Sonny Osborne on stage at Sangamon Park, Mahomet, IL - June 9, 1968. Photo by Dan Tackett.

Bluegrass is one genre of music that totally captivates me. Another period of music I dearly love is the rock of the 1960s. I was a teen when the British invasion landed in America.

Without a doubt, the biggest act from that assault was the Beatles. America countered with a fabricated group, which was on fairly equal footing during the years of 1966 through 1968, the Monkees.

Despite what many critics say, I am fairly reverential when I speak of the impact of the Monkees. One of the four main proponents of the pre-fab four was Mike Nesmith. Many people don’t realize at the time, Nesmith, Gram Parsons and Ricky Nelson were in an unknown race for being deemed the originator of what would later be termed country-rock.

There also is great evidence that Nesmith might have been a little ahead of the pack.

In 1966, Nesmith used Glen Campbell on a country rock track Nez had written. The song appeared on the debut of the Monkees first album, “Papa Gene’s Blues.” In 1967, the Monkees used Doug Dillard for some fine banjo work on a tune for their fourth disc. Michael Martin Murphy had penned this song titled, “What Am I Doing Hangin Round.”

By 1968, Nesmith was in full-blown invention of country rock. In May of 1968 (Wow…it was 40 years ago, this month), Nesmith flew to the RCA studios in Nashville to record with some of the finest musicians Music City had to offer. One of those incredible session banjo pickers hired at the time was a 30-year-old Sonny Osborne.

I got into a conversation with Sonny a few years back at one of Terry Lease’ s festivals at the Crowne Plaza in Springfield, Ill. This was the last time the Osborne Brothers played the event. In cornering Sonny for a few moments, I asked him about the Monkee sessions. Sonny’s face lit up. It appeared to me he had to purge himself of the whole proceedings that had gone on several years prior to our conversation.

I could tell he probably had never been asked about the Monkees sessions for years, if possibly ever. He honestly wanted to talk about it. During our conversation, many people tried to approach Sonny and it was quite evident to me that I had his steadfast attention.

Sonny said the sessions were really weird and idiotic. The whole thing was exceptionally disorganized. Many of the premiere Nashville session players were in the studio: Wayne Moss on acoustic guitar, David Briggs on organ, Lloyd Green on steel, Norbert Putnum on bass, Kenny Buttrey on drums, and of course Sonny Osborne on banjo. As a sidenote, many of these musicians in the 1970s spawned the great eclectic band Area Code 615 and from that group, would evolve into Barefoot Jerry.

The studio had been booked for a week or two, and the sessions were paid for. But, there was no sign of Mike Nesmith. Evidently he was out in Nashville somewhere and these A-team musicians spent much of the day, as much as 8 or 9 hours, awaiting his arrival.

“Nesmith was enthused with Lloyd Greens steel work,” Sonny recalled. “He went down to ShoBud and spent $15,000 to $18,000 on a steel guitar.” This was a great deal of money in the 1960s to spend on an instrument.

On May 28, 1968, Nesmith finally showed up and they recorded the first version of Nesmith’s classic song, “Propinquity.” This version didn’t appear until Rhino Records released it 28 years after the fact, on a disc of Monkees rarities titled, Missing Links Volume 3. It is interesting to note, Nitty Gritty Dirt Band did a wonderful version of the song on their Uncle Charlie and his Dog Teddy album,which happened to yield the band’s hit version of “Mr. Bojangles.”

The next day of recording was even more prolific. On this particular day, Harold Bradley replaced Moss on guitar, Bobby Dyson replaced Putnum on bass and Jerry Carrigan replaced Buttrey on drums. Sonny was still around for more of the action.

On this May date, they recorded another Nesmith-penned tune, “Don’t Wait for Me,” which appeared on the Monkees disc from 1969, Instant Replay. They also recorded the first version of “The Crippled Lion,” which later appeared on, Missing Links Volume 2 issued from Rhino in 1990.

Also from that same May date; there was an early version of a great Nesmith tune, “Some of Shelly’s Blues,” which also appeared on Missing Links Volume 2. Ironically, this song appeared also on the above-mentioned Nitty Gritty album. The final song covered that day was entitled Hollywood, and that recorded version has never been issued.

Sonny continued to stress the idiocy of how the sessions were handled. He thought they were terrible and didn’t enjoy them one bit. To this day, he hasn’t listened to those sessions and doesn’t care to.

My life has been filled with many serendipitous moments. One of those wonderful times was the few minutes I got to pick Sonny Osborne’s brain about being –somewhat reluctantly — a Monkee.

