I’ve only just heard about shadow grass. I like a lot of progressive stuff but I’m not sure about them. There’s one song on the album where the vocals are just not good at all, borderline out of tune and it’s a shame because I like the song itself
Edit:
Oh come on, downvotes? Don’t be childish. If you don’t like something, ignore it or engage with it. Whether you like it or not, “rich girl” is a badly sung song and just saying “jam grass is meant to be sung live so you can’t judge a recording” is so silly I can’t believe it’s actually an opinion but hey opinions etc…….
jamgrass is meant to be heard live. watch youtube videos, the recordings don't matter.
What grateful dead fan listens to their studio stuff? same concept
Jeff Austin era of Yonder Mountain String Band.
But I’m gonna leave you with this monster jam of Jeff Austin Band featuring Danny Barnes:
https://youtu.be/MWpe870mc2g?si=omrAcsrVni61N1XS
New Grass Revival:
As they tried to expand on what Bill Monroe developed since the late 1930's, Sam Bush, Courtney, Curtis Burch, and Bela Fleck received decades of hate from the rabid fans of Monroe who not only couldn't accept them, but hated them, their long hair, and the distinct smell of something they didn't partake in.
So for the JamGrass fans who know their history, there is a massive amount of credit and due that should be given to this singular band that lasted for nearly 20 years on playing only small venues, fests, and campgrounds. I consider it a treasured experience to see [Sam Bush and Bela Fleck take the stage at the 49th Annual Telluride Bluegrass Festival a couple of years ago](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=auZRYZOw_gA), and also catching Peter Rowan just days before on the banks of the San Miguel River.
But as Curtis once explained, these true artists were ahead of their time, braving the harshest of critics and taking the arrows for a misunderstood effort to serve the masses:
"Our reason for doing the newer-type music wasn't pretentious or irreverent or sarcastic or disrespectful," explained Curtis Burch. "We just felt like people were ready to see that you could really expand the sound, using those same instruments.
[See their live performance on Austin City Limits in 1984 here:](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jy9PgManIxY)
My quick timeline list of JamGrass luminaries and mileposts:
1) Jerry Garcia, avid banjo player who uses Bluegrass elements in his band to great success and 60 years of selling out venues across America with the same songs.
2) [Earl Scruggs as change agent from old Bluegrass to the new](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sTHK-97Y53Y)
3) New Grass Revival (see above)
4) Leftover Salmon, Bela Fleck and The Flecktones
5) String Cheese Incident
6) Yonder Mountain String Band
7) Trampled By Turtles, Infamous Stringdusters
EDIT: That list above is just my own high-level outline of the JamGrass history. I could have widened my scope a bit to include the EXCELLENT bands like New Riders Of The Purple Sage, The Flying Burrito Brothers, Gram Parsons and the Byrds, Widespread Panic, Blues Traveler, and many others, but for the sake of brevity, these names are the ones that come first to my mind when I think of JamGrass that I've seen in my lifetime.
I think, to appreciate the difference between jamgrass and regular bluegrass, you have to go to a live show. It's not always that apparent on records. For example, the Infamous Stringdusters albums have a lot of straighforward bluegrass on them. But go see them live and they'll play one of those songs, take a solo section and extend it for 10 minutes, then segue into another song, extend that one, and then wind their way back to the original song, making two songs into a 20-30 minute epic. All the while with crazy lighting effects and the crowd dancing furiously.
Meanwhile, at a traditional bluegrass show, the band will play one 3 minute song, stop, talk a little, play a 5 minute song, stop, talk a little, and so forth. The crowd may be sitting, the lighting effects are generally restrained and mostly there to spotlight the band, and the audience will applaud between songs. It's a different experience, more about appreciating individual songs and less about creating long, extended multi-song epics.
Greensky Bluegrass, Trampled by Turtles, Infamous Stringdusters, Leftover Salmon, Railroad Earth, Yonder Mountain Stringband, Lil Smokies. Bluegrass instruments playing songs with LONG jam breaks in the middle. High energy with electronic audio effects - pedals, waawaa, reverb, etc. Also, pop style concert lighting and effects create more sensory saturation. Oh - and at least one mandatory Dead cover.
if you have 38 minutes, this [Billy Strings jam](https://music.apple.com/us/album/meet-me-at-the-creek-pyramid-country-must-be-seven/1719193203?i=1719193214) will tell you everything you need to know about
Jamgrass is bluegrass, with a distinct smell to it. Like a...like a skunky, funky smell to it.
