MINNESOTA BLUEGRASS MUSIC ORAL HISTORY PROJECT:

Collection is arranged alphabetically by interviewee's last name.

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Availability:

The collection is open for research use.

Preferred Citation:

[Indicate the cited item and/or series here]. Minnesota Bluegrass Music Oral History Project, Oral History Interviews of the Minnesota Bluegrass Music Oral History Project. Minnesota Historical Society.

See the Chicago Manual of Style for additional examples.

Location of Master Files:

Digital Masters are maintained on the Society's secure digital collections storage servers and are managed and preserved in accordance with archival best practices.

Accession Information:

Accession number: AV2015.51

Processing Information:

Processed by: Karen Obermeyer-Kolb, June 2017

Catalog ID number: 990088713700104294

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Biographical Information: Andersen was born in Richfield, Minnesota in 1936. He lives in St. Paul and played bluegrass and acoustic country in the 1950s and 1960s.

Scope and Content: Topics discussed include parents’ musical influences; early life; construction work; Sunset Valley Barn Dance; distinctions between old-time, old country, and bluegrass music; and the bluegrass community in Minnesota.

Location

OH 156.1

Oral history interview with Tommy Andersen, March 9, 2010. 1 master audio file: digital, WAV (1 hour 20 minutes); 1 user audio file: digital, MP3; and 1 transcript (19 pages).

Transcript - Digital version

Digital version

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Biographical Information: Barnes is originally from Kentucky. He moved to Minnesota to finish his education and played in bluegrass bands here. In the 1970s, Barnes helped found Stoney Lonesome, a band that has played internationally.

Scope and Content: Topics discussed include family roots; early musical influences; coming to Minnesota; learning different instruments; bluegrass community in Minnesota; Stoney Lonesome; and A Prairie Home Companion.

Location

OH 156.2

Oral history interview with Kevin Barnes, May 5, 2010. 1 master audio file: digital, WAV (1 hour 10 minutes); 1 user audio file: digital, MP3; and 1 transcript (18 pages).

Transcript - Digital version

Digital version

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Biographical Information: Bjorngjeld was born in 1954 to a Norwegian American family and grew up in Brooklyn Center, Minnesota. His interest in music began at an early age, and he learned to play a variety of instruments. Bjorngjeld plays both traditional Scandinavian music and bluegrass.

Scope and Content: Topics discussed include early life; childhood music lessons; exposure to popular folk music in 1970s; bluegrass music at University of Minnesota; learning the banjo; Bjorngjeld family music; playing in bands: Herb Sletka and the Turkey Trotters, The Sidewinder Band, and Hardly Heard; learning the fiddle; children and their musical interests; and the bluegrass community.

Location

OH 156.3

Oral history interview with Art Bjorngjeld, May 18, 2010. 1 master audio file: digital, WAV (1 hour); 1 user audio file: digital, MP3; and 1 transcript (15 pages).

Transcript - Digital version

Digital version

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Biographical Information: Bob Bovee and Gail Heil are professional musicians who perform old-time music.

Scope and Content: Topics discussed include entrance into bluegrass and old-time music scene; family influences; their relationship; venues for bluegrass, old-time, and folk music; festivals; music communities in Minnesota; living in the country; and the creation of Bluff Country Gathering.

Location

OH 156.4

Oral history interview with Bob Bovee and Gail Heil, June 15, 2010. 1 master audio file: digital, WAV (1 hour); 1 user audio file: digital, MP3; and 1 transcript (19 pages).

Transcript - Digital version

Digital version

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Biographical Information: Enright was born in Massachusetts, went to college in Wisconsin, and moved to Minnesota where he became one of the early bluegrass banjo players in the state.

Scope and Content: Topics discussed include early life and musical influences; the Air Force; learning the banjo; University of Wisconsin-Madison; bluegrass community in Minnesota; music scene; playing with band Barefoot Nellie; Minnesota Bluegrass and Old-Time Music Association; and contemporary bluegrass musicians.

Location

OH 156.5

Oral history interview with Joe Enright, March 16, 2010. 1 master audio file: digital, WAV (1 hour 15 minutes); 1 user audio file: digital, MP3; and 1 transcript (17 pages).

Transcript - Digital version

Digital version

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Biographical Information: Jesperson and Bellville are longtime friends active in the bluegrass community in Minnesota. Jesperson is a member of the Middle Spunk Creek Boys, which has been around for over 40 years. He books Dulono’s Pizza, a Minneapolis venue featuring bluegrass musicians.

Scope and Content: Topics discussed include their friendship; musical influences; local Minnesota bands; other musicians and bands in the area that they have played with; Minnesota venues; A Prairie Home Companion; bluegrass festivals; Middle Spunk Creek Boys; Dulono’s Pizza; and the Minnesota Bluegrass and Old-Time Music Association.

Location

OH 156.6

Oral history interview with Alan Jesperson and Rod Bellville, March 24, 2010. 1 master audio file: digital, WAV (1 hour 50 minutes); 1 user audio file: digital, MP3; and 1 transcript (41 pages).

