The absolute euphoria I felt when I was bitten by the bluegrass bug was
tempered with sadness. As I learned more about the music, I discovered
that many of my new heroes -- Bill Monroe, John Duffey, Jimmy Martin, Chubby Wise, and Jim McReynolds, to name a few -- had recently passed
on. Sonny Osborne had retired fron the stage, and Ralph Stanley had
quit playing the banjo.
Thank God for "High Lonesome", which
immortalizes selected performances of these bluegrass titans on film,
while providing heartfelt personal reflections, unflinching historical
context, and exceptionally apt musical examples. The historical sweep is
epic, the music prodigious (There must be between 50 and 75 songs,
divided between live performances and soundtrack music here).
There
are dozens of little moments to break your heart -- Jimmy
Martin's consummate showmanship, even playing for a camera crew in his
den; the rapturous looks on the faces of Sam Bush and David Grisman in
the presence of their hero, Bill Monroe; the Osborne Brothers'
infectious humor, offset by their sober recollections of the Bluegrass
Depression; the Seldom Scene's easy camaraderie and brilliant
musicianship.
The only problem with "High Lonesome" is that it's far
too short to fully explore this greatest of American art forms.
Director Rachel Liebling poured her heart into this project, and had to
scramble for funding. If she'd been a big-name Hollywood director, then
"High Lonesome" would have been the multi-part mini-series that
bluegrass music truly deserves -- the huge, cinematic celebration I'm still waiting for.
