Bluegrass

Generally considered a variant of country music, bluegrass is a hybrid of old-time country and string-band music; British folk songs; improvisation and syncopation, reflecting the influence of blues and jazz; and a wide variety of popular commercial music. Although frequently considered “mountain music,” bluegrass was created by Bill Monroe in Rosine, Kentucky – far from the hills of Appalachia. Key instruments in the genre include the mandolin and the 5-string banjo.

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Bill Wells Photos | Digital Traditions
Bill Wells Photos | Digital Traditions

Photo

In December of 1985, Bill Wells – a retired Navy man and musician raised in the coal-mining region of southwestern Virginia – opened Bill’s Pickin’ Parlor and Music Shop in West Columbia. He...