Right on Peter. I do still like Bluegrass and since the NGDB's Circle album, have indeed slowed my taste down. No more duelin' this and duelin' that. Eric Weisberg's "Duelin Banjos" album is a terrific album of just good old standards and well balanced for guitar and banjo.
I also like Allison Krause, Laurie Lewis. The Nashville Bluegrass Band, Peter Rowan for todays BG music. I meant to go to a BG JAM is like going to a shoot out. In varibly, someone will turn the jam into a fast draw competition. The BG we hear on CD is carefully rehearsed and structured to be real sensitive to the song and music. Jams on the other hand turn into a conglomeration of sounds that don't always mix and travel at various speeds including breaking the sound barrier. I have to go back to the thread about invitation only jams, maybe thats why there are jams for the elite(?). Since my playing has evolved into finger picking, I stay clear of BG jams as it really conflicts with the feel of BG. Thanks for the thought, I did'nt mean to insult or be so critcal of BG in general, I buzzed on for and about Bluegrass "jams".
Mudjack