Bill Monroe & His Bluegrass Boys - The Father Of Bluegrass: The Singles Collection 1940-60 / Bill Monroe was a mandolin player, singer, songwriter and bandleader who, with his band The Bluegrass Boys, basing their name on the characteristic blue grass of the Kentucky landscape. In so doing, he effectively gave his name to an entire sub-genre of music - Bluegrass - which did not really exist under that name before he made his unique mark on the country scene in the 1940s. With it's roots in Celtic music and old-time fiddle music for dancing, it also borrowed from blues and jazz, and was characterised by impressive high-speed virtuoso musicianship, with his band during this era providing a career platform for Lester Flatt and Earl Scruggs. This 80-track 3-CD collection comprises selected A & B sides from his releases on Bluebird, Columbia and Decca from this era, and includes at least one side of just about all his releases. It features all his career hits in the US country chart, including the No. 3 "Kentucky Waltz", the No. 5 "Footprints In The Snow", and the Top 15 hits "Little Community Church", "Sweetheart You Done Me Wrong", "Wicked Path Of Sin", "Toy Heart", "When You Are Lonely", Poison Love" and "Gotta Travel On". As an original pioneer of the genre, his music is essential listening for every fan of bluegrass, and this substantial overview of the first two decades of his band's career offers an enlightening and enjoyable insight into the roots of bluegrass.