Bluegrass – It’s not the music • Jon Weisberger
Bluegrass – It’s not the music • Jon Weisberger
Thanks to recent conversations on- and off-line with a bunch of folks ranging from members of the IBMA’s Board of Directors to the Farewell Drifters‘ Zach Bevill, and prompted more immediately by Chris Pandolfi’s fine meditation on the state of bluegrass, I’ve been inspired to drag out a piece I wrote, incredibly enough (at least to me), six years ago, in the hopes that it might serve as an additional contribution to the emerging discussion.
What follows was written back in March of 2005 for a lamentably short-lived magazine published out of Vancouver, British Columbia. Bluegrass North’s editor, Connie Jean Thiessen, had asked if I would contribute a regular column to the magazine; this was the first of what was intended to be a long series of ruminations. It turned out instead to be an exceedingly short series, as publication ceased not long after I turned in a second column. I hope there was no causal connection, but I can’t swear to it.
In any event, what I wanted to do—and this is where I feel that the connection to Chris’s piece is apparent—was to take a look at why and how controversies over what bluegrass is and isn’t arise, and why and how they can be perniciously unproductive. And in many conversations over the years that have passed since I wrote it, I’ve heard some of these ideas echoed back to me by musicians both famous and obscure, as well as other players in the world of bluegrass. So I can’t help but feel that I was at least on the right track then—right enough that I have resisted the temptation to edit the piece in any way—and I hope that there’s something useful still to be found herein. Comments are, of course, welcome.
Jon Weisberger
April 23, 2011
Bluegrass – It’s not the music • Jon Weisberger
A musician friend of mine—nameless, for reasons that will be immediately apparent—has a little sideline business, making bluegrass-themed t-shirts. Over the years, he’s come up with a great variety of slogans to adorn the shirts, but the greatest of them all is one he’s never actually made: “Bluegrass—it’s not the music, it’s the people I can’t stand.”
Now, before you call Connie Jean and ask her what the hell she’s doing giving precious space in Bluegrass North to someone who so obviously doesn’t get it, let me explain. Bluegrass people can be absolutely wonderful, and frequently are. It only takes one story to illustrate the point.
A couple of years ago, the band I was touring with had a vehicle breakdown a mile or so from the site of the festival we’d just finished playing. We were almost a thousand miles from home, and to make matters worse, it was on the Sunday of a holiday weekend. A fan who had left just behind us stopped to see what was wrong, spent half an hour on the phone tracking down a parts store that was open, and another two hours driving a bandmember to and from the store. As if that weren’t enough, we suffered another breakdown an hour or two down the road, and another couple of fans drove an hour and a half to come pick us up, took the entire band to their house, and fed and sheltered us for three days until we could get rolling once again.
So believe me, I know just how great the bluegrass community can be. And yet, you can believe, too, that every time I’ve mentioned my friend’s slogan to other bluegrass musicians, the line has gotten a hearty, if rueful laugh—because they know exactly what it’s about. For the same absorption in the music that leads so many in the community to be generous and devoted has also bred a sense of possession that can, and more than occasionally does, devolve into an intolerance that can be not only frustrating, but sometimes almost frightening.
There’s a phrase you run across that sums up both the positive and the negative of the situation pretty well. Often attributed to Dillards bass player, rural comic writer and all-around good guy Mitch Jayne, it goes like this: “Bluegrass doesn’t make fans, it makes converts.” As a statement that captures the way the music can inspire an enthusiasm rare in almost any other genre, it works well, but consider this: are converts what we really need? And what’s wrong with being a fan, anyhow?
Every artist wants fans: people who follow their careers, attend their shows, buy their CDs, visit with them at the record table, people who appreciate their music and find enjoyment and meaning in it. This is how most people relate to music. In it they can find everything from simple entertainment to inspiration, celebration, recollection of days gone by, encouragement—even consolation in times of sorrow—and there’s nothing more gratifying to an artist than knowing that his or her music has touched a chord in someone’s heart.
Converts, on the other hand, are (or can be) something else altogether. It’s a religious term (or can be), and there, if you think about it, is where the trouble starts. What distinguishes one religion from another is not so much a set of experiences as a set of beliefs—important ones, too, dealing with life, death, and matters of the soul. For a committed believer, faith is a part of one’s deepest identity and sense of self, and adherence to the tenets of his or her religion is something that goes well beyond the voluntary—nor is their credo something that can be changed lightly.
From the perspective of a bluegrass “convert,” the music can all too easily be felt as a kind of religion. It has a creation story, a father figure, disciples, missionaries, a canon, and a One True Way—or so it apparently seems to more than a few zealots. And throughout the history of bluegrass, they have felt free to speak their minds when artists transgress against their understanding of the music, often with an inappropriate vehemence that reveals how they’ve incorporated their definition of bluegrass into their essential definition of themselves. It’s as though they experience a deviation from the bluegrass norm as a personal attack, and respond accordingly.