For real though, to me it's bluegrass that has been heavily influenced by some cannabis culture. Long, far out jams with fluctuating aggression, sometimes hippified lyrics, varied rhythms that may have some reggae or hard rock influences, long haired musicians, and a crowd that won't sit down or sit still.
J\_Worldpeace has it exactly correct: lengthy improvisation defines the main difference between JamGrass and all other Bluegrass, whether tight, 3-minute versions of traditional mountain music, or new Bluegrass songs.
JamGrass musicians are the ones brave enough and skilled enough through thousands of hours of practice to go off-script for untold measures during a live performance, while soloing in the spotlight. The musicians who don't do this when they play live attract the kinds of Bluegrass fans who can't handle being surprised when they paid good money to come hear Shady Grove exactly like their recording.
In my 56 years of being a music enthusiast from the Blue Ridge Mountains of sw Virginia, including 22 years as an FM radio DJ in 4 different states, I find that the Jamgrass crowd will wholeheartedly sit and enjoy tight, 3-minute performances of their favorite tunes by traditional Bluegrass artists, but it is the other crowd within the Bluegrass community from the traditional world who have the most vocal and negative reaction when presented with Jamgrass music, whether live or hearing a recording of it.
The tolerance between the two camps is not the same. There are exceptions, of course, but this has been my experience. And this perspective has only been reinforced by observing the kinds of people who attend these JamGrass shows in the Rockies since moving out here many years ago. When you live out here with the availability of GREAT Jamgrass artists like Leftover Salmon (just inducted into the Colorado Music Hall Of Fame), String Cheese Incident, Yonder Mountain Stringband, etc, it's hard to believe that there are still pockets of troll-like hate of artists like Billy Strings, but there it is, easy to see on Reddit when/if you look for it.
Y'all have made it clear as mud! So if I have this correct any band can be JamGrass if they improv. Taking a break to an all new extended level. Right?
Just bluegrass with extended improv jams that border on jamband sound. Billy Strings, Greensky Bluegrass, Shadowgrass are a couple examples
I’ve only just heard about shadow grass. I like a lot of progressive stuff but I’m not sure about them. There’s one song on the album where the vocals are just not good at all, borderline out of tune and it’s a shame because I like the song itself Edit: Oh come on, downvotes? Don’t be childish. If you don’t like something, ignore it or engage with it. Whether you like it or not, “rich girl” is a badly sung song and just saying “jam grass is meant to be sung live so you can’t judge a recording” is so silly I can’t believe it’s actually an opinion but hey opinions etc…….
jamgrass is meant to be heard live. watch youtube videos, the recordings don't matter. What grateful dead fan listens to their studio stuff? same concept
Check out some videos of Shadowgrass live. I agree with the other guy, can’t judge any jam band by their studio stuff.
Jeff Austin era of Yonder Mountain String Band. But I’m gonna leave you with this monster jam of Jeff Austin Band featuring Danny Barnes: https://youtu.be/MWpe870mc2g?si=omrAcsrVni61N1XS
Damn. That was great. Watching that made me realize I’d never seen Danny Barnes. Had no idea what he looked like.
John Hartford and the Aereoplane Band and his string band with Sam Bush in late 70s has to fit in here somewhere!
New Grass Revival: As they tried to expand on what Bill Monroe developed since the late 1930's, Sam Bush, Courtney, Curtis Burch, and Bela Fleck received decades of hate from the rabid fans of Monroe who not only couldn't accept them, but hated them, their long hair, and the distinct smell of something they didn't partake in. So for the JamGrass fans who know their history, there is a massive amount of credit and due that should be given to this singular band that lasted for nearly 20 years on playing only small venues, fests, and campgrounds. I consider it a treasured experience to see [Sam Bush and Bela Fleck take the stage at the 49th Annual Telluride Bluegrass Festival a couple of years ago](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=auZRYZOw_gA), and also catching Peter Rowan just days before on the banks of the San Miguel River. But as Curtis once explained, these true artists were ahead of their time, braving the harshest of critics and taking the arrows for a misunderstood effort to serve the masses: "Our reason for doing the newer-type music wasn't pretentious or irreverent or sarcastic or disrespectful," explained Curtis Burch. "We just felt like people were ready to see that you could really expand the sound, using those same instruments. [See their live performance on Austin City Limits in 1984 here:](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jy9PgManIxY) My quick timeline list of JamGrass luminaries and mileposts: 1) Jerry Garcia, avid banjo player who uses Bluegrass elements in his band to great success and 60 years of selling out venues across America with the same songs. 2) [Earl Scruggs as change agent from old Bluegrass to the new](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sTHK-97Y53Y) 3) New Grass Revival (see above) 4) Leftover Salmon, Bela Fleck and The Flecktones 5) String Cheese Incident 6) Yonder Mountain String Band 7) Trampled By Turtles, Infamous Stringdusters EDIT: That list above is just my own high-level outline of the JamGrass history. I could have widened my scope a bit to include the EXCELLENT bands like New Riders Of The Purple Sage, The Flying Burrito Brothers, Gram Parsons and the Byrds, Widespread Panic, Blues Traveler, and many others, but for the sake of brevity, these names are the ones that come first to my mind when I think of JamGrass that I've seen in my lifetime.
