Play Like A Legend Bill Monroe

Mel Bay is pleased to present the first-ever book focused on the mandolin stylings of Father of Bluegrass Music Bill Monroe. Author Joe Carr dissects Monroe's unique approach to the mandolin through analysis of the icon's stylistic nuances, licks and repertoire. Included in the book are transcriptions, new in the style of arrangements, chord voicings and rhythm/backup patterns. Further, this book includes 32 never-before-seen photos of Monroe in performance with his band the Bluegrass Boys and special guests. Complete with audio, Play Like a Legend: Bill Monroe Tunes & Songs for Mandolin will take the reader back to the roots of bluegrass through its iconic founder's stylings.

Mel Bay is pleased to present the first-ever book focused on the mandolin stylings of Father of Bluegrass Music Bill Monroe. Author Joe Carr dissects Monroe's unique approach to the mandolin through analysis of the icon's stylistic nuances

Play Like a Legend: Doc Watson features transcriptions of his great guitar flatpicking recordings from the early 1960s until the 1990s. In addition, detailed explanations of special techniques such as Carter Plus soloing, using three notepatterns (3NPs) and numerous crosspicking patterns are included. Exercises are designed to isolate specific licks and patterns, making them easier to learn. Moveable phrases and licks are identified so that players can introduce Doc's unique sound into their own playing. Accompanying downloadable audio is included online.

A backstage audition led Mark Hembree into a five-year stint (1979–1984) as the bassist for Bill Monroe's Blue Grass Boys. Hembree’s journey included playing at the White House and on the acclaimed album Master of Bluegrass. But it also put him on a collision course with the rigors of touring, the mysteries of Southern culture, and the complex personality of bandleader-legend Bill Monroe. Whether it’s figuring out the best time for breakfast (early) or for beating the boss at poker (never), Hembree gives readers an up-close look at the occasionally exalting, often unglamorous life of a touring musician in the sometimes baffling, always colorful company of a bluegrass icon. The amusing story of a Yankee fish out of water, On the Bus with Bill Monroe mixes memoir with storytelling to recount the adventures of a Northerner learning new ways and the Old South.

Bob Black was a member of Bill Monroe's Blue Grass Boys in the 1970s. Black's memoir of his time with the man he called the Chief offers the unique vantage point of a man who traveled and performed extensively with the Father of Bluegrass at a time when the music had opened up to new audiences--and Monroe had become a living legend. Both role model and taskmaster, Monroe exerted a profound influence on Black and the musicians who have carried on the bluegrass tradition. In addition to Black's one-of-a-kind story, Come Hither to Go Yonder includes complete listing of Black's appearances with Monroe, recollections of the memorable experiences they shared while working together, descriptions of other important musicians and bands, 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 rewards fans of Bill Monroe and bluegrass while offering an insider's view of a crucial time in the music's history.

In Kentucky Traveler, Ricky Skaggs, the music legend who revived modern bluegrass music, gives a warm, honest, one-of-a-kind memoir of forty years in music—along with the Ten Commandments of Bluegrass, as handed down by Ricky’s mentor Bill Monroe; the Essential Guide to Bedrock Country Songs, a lovingly compiled walk through the songs that have moved Skaggs the most throughout his life; Songs the Lord Taught Us, a primer on Skaggs’s most essential gospel songs; and a bevy of personal snapshots of his musical heroes. For readers of Johnny Cash’s autobiography, lovers of O Brother Where Art Thou, and fans of country music and bluegrass, Kentucky Traveler is a priceless look at America’s most cherished and vibrant musical tradition through the eyes of someone who has lived it.

Earl "The Pearl" Monroe is a basketball legend whose impact on the game transcends statistics, a player known as much for his unorthodox, "playground" style of play as his championship pedigree. Observers said that watching him play was like listening to jazz, his moves resembling freefloating improvisations. "I don't know what I'm going to do with the ball," Monroe once admitted, "and if I don't know, I'm quite sure the guy guarding me doesn't know either." Traded to the New York Knicks before the 1971–72 season, Monroe became a key member of the beloved, star-studded 1972–73 Knicks team that captured the NBA title. And now, on the 40th anniversary of that championship season—the franchise's last—Monroe is finally ready to tell his remarkable story. Written with bestselling author Quincy Troupe (Miles, The Pursuit of Happyness) Earl the Pearl will retrace Monroe's life from his upbringing in a tough South Philadelphia neighborhood through his record-setting days at Winston-Salem State, to his NBA Rookie of the Year season in 1967, his tremendous years with the Baltimore Bullets and ultimately his redemptive, championship glory with the New York Knicks. The book will culminate with a revealing epilogue in which Monroe reflects on the events of the past 40 years, offers his insights into the NBA today, and his thoughts on the future of the game he loves.

(Mandolin Play-Along). The Mandolin Play-Along Series will help you play your favorite songs quickly and easily. Just follow the written music, listen to the audio to hear how the mandolin should sound, and then play along using the separate backing tracks. Standard notation and tablature are both included in the book. Includes PLAYBACK+, a mutli-functional audio player that allows you to slow down audio without changing pitch, set loop points, change keys and pan left or right! Songs include: Big Mon * Blue Grass Breakdown * Blue Moon of Kentucky * Get up John * Kentucky Mandolin * My Last Days on Earth * Raw Hide * Roanoke.