Category: Bill Keith, the Banjo Master

Fiddle Tunes for Banjo-Tony Trischka, Bill Keith, Bela Fleck
Rounder Records – 0124 (1981) – CD 0124 (1999)

In early 1980, three generations of banjoists came together for the album “fiddle tune for banjo”, following in the footsteps of the innovations introduced by Bill in the early 60s. In addition to Bill (b. 1939), there was Tony Trischka (b. 1949) and Trischka’s former pupil, the young Béla Fleck (b. 1958), who was destined for a dazzling career. All three are influenced not only by bluegrass, but also by jazz, classical, and various world music genres.

Our three banjoists open the album together with ‘Bill Cheatham‘, combining different styles. The CD version also contains 2 bonus 3-banjo tracks: ‘John Hardy‘ and the classic ‘Salt Creek’, originally composed & recorded by Bill with Monroe in 1964.

At the age of 22, Béla Fleck already has a solo album to his credit, featuring Russ Barenberg and Sam Bush and , but he also plays in the group Spectrum with Glenn Lawson (guitar) and Jimmy Gaudreau (mandolin). These last three musicians and his sidekick Mark Schatz (bass) accompany him on this album. Béla Fleck contributes five tracks, including two of his own compositions.

Tony Trischka contributes four tracks, including 2 compositions of his own. He reunites with his New York accomplices Andy Statman (mandolin) and Russ Barenberg (guitar) and Kenny Kosek (fiddle). Californian Darol Anger (fiddle), founding member of the David Grisman Quintet, plays on two tracks.

Bill Keith is accompanied by Kenny Kosek, with whom he has toured Europe and the USA and who recorded on the Keith & Collier album; Russ Barenberg, who toured with him as a duo in Japan; and Gordon Titcomb, a multi-instrumentalist who plays mandolin here, and with whom he collaborated on the Woodstock Mountains Revue (1978), and who would appear on Bill’s subsequent solo albums.

Bill contributes four tracks, including two of his own compositions: “Clinging Vine” and “Mead Mountain Blues”, an unconventional Celtic-style piece featuring a subtle dialogue between Bill’s banjo and Kenny and Larry Campbell‘s fiddles. “Jolly Waffle Man” features an interesting chord progression from major to minor, offering subtle variations between the instruments. Finally, in more traditional fashion, Bill Keith and his partners (Matt Glaser replaces Larry Campbell) give a superb rendition of Monroe’s “Panhandle Country”.

In a review of this album twenty years after its release, writer Chet Williamson declares: “For the banjo pickers and lovers among us, this is a must have, as much a summit meeting of banjo players as “The Three Tenors” is a summit meeting of, well, tenors. (..) It’s also a hoot to hear young Bela Fleck on the threshold of his career, as well as the pickers who inspired him ”. In its context, this is certainly the most innovative banjo record I’ve ever heard.

‘Carolina In My Mind’ – Woodstock Mountains Revue : Back to Mud Acres (Rounder Records – 3065, 1981)
Banjo: Bill Keith, Bass: Roly Salley, Fiddle: Caroline Dutton, Guitar, Lead Vocals: Happy Traum Harmony Vocals: Andy Robinson, Mandolin, Pedal Steel Guitar: Larry Campbell – Recorded August 10-12, 1981 Grogkill Studios, Mt. Tremper, NY

Bill Keith – ‘Banjoistics’ (Rounder Records – 0148, 1981)

Peter Rowan – ‘The First Whippoorwill’ (Sugar Hill Records – SH-3749, 1985)
‘The First Whippoorwill‘ est un album hommage de Peter Rowan à Bill Monroe, qui ne contient que des compositions de ce dernier. Produit par Peter Rowan et Jim Rooney, il est accompagné d’un groupe de premier ordre, comprenant Alan O’Bryant (2° guitare, Tenor vocal), Buddy Spicher (fiddle – hamony), Sam Bush( mandoline, Baryton vocal), Roy Huskey Jr. (basse) et ses partenaires de longue date: Bill Keith (banjo) et Richard Greene (fiddle – lead, Basse Vocal).

