Guitarist and songwriter Bob Minner has assembled a veritable cavalcade of bluegrass superstars for his latest single, I Am Bluegrass, released today with Billy Blue Records. With a title like that, perhaps you need to.
The song gives voice to the genre itself, with words and music provided by Minner, his wife Ginger, and Joe Mullins, spoken and sung by some of the greatest who have ever lived, and some still making their marks. We hear Larry Cordle, Del McCoury, Ricky Skaggs, Doyle Lawson, Jerry Salley, Kristy Cox, Sam Bush, Gena Britt, Bob Minner, Ronnie Bowman, Dale Ann Bradley, Wyatt Ellis, Jesse Brock, Brooke Aldridge, C.J. Lewandowski, Michael Cleveland, Joe Mullins, Vickie Vaughn, Carson Peters, and Rebecca Frazier.
Whew… what a session! That took some time to get all these folks in.
I Am Bluegrass celebrates the music itself, telling the story of how it came to be, what it is, and why we love it, all over the course of five short minutes. The key and the rhythm changes throughout to serve the part of the tale being told, and remarkably encapsulates our music quite well in such a short space of time.
Quite an accomplishment, that.
Minner shared a few words about how this song, and this project came to be, and why it is released as a charitable benefit.
“I Am Bluegrass is an idea born out of the love of the music. It was a chilly October morning in 2024, and I was sitting in my rocking chair on the front porch of our cabin, thinking about song ideas. And I got to thinking, ‘How would bluegrass describe itself?’ Simple question but a complex idea, because the music is just so vast.
The lyrics came pretty quick because the songs of bluegrass describe the sentiments so well. I wrote just what came to mind and took it to Ginger (my wife and regular co-writer), and we tightened it up. I then went to my friend Joe Mullins, who was playing the Station Inn right after his dad Moon Mullins had just been inducted into the IBMA Bluegrass Hall of Fame the month prior. I had written the part about the radio’s importance in bluegrass, so Joe added a few lines.
The song sat for a while, then Ginger said, ‘You don’t have anything about the women in bluegrass,’ so she went to work on that verse, as well as adding the idea for the opening verse Larry Cordle does about the spirit of the Wayfaring Stranger. We then added the verses celebrating the festivals, the bands, and the final verse wrapping it all up.
Once we had all the lyrics in place, I approached Jerry Salley at Billy Blue (which I’m signed to as an artist) about coproducing a multi-artist event project of the song and donating the proceeds to the IBMA Trust Fund. Everyone who contributed was so generous with their time and talent and loved the song.
It’s a love letter to the music, really. There’s so much more we could have added lyrically, but I think it covers what needs to be said. Whether you just took up banjo last week, or you’ve been a legend like Del for decades, this song is for everyone who loves this music – where it began, where it is, and where it’s going.”
So hats off to Bob Minner, Billy Blue Records, and the large cast of pickers and singers who make this track shine. It’s a bluegrass anthem for the ages.
Speaking of the pickers, they are Minner on guitar and banjo, Jesse Brock on mandolin, Michael Cleveland on fiddles, Gena Britt on banjo, and Vickie Vaughn on bass.
It’s great fun to listen along and recognize all your favorite bluegrass artists as they add a line, We Are The World-style. Check it out.
A music video has also been produced, which will be released during the World of Bluegrass convention in October.
I Am Bluegrass is available now from popular download and streaming services online.
