Bill Clifton

The most atypical of bluegrass artists, Bill Clifton has enjoyed a long career as a recording artist, performer, and champion of old-time music. Bill C. Malone pens the story of Clifton's eclectic life and influential career. Born into a prominent Maryland family, Clifton connected with old-time music as a boy. Clifton made records around earning a Master's degree, fifteen years in the British folk scene, and stints in the Peace Corps and Marines. Yet that was just the beginning. Closely allied with the Carter Family, Woody Guthrie, Mike Seeger, and others, Clifton altered our very perceptions of the music--organizing one of the first outdoor bluegrass festivals, publishing a book of folk and gospel standards that became a cornerstone of the folk revival, and introducing both traditional and progressive bluegrass around the world. As Malone shows, Clifton clothed the music of working-class people in the vestments of romance, celebrating the log cabin as a refuge from modernism that rang with the timeless music of Appalachia. An entertaining account by an eminent music historian, Bill Clifton clarifies the myths and illuminates the paradoxes of an amazing musical life.

Bill Monroe is so foundational to bluegrass music that the entire genre took its name from his band, the Blue Grass Boys. In Come Hither to Go Yonder, Bob Black recounts his years spent as a member of that seminal band. While other work on Bill Monroe has been written from a historical point of view, Come Hither to Go Yonder is told from the perspective of a musician who was actually there. Filled with observations made from the unique vantage point of a man who has traveled and performed extensively with the master, this book is Bob Black's personal memoir about the profound influence that Monroe exerted on the musicians who have carried on the bluegrass tradition in the wake of his 1996 death. This volume also includes a complete listing of Bob Black's appearances with Monroe, his most memorable experiences while they worked together, brief descriptions of the more important musicians and bands mentioned, and suggestions for further reading and listening. Offering a rare perspective on the creative forces that drove one of America's greatest composers and musical innovators, Come Hither to Go Yonder will deeply reward any fans of Bill Monroe, of bluegrass, or of American ve

What mysteries are hidden within a dark, deserted cave? People have used caves for shelter and protection throughout history, but some of these places have been marked by tragedy. Could the caves be haunted by ghosts who wander through their shadowy chambers? Among the 11 spooky places featured in this book, readers will explore a cave of lost treasure hidden by Spanish conquistadors over 350 years ago; a cavern where a 13-year-old boy discovered the largest underground lake in the United States; and a cave where the mournful ghost of a young woman searches desperately for her lost love. The mysteries of these eerie places and the spirits said to still haunt them will keep readers turning the pages.

The Louisiana School was created by state law to challenge academically and artistically gifted high school students from throughout Louisiana. It was the second such residential school in the nation and served as a model for the creation of similar schools in other states. This is the story of the students, instructors, staff, and others who created and have continued the school against tough odds and continuing budget cuts. It presents the chronological history, a summary of many of the accomplishments that led to international recognition, and a look into the culture that can only be found at the Louisiana School.