Dierks Bentley Digs Up His Roots in Bluegrass
I always knew I loved Dierks Bentley's music. From the very first time I heard "What Was I Thinkin'," I was pretty much hooked. I couldn't quite put my finger on what it was about his music that I was digging, I just knew I liked it. A couple tracks and a few concerts later, I finally figured it out. It was Tim Sergent. He is Bentley's steel guitarist and banjo virtuoso. And he manages to give every song a bluegrass flair. (I like Bentley's songwriting and voice and all that, too, it's just that Sergent's work is a big standout in a sea of backing bands with more guitarists than a backing band really needs.) Now, seven years after Bentley debuted with his own brand of bluegrass fused with pop-country, he's going to release a bluegrass and roots album, Up on the Ridge, this summer.
At every Bentley show I've been to, he talked about how he always wants to put at least one bluegrass tune on every album. The most recent was the whiskey-and-beer anthem, "Last Call," which he recorded with Ronnie McCoury. But he wants to make sure you don't think for one second that this new album is a "Dierks Bentley and friends" or a "Dierks does bluegrass" album. "I wanted each song to have something special about it, and in the end I think each song really does have its own thing going on," he said. So he's rounded up folks like Alison Krauss, Miranda Lambert, Sam Bush, Tim O'Brien, the Del McCoury Band, Chris Thile and the Punch Brothers to each contribute a little something.
Although I'm waiting impatiently to hear Tim Sergent's banjo, because to me all good bluegrass starts and ends with banjo, Bentley warns, "It's my version of bluegrass music. It's not just banjos cranked up to 11. It throws out a big net." Whatever. I still can't wait.
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Alan fan says:
sounds good!
CTcowgirl says:
Can’t wait….from album #1 I always loved that he included one bluegrass song at the very end. Can’t believe there’as going to be an entire cd now with special guests on each and every one!!I’d never expect anything less thatn Dierks giving Bluegrass his all & his own special spice. Tim is SOO talented too I’m sure he’s gonna be pickin’ and grinnin’ in the background!!
merlefan49 says:
pop country and bluegrass are not the same thing and are not interchangeable. Bluegrass does not need spice.
Robin says:
merlefan49 - two sub-genres are clearly two sub-genres. So, “interchangeable” doesn’t apply. They can both come from one artist. You love Allison Kraus who is as pop country as she is roots as she is blue grass.
Robert B. says:
In musical terms “Bluegrass” is one word, and it was Randy Kohrs who played resophonic guitar on What was I thinking(studio track). Gary Morse toured alot with Bentley too playing Steel and Resophonic guitar. As far as Alison, she is first and foremost a Roots artists(she began playing Bluegrass Music. A form of Roots music)
Robin says:
Robert - Alison is ALSO pop country like it or not.
Robert B. says:
Robin, coming from someone who calls the Bluegrass genre “blue grass” I choose to ignore you. Like it or not.
merlefan49 says:
Robin,
Bluegrass imho is not a sub genre of country music but is it’s own it may have come from country music but it has grown into it’s own genre.
True Bluegrass never has drums or a steel guitar in it.
Merle did a bluegrass cd called “The Bluegrass sessions” It is more like acoustic music.
As far as Alison Krauss goes I wouldn’t call myself a fan.
Robin says:
Robert - this is a blog, not a formal document, it’s like saying OMG. It still means “Oh My God”. blue grass = BLUE GRASS = BLUEGRASS = bluegrass = BG = bg. You’ll see all sorts of stuff on the “informal” blog. You should probably catch up on normal usage of the internet.
I’ve played and sang traditional country and blue grass (who cares how it’s spelled?) for years. I know an what an artist is when I hear it. Alison is ALL of those things, not one of them.
merlefan49 says:
So Robin then you know the difference between a bluegrass banjo roll and a country one. Same for mandolin.
Redmaz says:
Robin I see you used the term “pop country”. Could you give your definition?
Robin says:
Redmaz - pop country is the country genre’s popular industry. It has several associated country sub-genre’s in it. New traditional, contemporary (the Nashville Sound, if you will), country rock, honky tonk (primarily moving out with the exit of B&D, but there’s still a taste of it) are a few of the country sub-genre’s that rule pop country.
merlefan49 - is still a sub-genre of country music. There’s alot of differences between bluegrass and contemporary country, new traditional, et al. There are also many differences between those sub-genres and each other. Doesn’t make them their own genre’s - they are sub-genre’s.
