Bluegrass A History

“Bluegrass A History” by Neil V. Rosenberg is a comprehensive exploration of the bluegrass genre, published by the University of Illinois Press in 2005 as a 20th Anniversary edition. This 447-page book delves into the musical cultures of the American South from the 1920s and 1930s, tracing the evolution of bluegrass through significant developments, including the influence of Bill Monroe and his Blue Grass Boys in the 1940s. It examines the genre’s integration into postwar country music, its challenges during the rise of rock and roll, and its resurgence during the folk music revival, culminating in the establishment of bluegrass festivals in the mid-1960s.

Readers will find a detailed account of bluegrass’s transformation into a self-sustaining musical industry during the 1970s and 1980s. The book also includes a supplementary preface that reflects on the developments in the bluegrass world over the past two decades. With an extensive bibliography, discography, notes, and index, this edition serves as a thorough resource for those interested in the history and criticism of bluegrass music, as well as its cultural significance within the broader context of American folk and traditional music.