UI Press | Bob Black | Come Hither to Go Yonder: Playing Bluegrass with Bill Monroe

Come Hither to Go Yonder

Playing Bluegrass with Bill Monroe

Awards and Recognition:

Bob Black was named the International Bluegrass Music Association Print Media Personality of the Year for his book (2006).

The inside story on the Father of Bluegrass from one of his Blue Grass Boys

While other work on Bill Monroe has been written from a historical point of view, Come Hither to Go Yonder is told from the perspective of a musician who was actually there. Filled with observations made from the unique vantage point of a man who has traveled and performed extensively with the master, this book is Bob Black's personal memoir about the profound influence that Monroe exerted on the musicians who have carried on the bluegrass tradition in the wake of his 1996 death.

This volume also includes a complete listing of Bob Black's appearances with Monroe, his most memorable experiences while they worked together, brief descriptions of the more important musicians and bands mentioned, and suggestions for further reading and listening. Offering a rare perspective on the creative forces that drove one of America's greatest composers and musical innovators, Come Hither to Go Yonder will deeply reward any fans of Bill Monroe, of bluegrass, or of American vernacular music.

"Black writes clearly, in an easy-to-read and entertaining style. His portrait of Monroe is perceptive and sensitive, valuable because of its close perspective and also because Black has a different take on the man than many previous Monroe documentarians. A must-read for Monroe fans."--Bluegrass Unlimited

"Come Hither to Go Yonder is fascinating as Bob gives the reader insights into traveling with the band and life on the road. . . . It is obvious that Bob Black cherishes his time with the Blue Grass Boys and his mentor Bill Monroe. Come HIther to Go Yonder is the fascinating story of bluegrass before the phenomenon of Oh Brother."--Sing Out!

"Anyone intersted in bluegrass and Bill Monroe will find Black's reminiscences of his time beneath a Blue Grass Boy hat absorbing."--Tony Russell

"I believe Bob Black is the best playing fiddle tunes of any banjo player."--Bill Monroe

"Being a bluegrass banjo player and Monroe fan for most of my life, I found it easy to project myself into the situations and encounters that Black describes. . . . This is a stimulating and thoroughly enjoyable book that I would recommend to anyone interested in Monroe's music."--Tom Adler, folklorist and bluegrass historian

Bob Black played banjo as one of Bill Monroe's Blue Grass Boys and recorded with him on the Weary Traveler album. Black later played for several years with Buck White and the Down Home Folks. He appears on a number of fiddle albums by Kenny Baker and has performed with Ricky Skaggs, Ralph Stanley, Rhonda Vincent, Marty Stuart, Frank Wakefield, John Hartford, the Whites, and other artists. He currently lives near Iowa City, where he performs in Perfect Strangers, the Banjoy Band, and other groups. He has published articles in Bluegrass Unlimited and in 2002 received the Iowa Arts Council's Traditional Arts Award. Neil Rosenberg studies contemporary vernacular music traditions, including the music and lives of bluegrass, country and folk musicians in Canada and the United States. He is the author of Bluegrass: A History.

To order online:
http://www.press.uillinois.edu/books/catalog/84ymc7rt9780252030024.html

To order by phone:
(800) 621-2736 (USA/Canada)
(773) 702-7000 (International)