I come from a long line of Pineys ( people who inhabit the New Jersey Pine Barrens, for those not familiar with that area).
My family has not lived there in three genrations now, but when I started on fiddle eons ago it was my great grandfather's fiddle who played for dances in Burlington Co.
I play Irish/Scots music exclusively, but a discussion a while back of " people should play their own music and leave ours alone" set me to thinking... what IS my music? I know there was a strong folk culture in that region for at least two centuries and I have wondered what kind of music would they have played? Currently what passes for 'folk music' in the Barrens us almost all bluegrass with a smattering of old timey thrown in. I know the Albert Music Hall is still functioning, but so far I can't find anyone old enough to see anything beyond the bluegrass horizon. Has anyone every come across info about the music of this region from an earlier time? Thanks in advance!