Gene Lowinger Archives - Bluegrass Today

On This Day #44 – Fincastle Bluegrass Festival

On This Day …

Starting on Friday, September 3, 1965, the first Fincastle Bluegrass Festival, in Fincastle, Virginia, took place.

“Wow, hard to believe it’s been fifty years ago … I was there for both of Carlton’s first multi-day festival in 1965 and 1966.” (Gary Henderson)

The first event held during Labor Day weekend was the first multi-day bluegrass festival and, unknowingly at the time, it became a trend-setter.

Staged at Cantrell’s Horse Farm, Fincastle, three-day event featured Bill Monroe and his Blue Grass Boys, Jimmy Martin and his Sunny Mountain Boys, Howdy Forrester, Clyde Moody, Don Reno and the Tennessee Cutups, Red Smiley and the Blue Grass Cutups, the Stanley Brothers and the Clinch Mountain Boys, Mac Wiseman and Doc Watson.

Although the Osborne Brothers were billed to appear, they did not actually do so. The brothers, with Gordon Cash, were contracted to appear in Texas.

Planning for the event had been occupying organizer Carlton Haney’s mind for two years or more. He sought opinions, tested the market and did the practical tasks that were needed to make the festival happen. In staging this first multi-day bluegrass festival, he displayed considerable ingenuity, enterprise and bravery.

One of the highlights of the weekend was the Blue Grass Story, staged during the Sunday afternoon. Devised by Carlton Haney and using Bill Monroe as the focal point, Haney told the story of bluegrass as he presented a variety of combinations; Monroe with Clyde Moody, Monroe with Howdy Forrester; Monroe with Don Reno; Monroe with Mac Wiseman; and Monroe with Carter Stanley, all providing a reminder of the evolution of bluegrass music during the preceding 20 years.

A bluegrass music history site dedicated to the Camp Springs Blue Grass Park, Camp Springs, North Carolina, the location for Haney’s Labor Day Bluegrass Festival from 1969 onwards, has this rather blurred but nevertheless wonderfully historic 17 minute video clip that provides a taste of the music that day from Bill Monroe, Don Reno, Mac Wiseman, Benny Martin, Jimmy Martin, Bill Emerson

21-year old Gary Henderson remembers ..

“My memory fails to recall how I found out about the festival, but I do remember I went down with a couple of buddies, Dave Williams, a local dobro player in the DC area, and Dick Drevo, banjo player and owner of Urban Recording studio in Washington, DC, run out of his parent’s home in NW DC.

Dave drove down to Cantrell’s Horse farm in his new MG. And we “roughed it” for three days in a tent. It was terrible when we couldn’t shave or shower, but the good music made up for it. Ralph Rinzler, from the Smithsonian, was there with his Nagra tape recorder taping the entire festival.

Carlton’s history of the music (his Blue Grass Story) bringing sidemen together on the stage at different times was brilliant!”

Henderson has wonderful memories of all that the weekend had to offer, but he …..

“Had no idea the idea for a multi-day festival would continue, but everyone encouraged Carlton to promote more festivals.”

23-year old Peter Rowan, a Blue Grass Boy at the time of the festival, remembers …

“…….. this was the first time that all the bluegrass bands played on the same show. Jimmy Martin, the Stanley Bros, Mac Wiseman, and more.

I feel Kenny Baker [was there] for the first time at this event.

The bluegrass community turned out in force.”

Gene Lowinger, fiddle player with the Blue Grass Boys at the time, wrote of the weekend in his book I Hear A Voice Calling, published by the University of Illinois Press.

“The most historically significant shows I played as a Bluegrass <sic> Boy were at the Roanoke Bluegrass Festival. None of us in the band had a clue what would happen, but there was a modest turnout (by today’s standards) for all the shows. The setting was, to phrase it kindly, rustic. Security was maintained by Carlton Haney roaming the grounds with an honest-to-God, real life six-shooter wrapped around his waist in a cowboy holster. Never could tell what kind of problems would arise with all those hippie types (which included the likes of Sam Bush and David Grisman) attending.

……………….. Few of us had any idea of the influence on the musical culture that festival would have.

……….. This enterprise paved the way for other promoters to give a shot at multi-day, multi-band events. It spawned festivals such as Merlefest, the Winterhawk (now Greyfox) Festival, and a host of others.”

© University of Illinois Press / Gene Lowinger, 2009

In his highly recommended and wonderfully illustrated memoir, Lowinger went on to write about his fellow musicians and some of the songs that they played during their various sets.

14-year old Fred Bartenstein told Kurt Mosser in an interview for Bluegrass Unlimited, published in May 1999.

