There is nothing like a warm late spring in southern Indiana, and when you add in 6 days of Bluegrass music, it’s like being in heaven. Hillbilly heaven some might say, but to me the annual Bill Monroe Bean Blossom Festival is as close to heaven on earth as it gets! Located in the hills of Brown County, the Bill Monroe Music Park and Campground is the location of the longest running bluegrass festival in the world. Located on the grounds is the Bill Monroe Museum and Hall of Fame where you can spend hours browsing pictures, artifacts, and memorabilia of the Father of bluegrass and other historical bluegrass items.

This year’s festival included some of the biggest names in bluegrass. 26 different acts preformed over the six-day festival. Space does not permit inclusion of comments on all the acts so I’ll mention my favorite memories.

I was introduced for my first time to master mandolin picker Frank Wakefield and his band. He has a humorous stage act and is one of the best and most unique mandolin players I’ve heard. He can pick anything from classical to straight ahead bluegrass.

"The 1946 Band" is a relatively new band that has a "retro act" similar to Karl Shifflet’s Big Country Show. 1946 will release it’s first album the end of June and it is one I will surely add to my collection. "The Big County Show" put on a stellar show as usual.

For those who like traditional bluegrass Melvin Goins, Gary Brewer, Larry Sparks and Charlie Waller all put on great shows. The Goins Brothers will be inducted into the Bill Monroe Bluegrass Hall of Fame this fall.

Headliners for the week include Jim & Jesse and the Virginia Boys, Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver, and JD Crowe & New South.

The highlight of the week for me was Ralph Stanley doing songs from the "O Brother" motion picture. When he sang "O Death" accapela you could of heard a lonesome pine needle falling from the trees in the park, and the spontaneous "sing along" on the chorus of "Angle Band" sent chills up my spine. Ralph brought the crowd to it’s feet when he invited Tom T. Hall up on stage for a special number. Former band member George Shuffler was also there to sing and play his famous cross-picking guitar style.

The Saturday evening Jimmy Martin show drew the biggest crowd of the week and included an appearance by Marty Stuart. Stuart is a country act with bluegrass in his sole, and is working hard to bring acts like Jimmy Martin back to the stage of the Grand Ole Opry. Jimmy and Marty commanded three or four encores, as the crowd would not let them leave the stage.

In addition to the main stage acts there were various workshops held continuously throughout the week that included various instrument workshops, bluegrass harmony, recording and producing and story telling by some of the stars.

Of course there was the late night, and in some cases, all night parking lot jams. I was awaken my last morning there by a group cheering and jam’n in the sunrise.

Tim Rigterink