Hi, Barbara: Glad you joined in. First of all, I should add that I enjoy Shoregrass very much, mostly I guess because they don't sound formulaic and do an interesting mix of bluegrass, folk and whatever else sounds good to them. Technically, I guess Shoregrass IS a bluegrass band but like some more recent bands, they are far more adventurous.

And Azizi: I don't think Little Hawk was saying things in as limited a way as you heard him. For me, blues (other than the variants on OOh Weee, my baby left me and I'm feeling so bad) not only has rhythm (which I seem to need, like calcium) but it is often thought provoking (but not what people generally mean by "intellectual" which is thought of more as formally educated.) There's a beautiful lyricism in some blues that has always attracted me:

"I got the blues before sunrise
Tears standing in my eyes
It's such a miserable old feeling
A feeling I do despise"

I do feel that music is made for many reasons. Music to dance to usually has simpler, more repetitive, catchy (Or infuriatingly irritating) lines. How many times can you sing "That's the way I like it, Uh-huh!" before going insane? But the music is to dance to, not to reflect upon. Now maybe a folk singer could take that line (or someone like me) and reflect endlessly on the innate selfishness of the line, examining my own conscience and vowing to write a song that keeps repeating "That's the way you like it, Way Cool!"

I never liked disco, or polkas and don't generally enjoy any music that is "danceable" (like bluegrass) because I am a lousy dancer and make a fool of myself if I "get up and get out on the floor." I'd rather people not know how clumsy I am. Folk music is more of a "sit down and listen, and sing along if you want to" music. Barbry Allen doesn't get many people up and out on the floor.

Jerry