“I was working on a survey crew in Lexington in 1965, when I heard on the radio that there was going to be a big bluegrass festival at Cantrell’s Horse Park in Fincastle, Va. Freddie Goodhart, an old friend, drove me down with my Gibson J-50.” The first night Fred remembers sitting around picking with some other musicians when a drunk stumbled up and pulled a gun on him and Goodhart. “He said ‘play “Foggy Mountain Breakdown,” and if I don’t like the way you play it, I’ll blow your head off!’ He must have like the way we played it, because he gave us a beer afterward.”

“Bluegrass music had just been kicked out of country music at the time of that first festival. We all felt in ’65 that we were attending an Irish wake for bluegrass – for Monroe, the Stanleys, Jimmy Martin, Don Reno, Red Smiley, and Mac Wiseman.” Fortunately, things turned out much differently.”

© Bluegrass Unlimited magazine / Kurt Mosser

Fred Bartenstein and Fred Robbins have collaborated to set up a web presentation with some historic, making available ……

1) Bill Monroe’s contract with Carlton Haney for appearance at the event.

2) Mary Greenman Green’s 1973 Muleskinner News article on the event.

3) Relevant pages from the program of the 40th anniversary celebration held in Fincastle (including Phil Zimmerman’s SEBA article reprint).

4) The 26-minute DVD prepared for the 40th anniversary celebration in Fincastle. This video was provided courtesy of Historic Fincastle, Inc.

5) Ron Roach’s article on the Story of Bluegrass in Journal of Appalachian Studies.

6) Two one-hour audio files (in AAC m4a format) of the 1965 Story of Bluegrass. (Dubbed from Carlton Haney’s reel-to-reel tapes).

These audio recordings have been made available to WAMU’s Bluegrass Country and will be broadcast by them after Labor Day weekend. Listen for announcements.

Last month Ralph Berrier, Jr wrote with a local perspective about the 1965 Fincastle festival for the Roanoke Times.

Another website with some interesting aspects is Phil Zimmerman’s Bluegrass Time.

Richard Hawkins in his Bluegrass Ireland Blog…

“From that point the term ‘bluegrass festival’ became increasingly popular, and the number of such events rapidly grew to where the festival circuit became an important factor in musicians’ careers.”

And it all started on small horse farm just north of Roanoke, VA.

I’m Going Back To Old Kentucky #41

From October 1, 2010 through to the end of September 2011, we will, each day, celebrate the life of Bill Monroe by sharing information about him and those people who are associated with his life and music career. This information will include births and deaths; recording sessions; single, LP and CD release dates; and other interesting tidbits. Richard F. Thompson is responsible for the research and compilation of this information. We invite readers to share any tidbits, photos or memories you would like us to include.

November 10, 1908 Paul Cohen born in Chicago. Cohen was a producer at Decca from the early 1940s, having starting working for the company when it was formed in 1934. He produced 24 sessions for Monroe beginning in February 1950 and ending on September 16, 1955. *
November 10, 1942 Gene Lowinger born, Newark, New Hampshire. Lowinger was the first northerner to play fiddle for Bill Monroe. He joined the Blue Grass Boys in June 1965, replacing Benny Williams, and stayed until February 1966. **
November 10, 1961 A session on this date was the second in two consecutive days. It produced three songs; Shady Grove, Nine Pound Hammer and Live and Let Live. Present were Monroe, Maynard, Mauldin and McPeake, as on the previous day, and Benny Williams, who was the sole fiddle player. Again Owen Bradley was the producer. ***
November 10, 1972 Bill Monroe and Lester Flatt co-presented the three-day Mississippi Delta Bluegrass Festival, Runnellstown, Mississippi, 12 miles east of Hattiesburg.
November 10, 1974 Bill Monroe was host for Bill Monroe’s South Louisiana Bluegrass Festival at the Blue Grass Park between Covington and Franklinton, Louisiana.
November 10, 1995 Bill Monroe played his last road date at the Center for Arts, Schaumburg, Illinois. The Blue Grass Boys that night were Robert Bowlin [fiddle], Dana Cupp [banjo], Tom Ewing [guitar] and Mike Bub [filling in for Ernie Sykes on bass].

* Cohen took over hillbilly production work from Jack Kapp and a short while later he based himself at the Castle Studios in Nashville, from where he recorded many of the new artists of the day; Kitty Wells, Webb Pierce, Brenda Lee, Patsy Cline, and Bobby Helms included.

Cohen’s production of Monroe’s records coincided with Jimmy Martin’s tenure as guitar player and lead vocalist for the Blue Grass Boys. Together, with the assistance of Owen Bradley, they created the sound and established the repertoire that was the basis of Monroe’s music thereafter. During that era Monroe recorded such popular songs as Uncle Pen, My Little Georgia Rose and I’ll Meet you in Church Sunday Morning. Alongside these was the instrumental Raw Hide. Later Carter Stanley helped with the recording of Get down on your Knees and Pray before Martin returned to sing lead on The Little Girl and the Dreadful Snake and A Voice from on High.

