballads, Banjos and Bluegrass." HiFi/Stereo Review, volume 10, number 5, May 1963, pp. 48-52.

Hickerson, Joseph C.
"A Brief List of Material Relating to Bluegrass Music." Bluegrass Unlimited, volume 2, number 3, September 1967, pp. 3-5.

Jesperson, Alan and Jerry Flynn.
"A Basic Bluegrass Record Library." Minnesota Bluegrass & Old-Time Music Association Newsletter, volume 2, number 11, November 1976, pp. 1-6. Beginning of series.

Jones, Bob.
"Knee Deep in Bluegrass." Column in The Broadside (Cambridge, Mass.), beginning volume 5, number 9, June 22, 1966.

Koon, William Henry.
"Newgrass, Oldgrass, and Bluegrass." JEMF Quarterly, volume 10, part 1, number 33, Spring 1974, pp. 15-18.

Kuta, Bill.
"Bluegrass Songbooks: A Practical Guide to What's Available and Where." Bluegrass Unlimited, volume 10, number 11, May 1976, pp. 22-27.

Kuykendall (Roberts), Pete.
"Bill Monroe." Disc Collector, number 15, 1961, pp. 29-33.

"Bluegrass Music Section." Disc Collector, number 13, 1959, pp. 17-21.

"Don Reno and Red Smiley and the Tennessee Cutups." Disc Collector, number 17, 1961, pp. 18-20.

"Don Reno, Red Smiley, Bill Harrell and the Tennessee Cutups."  Bluegrass Unlimited, volume 5, number 12, June 1971, pp. 5-8; volume 6, number 1, July 1971, pp. 11-16; number 2, August 1971, pp. 9-12.

"Lester Flatt and Earl Scruggs and the Foggy Mountain Boys." Disc Collector, number 14, 1960, pp. 37-44.

"The Stanely Brothers." Disc Collector, number 16, 1961, pp. 21-27.

Lass, Roger.
"Bluegrass." Caravan [number 12], August-September 1958, pp. 20-23.

Lehmann-Haupt, Christopher.
"Out of My Mind on Bluegrass." New York Times Magazine, volume 119, number 41,140, September 13, 1970, pp. 36-37, 39, 42, 44, 46, 49, 52, 54, 56.

Lomax, Alan.
"Bluegrass Background: Folk Music With Overdrive." Esquire, volume 52, number 4, October 1959, p. 108.

Malone, Bill C.
Country Music U.S.A.: A Fifty-Year History. Austin: University of Texas Press (Publications of the American Folklore Society, Memoir Series, volume 54), 1968, pp. 305-358.

Marshall, Howard Wight.
"'Keep on the Sunny Side of Life': Pattern and Religious Expression in Bluegrass Gospel Music." New York Folklore Quarterly, volume 30, number 1, March 1974, pp. 3-43.

"'Open up Them Pearly Gates': Pattern and Religious Expression in Bluegrass Gospel Music." Folklore Forum, volume 4, number 5, September 1971, pp. 92-112.

Martin, Preston K.
"Bill Monroe and Bluegrass—An Analysis of Important Reissues." Autoharp, volume 4, number 4, March 16, 1964, pp. [18]-[21].

McDonald, James J.
"Principal Influences on the Music of the Lilly Brothers of Clear Creek, West Virginia."  Journal of American Folklore, volume 86, number 342, October-December 1973, pp. 331-344. Reprinted in Goldenseal, volume 1, number 1, April-June 1975, pp. 27-36.

Mitsui, Toru.
Burugurasu Ongaku [Bluegrass Music]. Toyohashi, Jap.: Traditional Song Society, Aichi University, 1967.

Patterson, John N.
"Introduction to Bluegrass: Tradition Versus Commercialism." Colorado Bluegrass Music Society Newsletter, number 21, May 1974, pp. 3-5. Beginning of series.

Price, Steven D.
Old as the Hills: The Story of Bluegrass Music. New York: Viking Press, 1975.

Reno, Don.
The Musical History of Don Reno: His Life, His Songs. Riverdale, Md.: Don Reno Publications, 1975. 

Rinzler, Ralph.
"Bill Monroe—'The Daddy of Blue Grass Music'." Sing Out!, volume 13, number 1, February-March 1963, pp. 5-8.

"Bill Monroe—Thirty Years." Bluegrass Unlimited, volume 4, number 4, October 1969, p. 2.

"The Roots of Bluegrass." Hootenanny, volume 1, number 2, March 1964, pp. 54-55.

