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Show Notes

RECORDED LIVE 11/16/63 at Mechanics Hall, Worcester, MA
by David Grisman

This classic 1963 edition of Monroe's band featuring the revolutionary banjo playing of Bill Keith and the high lonesome sound of Del McCoury at the beginning of his career as a singer and rhythm guitaristówas recorded by David Grisman at one of America's finest pre-civil war concert halls.

Live at Mechanics Hall features over 12 songs never released by this configuration, including two tracks featuring Bill's daughter Melissa Monroe and the only recorded Monroe duet with Bea Lilly of the Lilly Brothers.

This concert provides a glimpse of Bill Monroe at a time when he was putting a lot of energy into his performances. Stand-out tracks like "On and On," "John Henry," "Blue Ridge Mt. Blues" and a blistering version of "Rawhide" shows Monroeís determination to keep up with the musical challenges presented by the hot young musicians in his band. Reflecting on his time with Monroe, Del McCoury states, "Iíve learned a lot from Bill, and Iíve learned that a lot of jazz, country and blues musicians wish they had gotten to be Blue Grass Boys. I was lucky to have gotten to play with him."

In 1963 Bill Monroe was on the brink of becoming an icon of American music. Performances like these helped propel him to that status in his legendary career.