That may (may!) be appropriate when it comes to the fundamentals of faith, but not when it comes to what is, after all, simply a style of music. And so it’s no surprise that bluegrass musicians will react with dismay, even if they wisely choose to rarely, if ever, express it publicly. They are, after all, artists, whose loyalty—if they are any good—is claimed first and foremost by their artistic impulses, not the conventions of a genre.
That’s not to say that there aren’t plenty of bluegrass artists who choose to work within those conventions, often with great distinction and compelling results. The point, though, is that it’s just that—their choice—and they’re no more likely to see it as a mandate from on high than are artists who wind up pushing, or even crossing outright, the boundaries that the faithful have drawn. They understand that, appearances to the contrary notwithstanding, each and every one of the music’s greats has had no qualms about giving primacy to inspiration, not rules—even Bill Monroe, who didn’t hesitate to use strings, recorded sounds of nature and even wordless background vocals on his monumental “My Last Days On Earth” (or, for that matter, to re-record his waltz, “Blue Moon Of Kentucky,” with a rockin’ revision to the time signature and without banjo after Elvis Presley’s successful reworking of the tune).
Indeed, there’s a terrible irony in the way that those who often cite history and tradition in support of their “commandments” of bluegrass—you must have this, you can’t have that—often are ignorant of the rich variety and creativity embodied in its precedents. I once had a guy tell me, with considerable passion, that J. D. Crowe & The New South’s self-titled Rounder debut, a/k/a “Rounder 0044,” was proof that you could innovate within the genre without recourse to drums, pedal steel guitar or piano; this despite the fact that all three are used, albeit sparingly, on the album. Is there a better illustration of the way that zealotry can disregard not just creativity, but actual facts?
I’ve been playing bluegrass now for a quarter of a century, and writing about it for a decade. I don’t plan on giving it up any time soon, and what’s more, my personal taste, though I find much to enjoy and admire in contemporary bluegrass, runs mainly toward undisputable masters—Flatt & Scruggs, Jimmy Martin, the Osborne Brothers, J. D. Crowe & The New South, Doyle Lawson, the Bluegrass Cardinals. But taste and preferences, no matter how strong, aren’t rules and religion, and they ought not to be confused. Bluegrass is at its best when it has room for a broad array of strong, distinctive artists who aren’t afraid to follow their hearts, and for an even broader range of listeners, some of whom won’t care for much else, many of whom will. What it needs is not converts, no matter how well-intentioned, but fans—and lots more of them.
Jon Weisberger
March, 2005
Jon Weisberger • A Night Driver since the beginning of 2003 (and senior member by approximately 5 shows), Jon Weisberger holds down a dizzying array of positions in the world of bluegrass. In addition to his work with Chris, he has made appearances on bass with artists ranging from the legendary Jimmy Martin, Hazel Dickens and Roland White to Tony Trischka, Harley Allen, David Peterson and April Verch. As a songwriter, he has supplied material to many of today’s top artists, including Del McCoury, Doyle Lawson, Blue Highway, the Infamous Stringdusters, Mountain Heart, the Gibson Brothers, Terry Baucom, the Chapmans, Blue Moon Rising, Dwight McCall—and, of course, the Night Drivers.
Like Chris and Ned, he’s involved in bluegrass radio, too, producing and appearing on a weekly syndicated show, The Blue Side Of Town With Del McCoury. Jon also writes occasional articles for publication, continuing an extensive bluegrass journalism career that earned him the IBMA’s Print Media Person of the Year award in 2001 and the Charlie Lamb Award For Excellence In Country Music Journalism in 2005.
In addition to his creative endeavors, Jon served two terms as a member of the IBMA’s Board of Directors, and was elected to the position of Vice Chair in 2010.
LINKS
IBMA • www.ibma.org/about.ibma/leadership.asp
No Depression • www.archives.nodepression.com/author/jon-weisberger/
FaceBook • www.facebook.com/jonweisberger
Twitter • www.twitter.com/jonweisberger
WebSite • www.chrisjonesmusic.com
Option One 
Option Two 
I really love how you paint the picture of the bluegrass community Jon.. It’s easy to understand why so many people are so protective of what we have. It’s truly a beautiful thing, but I don’t think that it will last (the community that is) another 20 years the way it is going now. I am a firm believer that music will always grow and evolve. There will always be those who play it like Bill, and there will always be those who continue to stretch the boundaries. The ONLY way to preserve the legacy that was established by those who have gone on is to pay tribute in our own way.
It speaks wonders to me that Bela attributes his love for the banjo to Earl Scruggs, but it didn’t stop him from stretching it WAY beyond the limits that Earl reached. You can bet that Earl is one of Bela’s biggest fans too. Which surprises the heck outta me when the ones who established this music embrace “fringe” bands more than their followers. It also bothers me when bluegrass players say “its not about the money or the fame.” Bull!! Ask Bill Monroe if he cared about either of those! The whole reason he did it was to make a living. That’s why a lot of our best artists leave our community. Because they don’t make enough to feed themselves or their families.
