BEAN BLOSSOM by Thomas Adler, (Univ. of Illinois Press)
240 pp. softbound. Those old enough to have attended any of the country music
parks in their hey day (the 1940s on into the 1960s) will know what a delightful
experience it was to hear some of your favorite country and Bluegrass bands
out in the open of a summer Sunday. Such parks were spread out all over the
USA, but especially in the mid Atlantic states and the mid west. Fans got to
see and hear --and meet --groups and artists who would otherwise have been
heard only on records and over the radio, and it's safe to say that many young
folks became life long fans of the music through these family-friendly day long
shows. Bean Blossom is one of the more famous parks, as it was owned from
1951 into the 1970s by Bill Monroe, who not only presented weekly shows at his
Brown County Jamboree, but also sponsored a well known, week long Bluegrass
Festival each summer. Adler, in a detailed, well written book, covers the Park's
first beginnings in 1939, its change of ownership in 1951, and its most recent life
under the ownership of Dwight Dillman. He makes note of most of the groups
who played there, as well as the roles played by Brother Birch Monroe, Neil
Rosenberg, Ralph Rinzler, Tex Logan (barbecue bean day), and others. There's
quite a wealth of information here and lots of great memories for anyone who
ever visited the Jamboree or the Annual Festival.
BOOK: $ 24.00
BEAN BLOSSOM by Thomas Adler, (Univ. of Illinois Press)240 pp. softbound. Those old enough to have attended any of the country music
parks in their hey day (the 1940s on into the 1960s) will know what a delightful experience it was to hear some of your favorite country and Bluegrass bands out in the open of a summer Sunday. Such parks were spread out all over the USA, but especially in the mid Atlantic states and the mid west. Fans got to see and hear and meet groups and artists who would otherwise have been heard only on records and over the radio, and it's safe to say that many young folks became life long fans of the music through these family-friendly day long shows. Bean Blossom is one of the more famous parks, as it was owned from1951 into the 1970s by Bill Monroe, who not only presented weekly shows at his Brown County Jamboree, but also sponsored a well known, week long Bluegrass Festival each summer. Adler, in a detailed, well written book, covers the Park's first beginnings in 1939, its change of ownership in 1951, and its most recent life under the ownership of Dwight Dillman. He makes note of most of the groups who played there, as well as the roles played by Brother Birch Monroe, Neil Rosenberg, Ralph Rinzler, Tex Logan (barbecue bean day), and others. There's quite a wealth of information here and lots of great memories for anyone whoever visited the Jamboree or the Annual Festival. BOOK: $ 24.00
