Biography

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Description:
Bobby and Sonny Osborne were born in Roark, Kentucky in 1931 and 1937 respectively. Heavily influenced by Ernest Tubb, Earl Scruggs and the country and folk music their music enthusiast father raised them on, Bobby and Sonny began their careers quickly and became stalwarts for bluegrass music in its more difficult years.

Due to a knack for innovations, the Osbornes had a tendency to alienate bluegrass purists at every point in their career. Early on, they unusually placed Bobby’s tenor lead above the rest of their vocal harmonies, as opposed to the typical approach that placed the melody in the center of a three-part arrangement. The brothers were the first bluegrass group to use an electric bass (heard on this record) as well as instruments like drums, pedal steel, rhythm guitars and piano on recordings. Having said that, many listeners were turned off when the duo insisted upon amplifying their banjo and mandolin with electric pickups at larger festivals and concerts. Eventually, it turned out that their commitment to trying new ideas and techniques helped confirm their position in bluegrass history; thus, shaped the trajectory of bluegrass music throughout the decades.

Bluegrass Concerto, recorded in 1979 for CMH, is no exception. The album starts with a bang with the Osbornes fashioning a bluegrass jam out of highly unconventional material borrowed from the classical music tradition. Consisting largely of originals penned by Bobby, this instrumental release allowed the Osbornes to explore some of their more exploratory musical ideas while boasting their always excellent musicianship.

This record is testament to the fact that these brothers never stopped pushing the music forward any way they could, and it’s been remastered and is now available digitally for the first time. From 1976 to 1991 the duo recorded seven albums for CMH, which came to represent some of their final recorded output together. Sonny Osborne retired from performing in 2005 due to health complications while Bobby continued playing music until the end of his long life. Sonny passed in 2021 and Bobby passed in 2023. Together, they were inducted into the International Bluegrass Music Hall of Honor in 1994.

Tracklist:
1. Bluegrass Concerto
2. Tina Rene Waltz
3. Bandy’s 109
4. Shawnee
5. I’ll Fly Away
6. The Homecoming
7. Jesse James
8. Bobby Van Waltz
9. Black Mountain Drive
10. Sure-Fire
11. The Unclouded Day


Credits:
Bobby Osborne: Mandolins & Fiddle
Sonny Osborne: 5-String Banjo
Buddy Spicher: Fiddle, Violins, Viola, Cello & Mandolin
Ray Edenton: Flat-top Rhythm & Lead Guitar
Benny Birchfield: Rhythm Guitar
Jimmy D. Brock: Bass
Robby Osborne: Drums

Produced by Sonny Osborne
Recorded at Hilltop Studios, Nashville, Tennessee, (November 9, 15, 21 & 22, 1978)
Engineer: Jack Linneman
2023 Digital Re-Master: Paul duGré