Swilly says:
Buh de buh de ththththat’s all folks! Good one Red. Got her again! So Alison Krauss fits this description, Brooks & Dunn are honky tonk and is it wetter under water if you’re there when it rains! Everybody got that?lololololol
Robert B. says:
I have to agree.,
You performed the perfect set up for little miss “blue grass”. Pop country is ruled by the industry it represents and NOT the music it produces. Good job by all,
solongsowrong says:
What I’d like to know, is what songs of Alison Krauss, are Pop Country. Careful how you answer.
Peacock Queen says:
Solo,
I am going to take a bite at this apple, although my answer is a guess, not an absolute.
The answer would be none. Although “When You Say Nothing at All” was a pop country hit for Keith Whitley, and Alison’s version was played on pop country radio, her version is not pop country because of the arrangement of the song (the instruments used and how they were played).
Did I get that right?
Troy says:
OMG wah wah wah! Enough already with the boring dictionary terms. Worms in apples.
Shadow says:
I see Troy gave his version of When You Say Nothing At All! LOL
solongsowrong says:
Thanks for the response, Peacock Queen. I was hoping the board expert who made the comment to start with had some answers to back up what they say.
Your answer is sort of right. When that song was played on commercial radio, it was part of a various artists tribute to Keith Whitley, recorded under a major label. It wasn’t recorded on her label until later, after the radio play was done.
There are others songs that might be considered for Pop Country radio play. Only one would be her song under her label, though. And that one was also on top of the Americana charts and the Bluegrass charts for a long time, too. Even though the majors have been chasing after her for years to make their industry look better than it really is, one song out of hundreds, doesn’t a Pop Country artist make. If that was the case, I guess Clint Eastwood is a Pop Country singer, too.
Peacock Queen says:
Solo,
I’m sorry! I didn’t know your question was for Alison. I thought you were testing us mainstreamers and I thought about it for a long time before I decided to take a guess. Sorry!
Yep, Clint Eastwood would be Pop Country because when he was on the cover of GQ last year, all anyone wanted to ask him about was his love of Taylor Swift. Go figure.
solongsowrong says:
Peacock Queen: No, my question wasn’t to Alison. It was to the one who brought up Alison Krauss initially, and said she was Pop Country. But I welcome anyone to answer who thinks the same. Maybe there are some AK songs I don’t know about. Far as I know, though, your answer of none, was correct.
Her label has only ever released one of her songs to Mainstream radio. Came in at the mid 30’s, as far as charting. One the other hand, it was played primarily on Americana and Bluegrass radio, and charted at the top. If you want me to test Mainstreamers, I’ll be happy if anyone can name the song.
By the way, did you know this will be the second time Alison appears on a Dirks Bentley album?
I may be wrong, but what I remember about Clint Eastwood’s comments, is that he listens to Pop music just to stay relevant and in touch with the Hollywood types. Didn’t he say he KIND of likes Swift, and only listens so he can say he at least knows who she is? Or was that another interview?
kaylyn says:
When dierks bentley releases his new up on the ridge bluegrass cd album in the summer I am going to listen to dierks bentley’s new up on the ridge bluegrass cd everyday. And the reason why I will listen to dierks bentley’s new up on the ridge bluegrass cd album is because I love dieks bentley’s hot and sexy voice.
merlefan49 says:
In bluegrass “Hot and sexy voices” are terms never used. Talent is what matters the most, not how hot and sexy the singers are.
Peacock Queen says:
Solo,
I was being sarcastic. E! cannot bring up Taylor’s name enough. Two ditzy gals were interviewing Clint on the red carpet and they asked him about Swift. It’s not that I dislike Swift, it’s just that, if I were going to interview a Hollywood legend and American icon such as Eastwood, I think I would ask him about something other than a teenage pop star. But that’s just me.
merlefan49 says:
Peacock Queen,
Don’t be so naive those girls probably don’t who Clint Eastwood is :D
Peacock Queen says:
Ha ha! Yeah, but you can bet every penny you have ever owned that they know what Swift ate for breakfast!!!!
Lacy Hood says:
Tim Sergent the steel guitar play is amazing - I have seen him before with Clay Walker I think…He is the sound of Country music…love it.