Why no Cello in Bluegrass?

[JimW]

I was wondering about the Cello. With it's lovely, deep tone, why aren't they used more in bluegrass? I do believe a Cello was used in Bill Monroe's recording of "My Last Day's on Earth", but other than that, I don't think I've heard one used in Bluegrass.

I think it would fit in nicely with the music. Comments?

Jim http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/mandosmiley.gif

[Strado Len]

Nancy Blake often plays the cello with Norman, although his music isn't strictly bluegrass. It is indeed a lovely sounding instrument. The electric bass, which is closer in scale length to a cello than to the acoustic double bass, is considered acceptable (by some) for bluegrass.

The truth is great music is great music, whether it is played on the banjo, xylophone, or cello.

[TonyP.]

Check the old Rising Fawn Ensemble of Norman and Nancy Blake. It's not really bluegrass, but it is acoustic music and Norman has always ridden the edge of old time and BG. Nancy did a nice job of filling several spots, bass, melody etc. Very economical, which as far as I'm concerned is what it's all about. I'm sorry but I'm not a fan of more is better and adding a cello with a regular BG band would just lose it in the "mud". If your going to drop out say the bass, or guitar or fiddle that would be cool but it's right in the range of all those instruments. I think that was the genius of Big Mon, represent all the ranges without clutter. About the only duel stuff he did was twin and more fiddles which by nature work well. On the practical side, all the cello players I ever tried to jam with were classical players and there is nothing that scares a classical player more than a jam. Great technique, but needed charts to play, not the usual BG forte.

[Eugene]

Hmmm...another thought to ponder: why no banjo in the historic string quartet or standard orchestra?

[doanepoole]

Indeed, just about every album with both Norman and Nancy Blake includes one or more tracks with cello, but it is certainly not bluegrass, even though some of the tunes may have somewhat of a bluegrass feel.

I don't mean this in a negative way about either cello or bluegrass, but I think cello is too pretty to work in a bluegrass context.

[doanepoole]

Hmmm...another thought to ponder: why no banjo in the historic string quartet or standard orchestra?

I often find myself asking the reverse of that question: #why is there banjo in bluegrass? http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/wink.gif

But seroisuly, and again I don't mean this as negative about the banjo, but I think the banjo is too plunky/harsh to work in a typical string quartet or orchestral context.

[Jon Hall]

The cello was fairly common in stringbands during the late 19th & early 20th centuries. Check out some of the samples at Steve Hartz's website www.mysteryridge.com. Click The Muddy Angelina and listen to the Nacogdoches Waltz.

[mandofiddle]

I recall a few Rockygrass Festivals ago there was a fella who brought a cello. I believe Darol Anger (maybe someone else?) might have brought him to the festival, and the cello player sat in with a band or two. I don't recall his name, but I do remember he was an awesome player and melded the cello into the style amazingly. I think he was also jamming in the campground with it too...

[CharlieKnuth]

I once read somewhere (you know the most often quoted reference - in some book, somewhere) that the cello was often used on the road in the early days of string bands because the bass was just too big and awkward to haul around. The cello was used as the bass instrument. It makes sense to me - not bluegrass, but old timey music.

[Jim M.]

I believe Darol Anger (maybe someone else?) might have brought him to the festival,

That would be Rushad Eggleston, a true wonder on the cello. You can hear him on the Fiddlers 4 album, with Darol, Michael Doucet, and Bruce Molsky, and he is also on the new Darol Anger Fiddle Ensemble album, "Republic of Strings". He's also on at least one track of the Wayfaring Strangers "This Train" album. I've seen him live a few times and he rocks. YoYo Ma does a good job with Edgar Meyer and Bela Fleck, but Rushad is much better at making the cello sound like a folk music instrument.

[Dolamon]

Cello has a surprisingly long tradition in popular music. The Ink Spots in the thirties and forties used a cello with a tenor guitar for their rhythm / harmony backing of their remarkable vocals. Several Jazz players (notably Ray Brown - he even had an artist model cello with his name on it) preferred to use a cello for recording. Perhaps the absence of more cello is due to the training and focus of the player, and their normal absence in session type environment. "Wanna bring your cello to a parking lot jam?"

I have seen cello players in Celtic sessions and in Chicago there is a remarkable performing group, "Sunnyside Up" which bridges a lot of genre of music and ... they use a cello and an upright bass to fill in the bottom. Uniquely, one of the harmony players in this group uses an original Weissenborn on stage - now that's really rare. They play a mixture of B/G, swing, jazz, blues etc. all done with a lot of expertise and swing. They are in the process of producing an album so - the chance to hear Cello / Mando / Weissenborn is right on the horizon.[U]

[JimW]

Very interesting thoughts on this subject. I think a Cello used in Bluegrass would work just fine. I think more of a background, fill type instrument with it's deep resonance, and maybe a well done break occasionally.

I have listened to quite a few of the Woodsongs video clips and I think Michael Johnathan has a good young Cello player that is amazing, although he plays more folk music than anything. I could really listen to the Cello all day.

Jim

[mandofiddle]

That would be Rushad Eggleston, a true wonder on the cello.
Yep, that's the guy. I knew I'd know the name if I heard it (or read it).

[WJF]

Rushad Eggleston also makes an appearance on Ben Freed's banjo CD "suite for Bluegrass Banjo"

http://www.rambles.net/freed_suite03.html http://www.countysales.com/php-bin/ecomm4/categories.php?category_id=9953

The guy is a monster ... GREAT chops, and his cello really sounds great with Ben's banjo!!

[mandorado]

Well, Jello is usually served as a desert. I'm sure mixing it with a nice grass would be interesting, but ...
Oh, you said Cello.
Nevermind.
http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/tounge.gif

[mandopete]

There used to be a band in Western Canada called Roundhouse that featured a cello. What was pretty cool about it was the guy could play bass lines or go up and play with the fiddle.

