Murder Ballads

Murder Ballads were a popular genre in traditional country and folk music. It was brought to the US by European settlers, and became especially popular in the Southern states. While its popularity has waned over the past decades, several contemporary artists covered some of the best ones. Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds actually recorded an entire album full of popular Murder Ballads. 

My favorite is Banks of the Ohio, a 19th century murder ballad by an uknown author. Many recordings have been made of this song, by such greats as Johnny Cash, Joan Baez, and The Carter Family.  I especially love the rendition below, performed by Doc Watson, and accompanied by the amazing Earl Scruggs, Ricky Skaggs and Alison Krauss. 

Take a minute to read the lyrics before watching the video, it will make you shiver....

Banks of the Ohio 

I asked my love to take a walk
Just a little ways with me
And as we walked and we would talk
All about our weddingday

Darling say that you'll be mine
In our home we'll happy be
Down beside where the waters flow
On the banks of the Ohio
I took her by her pretty white hand
I let her down that bank of sand
I pushed her in where she would drown
Lord, I saw her as she floated down

Returning home about twelve or one
Thinking "Lord, what a deed I've done?"
I killed the girl I love, you see
Because she would not marry me

The very next day at half past four
The sherrif walked right to my door
And he says "Young man, don't you try to run
You must pay for this awful crime you've done"

  

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The Sound of America

There is not a single instrument in the United States that is as quintessentially American as the banjo is. This guitar like instrument has a round frame and either four, five or six strings. It originated in Africa, and was brought to the American Colonies with the arrival of African slaves from 1620 onwards. Soon the instrument could be heard during slave gatherings at plantations all along the Southern states of the US. 

Banjos were introduced to a wider non-black audience through Minstrel Shows. Minstrel Shows started in the 1830's. They were a ridiculous attempt to depict the lives of African American slaves who lived on plantations in the South. White actors painted their faces black and acted like dumb-witted slaves that did nothing all day but steel food, do silly things and play music on their banjo. One of the most popular songs that came from one of these Minstrel Show's was Stephen Foster's 1847 hit "Oh Susannah". The song was later covered by such greats as Neil Young, the Byrds, and James Taylor. 

Minstrel Shows were very popular from the 1830's until the late 1890's, and the banjo's popularity grew with it. Soon not only African slaves played the instrument, but many white Americans did too. The banjo could be heard in several musical styles from blues, to country and folk music, as it was played all throughout the US.

Earl Scruggs was born in 1924 in Carolina, and started started playing the banjo at a young age. He developed his own three finger picking style and in 1945 was discovered by the founder of Bluegrass music, Bill Monroe. Ever since Bill Monroe added Earl Scrugss to his band, the banjo became an indispensable part of Bluegrass music. Only three years later, Earl Scruggs and Lester Flatt left Monroe's Bluegrass Boys, to start their own band. The duo soon became quite popular and even landed a spot on the Grand Ole Opry. Below you can hear them at the Opry, performing one of their classics "Foggy Mountain Breakdown". 

In the 1950's the banjo again became an important part of folk music. It was reintroduced by Pete Seeger, the father of folk, who himself was an avid banjo player and wrote a popular book on "How to Play the 5-String Banjo". The book thought many young musicians at the time how to play this instrument, and the banjo soon found itself in another revival. Pete Seeger is 93 today, and he can still be heard playing his instrument in folk festivals all throughout the US. Below you can watch Seeger give a short history lesson on this beautiful instrument.  

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10 Reasons Why I Love Dolly Parton

1. "Coat of Many Colors" is one of a few songs which always makes me stop what I'm doing and listen to the lyrics. 
2. She is one of the best at singing harmonies, and she's done it with some of the greatest musicians (just listen to  "Trio" and "Trio II" with Linda Rondstad and Emmylou Harris and "Honky Tonk Angels" with Tammy Wynette and Loretta Lynn). 
3. She's not just a real artist in that she can entertain crowds, but she's also a great singer, songwriter, and plays numerous instruments.  You don't see that combination in just one person very often in the music business.  
4. She wrote the song that accompanied me throughout my teen years: "I Will Always Love You", which has been covered by many artists since (Whitney Houston,  Willie Nelson, Vince Gill, and Jennifer Hudson among others. Elvis Presley actually wanted to cover the song, but Parton didn't allow it as she had to sign over half of the publishing rights to him). 
5. She's very funny and doesn't take herself too seriously. "It takes a lot of money to look this cheap" is one of her favorite lines. 
6. She doesn't stick with any particular style of music, but dares to delve into others genres too. So far she has sung country, bluegrass, disco, pop, folk and gospel music.  
7. She has been recording since 1959 when she was only 13 years old, but teenagers today still know her name and her music. 
8. She is one of the remaining living legends, and I had a chance to see her in concert back in 2007. 
9. She sang "Coat of Many Colors", "The Sweetest Thing" and "Here You Come Again", three of my favorite songs by her. Listen to them through the links above that will lead you to Spotify, or below on YouTube. Hope you like them as much as I do. 
10. Because she always puts a smile on my face. 

