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BLUEGRASS ROOTS IN THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST
Bluegrass is often referred to as music “for the people.” With roots in Irish, Scottish and English traditional music, and later influenced by jazz elements, bluegrass energizes musicians from all backgrounds.
Ben Booth and John Sells
Photo Mason CountyHistorical Museum
Bluegrass attributes its early beginnings to the Appalachian region of the United States. Fusioning together the sounds of jigs and reels–especially those played on the fiddle–settling immigrants brought with them the music of their homelands Key to shaping the sound, was the addition of African-American blues rhythms and instruments, such as the iconic banjo. The true bluegrass form of music, which had roots in the old time string bands, was invented in the mid 1940s by Bill Monroe who brought a professional quality to the music with the unique use of the core instruments (mandolin, fiddle, 5 string banjo, guitar and bass).
Bluegrass bands often formed in rural areas as musicians came together to entertain for community events. This is the basis on which the earliest bluegrass bands were organized and also for which bluegrass bands were formed in the remote logging camps around the Northwest. One such group was the Logger Orchestra led by John Sells.
Sells began our Bluegrass from the Forest over a hundred years ago in the backcountry of the Olympic National Forest. Sells was an early day logger as well as an accomplished musician. Born in Iowa in 1874, after serving in the Spanish American War, he traveled to Mason County in 1901 to work for the Simpson Logging Company as a donkey (steam-powered winch) engineer. With Joe Stertz and Ben Booth, Sells played for dances in the area, traveling by handcar or stage and in camp he used the music to while away the evening hours.
Quote from Shelton Mason County Journal description of an image depicting John Sells and his fellow musicians practicing in camp. This image is the inspiration for the Bluegrass from the Forest main stage set.