David’s Rounder Album Band – ‘Live at Grass Valley’ (Bluegrass festival, Ca July 30 1989) – (David Grisman (mandolinà , Tony Rice (guitar), Bill Keith (banjo), Vassar Clements (fiddle), Jerry Douglas (dobro), Mark Schatz (bass)) Acoustic disc/Acoustic Oasis Downloads

Bill Keith – ‘Beating Around the Bush’ (Green Linnet GLCD 2107, 1992)

The Grass Is Greener: Richard Greene (fiddle), Bill Keith (banjo), David Grier (guitar), Kenny Blackwell (mandolin), Tim Emmons (bass) – ‘Traditional Bluegrass Instrumentals’ (Rebel Records – REB-1714, 1995)

Bill Keith, Tony Trischka, Eric Weissberg, Kenny Kosek, Stacy Phillips, Molly Mason – ‘Footprints In The Snow’ in Song Of The Hills: Appalachian Classics (Shanachie – 6041, 1999 – track 5)

Gordon Titcomb – ‘The Last Train Rising’ (Son Records 2005)

Tony Trischka, Bill Keith – ‘Trompe De L’oreille’ (‘Territory’ – Smithsonian Folkways · SFW CD 40169, 2008) feat. Paula Bradley, piano

1962-1964: When Bill meets Monroe

1965-1972 : Out of Bluegrass ? (1/2)
1965-1972 : Out of Bluegrass ? (2/2)

1973-1979 : from Muleskinner to ‘Bill Keith & Collier’ (1/2)
1973-1979: from Muleskinner to ‘Keith & Collier’ (2/2)

1980-2008: mature works (In construction..)

Audio version on YouTube @fretdreamer :

In May 1976, a circumstantial band named “The Bluegrass Quintet” turned in Japan, with a lineup between Muleskiner and these two Rounder albums. the member are: David Grisman [mandolin, vocals], Tony Rice [guitare, lead vocals], Bill Keith [banjo vocals], Richard Greene [fiddle] and Todd Phillips [bass].

A Live Album from this tour includes Caravan and a new tune by Bill Keith named: Beating Around The Bush. It includes also Opus 57, from Muleskinner and soon to be covered by the D. G. Quintet (1977).
In the summer of 1977, the same concept band toured Europe with more members of the D. G. quintet, including Darol Anger on fiddle in place of Richard Greene.

Between 1975 and 1978, Bill Keith toured Europe extensively, gaining a strong reputation in France. At the beginning, Bill is accompanied by Jim Rooney.

In France, Bill & Jim recorded 4 tracks on the album “Banjo Paris Session vol.2”. Other partners are Pierre Bensusan on Mandolin, Phil Richardson on fiddle, and Hervé de Sainte Foy on bass.

In Switzerland, Radio Télévision Suisse Romande recorded their concert at the Festival d’Epalinges (near Lausanne) and two tracks were included by Pierre Bensusan in his Live album “Encore”.

In 1976, Bill also accompanied guitarist Marcel Dadi at the Olympia. Dadi dedicated a song to Bill, recorded in Nashville in 1976: “Billy The Keith”

Later, in 1977, Bill Keith recorded in the U.S.A. with Bill Clifton, and Company. In addition to Bill Keith on banjo, this backing band included among others Red Rector [mandolin & vocals], Mike Auldridge [dobro], and Tom Gray [bass].

In 1977, Bill Keith joined forces with singer Jim Collier and French mandolinist Christian Seguret.

They were joined later by Kenny Kosek on fiddle and Lionel Wendling on bass.
An album was recorded in France by Hexagone, released in 1978.

