Lula Burke, Editor-in-Chief—
Fifty years ago, a group of musicians expanded upon traditional bluegrass music with the newer sounds of country rock, blending genres in a performance called Muleskinner Live. This year, the Department of Music’s annual bluegrass festival will pay homage to this groundbreaking work in a series of student shows, a guest performance including an original member of Muleskinner Live, and workshops with The McLain Family Band.
Adam Schlenker, the Coordinator of American Roots Music Studies, said that the work done at Muleskinner Live in 1973 helped to expand the ever-changing sound of bluegrass music, all while “staying true to its roots.”
“Not only are these some of my favorite musicians, but this super group also represents an era when Bluegrass music was evolving. A new generation of musicians were building on the traditions established by the fathers of Bluegrass like Bill Monroe, Earl Scruggs and Lester Flatt, but they were also incorporating elements of the emerging “country rock” scene and added to the song catalog via songwriters like Peter Rowan, Bob Dylan, Gram Parsons,” he said.
“To me, this is the epitome of our American Roots Music program here at Denison. My goal is for the students to explore and develop strong foundations in Bluegrass and other forms of roots music while also working to develop themselves and their own music.”
The three-day event starts with an opening set by Denison’s Bluegrass and American Roots Ensemble, which will open for every concert of the series. Appalachian Swing, a group formed by Schlenker and featuring original Muleskinner guitarist Peter Rowan, will perform a set remembering the work done by Muleskinner Live in the ‘70’s. The concert is Friday, Feb. 17 at 7 p.m. in Swasey Chapel. Tickets are required.
“We were short one band member to complete the Muleskinner lineup. I reached out to Peter Rowan about this idea and after a very nice conversation, he agreed to join us at Dension for a night of Muleskinner music,” Schlenker said. “My hope for this concert is to honor these musicians and the music they made.”
Gene Otto V ‘23 plays guitar and banjo for the American Roots ensemble and is part of the group opening the three-day festival. He said that in addition to the festival itself, the preparation for the festival has opened his eyes to the conglomerate traditions of bluegrass, country, and folk music.
“Peter Rowan [of Muleskinner] is one of the great legends of bluegrass and it is his honor to welcome him to our campus for the festival,” he said. “We did a collection of Peter Rowan material at our concert last winter, so we are in the process of dusting off those arrangements in preparation for our opening set at the concert on Friday.”
The next day features workshops with the McLain Family Band, a special guest which “has become internationally known as one of the most spontaneous, creative and spirited groups performing contemporary Appalachian Bluegrass music.” On Saturday, Feb 18, workshops will be held in the Denison Museum from 12-3:00 pm. to build connections between musicians: Members of the McLain Family band, DU faculty, community members and students will form pop up bands, rehearse for 30-40 minutes and then perform for each other and the public.
“This format allows musicians of all skill levels to interact and learn from each other,” Schlenker said. “We began doing this at last year’s festival and it was a blast!”
The final day–Sunday, Feb. 19–The McLain Family Band will perform in concert in Swasey Chapel at 7:00 pm. This group comprises alternating members of a Kentucky-based family. Tickets are required for this event.
“This group has been active since the mid 60’s and is still going strong,” Schlenker said. “They also have a Dension connection in that their father graduated from Denison with a music degree in the late 40’s.”For ticketing questions, please contact the box office at 740-587-6544.