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Dolly Parton - Coat of Many Colors

Dolly Parton, Emmylou Harris, Linda Rondstad - The Sweetest Thing

Dolly Parton - Here You Come Again 

Gillian Welch: American Gothic

Gillian Welch looks as if she just walked out of Grant Woods' 1930's painting "American Gothic". Traditional, gloomy, haunted and tragic. The same words that can be used to describe her music. Her  ballads are reminiscent of early and mid 1930's songs by the Carter Family, the Stanley Brothers and the Louvin Brothers, by which she was heavily influenced.  She, however, was able to give a contemporary twist to this music, making it sound timeless. 

Grant Wood - American Gothic 

Like many others, I learned about Gillian Welch through the "Oh Brother Where Art Thou" Soundtrack. This 2002 Grammy awarded album of the year,  included three songs by Gillian Welch. She even made a short cameo appearance in the film. Gillian Welch started singing professionally with her singing partner David Rawlings. They both moved to Nashville in the 1990's and were able to get the same manager that Alison Krauss had at the time. She was introduced to music producer T-Bone Burnett and their first album achieved critical acclaim. In the meantime she has released 6 albums, 3 of which were from her own record label Acony Records.

Wrecking Ball, I'll Fly Away, and Scarlett Town are some of my favorite Gillian Welch songs. It's perfect music to listen too when you're feeling down or lonesome, or when you're in any other mood. Click on the images below to listen to them, I hope you like it as much as I do.

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Gillian Welch and David Rawlings - Wrecking Ball 

Alison Krauss and Gillian Welch - I'll Fly Away 

Gillian Welch - Scarlett Town 

"The Greatest Backporch Shows Ever"

If you like traditional "backporch music" you may really like the Transatlantic Sessions series. It's a BBC production in which American, Irish and British musicians get together and sing the most beautiful folk and country songs. In the mid 1990's the first season aired and included such great names as Emmylou Harris, Iris Dement and John Martyn. Unfortunately I didn't get to watch it until I discovered the series many years later on Youtube.  In the meantime several series had followed the first one. 

In 2007 they decided to record another series and once again were able to get some of the finest musicians to join them (Ricky Scaggs, Roseanne Cash and James Taylor among others).  Last year they recorded the 5th series, and once again were able to produce something magnificent. The great part of the series are the many duets by musicians that have never sung together before, but are able to make your heart melt. Below are some of my favorite songs from different series.  

John Martyn & Kathy Matea - May You Never

Iris Dement & Emmylou Harris - Our Town

Amos Lee, Sarah Jarosz & Alison Krauss - Clear Blue Eyes

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The Era of "The Artist"; a Soundtrack to the 1920's and 1930's

This weekend I finally saw "The Artist" and I loved it! "The Artist" depicts the disappearance of silent movies and the emergence of the first talking pictures during the 1920's and 1930's. "The Jazz Singer" which was released in 1927, was the first popular talking picture. Very soon all silent movies were considered to be too old fashioned, leaving musicians which accompanied these movies without a job. Movie Companies, however, were forced to rehire these musicians to make soundtracks, and thankfully music continued to be an important part of movies.

The roaring twenties was the decade of Prohibition (in which manufacturing, importing, exporting, selling and transporting alcohol was banned by law in the U.S.), the emergence of the phonograph and the first record studios, and of course the great crash of 1929. By the 1930's Big Bands headed by great musicians such as Duke Ellington, Cab Calloway, Tommy Dorsey were the talk of the town. It was also the decade in which The Grand Ole Opry was first broadcasted throughout the entire US, and Billboard published its first list to aid jukebox owners in their music choice.

