Why so many guest musicians in Bluegrass recordings?

[Rex Hart]

This has been a pet peeve of mine. Why do so many well established bluegrass artists feel that they have to bring in "crack" musicians when it comes time to do a recording project? I can understand if you want Dobro on your recording and your touring band does not carry one, but why bring in Sam Bush or Stuart Duncan or Rob Ickes if you have a competent member in your band that would suffice? Is it for name recognition only and to move more "product" if you have high profile names on your project? Not to mention how this must make the players in the band feel when they realize they are not "good" enough to actually record with. True, there are certain acts that stick with the ones that got them there (i.e. Blue Highway, Del McCoury, etc.), but Bluegrass seems to do this much more often than other genres of music. Face it, if you have Rob Ickes come and lay the Dobro down, it is gonna sound like Rob Ickes in your band and not a true representation of what you actually sound like live. Does this bother any one else as much as it does me?

[mandolirius]

Really don't agree with the premise. I think it happens as often, if not more so, in other forms of music. I think it's fairly common to have a group of musicians that play on a recording and a different band that tours. I'm actually under the impression it happens less in bluegrass music than other genres.

[JEStanek]

Not for nothin' this happens often in the hip hop world too. A guest rapper on a song. Apples and oranges perhaps, but this isn't limited to the bluegrass genre. I think it helps drive sales.

Jamie

[Timmando]

Definitely to drive sales. We have a local guitar hot shot who travels to georgia to record with some other hot shots in the atlanta area. The band he plays with here was po'd, but after hearing the quality of the recording, and his picking, they understand. Nobody around here can play at his level, and he paid the full bill for the production. He doesn't play live in a band with his name on it, he is a sideman for a band of lesser musicians on the road.

Here is the road band http://www.hwy41bluegrass.com/
Here is his flatpicker cd done with the professionals http://elderly.com/recordings/items/RFM-CD07.htm

[shortymack]

Rapper and song, now thats a head scratcher.

I agree that its just not strictly prone to bluegrass and to me it really isnt such a big deal. Its all just a part of the business of making money. One could take it even further and say 'why do people/artists buy songs?'...thats more of a question Ive never really understood but do realize why. I can see playing a cover but buying them has always seemed so un-artistic to me. Picasso or Rembrandt or Warhol never bought someone elses painting to trace.

[JEStanek]

Great painters quoted each other's work all the time. If you mean why do recording artists buy other people's song rights? I guess as a royalty investment. Michael Jackson owned Happy Birthday To You (IIRC) and much of the Beatles discography (earned 50% royalties on them).

Jamie

[Dan Co1e]

I am a fan of the late Doc Watson (RIP) and love listening to recordings of him playing with Sam Bush, Bela Fleck, David Grisman or Bill Monroe. Don't get me wrong, Doc's playing with Merle or Jack Lawrence is great stuff but adding another instrument besides guitar always seemed to add the needed spice to the recipe...

[chip]

Interesting that this topic was brought up as I was just discussing a similar thing this morning with my wife concerning baseball teams and then our band recording a cd. If one is in the business for just the dough then I guess that's what you do, bring in the big guns and step on those that youve enjoyed moderate success and comraderie with for some time. We, as baseball fans, don't care for the trading in and out of players we've enjoyed watching. Seems like a "team" would work better together if they could work through there problems knowing that the other members often step up to the plate when their in a slump. I'd rather watch my team struggle then succeed rather then just see the business side of it buy new players, not know them, never really watched them play and then win the division. Same with the music...IMO.

[Ivan Kelsall]

I understand your point Rex, & i've wondered the same thing many times.I suppose if a band want's a particular player/singer on a recording,it's because they have something other than what the regular band members have to offer,or they might want the 'specific sound' that a player/singer offers. The thing that really bugs me,is when various members of a band make 'individual' recordings,only to be backed by the other members of the same band.You end up with a number of recordings 'fronted' by different band members,that sound exactly like the band normally sound. There's also something of the 'you can be on my record if i can be on yours' thing going on as well at times (IMHO). No harm done,but it gets a bit 'samey',
Ivan

[mandroid]

Record producers budget is bigger than the performance fee payment
available for sets at live shows?
in addition . laying down an extra track added to an existing recording
means everyone does not have to show up at the session at once..

[catmandu2]

Record producers budget is bigger than the performance fee payment
available for sets at live shows?

Aside from MONEY...the practice is standard to jazz

[aphillips]

One GREAT reason is because it's fun!

[Willie]

I know of quite a few bands in my area that record with super pickers and then send the CD`s or tapes to promoters of festivals and they get booked and show up with different pickers that can`t hold a candle to the ones that were on the recordings....When I send out a promotion package I make it clear that the band members you hear on the recordings are the same ones that will show up for the show....Ralph Stanley seems to be making all of his recordings now days with stars from other bands, also Marty Sturart has some out like that...I suppose it makes good listening and helps sales if that is all you are after....

Willie

[Randi Gormley]

Maybe they're inviting old friends to come and play with them?

Not a band issue, but our group financed two CDs recently where the main player invited everybody and their brother/sister to come and do a track with them. I don't know if anybody turned the main artist down but the quality of the people who agreed was stellar, and everybody seemed to have a good time, in the studio and just hanging around playing music.

I got a feeling some of it was lending a less well-known player a hand and some was like a social obligation, but it did mean that someone might pick up the CD if they didn't know the main player simply because some light of the music scene's name was on it. The thought was a potential listener might be introduced to some really nice music they might not have known about otherwise.

[f5loar]

I think back to the early 60's when Rose Maddox wanted to sing some Bluegrass songs. She brought in Bill Monroe on a few cuts and Donna Stoneman on others to do the mandolin honors. She didn't have any bluegrass pickers in her band so she really had no choice. Was it to sell her new record? I don't see how as none of the pickers were identified on the LP cover and that was the way it was back then. You bought it to hear Rose Maddox not who was with her in the studio. That can pretty much be said about the majority of Country Artist then and now. They want a slick package to sell. Also studio was and still is expensive on an hourly bases. You bring in pros they get the job done quickly saving you or the people backing your project money in the long run. Bring in a bunch of yahoos and they could end up costing you big time. Bill Monroe was that way. If he knew his current Bluegrass Boy was not ready for the studio recordings he would bring in seasoned ex-Bluegrass Boys to get the job done to his liking.

[Bill Bradshaw]

One GREAT reason is because it's fun!

I sure like to believe that's at least part of it. Who doesn't like to pick with folks you connect with?

Cheers,

Bill

[homejame]

think back to the glory days of the studio house bands. how 'slick' and predictable a lot of country music was sounding . Yes- I know Chet as a guitar player - but as a producer he did a lot of harm. Think about Tamla, about the beach boys / phil spector ( using a lot of the same musicians). No wonder your parents yelled they all sound the same- cos , basically, it was the same guys on most of the stuff anyway.- Hal blaine was on everything lolol. see- Bluegrass aint alone. at least it's not computer driven- these kids that use rythnm tracks etc- do it in your bedroom stuff.
but- the Scottish series ( name of which escapes me at the moment) can get guilty of sounding very predictable and self congratulatory. Yes they are all top flight people. Id just love to hear a few cracks in the playing every now and again..see where it takes you??

[dunbarhamlin]

How often do you think you can hear the named rhythm section on a 45? That the session musicians brought in to fill in the cracks are named is an unusual nicety.