The Bill Keith & Jim Collier album contains 6 tracks sung by Jim Collier. Three of them are written by him: “I Think About You All The Time“‘, “There’ll Come A Day“, “Two Twenties“; two are country standards: “Smoke, Some Smoke” (Travis, Williams) & “Texas Cowboy” (Hank Snow) the last one is a couple of traditional songs arranged by Bill Keith & Jim Collier (“Height of January” and “The Twelth of Never“).
There are 5 instrumentals: one adapted from a Bach bourrée (banjo accompanied by guitar and bass), 4 composed by Bill Keith: “Phlebitis” and “Would You Believe It” appear only on this album, while two other tunes will be included on Bill’s next album (“Beating Around the Bush” and “Crab Waltz“).

Other records sessions include instrumentals such as:

“My Love Is But A Lassie Yet”, an old 17th-century country dance (quadrille) imported to the U.S. from Scotland and Northumbria in the 19th century (in: Woodstock Mountains: More Music From Mud Acres, Rounder – 3018, 1977)

Dizzy Gillespie’s “Night In Tunisia“, with Alan Munde on 2nd banjo, Joe Carr on mandolin and Sam Bush on fiddle, in Slim Richey’s Jazz Grass album (Ridge Runner – 09, 1977)

Christian Seguret’s “Hot Mandolin N°17“; in Paris Banjo session vol. 2 and in Christian Seguret’s album: “Old Fashioned Love” (Cezame 1035, 1977).

“Steel Banjo Rag” in Jean-Marie Redon’s album “banjoistiquement votre” (Cezame 1049, 1979)

In 1978, Bill plays on 6 of the 10 tracks of the Woodstock Mountains Revue’s Pretty Lucky Album (Rounder Records – 3025)

Some of these tracks were later included in the compilation: Music From The Mud Acres (Rounder Canada, CD 11520, 1987)

Audio version on YouTube @fretdreamer :

In February 1973, the KCET television network, in Hollywood, Ca., was looking for “young” bluegrass musicians to play with “Bill Monroe and his Bluegrass Boys”, as part of a program conceived as: “the father of bluegrass and his sons”. Fiddler and former Blue Grass Boy Richard Greene contacted a few close friends: two ex-bluegrass boys, (banjoist Bill Keith and guitarist-singer Peter Rowan), mandolinist David Grisman and guitarist Clarence White. The plan was that these “youngsters” would play the first set, Bill Monroe and his band would play the second set and then together they would close the show with a jam session.

But as Monroe’s bus broke down on the way to the TV show, the band had to play the whole show on their own, and it was a success.

This led to a contract with Warner Bros. The band recorded their first studio album, “Muleskinner”, in an innovative progressive bluegrass style, with reminiscences of jazz, country and folk rock.

After the death of Clarence White, The members of this first “supergroup” went in different directions, but they are all to be found later in Bill Keith’s discography.

For his part, Bill Keith plays for Ian & Sylvia and then Judy Collins.

Later, he tours Europe with his old friend Jim Rooney, with whom he records a few tracks on the “Banjo Paris session” album, including the first studio version of “Nola” with Pierre Bensusan on guitar.

In 1975, Bill Keith and Jim Rooney toured Europe with 18-year-old Pierre Bensusan on mandolin. Bill played banjo on Pierre’s instrumental “Sunday Hornpipe”, which appeared on his first album, “Près de Paris”. He later covered this track on his 1984 album “banjoistics”.

`Bill Keith’s first “solo” album: “Something Auld, Something Newgrass, Something Borrowed, Something Bluegrass”, was recorded in March 1975 for Rounder.
It’s an impressive album of historic importance. It’s the first time David Grisman [mandolin] has recorded with Tony Rice [guitar].

Other players were Vasar Clements [fiddle], Tom Gray [bass] and Kenny Koseck [fiddle, piano]. Jim Rooney, sings on all the vocal tracks, with the exception of “Pain In My Heart”, sung by Al Jones. There are no vocal harmonies on this album. It sounds “something” like bluegrass, but many influences are present, from jazz to traditional Irish and American music, adapted in Bill Keith’s own style.

In January 1976, almost the same team contributed to the David Grisman’s first “solo” album on Rounder.

