Bluegrass: An Informal Guide

Rating:
Summary: Superb introduction for new and old fans of Bluegrass music.
Review: Not everyone who has heard Bluegrass music, and was attracted by the driving fiddle playing and banjo picking is aware of the history of the genre. There are several more scholarly studies of this subject, aimed at more knowledgeable listeners, but, for someone who is just getting interested in the form, this may be the best book-length introduction available today. With emphasis on the musicians who developed the form, but with up-to-date coverage of the directions Bluegrass music has taken in the fifty years of its life and where it may head off to in the future, Smith, in his approachable style offers a succinct introduction to one of the most enjoyable forms of country music.

Rating:
Summary: Pretty good place for a beginner to start.
Review: Smith gives a lot of basic information that a bluegrass newcomer might want to know -- the essential names, the basics of each instrument, what to expect at a festival, etc. The author's style gets a little cutesy at times, but he does warn you that this is an "informal guide."

Rating:
Summary: Great for Beginners looking for suggestions on CD purchases
Review: With 500 CD and video suggestions this book is a must have if you're looking for some guidance on CD and video purchases. Stop and think...how much have you spent for CD's that you don't like. If I lost my copy, I'd pay twice the price to get another.

Rating:
Summary: Great for Beginners looking for suggestions on CD purchases
Review: With 500 CD and video suggestions this book is a must have if you're looking for some guidance on CD and video purchases. Stop and think...how much have you spent for CD's that you don't like. If I lost my copy, I'd pay twice the price to get another.