While listening this week to a live recording of a breakdown done by Bill Monroe and the Blue Grass Boys, played on BGR 108, something struck me. The timing of what they played, within the beat structure, was different, with a spontaneous, propulsive feel reminiscent of jazz. So, for me anyway, it's easier to find the blues influence there than to try to parse the chromatics.

Peter Rowan spoke of a term, 'ancient tones,' used by Monroe for what Monroe absorbed from the folk music of the region and expressed in his own compositions. It's easier heard than defined.

I was curious how such an influential musician and songwriter was himself influenced. While recognizing Monroe's virtuosity and creative contributions, I haven't quite been a fan, and I didn't expect to be moved by anything I found. Some anecdotes about got to me, though, such as an account of how Monroe, in advanced age, would start singing "I Am a Poor Wayfaring Stranger."