Knee Deep in Blue Grass was released by Decca on 23 June 1958 (DL 8731), Bill Monroe’s first album for the label. Its twelve tracks were recorded at Bradley Film & Recording in Nashville in three sessions in 1957: 14 May, 15 May and 15 December. Paul Cohen produced it.
The two May sessions used Don Stover on banjo, Bessie Lee Mauldin on bass and three fiddlers, Gordon Terry, Dale Potter and, on 14 May, Tommy Jackson; Joe Stuart played guitar on the first day and moved to fiddle on the second, when Leslie Sandy took the guitar part. That second session produced the Joe Ahr songs “Out in the Cold World,” “Roane County Prison” and “In Despair,” Monroe’s own “Goodbye Old Pal” and “Come Back to Me in My Dreams,” and “Molly and Tenbrooks.” The band had changed by December: Kenny Baker was on fiddle with Stuart, Doug Kershaw on guitar and Jimmy Elrod on banjo. They recorded “Sally-Jo,” credited to Rusty and Doug Kershaw, “Brand New Shoes” and “A Lonesome Road (to Travel),” credited to Joe Stuart. Monroe sings lead on every song except “In Despair,” the one track with a vocal trio. “Molly and Tenbrooks” and “Sally-Jo” were issued as singles before the album, in November 1957 and May 1958.
Tracklist
- 1 Cry Cry Darling Source Recording 2:24
- 2 Roane County Prison 3:11
- 3 Goodbye Old Pal alt version 2:40
- 4 Out in the Cold World alt version 2:36
- 5 A good woman's love 2:22
- 6 In Despair alt version 2:17
- 7 Come Back to Me In My Dreams alt version 2:26
- 8 A lonesome road (to travel) 2:40
- 9 Sally-Jo 2:39
- 10 Brand new shoes 2:12
- 11 Molly and Tenbrooks alt version 3:07
- 12 Sitting on Top of the World alt version 2:39
- 13 A Lonesome Road to Travel alt version