Cohen is remembered for an energetic production style – as much cheerleader as executive – and a knack for spotting new artists and matching them with songs. He was elected to the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1976.

** Lowinger was only the third northerner on any instrument, after Bill Keith and Peter Rowan, to play in the Blue Grass Boys.

He first played with Monroe in 1964, filling in on shows in the northeast. Later he was hired as a regular Blue Grass Boy and stayed for about eight months.

After leaving the Blue Grass Boys, Lowinger studied classical violin and viola for several years, and later became a professional violinist. A serious neck injury forced him to leave music for many years, but in 2000 he returned to bluegrass to lead a band called Avalanche.

A freelance photojournalist, Lowinger recorded his memoirs of his time following and working with Bill Monroe in I Hear a Voice Calling (published by the University of Illinois Press, 2009). Also he has written two books on bluegrass fiddling, and currently teaches fiddle in the New York/New Jersey area.

*** None of the cuts were released on a single; each is on the LP Blue Grass Ramble (Decca 4266), released in the following June.

Gene Lowinger photo gallery online

In September we drew attention to the excellent new book, I Hear A Voice Calling: A Bluegrass Memoir, written and illustrated by Gene Lowinger and published by the University of Illinois Press. In the book, Lowinger recounts his life in bluegrass music, including his stint playing fiddle with Bill Monroe.

Gene also chronicled the time he was most actively involved in bluegrass (1960s) as a photojournalist. Recently, he has added some new photographs and memorabilia to his web site. To see them, go to www.genelowinger.com, click Galleries and select the option ‘I Hear A Voice Calling – Historical.’

Lowinger studied photography at the New School in New York, and spent many years shooting in the Middle East, Europe and Russia. He went on to study classical violin after his “intership” with Big Mon, and now teaches both music and photography from his home in New Jersey.

Book review – I Hear A Voice Calling: A Bluegrass Memoir

I Hear A Voice Calling: A Bluegrass Memoir, by Gene Lowinger

Gene Lowinger, a New Jersey boy by birth, was the first northerner to play the fiddle for Bill Monroe. He first played with Monroe in 1964, filling in on shows in the northeast. In June 1965 he was hired as a regular Blue Grass Boy and stayed for about eight months.

Lowinger oscillated between playing bluegrass fiddle and classical violin, mastering both in a highly-driven pursuit for perfection. As well as being a talented fiddler/violinist, Lowinger is an excellent photographer. I Hear A Voice Calling is Lowinger’s photographic tribute to the Father of Bluegrass music. However, it is not designed for the coffee table. The black and white photographs are placed in two sections with Lowinger’s own story framing them.

Lowinger’s narrative takes the reader through his life, in which he always had a penchant for music, beginning in 1942 in the Greenwich Village (New York) bluegrass scene and his friendship with David Grisman, the visits, while a college student, to the early bluegrass festivals, through to the passing of Bill Monroe and beyond. As well as relating his own story of his trials and tribulations, he shares a personal account of his experiences with Bill Monroe on and off the road. In the process we learn a lot about both individuals and the relationship between the two; one the mentor, the other a willing student, both friends.

After a ten year hiatus working on Wall Street Lowinger overcame a serious neck injury, recreational drugs and alcohol to return to music. He doesn’t discuss his dependencies, but his return to playing bluegrass fiddle just prior to Monroe’s passing is most welcome.

I Hear A Voice Calling is a vivid, sometimes emotional, record of a very significant era in bluegrass music.

Highly recommended.

Note: Gene Lowinger is a freelance photojournalist based in New York and New Jersey. Lowinger is also the author of Bluegrass Fiddle (Oak Publications), one of the first books to accurately capture the bluegrass fiddle style in standard musical notation.

University of Illinois Press
ISBN 978-0-252-07663-3 Paperback
6 x 9 inches
144 pages, over 75 photographs

Yet another forthcoming book

A bit of research has revealed a book about bluegrass music that we missed from our recent bulletin.

I Hear a Voice Calling – A Bluegrass Memoir is Gene Lowinger’s photo journal that captures Bill Monroe and the Blue Grass Boys during Lowinger’s tenure in the early 1960s with the Father of Bluegrass, and some pictures from the later years of Monroe’s life.

Lowinger’s pictures accompany his own story of a New Jersey boy obsessed with folk and bluegrass music and he recounts college trips to country music parks in Pennsylvania and his stints as a fiddler for the New York Ramblers and Blue Grass Boys.

The 144 page book contains 75 black & white photographs. It will be published in both cloth and paper backed editions this October by the University of Illinois Press.