This strikes close to home, and on every music bulletin board I watch.

Not to take anything from the Dixie Chicks (for example) 'cause I kinda like 'em, but Nickel Creek have done more to attract a new audience to acoustic music and make musicianship an important part of the attraction. Neither group suffers from a lack of musical honesty, but Nickel Creek has less cosmetic gloss, physically and musically.

Overrated, not bluegrass? Who really cares? Rating and catagorization probably aren't large motivators for them musically and are only important to the marketers. I've been listening to Jerry Douglas' Restless On The Farm lately and it's not the usual definition of bluegrass either, but guess where it was found in the cd shop.

My perspective on this is that it's good music, particularly when compared to the vast majority of radio fare and young people's listening tastes in my neck of the woods. So what if the music genre police are offended? Artistic fascism is an oxymoron anyway.

I maintain a little music instruction studio where I teach (and yes, counsel) good folks about stringed instrument playing. I gently but firmly do as much as I can to direct listening (and hopefully playing) tastes towards non-pop, acoustic, innovative music, be it young or old. Sure, I still have to do my share of power chording, but I consider it part of the package. I get little or no resistance to Limehouse Blues, Opus 57, Boys Of Bluehill, Off To California, Planxty Irwin or any number of other acoustic tunes. As a matter of course I recommend Nickel Creek as a good listening. They bridge the gap between musics and between generations.

I wish there were more like them.

Peace, Mooh.