The 1920's and 1930's also brought forward some of the greatest artists of the 20th century. We all still know and love Bessie Smith, Louis Armstrong,  Jimmie Rodgers, Bing Crosby, Fred Astaire, Billie Holiday and of course the amazing Cole Porter. Here are some of my favorite songs from these two decades. All of these songs were used in movie soundtracks.

Bessie Smith - "St. Louis Blues" (1929)

Jimmie Rodgers - "Waiting for a Train" (1930)

Fred Astaire - "Dancing Cheeck to Cheeck" (1935)

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Johnny Cash's Inspiration

I won't have to tell anyone how great a musician Johnny Cash was. He was the King of Rock and Roll, of Country, Folk and of Rock. What many people don't know, is that his wife June Carter Cash was also a very talented musician. She grew up in the famous Carter Family, pioneers of American Country music. Her mother Maybelle Carter recorded one of the first very popular country recordings with her brother in law A.P. Carter and his wife Sara. 

A.P. Carter travelled the US to find old folk songs, and recorded them with Sarah and Maybelle. They eventually recorded some 300 songs together between 1927 and 1941. He usually "forgot" to tell that these were not his own songs and was lucky to not be sued by anyone for plagiarism. Together they recorded several country traditionals: "Can the Circle be Unbroken", "Wildwood Flower", "Keep on the Sunny Side", and my favorite "Foggy Mountain Top". Maybelle Carter became known for her own guitar playing style. As she grew up not being able to play music with anyone, she decided to play both the rhythm and the melody on her guitar; it became widely known as "the Carter scratch".

 Maybelle Carter on Guitar, sitting next to Sarah and A.P. Carter

Mother Maybelle Carter gave birth to three daughters and thought them much of her musical knowledge. Soon June, Anita, and Helen were playing at the Grand Ole Opry, when a young Johnny Cash listened to them on the radio. June, while not the best singer of the three, was a great entertainer and a very good musician. She played several instruments and wrote some great hit records. "Ring of Fire" was actually written by June and made famous by Johnny Cash. Originally, however, "Ring of Fire" was written for her sister Anita. June also recorded several songs with her husband. "Jackson" was probably their most famous hit together.

Another one of my favorite recordings is the one below with Johnny Cash, the Carter sisters and Maybelle Carter. Here they are singing the Gospel song "Were You There". It was recorded during Johnny Cash's drug use period in 1960. From left to right you will see Helen, Anita, June and Maybelle Carter. Notice Anita Carter's beautiful voice. She actually did a real good duet with Hank Williams when she was still very young.

The Johnny Cash Show aired from 1969 to 1971. In it Johnny Cash sang with some of the greatest stars of the time (Linda Rondstadt, Joni Mitchell, Roy Orbinson) and of course with his own wife June. The following song was also recorded at the Johnny Cash Show. It really shows June's enormous musical talent and it's my favorite song by June Carter: "Tall Lover Man". 

June Carter - "Tall Lover Man"

 

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Where Did You Sleep Last Night?

I like listening to different versions of the same song. Especially when it is done in a completely different genre. "In The Pines", also known as "Black Girl" and "Where Did You Sleep Last Night" is one of those songs. Originally a traditional American folk song, it was widely known among the African American population as "Black Girl". That was probably how Lead Belly learned about the song and decided to record it in 1944. 

Although he wasn't the one who wrote the song, nor the one who recorded it first, he is often mentioned as the original author. Lead Belly actually recorded several versions of this song. In the one below, you can hear his "Black  Girl" version, in other versions he changes "Black Girl" into "My Girl", perhaps to make it appeal to a wider (non black) audience. In fact, Lead Belly was the first African American singer who was popular among the white population. After spending a few years in prison, he toured several American Universities  with John Lomax, who had written a book on American folk music. Because the US was quite racist at the time,  Lead Belly was hired as Lomax's driver, to be able to travel together.

Lead Belly - "In the Pines"

Bill Monroe, the pioneer of Bluegrass music, also recorded a version of  "In the Pines" in the early 1940's. As many other Country and Bluegrass artists at the time he used old folk songs, and added some traditional country music instruments (banjo, fiddle, etc.) to it. Later, several other country artists covered Bill Monroe's version of the song; Dolly Parton, the Louvin Brothers, and Ralph Stanley. Unfortunately, I couldn't find a better YouTube version of the song, but I hope you'll enjoy it nevertheless.

Bill Monroe - "In the Pines"

Perhaps the best known version of the song was recorded by Nirvana on their 1994 unplugged album. They changed the title of the song into "Where Did You Sleep Last Night", but you can definitely hear that it is the same  song as "In the Pines". Lead Belly is actualy wrongully mentioned as the song's author during this  performance.

