Having been around bluegrass music for many years, I have found a lot to appreciate in it. Yet it often seems to me to be a haven for cultural reactionaries who are especially defensive about their music. There are more rules and more pressure toward conformity than in any other genre I can think of. One hears "That ain't bluegrass" proclaimed with an assurance not imitated by followers of blues, reggae or military marches. 'Purists' treat their art form like an endangered species, perhaps not realizing that it developed in flux from other musical styles and influences. Once that evolution process began, it became pointless and impossible to suspend it. Maybe this is part of the legacy of Bill Monroe, a one-time revolutionary who later exerted too much effort confining his craft and disparaging the explorations of others. There have been tirades on this subject here at Mudcat, and efforts to include/exclude performers like Nickel Creek and others who dare to appear on stage without 5-string banjos. This bass player has the right to play the music he chooses, but why be so strident about sharing styles? Maybe we should stop defining and rationalizing, and just play.