"403,966 views Jun 26, 2022
When the time came for the Coen Brothers to find the music for their Southern period piece comedy, “O Brother, Where Art Thou?,” they asked record producer T Bone Burnett to lend a hand. They wanted original recordings of old-timey, American folk music. What they came up with was a sprawling mix of authentic bluegrass musicians and contemporary alternative country stars that resulted in a surprisingly successful soundtrack album. Featured on the soundtrack are Emmylou Harris, Alison Krauss, Gillian Welch, John Hartford, Ralph Stanley, David Rawlings, and Chris Thomas King, among others. “In May of 2000, plans were made for the artists on the soundtrack to gather and perform the music from the film at a special concert at Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium. T Bone Burnett enlisted producer Bob Neuwirth to assemble a team of all star filmmakers. The resulting Down From The Mountain documents the evening’s concert, complete with backstage preparations and rehearsals. Co-produced by Frazer Pennebaker, the film by D A Pennebaker, Chris Hegedus and Nick Doob captures a joyous and free-spirited celebration of a truly American musical form. John Hartford died just about a year after this album was recorded, at the age of 63. He was in his prime, John was a living library of old fiddle tunes and river songs, mountain music and lore about the people who played it. Some of it is gone with him; this film is part of the enormous share that he left behind – on records, and with the people who knew him.” — Joel Cohen, Ethan Cohen, and T Bone Burnett “If you have any affection at all for traditional American music, the movie is pretty close to heaven.” — A.O. Scott, The New York Times Featuring Performances by: Emmylou Harris, Alison Krauss & Union Station, Gillian Welch & David Rawlings, The Cox Family, Fairfield Four, The Whites, Chris Thomas King, Colin Linden, John Hartford, Ralph Stanley
(John Hartford with late-stage cancer was Master of Ceremonies, he died the following year.)
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Musicians in Down from the Mountain (Coen Brothers’ O Brother, Where Art Thou?)
Down from the Mountain is a 2000 documentary-concert film documenting the live performance of the musicians who recorded the Grammy-winning soundtrack for the Coen Brothers’ O Brother, Where Art Thou?. The concert took place at Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium on May 24, 2000, as a benefit for the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum Wikipedia.Featured Artists
The film showcases a mix of traditional bluegrass and contemporary Americana musicians, many of whom also appeared on the film’s soundtrack. Key performers include phfilms.com+1:- John Hartford – Master of ceremonies, fiddle player, and storyteller; his last filmed appearance before his death in 2001.
- Ralph Stanley – Bluegrass legend, known for his high-pitched “high lonesome sound.”
- Emmylou Harris – Vocalist and guitarist, noted for her baseball obsession in the film.
- Alison Krauss – Vocalist and guitarist, often singing the highest part in trio numbers.
- Gillian Welch – Vocalist and guitarist, part of the trio with Harris and Krauss.
- David Rawlings – Guitarist and collaborator with Welch.
- Chris Thomas King – Guitarist and collaborator with Welch.
- Colin Linden – Guitarist and collaborator with Welch.
- The Cox Family – Bluegrass group.
- Fairfield Four – Traditional bluegrass quartet.
- The Whites – Bluegrass group.
- The Peasall Sisters – Trio featured in the film.
- The Fairfield Four – Traditional bluegrass quartet.
- Buck White – Vocalist and guitarist.
- Cheryl White – Vocalist and guitarist.
- Sharon White – Vocalist and guitarist.
- Barry Bales – Vocalist and guitarist.
- Ron Block – Bassist (house band).
- Mike Compton – Banjoist (house band).
- Jerry Douglas – Mandolinist (house band).
- Stuart Duncan – Fiddler (house band).
- Chris Sharp – Guitarist (house band).
- Dan Tyminski – Guitarist (house band).
Context
The concert was organized by producer T-Bone Burnett, who also served as executive producer of the documentary phfilms.com+1. The film blends backstage footage, rehearsals, and interviews with the artists, offering a behind-the-scenes look at the making of the O Brother, Where Art Thou? soundtrack. It’s widely praised as a celebration of American roots music IMDb.If you’re exploring the Coen Brothers’ musical world, Down from the Mountain is a must-watch for fans of bluegrass, folk, and Americana.