The backing band includes Bill Keith, Tony Rice and Vassar Clements as before, and in addition: Jerry Douglas [dobro], Buck White [2° mandolin] and Ricky Skaggs [2° fiddle and lead or tenor vocals]. Todd Phillips on bass.

Unlike Bill’s album, DG Rounder is primarily a bluegrass oriented album (with vocals harmonies, Bill Monroe songs, etc.), but it does hint at the breakthrough Grisman was about to make with his “dawg acoustic music”(ie. Opus 38).

Early Dawg”, released in 1980 by Sugar Hill Records (SH 3713), features four short instrumentals recorded live in 1966, with David Grisman on mandolin, Bill Keith on banjo and Artie Rose on guitar.
2 tracks are early compositions by David Grisman: “Sugar Hill Ramble” and “Opus 57”, influenced by Django Reinhardt. A more elaborate version of “Little Sadie” includes a “baroque” exploration of Jesse McReynolds’ cross-picking mandolin style, and a first-ever banjo interpretation of Duke Ellington’s “Caravan”.

A high-definition version of 30 tracks, including 10 with Bill Keith, was released in 2022 by Acoustic Disc (David Grisman’s independent Record label).

David Grisman – Early Dawg Deluxe
https://acousticdisc.com/product/early-dawg-deluxe-david-grisman-download/

5 – Auld Lang Syne – 2:25
https://music.youtube.com/watch?v=VlRFxSxzV6A
10 – Opus 57 – 2:44
https://music.youtube.com/watch?v=h21xabbh8IU
11- Opus 38 – 1:05
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0gZLyGFVk-g
12- Little Sadie – 1:21
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9bkfRbKP9fM
13 – Out of joint – 2:24
https://music.youtube.com/watch?v=H-rCYhR9h3M
14 – Sugar Hill Ramble – 2:16
https://music.youtube.com/watch?v=AK5jXqYw3BA
15 – Caravan – 3:10
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EZ9gLlr0_hY

In 1966, Bill Keith took part (with fiddler Tater Tate) as a session musician in the recording of two tracks for a Gloria Belle EP.

By 1969, Bill had been playing pedal steel guitar for two or three years.

Bill and Jim Rooney were scheduled to play a concert at New York’s Washington Square Church. Jim Rooney recalls: “We thought it would be fun to do a split concert – half bluegrass and folk and half country. Bill suggested that Eric Weissberg join us”. On the afternoon of the concert, fiddler Richard Greene, who plays in New York in a rock band called Seatrain, joins this “circumstantial band” for the concert.

https://www.jimrooneyproductions.com/sweet-moments-with-the-blue-velvet-band-1969/

Later, the band is offered the opportunity to sign with Warner Brothers Records for an album: “The Blue Velvet Band is born”.
The Blue Velvet Band album Released in 1969 for Seven Arts Records WS 1802
Jim Rooney (Guitar, Vocals) ; Eric Weissberg (Guitar, Vocals) ;Richard Greene (Fiddle) ;Bill Keith (Banjo, Steel Guitar, Vocals).

At the end of 1968, Bill Keith played on two songs from the Bee Gees’ “Odessa” album (Marley Purt Drive and Give Your Best).

From 1971 to 1973, Bill played banjo and pedal steel guitar with folk-rock singer Jonathan Edwards, with whom he recorded three albums: Jonathan Edwards (1971); Honky-Tonk Stardust Cowboy (1972); Have a Good Time for Me (1973)

In 1969, Bill Keith played pedal steel as a guest on “The Great American Eagle Tragedy”. This was the last album by “Earth Opera”, a psychedelic folk-rock band formed by two of Bill’s fellows: David Grisman and Peter Rowan (after his tenure with Bill Monroe: 1964-67).

In 1969, Bill Keith played pedal steel as a guest on “The Great American Eagle Tragedy”. This was the last album by “Earth Opera”, a psychedelic folk-rock band formed by two of Bill’s fellows: David Grisman and Peter Rowan (after his tenure with Bill Monroe: 1964-67).

