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| Steve Riley and the Mamou Playboys |
My
first experience with a bluegrass festival was way back in 1974,
together with my buddy Emmett Collier on our Grand Tour of the West,
and my first true foray into the world of backpacking and independent
travel, cutting off those ties with Mom and Dad and the girl I
might've left behind, if I'd had one. I remember the dates
distinctly because I left the day I turned twenty. I didn't return
'home' for over six months. Hey, I was hungry. And it was the
holiday season. The rest is history.
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| Sarah Jarosz Trio |
Actually
it was the National Old Time Fiddlers' Contest, in Weiser, Idaho, but
the whole town turned into one huge bluegrass festival, still a
novelty at the time. I heard 'Foggy Mountain Breakdown', 'Orange
Blossom Special', and 'Rocky Top' so many times it was all I could do
to shut the music in my head off at night. But the music was good,
and refreshingly soothing after almost a decade of nerve-jangling
'acid' rock, and God forbid, Heavy Metal.
When
Gram Parsons showed up on the scene and announced that it was time to
get all country, more than a few ears were ready for it, including
Bob Dylan, Jerry Garcia, and many other lesser luminaries. Bluegrass
festivals were just the tip of the iceberg that Doc Watson, Steve
Earle and many others found suitable for skating. Many of today's
bluegrass heroes were at that same festival in Weiser way back when.
The drinking age there was eighteen, if I remember correctly...
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| hONEYhOUSE |
But
the Pickamania festival in Silver City last weekend is not so much
'bluegrass' as 'traditional', or maybe, 'Americana', acoustic style.
I guess when you add cellos to the bands, then you need a new brand.
'Bluegrass' was a term that only came into being with Bill Monroe and
his Bluegrass Boys, anyway, and largely defined by Earl Scruggs'
banjo style, I reckon. That's in short supply here, as string
bands—the original term, I believe—are definitely starting to
lose some of their twang. That's cool by me. Call it anything but
'hillbilly' music.
Since
those early days, there have been 'new' grass—electric, 'pew'
grass—gospel, and probably even Jew grass, for all I know.
Probably the best part of the new bluegrass is the arrival of so many
excellent female musicians who feel an affinity with this music,
possibly more so than any other genre besides orchestral/classical.
Even jazz has few female musicians, though many vocalists, and for
rock and its sub-genres, the instruments are usually little more than
fashion accessories. I guess we can thank Allison Krauss for that.
I like.
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| Fishtank Ensemble |
Friday's
headliner Sarah Jarosz was a good example of that, with her
multi-instrumental capabilities (including clawhammer-style banjo),
sweet vocals, and string-heavy trio. Saturday's headliner Steve
Riley and his Mamou Playboys were something completely different,
Bayou Bluegrass (hold the dobro; add accordion, electric guitar, and
drums)! Fishtank Ensemble is probably best described as Balkan gypsy
jazz, and hONEYhOUSE's powerful lead vocals are what I usually call
'blues'. Ma' fac' (as a matter of fact), there was probably only one
'real' bluegrass group in the bunch. Bluegrass, my son, you're an
adult now. Go forth and multiply. Dare we call it 'world music'?
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