July 1963: Two Days At Newport

July 1963: Two Days At Newport

Not only is this concert recording important as a document of Bill Monroe's first appearance at the Newport Folk Festival (he would make several others), but it's a rare chronicle of one of Monroe's best bands - one that never recorded together in the studio, and one which saw its prime players leave by the end of the year. But above all, it's classic bluegrass played by Monroe with vocalist/guitar Del McCoury, banjo player Bill Keith, bassit Bessie Lee Mauldin, fiddler Billy Baker and bass vocalist Ralph Rinzler.