I have always though that the cello was an incredibly versatile instrument and I for one would like to see more of them!

[pklima]

I don't play cello or bluegrass but I've tried bowed bass in some old-time jams. Simple droning works great on darker modal tunes.

[mandobsessed]

mandopete Roundhouse had a tradittional bluegrass line up. I think the band you are tinking of is Great Northern (named after the railroad not the bean).

They had a cello and a five string viola. They referred to their music as the Low Lonesome sound, they had a good sound.

[GVD]

Who does the theme song for new HBO series Deadwood ? It's not really BG or OT but the cello sure sounds good with the other BG/OT instruments.

GVD

[Talon]

Cello is a wonderful instrument. I like it alot when it is played with a bow to do drone notes in the background. It could be played in an unconventional style to fit bluegrass music. It is totally different from a standup bass or an electric bass, because it is tuned in 5ths, not 4ths. The scales are like mandola or viola, just an octave lower.
I was at a small club in Clarksville Tennessee a few months ago, to see my friends, The Ballistic Pintos play. They have an open mic slot and a fellow showed up with a trumpet. I thought to myself, this will never work. He backed up a guitar and mandolin, and to everyones surprise, except his I'm sure, he made it work!

Music is the language of our hearts, every heart can beat if you let it.

[Ted Eschliman]

(Betray his age...) I remember the late Harry Chapin using a celloist as accompaniment for a lot of his songs. No, it isn't bluegrass, but some great acoustic Pop from the early '70s, before he met an untimely death.
One of my favorite songs from my youth "Taxi," is an example. (And who can forget "Cat's in the Cradle...")
His cello player frequently provided a lush counter melody. Quite artistic, and obviously, few others using it.
Probably because it's so awkward keeping it under the chin...

[Kelly_guy]

Another that isn't bluegrass, but...

The first time I saw Lyle Lovett in concert was in 1990 at the Mountain Winery in Saratoga CA, and besides Lyle on guitar, he was backed only by a guy on cello and a guy playing congas. On his slow ballads, of course, the cello fit perfectly. But for his up-tempo country tunes, the cello would do fiddle-type backing, and it sounded absolutely wonderful!

[Scotti Adams]

..Skaggs used a cello and some fiddles to make Summer Wages the great song that it is on Crowes 0044 Rounder Lp....hmm..I just wonder how he held it up to his chin...maybe Bobby Sloan helped him http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif

[Dagger Gordon]

Darol Anger played some cello in Grisman's band on Quintet '80

[mandodude]

...His cello player frequently provided a lush counter melody...
Hey... that's it! #I must be a cello player! #After all, I'm usually the lush at the counter, tryin' to sing the melody!...


http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/tounge.gif

[danb]

My flatmate is a cellist, and I've taught him "Scotland". Sounds pretty dang cool up the neck.

Ever hear Yo Yo Ma & Mark O'Connor's disk?

[pickinpox]

Chris Sexton of the Nothin' Fancy Bluegrass Band sometimes plays cello on stage during a bluegrass concert.

[Peter Hackman]

Darol Anger played some cello in Grisman's band on Quintet '80
Indeed, and there is also one piece on the triple CD, DGQ25.
Mike Marshall used a cello to great effect on Gator
Strut.

If you add a cello and keep the bass, you would have to
move the guitar out of the way, and why not, there's
so much you can do in a higher range, fills, riffs,
counter-melodies. But then you would have to throw out
the banjo. Yes, WHY NOT!

[mikeyes]

I used to see a band back in the 70's that had a cello but it was played as a bass by one of the children in the group. Since my brain is taking vactions due to old age, I can't remember who it was. One of the family bands, obviously.

[Jim M.]

Rushad Eggleston is in a new group with Aoife O'Donovan from the Wayfaring Strangers. You can get a great MP3 of their vocal and cello work on "Say, Darling Say" at:
http://www.mit.edu/~gliszt/CS/8/aoife.html

[mando bandage]

The first time I saw Lyle Lovett

First time I heard Lyle Lovett was similar and was the product of a happy accident. I was trying to learn to program my VCR for unmonitored, timed recording. Thought I was recording an NCAA B-Ball game. When I rewound the tape, there was some guy with big hair playing guitar accompanied by piano, and cello. Got my attention in a hurry, and kept it for the past 10 years.

Cello has always been an instrument that stops me in my tracks to listen to it, particularly when played in duets with piano. I learned the other day that my maternal grandmother, who died long before I was born, was a cellist (My mother was the pianist). Coincidence or genetic mandate? You decide.

R

[Paul Kotapish]

They weren't bluegrass by any definition, but the East Texas Serenaders had a cello:

http://www.mustrad.org.uk/articles/serenade.htm

Terry Zwigoff--better known these days as the director of films such as Crumb, Ghost World, and Bad Santa, plays cello with a variety of old-time music bands, including the Cheap Suit Serenaders, an ensemble that originally included R. Crumb himself.

Here's a good interview with Zwigoff where he has lots of interesting things to say about traditional and old-time music:

http://www.oldhatrecords.com/ZwigoffInt.html

Cello was the accompaniment instrument of choice for traditional Scottish (and Irish and English) fiddling in centuries past, and Michael Robinison has a nice illustrated screed on the subject here:

http://www.standingstones.com/tradcllo.html

[GTison]

WHAT I WANT TO KNOW IS WHY THERE IS NO DRUM SET IN A STRING QUARTET. I mean just listen to the lack of...

[jmcgann]

I've worked a bunch with Rushad and I will say that as he continues to get out into the world at large and freak people out with his excellent playing, there will be more and more converts to the cello!