I grew up going to the Bill Monroe Bluegrass thing in Southern Indiana and was amazed by the folks sitting around the campfires playing music and having a great time. I began playing at 55 and have taken a while a to develop an ear (which I still don't trust) so its hard for me to just sit down and play with people without charts in front of me. I also realized a jam is a great place for folks who really can't hear or play well, to be buried in the sound that is happening. I wanted to perform, I wanted to get better. I wasn't gifted with an ear so I had to grow one. I'm performing perpetually with charts in front of me. I keep finding myself drawn to blues and other forms of music. I want to do MoTown on banjo these days. I make money by playing Kid Rock on the banjo. I've tried getting into the Bluegrass Festivals as a performer, without luck. But I can perform everywhere else in the world. It's all so white. I watched Rihanna Giddens the night before playing downtown LA Sunday night. She said we stole the music, which is probably true except for the Irish and English stuff. I don't play like Earl and I'm not sure I want to. The banjo is a self inventing instrument and can be played however the hell you want to play it. I enjoy Bluegrass, when its done with finesse and grace. And honestly. But, the truth be told, Dylan and Elvis and The Band and the rest of the music world went back and stole blatantly from those black blues guitarists that really created the world of roots music.