Nirvana - "Where Did You Sleep Last Night"

A Few Very Suprising Duets

I like to hear duets by singers who are known in completely different genres. This blog post is about those duets. I discovered them by spending endless hours on You Tube. The first one was recorded at Tom Jones' own tv show "This Is Tom Jones". The show ran from 1969 to 1971 and included many big names in music history (Dusty Springfield, Jerry Lee Lewis, Tony Benett and Ray Charles, to name but a few). In the third and final season of the show Ella Fitzgerald sang a great (and quite surprising) duet with Tom Jones. Here is "Sunny".

Tom Jones & Ella Fitzgerald - "Sunny"

The following song was recorded at the Transatlantic Sessions. This is a BBC music special in which Irish, British and American (usually folk) singers get together and make great music. The first session was recorded in the early 1990's and there have been 5 sessions since. It is really worth watching, especially if you like folk music. In this song you will see Iris DeMent, Michelle Wright, and the Irish singer Mairead Ni Mhaonaigh sing the traditional country song "Will the Circle Be Unbroken".

Iris DeMent, Michelle Wright & Mairead Ni Mhaonaigh - "Will the Circle Be Unbroken"

I have already expressed my love for Alison Krauss in this blog. To show her diversity and to show that she is not just a real good country and bluegrass singer, I will show this duet with Led Zeppelin's lead singer Robert Plant. They actually recorded an entire CD together in 2007 called "Raising Sands". This song is the first one on this CD, and I personally think it is also the best one. Here they are at Jools Holland singing "Rich Woman". 

Robert Plant & Alison Krauss - "Rich Woman"

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A History of Bluegrass ( Part 2)

By the time the folk music scene regained its popularity in the late 1950's, most famous Bluegrass singers  had lost their contracts and radio's stopped playing their music. Many folk singers, however, were heavily influenced by the Bluegrass style, and decided to bring this music back to the public. Moreover, in 1962 Flatt & Scrugs were asked to sing the theme song for the popular TV show The Beverly Hillbillies ("The Ballad of Jed Clampett"). They had no idea that by doing this, people would  forever identify bluegrass music with trashy white people. 

This revival of Bluegrass during the 1960's allowed some great old time Bluegrass singers to display their music to an entirely new audience. The Stanley Brothers and Bill Monroe were among those. The Louvin Brothers were another brother duo that regained popularity, be it on a small scale. Although they sing a number of different musical styles, I personally like the Bluegrass versions of their songs best. "I Don't Believe You've Met My Baby" is one of my (and my father in laws') favorites. 

From the late 1960's until the late 1990's Bluegrass continued to be played, although it was largely overshadowed by other more popular music styles. During this time several country singers recorded Bluegrass albums (listen to Dolly Parton's Bluegrass Collection). The real revival, however, came in the early 2000's with the soundtrack of the movie "Oh Brother Where Art Thou". Some of the biggest stars in Bluegrass and Country music can be heared on this cd (Ralph Stanley, Alison Krauss, Gillian Welch, Emmylou Harris and the Carter Family). It also includes some bands which didn't achieve national fame yet, but rightfully did through this album (The Whites and the Cox Family). Thankfully, these artists didn't stop after the Oh Brother Soundtrack. The cd compilation "Down From the Mountain" is another one of my Bluegrass favorites, and includes many of the artists that are included in the Oh Brother Soundtrack.

Below you will find "I'm A Man of Constant Sorrow", the old time tradional folk song which Ralph Stanley brought to national fame. This is actually not really George Clooney singing, but Dan Triminsky, a musician in Alison Krauss' Union Station. Notice the woman at the beginning who's asking for the Soggy Bottom Boys, that's Gillian Welch :-). More about her will follow soon.

The Soggy Bottom Boys - "I'm a Man of Constant Sorrow"

A History of Bluegrass (Part 1)

As you may have already noticed I am a enormous fan of Bluegrass music. To me, Bluegrass represents music at its core. It's where all the good things in music come together. I love the vocal harmonies in bluegrass, as well as the splendid blending of different acoustic instruments; the banjo, steel / acoustic guitar, mandonline, fiddle, and the dobro.