Ronald, R. J.
"Lester Flatt & Earl Scruggs Story." Country News and Views, volume 5, number 2, October 1966, pp. 4-17.

Rooney, James.
Bossmen: Bill Monroe & Muddy Waters. New York: Dial Press, 1971.

Rosenberg, Neil V.
Bill Monroe and His Blue Grass Boys: An Illustrated Discography. Nashville: Country Music Foundation Press, 1974.

"From Sound to Style: The Emergence of Bluegrass." Journal of American Folklore, volume 80, number 316, April-June 1967, pp. 143-150. Reprinted in Bluegrass Unlimited, volume 3, number 7, January 1969, pp. 6-12; also in Gentry, pp. 309-318. 

"Into Bluegrass: The History of a Word." Muleskinner News, volume 5, number 8, August 1974, pp. 7-9, 31-33.

Rutherford, Doug.
"A Partially Annotated Bibliography & Discography of the Bluegrass Music of Bill Monroe & His Blue Grass Boys, and Lester Flatt & Earl Scruggs & The Foggy Mountain Boys." Seattle Folklore Society Journal, volume 5, number 2, December 1973, pp. 14-24.

Saunders, Walter V.
"Johnny Whisnant Musical History." Bluegrass Unlimited, volume 4, number 12, June 1970, pp. 8-14; volume 5, number 1, July 1970, pp. 7-11; volume 5, number 2, August 1970, pp. 17-22; volume 5, number 3, September 1970, pp. 28-33.

Scruggs, Earl.
Earl Scruggs and the 5-String Banjo. New York: Peer International, 1968.

Scruggs, Louise.
"Earl Scruggs: The Legend of the Man." Muleskinner News, volume 3, number 1, January 1972, pp. 2-9.

"History of the 5-String Banjo." Tennessee Folklore Society Bulletin, volume 27, number 1, March 1961, pp. 1-5. Reprinted as "A History of America's Favorite Folk Instrument," Sing Out!, volume 13, number 5, December-January 1963-1964, pp. 26-29.

Seeger, Michael.
"Mountain Music Bluegrass Style." Sing Out!, volume 11, number 1, February-March 1961, pp. 10-12.

Smith, L. Mayne.
"Bluegrass as a Musical Style." Autoharp, volume 3, number 3, February 8, 1963, pp. A-F.

"First Bluegrass Festival Honors Bill Monroe." Sing Out!, volume 15, number 6, January 1966, pp. 65-69.

"An Introduction to Bluegrass." Journal of American Folklore, volume 78, number 309, July-September 1965, pp. 245-256. Reprinted in Bluegrass Unlimited, volume 1, numbers 3, 4, 5, and 6, September-December 1966. Additions and corrections: volume 1, number 7, January 1967, pp. 4-6. Also reprinted in Gentry, pp. 206-207, 216-223, 208-213.

Smith, William R.
"Bluegrass Breakdown (A Basic Library of 50 LP's)." Old Time Music, number 4, Spring 1972, pp. 15-18.

Stambler, Irwin and Grelun Landon.
Golden Guitars: The Story of Country Music. New York: Four Winds Press, 1971.  "Bluegrass Breakthrough," pp. 84-99.

Talvitie, William O. and Bruce Kaplan.
"Bluegrass Music: Innovations in Context." John Edwards Memorial Foundation Quarterly, volume 9, part 4, number 32, Winter 1973, pp. 166-169.

Vernon, Bill.
"Record Blue Grass: A Survey of Albums in Print." Muleskinner News, volume 2, number 3, May-June 1971, pp. 52-55.

Welding, Pete.
"Earl Scruggs—and the Sound of Bluegrass." Sing Out!, volume 12, number 2, April-May 1962, pp. 4-7.

Wernick, Peter.
Bluegrass Songbook. New York: Oak Publications; London: Music Sales Ltd., 1976.

Williams, Michael S.
"Incredibly Short History of the Instruments Found in Bluegrass Music Today." Colorado Bluegrass Music Society Newsletter, number 26, October 1974, pp. 3-7. Reprinted in Muleskinner News, volume 6, number 5, May 1975, pp. 4-6.

"Inner Dynamics of a Model Bluegrass Band: A Look at a Preliminary Bluegrass Aesthetic." Colorado Bluegrass Society Newsletter, number 27, November 1974, pp. 5-8; number 28, December 1974, pp. 3-5.

Wolfe, Charles.
"Bluegrass Touches: And Interview With Bill Monroe." Old Time Music, number 16, Spring 1975, pp. 6-12.