Editors Note: BluegrassJournal.com writer and music fanatic Rickey Lamb contacted Sonny recently to clarify some memories from that conversation years ago and Sonny was gracious enough to talk with Rickey at length about the Monkees Sessions and the music industry. We’ll have that part of the story on tomorrow.

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Danny Paisley and the Southern Grass “The Room Over Mine” (Rounder) lands June 24.

Burlington, MA - The bluegrass world is excited about The Room Over Mine, the forthcoming Rounder album from bluegrass veterans Danny Paisley and the Southern Grass.

Raised to the strains of classic bluegrass, Danny Paisley and The Southern Grass learned the ropes first-hand as the sons (and eventually bandmates) of such beloved figures as Bob Paisley, Ted Lundy, and Donnie Eldreth. Honed over decades of playing festivals, honky-tonks, Legion halls, and everywhere in between, their sound proudly reflects the timeless bluegrass soul of their fathers - while imparting a razor’s edge intensity all their own. The Room Over Mine is due in stores June 24.

“This is so good I don’t know how to deal with it! Bluegrass music has been waiting for a record like this for a long, long time.” Alison Krauss

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Jesse McReynolds will host the Pick Inn Spring Festival May 16-17, 2008. Photo by Travis Tackett

Veteran country and bluegrass entertainer Jesse McReynolds will host The Pick Inn Spring Festival on Friday and Saturday, May 16 -17, 2008.

“Events such as this one give me something to do here at home when I am not at the Opry or traveling,” he said.

He said providing new ways that the audience can get to know him and his music is one of the basics that have helped him to maintain the longevity of his career.

The event at 550 Zieglers Fort Road in Gallatin, Tenn. across from Bledsoe Creek State Park will feature Jesse McReynolds and The Virginia Boys, Lonnie Jones and Hard Drive, Harv Mason & the Straight Arrow Boys, Pastor Rodney Haskin and the Fiddlin’ Preachin’ Band, Luke McKnight and Thunder Road, Curly Seckler, Eddie and Martha Adcock, New Foundation, Daniel Rothwell and Granddaddy, Champ Buckdancer Thomas “Magic” Maupin, Judy Carrier and Rens Vreeburg, Dr. Johnnie Feelgood and the Do Gooders and others.

He and his wife Joy will debut their new Pick Inn Music Pavilion. Friday the event is 4-9 p.m. and Saturday from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Adult admission is $15 adult or both days for $25; seniors: $12 or $20 for two days, Children 6-12 $6 or $10 for two days, Under age 6, free with adult. For more information, call at (615) 452-7321.

McReynolds, a IBMA Bluegrass Hall of Fame member, is still touring around the world but he is creating unique opportunities for people to come to see him right at home on his Gallatin farm outside Nashville where he has lived since the early 1960s.

McReynolds dailey radio show catching on

“Daily radio shows were the norm for performers when Jim and I started,” he said. “I wanted to go back and capture the way radio use to be a long time ago. This is a little different because it’s a little like an interview show.”

Each weekday morning now Jesse with his able co-host Harv Mason sit down in the living room of The Pick Inn, a hilltop log cabin on 32 acres overlooking Old Hickory Lake, where the McReynolds’ host weddings, music concerts, festivals, and teaches workshops.

Often the radio show includes downhome commercials, guests dropping by telling stories and jokes, musicians playing tunes and joining in on the fun by singing a song or just providing applause and laughter. An audience is also welcome.

“Instead of having all professionals come in, I just like to sit down and pick with ordinary people,” he said “It’s more like a family get together - like a jam session.”

“The Pick Inn Party Radio Show” airs from 8-9 a.m. (CST, 9-10 a.m. Eastern) on WHIN 1010 AM and can be found live on the web at whinradio.com. The show features live music and recorded music from the Jim and Jesse catalog, phone call-ins and guests.

“We are getting calls from all over the country,” he said. “It is amazing how people are giving us compliments about how they enjoy the radio show.”

For more information, visit www.jimandjesse.com.

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Niles Bluegrass Festival will be held June 5-8 in Riverfront Park in downtown Niles, Mich.

Niles is 8 miles north of South Bend, Ind.

The free festival this year will feature 13 bands, although the bands and performance schedules have yet to be posted at www.nilesbluegrass.com.

The festival will feature three stages of music, an open jam gospel session, a pickers tent, workshops, food, arts and crafts.

Information is available at www.nilesbluegrass.com or from the the Michigan Main Street (Downtown Development Association) office at 269-687-4332.

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