The man who started this all was Bill Monroe. He grew up in the early part of the last century, when Bluegrass music did not even excist.  Bill Monroe was very interested in traditional music, and was inspired by a variety of musical genres; blues, jazz, country and Victorian parlor songs. He released his first record with his brother Charlie in 1936; "What Would You Give in Exchange for Your Soul". It became a big hit in the Southeastern states of the US, and brought instant fame to the Monroe Brothers. After several severe fights with his brother, Bill decided it was best for them to part. He soon started a new band; Bill Monroe and the Blue Grass Boys. 

Bill Monroe and the Blue Grass Boys produced several big hits.  In 1940 they released a redo of Jimmie Rodger's "Mule Skinner Blues" which became very popular. Their 1946 hit "Blue Moon of Kentucky" did even better, and has since been covered by Elvis Presley, Patsy Cline and Bob Dylan (to name just a few).  It was in these two song that the Bill Monroe style was perfected. Soon Bill Monroe and his Blue Grass Boys became regulars at the Grand Ole Opry. While Bill Monroe continued to be a constant factor in his band, the Blue Grass Boys were continually replaced. Two of his former band mates that were able to also make a big name for themselves were Lester Flatt and Earl Scruggs. They started their own band The Foggy Mountain Boys and became quite famous for their hit "Foggy Mountain Breakdown"" (if you think you know how to play the guitar, try playing this song). Bill Monroe received the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 1993, just a few years before he died in 1996.

"Oh, (Monroe) was the first. But it wasn't called bluegrass back then. It was just called old time mountain hillbilly music. When they started doing the bluegrass festivals in 1965, everybody got together and wanted to know what to call the show, y'know. It was decided that since Bill was the oldest man, and was from the Bluegrass state of Kentucky and he had the Blue Grass Boys, it would be called 'bluegrass.'' - Ralph Stanley

Ralph Stanley, another big name in Bluegrass, was very much influenced by Bill Monroe (although Stanley never wanted to admit this).  Ralph Stanley started performing with his brother Carter at around the same time Bill Monroe did. Even though Bluegrass wasn't really known to be a musical genre back then, the Stanley brothers copied a lot of things that Bill Monroe and his band did at the time. What the Stanley Brothers did seem to work, they became almost as popular as Monroe was. The song "Man of Constant Sorrow" (a traditional folk song) was one of their biggest hits, which Ralph continued playing after his brother died in 1966. In 2004 the song was again introduced in the soundtrack of  the movie "Oh Brother Where Art Thou".

Several "Bluegrass" musicians lost their record deals in the late 1950's. This type of music was now seen as too old-fashioned and way too hillbilly. It wasn't, however, the end of Bluegrass. More information on how Bluegrass Came About will follow soon.

Bill Monroe - "Blue Moon of Kentucky"

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My love letter to Alison Krauss

I love Alison Krauss! Really I do. I think her talent is beyond this world. (And that's besides the fact that she has won 26 grammy's up until now. More than any other female artist and after Georg Solti and Quincy Jones, the third person with the most Grammy's in this entire world!)

Alison Krauss was actually one of the people who helped me broaden my musical horizon. Back in 2003 (when I didn't even now Alison Krauss excisted) I was downloading some songs. One of those songs was "Maybe", which I thought was Enrique Iglesias' version, but, when I started listening I soon discoverd that this song was a million times better than the song I actually wanted to download. I saw that it was sung by some woman named Alison Krauss and I immideately started downloading more songs by her. This is how I not only discovered the enormous talent that is Alison, but I also discovered this musical genre that's called bluegrass. And I loved it!

If there are some American readers out there you might be surprised that I never heard of Blugrass before 2003. But I grew up in small country called the Netherlands, and unfortunately, no one ever listens to Bluegrass here.

Alison Krauss started her musical career at a very young age as a fiddle prodigy. In the eighties she met with a bluegrass band called Union Station, and they have been together ever since. If you are not already familiar with Alison Krauss I will present you "Heaven's Bright Shore", "Everytime You Say Goodbye" and "Oh, Atlanta", songs you really ought to listen to. You will notice that Alison Krauss and Union Station (AKUS) complement each other perfectly. 

Alison Krauss and Union Station - "Heaven's Bright Shore"

Alison Krauss and Union Station - "Everytime You Say Goodbye"

Alison Krauss and Union Station - "Oh, Atlanta"

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Cold Cold Heart

Hank Williams may not be known by people who are not that into country music (especially the younger ones). But he has written and sung some amazing songs back in the first part of the last century. Check out "Lovesick Blues", "I Can't Help It (If I'm Still in Love With You)" or "Lost Highway".

