The King and the Father features a dozen of
Bill Monroe's early-'50s Decca recordings on which
Jimmy Martin provided lead or duet vocals. Although these performances were originally billed only to
Monroe, the anthology cleverly gives joint credit to
Monroe, the "Father of
bluegrass," and
Martin, the "King of
bluegrass," to emphasize
Martin's contribution and to target his audience. Many
bluegrass devotees regard
Martin as the finest
bluegrass vocalist of all time, and at the very least, his high lonesome tenor is a model for the genre. He harmonizes sublimely with
Monroe, and the two join together in a heartsick cry that matches their penchant for unvarnished, sorrowful
bluegrass songs about tragedy and suffering. Many of
Monroe's classic recordings are included, such as "Uncle Pen," "The Little Girl and the Dreadful Snake," and "In the Pines," as well as less-frequently anthologized performances. There is much overlap between
Monroe and
Martin's audiences, but, in the years since
Monroe's death,
Martin has inherited the "elder statesman of
bluegrass" mantle and continued to perform, reaching new and younger listeners. As a result,
Martin's stature has only grown, and he may be reaching some new
bluegrass fans that investigate
Monroe because of his association with
Martin, instead of the other way around. Whatever the listener's motivation, The King and the Father provides a sampling of
Martin's collaborations with
Monroe for old and new fans alike at an affordable price. ~ Greg Adams, All Music Guide
