Despite the title, this release collects all of Bill Monroe's RCA Victor recordings from 1940-41 (the first 16 tracks) and adds a small selection of Monroe Brothers tracks, as well as three that are actually by Charlie Monroe's Boys, the band Bill's brother formed after the Monroe Brothers split. The Essential Bill Monroe and the Monroe Brothers bluegrass 1997 CD, cassette Studio 67450 Clyde Moody (guitar, vocal), Tommy Magness (fiddle), Bill Wesbrooks (bass, vocal), Pete Pyle (guitar), Art Wooten (fiddle), Charlie Monroe (guitar, vocal)