http://www.nelsoncountylife.com/2010/08/22/5th-annual-blue-ridge-mountain-music-fest-2010-8-22-10/ Nelson County Life Magazine : Your Source for Everything Nelson Sat, 19 May 2012 19:51:27 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.4 http://www.nelsoncountylife.com/2010/08/22/5th-annual-blue-ridge-mountain-music-fest-2010-8-22-10/comment-page-1/#comment-9020 Homer Barnswallow Tue, 24 Aug 2010 11:54:36 +0000 http://www.nelsoncountylife.com/?p=31709#comment-9020 Wonderful event. Kudos to Jimbo Cary for pulling off another successful show. While all of the acts were packed with talent, it was a special pleasure and honor to witness Thornton Spencer and the Whitetop Mountain Band ......a band that carries history back to the days before TV and even radio ..back to when ALL entertainment was home made. A couple corrections, though. The music is actually "Old time Appalachian string band music", (or just "Old Time" for short) the kind of music played for barn dances and house parties before the introduction of electricity to rural homes. Old Time music is, in the words of the late great musicologist Mike Seeger, "the grandma of bluegrass music". Bluegrass came into the scene in the late 40's and early 50's with Bill and Charlie Monroe. It is slicker music than old time, and unlike Old Time, bluegrass often features the various instruments/musicians with solos during the songs. Old time music harkens back to when egos were not so prominent, and there was a common desire for good clean entertainment.....and music that got your toes to tapping. Thornton Spencer, probably closer to 80 than 70 years old by now, is one of those musicians that will be written about in years to come as one of the last of the Old Time music legends. Hopefullly his family will keep the tradition going for many years to come. Saturday was a rare chance to witness a little bit of musical history. Thanks, Jimbo and Wintergreen, for making it possible. Homer Barnswallow Nelson County Wonderful event. Kudos to Jimbo Cary for pulling off another successful show. While all of the acts were packed with talent, it was a special pleasure and honor to witness Thornton Spencer and the Whitetop Mountain Band ……a band that carries history back to the days before TV and even radio ..back to when ALL entertainment was home made.
A couple corrections, though. The music is actually “Old time Appalachian string band music”, (or just “Old Time” for short) the kind of music played for barn dances and house parties before the introduction of electricity to rural homes. Old Time music is, in the words of the late great musicologist Mike Seeger, “the grandma of bluegrass music”. Bluegrass came into the scene in the late 40′s and early 50′s with Bill and Charlie Monroe. It is slicker music than old time, and unlike Old Time, bluegrass often features the various instruments/musicians with solos during the songs. Old time music harkens back to when egos were not so prominent, and there was a common desire for good clean entertainment…..and music that got your toes to tapping.
Thornton Spencer, probably closer to 80 than 70 years old by now, is one of those musicians that will be written about in years to come as one of the last of the Old Time music legends. Hopefullly his family will keep the tradition going for many years to come. Saturday was a rare chance to witness a little bit of musical history. Thanks, Jimbo and Wintergreen, for making it possible.
Homer Barnswallow
Nelson County

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