Going back to the original question posted on this thread, which is "From there we can go to Riley Puckett and the Tenneva Ramblers but where do we go beyond that?"

I think the next stop is the minstrel stage "Buffalo Gals" and related popular American music, "The Grandfather Clock" "Home Sweet Home." This period would be from 1830's to the early 1900's.

When people think about bluegrass music or blues and jazz they, do they think about Europe?

Asumming that bluegrass music is a sythesis of folk music, hillbilly music, and religious music, with blues and jazz seems to be the obvious choice.

Sudying the music itself as Dicho has chosen, I think that bluegrass music is very diverse being both pentatonic and using modes like the mixolydian with flat seven degrees. Solos both vocal and instrumental use the flat 5, flat 7, flat 3 and ninth associated with jazz and blues.

Richie