Murder on Music Row?

Did you know the country music award-winning recording Murder On Music Row sung by George Strait and Alan Jackson was written by Larry Cordle and Larry Shell, and was named Song of the Year at the 11th annual International Bluegrass Music Awards on October 19, 2000? That song stirred up the country music industy when Strait and Jackson collaborated on it, but it was first recorded by Bluegrass artist Larry Cordle with his band, Lonesome Standard Time. Murder On Music Row is a fantastic country tune. It doesn't sound a bit like Bluegrass, not even when sung by Cordle, who in my opinion has never been all that Bluegrassy in the first place. Yet, somehow it wins an IBMA award. Well, I believe it should be award-winning, but not Bluegrass award-winning.

Ricky Skaggs' CD titled Instrumentals was recently awarded a 2007 Grammy for Best Bluegrass Album. This CD features stellar musicianship by Skaggs and his band Kentucky Thunder but, at best, it has four tracks that remotely resemble Bluegrass, yet it's another Bluegrass winner! Even Skaggs himself said "I'm surprised it was nominated for a Bluegrass album." So you tell me, how does it win a Best Bluegrass Album award?

BluegrassRadio.org has a slogan on their web site that says "if you plug it in or beat it with a stick, you won't hear it here." I beg to differ. I'm pretty sure I've heard some snare drums and... oh, never mind. I guess electric bass is an exception when we're talking about plugging in. We don't want to go there do we? But if you do, see my post titled Electrified Instruments in Bluegrass - The Debate Continues from May 21, 2006.

I would venture to say for every song played by BluegrassRadio.org, there must be at least five non-Bluegrass tunes played. That's where I first heard Seven Miles From Wichita by Carrie Hassler and Hard Rain. Shortly after hearing it, I was browsing around one of the discussion forums at Bluegrass Works. Somebody made a post and said "check out the new videos by Carrie Hassler & Hard Rain with Special Guest, Jim VanCleve." I replied "Seven Miles from Wichita is a great tune, but can somebody, anyone, tell me how it could even remotely be considered a Bluegrass tune?" The response? "It's radio friendly Bluegrass."

I've heard it said by many that in order to draw a younger crowd to Bluegrass festivals, and therefore ensure Bluegrass music will live on for generations to come, that we have to allow this watered-down and sometimes altogether non-existent Bluegrass content. Excuse me. Exactly what is it that we are preserving? How is it that we are preserving Bluegrass if we are changing it into something else? That's not preserving - it's replacement. In fact, by replacing Bluegrass with something else, are we not doing the exact opposite? Are we not pushing Bluegrass out of the music scene rather than preserving it?

So as not to cause any confusion, let me set the record straight. I'm not debating for a single minute whether the material produced by today's "Bluegrass" artists is "good stuff" or not. In fact, I'd be one of the first to say that some of it is fantastic material, but let's not be hoodwinked here - MUCH OF IT IS NOT BLUEGRASS! Why can't we call it what it really is? Oh, right, I forgot. Today's country is "hot country" and today's Bluegrass is turning into what we used to call country. But it's not just country that is being labeled Bluegrass these days. There are plenty of so-called Bluegrass tunes that belong in buckets other than the one labeled "country." For example, some belong in the Bob Dylan bucket. And newgrass? Don't get me started on that one!!!

Obviously, there are people that like some of this non-Bluegrass material, including me, but I don't see why we can't call it what it really is? We are just confusing newcomers to the genre. As far as using other forms of music to draw in a younger crowd I have this to say about that: if you don't like Bluegrass for what it is, that's just fine with me. Don't listen to it. You don't have to like it - no one is asking you to.

And just who is responsible for the direction Bluegrass music is taking? Is it the artists' fault for choosing to record non-Bluegrass tunes on their so-called Bluegrass CD's? Is it the consumers' fault for buying it, thus saying "I'm okay with it?" Is it IBMA's fault? Is it the fault of all these so-called Bluegrass radio stations for playing all of the non-Bluegrass material? I think the blame goes to all of the above.

It's no wonder very few people seem to have a clue as to what Bluegrass music is. If you don't know what to call it, put a Bluegrass label on it. Here's your Bluegrass sign!

Personally, I don't like the direction Bluegrass music is headed. I hope my thoughts are wrong about where I think it's going to end up. I certainly hear a lot of people complaining about what has happened to country music. I'm now beginning to hear a lot of the same comments about Bluegrass music as well. This cannot be a good thing.

Murder on Music Row? I think so!

On Forming a Band

In this age of Bluegrass popularity are there any hardcore Bluegrassers left?

I've been having conversations with various people, some of them not musicians, about the idea of forming a band. I'm certainly not considering such an endeavour at this time, but the conversation has come up. As a result of these conversations it has become clear to me that the desire to form a band does exist for some of the people I've conversed with.

My thinking may change down the road, but at this time in my life, if I was having thoughts about forming a band, I'd be looking for some hardcore Bluegrassers - people that want to play "real" bluegrass - not this watered down stuff that I hear so much of today. If I'm going to go around calling my band a Bluegrass band, that's what I'd want to portray. None of this borderline, is it Bluegrass or is it not? Is it pop with Bluegrass instrumentation? Country? What is that stuff anyway?

Is there anything wrong with these other genres of music that I've mentioned? No, not at all. It's just not what I currently want to be involved with, and I don't want to be in a band that plays half and half either. I'm into Bluegrass and that's what I'm going to focus on! If at some point in time down the musical road I run into some like minded people that I think I can get along with, I think I would consider forming a band.

There are so many things to think about when considering such an endeavour. Could you get along with everyone in the band? Would all of the members have the same goals as you? Would they be as committed as you? Would you be as committed as the rest of the band? Will there be a band leader? Who will it be? Could the rest of the band take direction from someone else? What about work schedules and personal schedule conflicts? Personality conflicts? Travelling? Practice time? It's a never ending list.

In thinking about forming a band, I've come to the conclusion that it would be nearly impossible to satisfy all of the concerns I've mentioned above, but my biggest apprehension is that concerning the committment to get better. Are you and the rest of the band members going to do what it takes to become a band that actually sounds Bluegrassy? Are you going to take the necessary time to learn the licks, intros and breaks that will set you apart, or will you be happy with a hum-drum sound?

Fortunately, forming a band is not something I have to be concerned with anytime soon, or ever I suppose. For now I'll just be content with playing along to my CD's and getting together with some friends at private jams, which is what I enjoy the most - and there's no pressure at all to get better. Playing well enough to be in a band is not something I ever expect to achieve, but I'm going to keep working at playing the best I can regardless of how good or bad that may be.

I'm not an optimist as you might be able to tell, but I'm not a pessimist either, although I know many who would disagree. I like to call myself a realist. I have concern for fact or reality and rejection of the impractical and visionary.

Keep on pickin' everybody.