Transcript - Digital version

Digital version

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Biographical Information: LaPlant was born in 1929 and has played music in northern Minnesota his whole life. He is an accomplished maker of guitars and mandolins.

Scope and Content: Topics discussed include early life; musical influences; becoming a luthier; distinction between old-time, old country, and bluegrass; bluegrass festivals; Minnesota Bluegrass and Old-Time Music Association; cryptography in the military; making instruments; and the evolution of the old-time and bluegrass scene.

Location

OH 156.7

Oral history interview with Lloyd LaPlant, March 14, 2010. 1 master audio file: digital, WAV (45 minutes); 1 user audio file: digital, MP3; and 1 transcript (12 pages).

Transcript - Digital version

Digital version

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Biographical Information: Donnie Larson and Mickey Mickelson are longtime friends from the Fosston area. Larson was born in 1940; Mickelson in 1931. They are joined in the interview by Mickelson's wife, Linda, and son, Eric.

Scope and Content: Topics discussed include their friendship; early years; musical influences; starting to play the guitar; KTSP Sunset Barn Dance; bluegrass on the radio; bands they have played with; bluegrass jam sessions; bluegrass gospel; and other reminiscences.

Location

OH 156.8

Oral history interview with Donald Larson, Mickey Mickelson, Linda Mickelson, and Eric Mickelson, April 24, 2010. 1 master audio file: digital, WAV (1 hour); 1 user audio file: digital, MP3; and 1 transcript (19 pages).

Transcript - Digital version

Digital version

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Biographical Information: At the time of the interview, Malischke was the director of the Minnesota Bluegrass and Old-Time Music Association.

Scope and Content: Topics discussed include early exposure to bluegrass at University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point; difference between bluegrass in Wisconsin and bluegrass in Minnesota; Wisconsin bluegrass associations; growth of bluegrass; work with the Minnesota Bluegrass and Old-Time Music Association and the role of the association; and bluegrass festivals.

Location

OH 156.9

Oral history interview with Jed Malischke, April 6, 2010. 1 master audio file: digital, WAV (1 hour); 1 user audio file: digital, MP3; and 1 transcript (15 pages).

Transcript - Digital version

Digital version

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Biographical Information: Menzel and his wife, Dawn, are the proprietors of the Homestead Pickin’ Parlor, a folk music store in Richfield that is a well-known bluegrass destination for musicians and enthusiasts. Menzel served as Director of the Minnesota Bluegrass and Old-Time Music Association during a critical period in its history.

Scope and Content: Topics discussed include early bluegrass influences; career; Homestead Pickin’ Parlor opening in 1979; bluegrass social life and jam sessions; bluegrass evolution; Minnesota Bluegrass and Old-Time Music Association; changes in music industry as a whole; teachers at the Homestead Pickin’ Parlor; and business ups and downs.

Location

OH 156.10

Oral history interview with Marv Menzel, March 24, 2010. 1 master audio file: digital, WAV (45 minutes); 1 user audio file: digital, MP3; and 1 transcript (14 pages).

Transcript - Digital version

Digital version

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Biographical Information: Kim and Mike Monson are married and play bluegrass in the Duluth area. Together they perform as the Fish Heads.

Scope and Content: Topics discussed include family influences; distinctions among country, bluegrass, folk, etc.; definition of bluegrass; bluegrass community; Minnesota Bluegrass and Old-Time Music Association; festivals; bluegrass evolution; musical influences and playing non-bluegrass songs in a bluegrass style; and northern versus southern style.

Location

OH 156.11

Oral history interview with Kim and Mike Monson, March 13, 2010. 1 master audio file: digital, WAV (1 hour); 1 user audio file: digital, MP3; and 1 transcript (18 pages).

Transcript - Digital version

Digital version

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This collection is indexed under the following headings in the catalog of the Minnesota Historical Society. Researchers desiring materials about related topics, persons or places should search the catalog using these headings.

Topics:

Musicians -- Minnesota.

Bluegrass music.

Old-time music.

Persons:

Andersen, Tommy, interviewee.

Barnes, Kevin, 1957- interviewee.

Bellville, Rod, interviewee.

Bjorngjeld, Art, interviewee.

Bovee, Bob, 1946- interviewee.

Curtis-Monson, Kim, interviewee.

Enright, Joe, interviewee.

Heil, Gail, interviewee..

Jesperson, Alan, interviewee.

LaPlant, Lloyd, interviewee.

Larson, Donald, interviewee.

Malischke, Jed, interviewee.

Menzel, Marv, interviewee.

Mickelson, Eric, interviewee.

Mickelson, Linda, interviewee.

Mickelson, Mickey, interviewee.

Monson, Michael G., interviewee.

Nusbaum, Philip, 1949- interviewer.

Organizations:

Minnesota Bluegrass and Old-Time Music Association.

Document Types:

Interviews.

Oral histories (document genres).

Sound recordings.

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