In early ’72 an ad hoc group of Woodstock friends and neighbors recorded “Mud Acres: Music Among Friends” (released by Rounder Records).

Jim Rooney writes : “Artie Traum came up with the idea of recording the music we played when we got together at each other’s houses. A bunch of us went up and spent a weekend at a little 4-track studio north of Albany. It was Happy and Artie, Bill Keith and me, John Herald, Maria Muldaur, Eric Kaz, Tony Brown, and Lee Berg. Over the course of two or three days and nights we recorded fifteen or twenty songs and had a wonderful time doing it”.
(Jim Rooney, In It for the Long Run: A Musical Odyssey, University of Illinois Press, 2014)

Bill Keith plays on 8 of the 13 tracks on the album. “Out Of Joint” is a challenging all-banjo instrumental composed by himself (previouly recorded with David Grisman, but non released at the time).

After leaving the Bluegrass Boys, Bill Keith joined the Jim Kweskin Jug Band for four years (1964-1968), where he played rhythm on a plectrum banjo.

Bill Keith participated in the recording of 3 albums : Jug Band Music in 1965, See Reverse Side For Title in 1966 and Garden Of Joy in 1967.

Fiddler Richard Greene, who was a member of Bill Monroe’s Bluegrass Boys from February 1966 to March 1967, then joined The Jim Kweskin Jug Band and took part in the recording of Garden Of Joy .

During this period, Bill Keith also took part in jam sessions at festivals, where he also performed with his colleague Jim Rooney. We have live recordings made at the Newport Folk Festival in 1964 and 1965.

At the 1964 Newport Folk Festival, Bill did a jam session with ”The Kentucky Colonels”. Their live album: “Long Journey Home” (Vanguard-77004) contains 4 tracks with Bill, including the first known version of “Nola” and “Auld Lang Syne” (with the Keith’s D-tuners).

At the 1965 Newport Folk Festival, Bill played with the Kweskin Jug Band on Saturday, July 24. On another stage, he played with Jim Rooney an instrumental version of Little Sadie, recorded on the album: Folk Music At Newport – Part 1, (Vanguard-770072).

To follow : Discography of Bill Keith 1965-1972: Out of Bluegrass? (2/2)

According to Jim Rooney, “in the early sixties Bill Keith concentrated on developing a unique and personal style of banjo picking. (…) Bill has some friends who live in West Bridgewater, Massachusetts, Loring and June Hall.
On Saturday nights the Halls have an open house (…) usually June brings out her fiddle. This is no small task, but is more than worth the effort as you listen to June play tune after tune – all remembered from earlier days in Nova Scotia – and all played with wonderful clarity and spirit.
This is where Bill learned The Devil’s Dream and where he first became interested in adapting the fiddle style to the banjo. This style became Bill’s trademark: the “melodic” banjo style, also known as the “Keith” style”. (Rooney, Solomon, 1964)

In September 1962, at the first Philadelphia Folk Festival, Bill Keith won the morning banjo contest with this tune. Bill and Jim played again in the evening concert: ”I Ain’t Gonna Work Tomorrow”, a traditional tune first recorded by the Carter Family in 1928 and subsequently covered by many bluegrass bands. These two pieces of music were recorded live and released by Prestige International in April 1963 on the album Philadelphia Folk Festival Volume 2

Between late 1962 and early 1963, Bill Keith & Jim Rooney recorded a full album with mandolinist Joe Val, again for Prestige International: “Livin’ On The Mountain”, released in the summer of 1963.

Shortly after the release of the album with Jim Rooney and Joe Val, Tom Morgan, a highly skilled bluegrass instrument luthier and bass player, got to Bill a chance to play with Red Allen, Frank Wakefield and Kentuckians in the Washington DC area and in Maryland.

After a Flat and Scruggs concert in Baltimore, Bill Keith is introduced to Earl Scruggs, who invites him to Nashville to work on the tablature for his banjo method.