Now, wouldn’t it be great to see a vibrant and healthy community where traditionalists and progressive bands can be enjoyed equally? It does exist. Del McCoury is one of the most successful bluegrass musicians today. He is also as traditional as they get, yet he is ALWAYS welcomed in settings where LOADS of other music is played. Good music is good music. You don’t have to like it all, but at least appreciate it for where it all stemmed. The mandolin would NOT be what it is today without Bill Monroe. Anyone who plays a mandolin can usually tell you who Bill Monroe is. Yet, anyone who picks up a mandolin can likewise tell you who Chris Thile is. I would even venture a guess that he’s done more (in volume and the amount of time) for the mandolin than Bill Monroe. How many Nickel Creek listeners have been turned on to traditional bluegrass?? More than you think. This type of back tracking happens every day.
That’s my rant for today…. lol Jon, thanks for your contribution to our Journal and I hope you continue to write such good pieces for us to post.
As someone who hires bands it is my best interest to hire groups that people are going to pay to come see and get the most out of their entertainment dollar. You mention Bela…Is he going to increase crowd numbers at your traditional festivals? I doubt it..he may bring a few but not many..look what is still making bluegrass successful…good traditional bands..look at BU each month and see who is playing at good festivals…if you like diversity in bluegrass then go to places like Merlefest..but don’t try to force it on masses that like to stay with tradition..
That’s a good point you make Jack, and in no way do I want to force anything down anyones throat. What I failed to say is that there will always be specific types of gatherings of whatever you can think. In no way am I suggesting the end of the traditional bluegrass festival model. The other thing I failed to say is that I am a HUGE traditional bluegrass fan. I cut my teeth on Monroe, Crowe, Martin, and Lawson. Those are the fathers of MY favorite music.
What you have to admit is that
1. The traditional bluegrass festival scene is dying. (this is no joke)
2. Even the best traditional groups that play all of the best bluegrass festivals would go broke without the inclusion of other major events. (look at the Dailey & Vincent, Doyle Lawson, Rhonda Vincent business models.)
3. Even avid traditional fans can go to a festival and have “traditional” bands they don’t like forced on them.
4. There is a huge generational gap at traditional bluegrass festivals.
5. Bela can draw an amazing crowd anywhere he goes. It’s all in how you promote it.
That being said. In NO way would I ever ask you to change your business model. BUT it is proven what a broader range of support can do for a traditional band. Case and point, Del McCoury.. Look at his calendar and what do you see? He only books festivals LIKE Merelfest, Bonaroo, and etc.. His very own festival, DelFest, is of the same nature. Earl Scruggs has been one of the most diverse bluegrass instrumentalists in history. You can ask his wife.. It is fact that they avoided the word bluegrass while booking and promoting him throughout the years. This being one of THE MOST influential people to bluegrass music that has ever lived. The innovator of our signature sound!
Jack, I commend you for preserving a tradition and giving your festival goers what they love. You know them better than anyone else. That’s not the point. The point is to NOT have the same people at the same shows to see the same 12 bands every year! The point is to share OUR music with many many many more people who will appreciate it even when we are gone. The way you do that is by reaching out to those people. Organizations like the IBMA understand this. They see that the traditional bluegrass world is small, and the same people keep coming back every year. The way to grow our music is by associating the music with those who have reached a higher level of success and bring them in. By associating with the Avett Brothers alone, (who, whether you like them or not, have thousands of fans and were directly influenced by traditional bluegrass music) traditional bluegrass can get a SIGNIFICANT boost. I have seen it first hand. There could be thousands of new converts from those who trace the lines back or see a traditional act on the same stage. This means more visitors to your festival, more money in the pockets of the bands you and I like to hear, and better chance of preserving what we love. Its not about forcing it on anyone, its about seeing the big picture.
I hope you do not take me as insulting you. I really do respect you for what you do and the care you take in choosing what your people like to hear. I just have a different opinion about how to preserve what we love.
Here are (who I think are) the top three bluegrass bands and their tour calendars.
1. Alison Krauss and Union Station – Debuted her Paper Airplane Album at #1 on bilboard charts with over 83,000 units sold the FIRST WEEK!
http://alisonkrauss.com/events
2. The Del McCoury Band – BTW have had a MAJOR part in the Bill Monroe movie AND just finished an album with a New Orleans band!
http://www.delmccouryband.com/dates/
3. Ricky Skaggs – Who will probably win ANOTHER GRAMMY for his contemporary Christian CD
http://www.rickyskaggs.com/index.htm?id=14081
They all get it.
Well said… but… that skinny electric upright bass? That’s not bluegrass :-)