I hate when people call bluegrass "country".  It\'s as much celtic as it is country.

In the UK, the term bluegrass doesn\'t mean much to most people - only that piece of music in Deliverance. At least Hayseed Dixie have raised awareness of it now - they sell out most places they play.

I have to admit to being a bit of a recent convert to bluegrass. Always liked the Old & In The Way album (bought twenty-odd years ago when I was going through a major deadhead phase) and guitarists like David Bromberg, who I have sometimes seemed labelled as bluegrass (seems more like what we would call roots to me). The acoustic stuff by sci was always my favourite stuff - Black Clouds remains my favourite song of theirs, but I hadn\'t really ever checked out much by other, more \'respected\' old school bluegrass guys other than Peter Rowan, whom I saw last month, due to his performances with Jerry and sci.

However, I went to see an acoustic show by Banana and David Nelson in March after downloading a duo show of theirs and since then have been investigating pickers like Sam Bush and Tony Rice - always lots of shows on bt.etree - and can honestly say I haven\'t found anything not to like.

IMHO, not one (c)rap artist can hold a candle to any of these guys, either technically or creatively. Full marks to you joe for getting out the old flat-top and educating those morons blasting out unmelodious noise!

oh, and if you don\'t have old and in the way (jerry on banjo, peter rowan on guitar, vassar on fiddle, david grisman on mando, john kahn on bass) get choo some!!!

Talk about like minds - posts crossing in transit like that!

I also forgot to mention the fiddle playing of the great Richard Greene, whose playing I was first introduced to through Earth Opera and Seatrain - more Rowan bands.

Just noticed Punch Brothers are coming to the Shubert in April.  Never heard of them, but they\'ve got some real interesting stuff on YouTube... ManChicken:



Anyone know anything about this band... worth checking out?

I love bluegrass. We have been listening to band called cornmeal as of late. And they are awesome.
its a shame how some people call it country...well old country is a very different thing than new country.
 I guess.

went and saw them again last night.  cornmeal in the kitchen.  kick ass bluegrass, w/ drums....almost a psychedelic style of bluegrass.  great energy, always a fun time.  wish you and lexi coulda been there!

Change the title of this thread to Bill Monroe gets no respect.
W/O him their is no Bluegrass.

Come on only tyzack in his first post even alluded to him.

Some great bands mentioned though.

Yes, I agree, Monroe is definitely the godfather of modern bluegrass, but things have moved on to include the new generation of pickers - even Rowan is pretty old hat now (though he is still an excellent performer).

I, for one, am a pretty recent convert to bluegrass so have appreciated this thread a lot. Seeing people, whose tastes I respect, enthuse over players of whom I have only heard, has made me go out and download a whole folder DVD of stuff from etree. (But I wish I could find some live shows by Furnace Mountain - that vid is FUN!)

Mention bluegrass to many these days and it will only be these new acts that people know - some might even think argue the future of bluegrass lies with Hayseed Dixie!

Alison Krauss & Nickel Creek are two of my current favorites, though they\'re a bit more modern than old-school.  It\'s sad to say, but bluegrass has become a lost art form around here.  It\'s a rare occasion to hear any good live bluegrass around here, unfortunately.

come to colorado and anywhere west, and tell me that bluegrass gets no spect