I should expand on that.

The timing of SMBA is just when the demise of MBA (which was both) was announced, which was the successor of Tennessee Banjo Academy, which was both. Jack Hatfield was a vendor-exhibitor at MBA, and possibly at TBA too, given his location. Given those facts, I think SMBA is intended to carry on the tradition of those two camps.

It is a fact, of course, that Jack's own personal identification is bluegrass. His message didn't make clear the answer to your question.

Dave Oesterreich