 "Cold Cold Heart" was written and recorded by Hank Williams in 1951. It is said the song is about his ex-wife who according to Mr. Williams was a cold hearted woman. The song reached the number 1 spot on the American Country Music Charts, and would I have lived then, I would have probably been one of the many people to buy this record. 

Hank Williams - Cold Cold Heart

Hank Williams was  not only a force to be reconned with in the last century. Even today he has inspired some great artists and avid music listeners. Since 1951 this song was covered by various singers (Johnny Cash, Toni Bennet, and Aretha Franklin among  others). My favorite rendition however, is by Norah Jones. Her debut album "Come Away With Me" includes "Cold Cold Heart" in a very Norah Jones style.  I actually heard her version before I even heard of Hank Williams, but I immediately fell in love with this song. 

Norah Jones - Cold Cold Heart 

Shame on me!

I actually don't really know what style/genre the following song represents. What I do know is that it is sung by two of the greatest performers of all time: Johnny Cash and Odetta. Most of you will probably know Mr. Cash. You probably have heard "I Walk the Line" or "Jackson" at least once in your life. Odetta will probably not ring as many bells, but you should defintely check her out! She sings some real beautiful soul and folk songs, with some ocassional blues and jazz.

Johnny Cash was brought to the public by RCA, the same recording company that made Elvis Presley, Jerry Lee Lewis and Carl Perkins famous. He was part of the "Million Dollar Quartet", a record that was secretly taped by Sam Philips (owner of RCA). He immediately had a lot of dollar signs in his eyes when he saw the four of them singing together at the studio. For a great movie on Johnny's life see "Walk the Line". (For those of you who didn't see it yet. Are there any people out there?)

I actually discovered Odetta through watching almost every You Tube video by Johnn Cash that is out there. I am actually quite ashamed that I did not hear about her before (might be due to my age though). I immideately loved her Soul voice and the natural rhytm that was in her. Like Johnny Cash, she died a couple of years ago, but left some real good songs for us to discover (or listen to again). I especially love her cd of Bob Dylan covers (Odetta Sings Dylan). Odetta was known as "The Voice of the Civil Rights Movements", and inspired and influenced great stars such as Bob Dylan and Janis Joplin.

The song "Shame and Scandal in the Family" was taped at the Johnny Cash Show in 1969, it starts at 4.05.

Johnny Cash & Odetta - "Shame and Scandal in the Family"

Harmony Singing

Another day, another song. Because I am really really excited about my new blog, I have been awake all night last night thinking about new songs I can show you. So, this means that I will probably submit many more entrants in the upcoming days. This way I will be able to show a lot more great music to my new visitors. Besides, I do have lots of free time right now as I am currently unemployed. (For those of you who are interested: I've finished my masters degree early this year, and actually did have a job, but they fired me due to the current recession. I have been at home since September 1st of this year, and am still tyring to find a new job).

Anyhow, back to the music. Hope you have enjoyed Ella Fitzgerald! Now, for something completely differnt, I give you a bit of country music. Now, don't run away just yet! This is not just any kind of country music, this is Bluegrass. For those of you who are not familiar with the Bluegrass Style, I give you a few facts:

♪ Bluegrass was "invented" by Bill Monroe, who came from Kentucky (the Bluegrass State)
♪ It is very traditional music, and one can hear quite a few Irish and British influences in it.
♪ Instruments you will definitely hear in bluegrass are the banjo, the fiddle, and a steel guitar.
♪ I especially like bluegrass due to the beautiful harmony singing.
♪ Bluegrass became popular again after the 2000 movie and soundtrack "Oh Brother, Where Art Thou".

 The following video is by the Cox Family, who were introduced to a wider public by Alison Krauss. (If you pay close attention she will make a guest appearance in this video at 2.03). The Cox Family consists of two sisters, a brother, and their father. They have recorded a total of five albums (including one with Alison Krauss). You will also be able to hear them on the "Oh Brother, Where Art Thou" soundtrack, where they sing a beautiful version of "I Am Weary Let Me Rest". The following song is another one of my favorites, and one which I think everyone ought to hear at least once in their lifetime:

"The Cox Family - Will There Be Any Stars in My Crown"

It is actually a gospel song (which many bluegrass songs are), but I like this version best. It has beautiful harmonies, and if you will listen to more harmony singing, you will notice that families sing the best harmonies.