In Nashville, Earl Scruggs introduced Bill Keith to the ”father of bluegrass”, Bill Monroe and his fiddler, Kenny Baker. Bill Keith played Devil’s Dream for them and was asked to join Bill Monroe’s band, the Blue Grass Boys.

Between March and December 1963, Bill Keith becomes a member of Bill Monroe’s Bluegrass Boys, under the nickname “Brad” Keith. Bill’s full name being “William Bradford Keith”, and as Bill Monroe didn’t want two “Bills” in the band, “Brad” was taken as “Bradford’s” nickname.

Early in this short tenure, Bill took part in two recording sessions for Decca, recording six instrumentals.

“Within two weeks of his joining the band, Bill only recording he would do with him. Monroe was fascinated by Keith’s style (…) It was typical of Monroe to record Bill so early. He liked to throw a person in the water to see if he could swim. Keith played better than he ever had in his life.” (Schmidt, Rooney, 1979 :156)

In the first session, dated March 20, Bill Monroe and the Bluegrass Boys recorded 3 fiddle tunes adapted for banjo by “Brad” (Bill) Keith, co-signed by Bill Monroe: “Salt Creek”, “The Devil’s Dream” and “Sailor’s Hornpipe”.

On the second Decca session, dated March 27, Bill Monroe & the Bluegrass Boys record three more instrumentals, composed by Bill Monroe alone:
“Pike County Breakdown”, “Shenandoah Valley Breakdown” and “Santa Claus”.

During his tenure with Bill Monroe, “Brad” Keith played in numerous concerts. Some were recorded, such as “Two days at Newport”, recorded in July 1963, released in 2003.

David Grisman recorded a concert at Mechanies Hall, Worcester, Massachusetts (recorded in November 1963, released in 2004); featuring: Del McCoury: Guitar, Bill Keith: banjo, Joe Stuart: fiddle, Bessie Lee Mauldin: Bass

After leaving the Bluegrass Boys, Bill Keith occasionally played with them: During Peter Rowan’s tenure, at the Jordan Hall, Boston, October 31, 1964; featuring: Benjamin “tex” Logan: fiddle, Peter Rowan: guitar, Bill Keith: banjo, Everett Alan Lilly: bass.

Many recordings by Bill Monroe and the Bluegrass Boys are now available online (of varying quality), including some with Bill Keith. Such as (among others): Bean Blossom, Indiana, Brown County Jamboree, september 1963, Del McCoury: guitar, Bill Keith: banjo, Joe Stuart: fiddle, Jim Bessire: bass

In 1964, Bill Keith recorded 9 tracks in a session with Red Allen and Frank Wakefield, produced by David Grisman and Peter K. Siegel.
Six were released by Folkways Records on Red Allen, Frank Wakefield and the Kentuckians, on their “Bluegrass” album FA 2408.

These tracks include the instrumental “New Camptown Races”, originally written and performed by Frank Wakefield in 1957 and later covered by Bill Keith and David Grisman together.

• Livin’ on the montain, liner notes by Jim Rooney & Linda Solomon
• Eric Von Schmidt, Jim Rooney ”Baby Let Me Follow You Down”, The Illustrated Story of the Cambridge Folk Years University of Massachusetts Press Amherst, 1979
• Neil V Rosenberg , Charles K Wolfe ”The Music of Bill Monroe” University of Illinois Press, 2007

William Bradford “Bill” Keith (December 20, 1939 – October 23, 2015) was a five-string banjoist who contributed significantly to the stylistic development of the instrument and, through his influence, to the emergence of progressive bluegrass. In the 1960s, he added to the “Scruggs style”, founder of bluegrass banjo, a technique that would soon become known as the “melodic style” or “Keith style”. After playing in the 1963 “Blue grass Boys” with the “father of bluegrass” Bill Monroe, he influenced major progressive bluegrass banjoists such as Alan Munde, Tony Trischka and Béla Fleck. He also played with flat-picking guitar masters such as Clarence White and Tony Rice, and mandolin masters such as David Grisman. Like the latter, he was inducted into the International Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame in 2015.

short Bio : to follow