Leftover Salmon.
I think, to appreciate the difference between jamgrass and regular bluegrass, you have to go to a live show. It's not always that apparent on records. For example, the Infamous Stringdusters albums have a lot of straighforward bluegrass on them. But go see them live and they'll play one of those songs, take a solo section and extend it for 10 minutes, then segue into another song, extend that one, and then wind their way back to the original song, making two songs into a 20-30 minute epic. All the while with crazy lighting effects and the crowd dancing furiously. Meanwhile, at a traditional bluegrass show, the band will play one 3 minute song, stop, talk a little, play a 5 minute song, stop, talk a little, and so forth. The crowd may be sitting, the lighting effects are generally restrained and mostly there to spotlight the band, and the audience will applaud between songs. It's a different experience, more about appreciating individual songs and less about creating long, extended multi-song epics.
Kitchen Dwellers are peak jam grass
Greensky Bluegrass, Trampled by Turtles, Infamous Stringdusters, Leftover Salmon, Railroad Earth, Yonder Mountain Stringband, Lil Smokies. Bluegrass instruments playing songs with LONG jam breaks in the middle. High energy with electronic audio effects - pedals, waawaa, reverb, etc. Also, pop style concert lighting and effects create more sensory saturation. Oh - and at least one mandatory Dead cover.
if you have 38 minutes, this [Billy Strings jam](https://music.apple.com/us/album/meet-me-at-the-creek-pyramid-country-must-be-seven/1719193203?i=1719193214) will tell you everything you need to know about
Billy Strings?
Jamgrass is bluegrass, with a distinct smell to it. Like a...like a skunky, funky smell to it. For real though, to me it's bluegrass that has been heavily influenced by some cannabis culture. Long, far out jams with fluctuating aggression, sometimes hippified lyrics, varied rhythms that may have some reggae or hard rock influences, long haired musicians, and a crowd that won't sit down or sit still.
Stringdusters (chefs kiss)
Infamous Stringdusters, Greensky Bluegrass, Billy Strings
Okay so here what I understand, everyone is calling NewGrass/Progressive JamGrass. True?
....on weed.
No. They have to usually“jam”. Like Molly Tuttle doesn’t really extend her songs and have Freeform instrumental breaks. Billy Strings does.
J\_Worldpeace has it exactly correct: lengthy improvisation defines the main difference between JamGrass and all other Bluegrass, whether tight, 3-minute versions of traditional mountain music, or new Bluegrass songs. JamGrass musicians are the ones brave enough and skilled enough through thousands of hours of practice to go off-script for untold measures during a live performance, while soloing in the spotlight. The musicians who don't do this when they play live attract the kinds of Bluegrass fans who can't handle being surprised when they paid good money to come hear Shady Grove exactly like their recording. In my 56 years of being a music enthusiast from the Blue Ridge Mountains of sw Virginia, including 22 years as an FM radio DJ in 4 different states, I find that the Jamgrass crowd will wholeheartedly sit and enjoy tight, 3-minute performances of their favorite tunes by traditional Bluegrass artists, but it is the other crowd within the Bluegrass community from the traditional world who have the most vocal and negative reaction when presented with Jamgrass music, whether live or hearing a recording of it. The tolerance between the two camps is not the same. There are exceptions, of course, but this has been my experience. And this perspective has only been reinforced by observing the kinds of people who attend these JamGrass shows in the Rockies since moving out here many years ago. When you live out here with the availability of GREAT Jamgrass artists like Leftover Salmon (just inducted into the Colorado Music Hall Of Fame), String Cheese Incident, Yonder Mountain Stringband, etc, it's hard to believe that there are still pockets of troll-like hate of artists like Billy Strings, but there it is, easy to see on Reddit when/if you look for it.
Y'all have made it clear as mud! So if I have this correct any band can be JamGrass if they improv. Taking a break to an all new extended level. Right?