High Lonesome: The Story of Bluegrass Music

Rachel Liebling, a student of Ken Burns, has created a classic of Americana. The editing and cinematic styling are obviously a Burns spin off but an old nitrated photo of a small country church and great locomotive imagery bring her into new documentary dimensions. The music is perfectly synced with its images as in Bill Monroe's seamless walk from concert stage to his old front porch. Ralph Stanley singing "Man of Constant Sorrow". A young Alison Krause at about the time she won the national fiddling contest. This is not a complete compendium, a chronological survey, or a definitive look at Bill Monroe or any of the individual artists but an impassioned portrait of a true American musical art form. I recommend it highly, 10 out of 10.