A Good Bill

Teacher appreciation days are a good idea, and so are Bill Monroe Appreciation Nights. Both give credit where credit is due, only the Monroe nights honor the dead (one late “Father of Bluegrass”) and the living (the hard-driving style and songs he pioneered). Roland White—who played in Monroe’s Blue Grass Boys in the late ‘60s—has been organizing these nights since 1997. Each year he assembles a small army of pickers and singers who may ordinarily range far from Monroe’s style—or from bluegrass, period—but are willing and able to hew to tradition for a night or two. Gillian Welch, David Rawlings, Marty Stuart and Steve Earle have all shown up in the past. This year White has enlisted Richard Bailey, Kathy Chiavola, Missy Raines, Mike Compton, Pat Enright and many more.
Fri., Dec. 5, 9 p.m.; Sat., Dec. 6, 9 p.m., 2008