High Lonesome: The Story of Bluegrass Music

1991 ""

High Lonesome: The Story of Bluegrass Music

7.8 | 1h35m | NR | en | Documentary

Longtime fans of bluegrass music and those only recently discovering it will appreciate this documentary on the genre, which was born of a combination of African and Celtic sounds and is the base of American country music. This film traces the musical form from its Appalachian roots to the present. The rise, fall, and consistent revival of bluegrass chronicled through oral history and visual record, resulting in a priceless film that even casual fans are sure to enjoy.

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7.8 | 1h35m | NR | en | Documentary , Music | More Info

Released: January. 01,1991 | Released Producted By: Northside Films , Country: Budget: 0 Revenue: 0 Official Website: https://www.cmhrecords.com/products/high-lonesome-the-story-of-bluegrass-music

Synopsis

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Cast

Bill Monroe , Lester Flatt , Bobby Osborne

Director

Buddy Squires

Producted By

Northside Films ,

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Trailers & Images

Cast

Bill Monroe

as Self

High Lonesome: The Story of Bluegrass Music

Lester Flatt

as Self (archive footage)

That's Bluegrass High Lonesome: The Story of Bluegrass Music Country Music on Broadway

Bobby Osborne

as Self

The Porchlight Sessions

Reviews

bezdecheck Now another viewer said this documentary was one to love even if you didn't care for bluegrass. I love bluegrass but the way this film was edited left me cold. Throughout the entire picture voices are speaking and singing over video of people speaking and singing - but one has nothing to do with another. I actually wanted to know what was going on in the concerts and interviews I saw and I found the structure of this film very irritating. I restarted the film twice to see if that made a difference. I guess I would have rather have listened to this on the radio. Looks like IMDG is forcing me to stretch this into ten lines because that's their rule. Stupid rule.

Buddybaba Rachel Liebling, a student of Ken Burns, has created a classic of Americana. The editing and cinematic styling are obviously a Burns spin off but an old nitrated photo of a small country church and great locomotive imagery bring her into new documentary dimensions. The music is perfectly synced with its images as in Bill Monroe's seamless walk from concert stage to his old front porch. Ralph Stanley singing "Man of Constant Sorrow". A young Alison Krause at about the time she won the national fiddling contest. This is not a complete compendium, a chronological survey, or a definitive look at Bill Monroe or any of the individual artists but an impassioned portrait of a true American musical art form. I recommend it highly, 10 out of 10.