Throughout history, music is passed down from one generation to the next, continually evolving with the passage of time. Every so often, history is lucky enough to have some kindred spirit write down these songs adding their own special touch to the song, continuing the “folk process.”
At 10 p.m. next Tuesday, Sept. 28, Denison students will have the opportunity to witness one such group performing traditional mountain songs in their original spirit.
Originally formed in the mid-1980s, after leaving the group Bristol Mountain Bluegrass, the Bristol Brothers, Associate Professor of English Richard Hood, along with fellow bluegrass cohort Don Springer, will perform folk songs in a fashion that would make A.P. Carter of the famed folk family music group The Carter Family, proud.
However, it was not until the early 1990s that the Brothers reunited for good. In 1993, when a song composed by Hood came to the attention of filmmakers, the group reformed and began recording songs.
“Our music is based in the old banjo and guitar styles of the southern mountains,” Hood writes in the liner notes to the group’s Old Style release.
“Old style mountain music comes from an adaptive improvisational form that has always eagerly sought ‘outside’ influences, while simultaneously jealously guarding the uses to which these new sounds and styles can be put.”
The instruments used by the two musicians range from nineteenth century banjos to 1940s autoharps, all of which work to create the unique yet realistic mountain sound.
The two “recovering bluegrass musicians.” as they refer to themselves, have worked hard to make a name for themselves in the bluegrass music circle. Along the way, they have racked up a number of honors for their musical talents.
In 1995, the group was voted Best New Bluegrass Duo by the readers of Country Beat Magazine. The honors continued, as the Brothers won two awards at the Syracuse Area Music Awards: Best Bluegrass/Old Time Group and Best Bluegrass/Old Time Instrumentalist.
Despite the success, one obstacle the group has worked to overcome is distance: Hood lives in the central Ohio area, and Springer resides in Geneva, New York.
Repeatedly making the six-hour, one-way drive to meet with one another, shows the group’s dedication to performing music with one another.
“We put up with the drive, so we can work together,” said Hood.
Therefore, it should come as no surprise that the group performs mostly in places outside of the Ohio and New York areas.
The duo frequently performs throughout the eastern coast and Appalachian Mountain regions.
In addition to performing, the duo has recorded and released two albums. Old Style and Cornbread Willie, and is currently preparing to record a third this fall.
While their albums consist mostly of traditional songs, both albums do contain several songs composed by Hood. These original songs are done in the spirit of such bluegrass legends as the Carter Family and the Monroe Brothers.
The Bristol Brothers’ albums are as much a lesson in America’s culture as they are in providing the listener with a pleasant listen.
Hood believes that the music he and Springer perform is “the kind of thing that would interest a lot of students.”
This style of music, as Hood points out, is the foundation for many influential groups of the “rock era,” such as David Grisman, the Grateful Dead, and Bob Dylan. In addition, to performing fun music. “it’s also a kind of a history lesson.”
In central Ohio, Hood is involved in the Columbus Council of the Arts. While on campus, it is possible to see Hood performing with other local bluegrass musicians every Wednesday in the pit in Slayter Hall.
For more information on the acoustic duo, connect to their web page at http://dynrec.com/bristolbrothers/.
