Bluegrass in California

Ken Lang · Post by **Ken Lang** » 17 Sep 2013 5:40 pm

I've lived near Los Angles for 40 years and never ran
across any bluegrass music. Even a place to go hear a Bluegrass band. Not that I'm looking.

Here where I now live during the summer, in Western NY,
there are several Bluegrass bands and the local Legion even has an every Thursday night Bluegrass jam, which is usually pretty full of people.

How come LA, which is in the West, which has millions of people, doesn't have any well publicized Bluegrass?
Or did having my nose in country music for 40 years
take my eyes off of offerings.

Mark Eaton · Post by **Mark Eaton** » 17 Sep 2013 6:28 pm

I think you had your nose in country music for 40 years.

Though I will say that it's probably on a scale of 1 to 10 a little easier found in Northern and Central California.

That said, just off the top of my head here are some great bluegrass musicians, some whom branched out to other areas during their careers from Southern California. Feel free to join in folks to add to the list:

Clarence White (I could stop the list right there)
Roland White
Chris Hillman
Herb Pedersen (originally from Berkeley)
Mike Witcher
Gabe Witcher
Chris Thile
Sara Watkins
Sean Watkins
Stuart Duncan
Alison Brown
Don Parmley
Vern & Rex Gosdin moved to Calif. at one point in the '60s and did a lot of work with the White brothers and Hillman
The Dillard brothers, Doug & Rodney (though originally from Missouri, they hit it big once they moved out to L.A.)

Earnest Bovine · Post by **Earnest Bovine** » 17 Sep 2013 8:47 pm

tonight at Viva Fresh:
Riverside Rancho 8:00PM BASC CONCERT NIGHT with WALDEN DAHL'S BAND
The Brombies play there every Monday night.
Plus BASC events regularly, and other bluegrass groups.

http://www.vivacantina.com/

Mark Eaton · Post by **Mark Eaton** » 18 Sep 2013 12:41 am

...and check out this website:

www.socalbluegrass.org

Ken Lang · Post by **Ken Lang** » 18 Sep 2013 3:52 am

As I suspected. It does exist but is a little harder to find. Mark, your website of socialbluegrass helps to find places where it exists. Maybe someday Ill check it out to see how they compare with folks here.

Post by **Brad Bechtel** » 18 Sep 2013 6:37 am

Here's another link that may be helpful:
http://bluegrass.meetup.com/cities/us/ca/los_angeles/

Ken Lang · Post by **Ken Lang** » 18 Sep 2013 9:47 am

Interesting. More than I thought.

Ulrich Sinn · Post by **Ulrich Sinn** » 18 Sep 2013 5:23 pm

and definitely:

http://www.topangabanjofiddle.org/

Alvin Blaine · Post by **Alvin Blaine** » 18 Sep 2013 7:31 pm

I do about 8 bluegrass festivals a year in Southern California, and some major ones. Huck Finn's Jubilee, was in Victorville for 34 years, and was voted IBMA event of the year about 10 years ago and was nominated again this year after it's move to Ontario.

Alvin Blaine · Post by **Alvin Blaine** » 18 Sep 2013 7:41 pm

Mark Eaton wrote:I think you had your nose in country music for 40 years.

Though I will say that it's probably on a scale of 1 to 10 a little easier found in Northern and Central California.

That said, just off the top of my head here are some great bluegrass musicians, some whom branched out to other areas during their careers from Southern California. Feel free to join in folks to add to the list:

Clarence White (I could stop the list right there)
Roland White
Chris Hillman
Herb Pedersen (originally from Berkeley)
Mike Witcher
Gabe Witcher
Chris Thile
Sara Watkins
Sean Watkins
Stuart Duncan
Alison Brown
Don Parmley
Vern & Rex Gosdin moved to Calif. at one point in the '60s and did a lot of work with the White brothers and Hillman
The Dillard brothers, Doug & Rodney (though originally from Missouri, they hit it big once they moved out to L.A.)

How about that kid that used to follow Clarence White around out in LA, I think his name was Tony Rice?? He grew up in LA, and some believe he kind of defined bluegrass guitar in the '70s & '80s.

Then the Bluegrass Cardinals also started in LA area, and don't forget about Byron Berline's bands Sundance and California with that kid Vince Gill along with many other bluegrass monster pickers.

Another cool fact about California bluegrass is that the CBA is a bigger organization, with about 5 times the membership, than the IBMA, and more IBMA awards have been awarded to Californians than any other state.

Ben Elder · Post by **Ben Elder** » 19 Sep 2013 12:58 am

As a 20-year host of a bluegrass show on KPFK-FM (1987-2007) I'd have to say that to not have been aware of bluegrass in Southern California was to willfully be hiding out from it.

Over the years, there were several radio shows on KPFK, KCSN Northridge and KSPC in Claremont. There were many festivals throughout Southern California and live venues like McCabe's, Union Station Productions' series in Granada Hills, the Blue Ridge Pickin' Parlor in Reseda, then Canoga Park, then Granada Hills. A couple of abortive revivals of the Ash Grove in that time, too. Shade Tree Instruments in Orange County, Ron Stockfleth's concert series at the Neighborhood Church in Pasadena and in later years, Boulevard Music in Culver City. Several folk venues and house concert series also featured bluegrass artists. In Hollywood (of all places), there's been Bluegrass at the Ford every summer for probably 20 years as part of the Ford Theater's annual concert series.

For crying out loud, there was even the Banjo Cafe in Santa Monica until about 1984--a restaurant/performance space exclusively dedicated to bluegrass. (Thai restaurant now, unless that's changed.)

You want to know something hard to find? How about pedal steel teachers in Southern California...until the Steel Guitar Forum and Mike Perlowin's annual jam came onto my radar. For years and years that I worked at the Blue Ridge Pickin' Parlor, we'd get inquiries and I never had anything to tell callers (Studio City Music and John Bidasio were gone by this time) other than names of players I knew, not knowing one way or another if they also taught.

Too many distractions in Southern California. Celebrity culture, vapid pop and mainstream dreck assault the senses, but that's not to say that the things that matter haven't been here all along.

Mark Eaton · Post by **Mark Eaton** » 19 Sep 2013 7:17 am

How about that kid that used to follow Clarence White around out in LA, I think his name was Tony Rice?? He grew up in LA, and some believe he kind of defined bluegrass guitar in the '70s & '80s.

How on earth did I leave Tony Rice off the list? Even if it were an "off-the-top-of-my-head" list, I must have been seriously lacking in coffee. Between CD and vinyl I have almost everything Tony has recorded in his career, and I finished reading his biography a couple months ago.

Along with Tony, add his brother Wyatt and their deceased brother Larry.

The Bluegrass Cardinals - have seen them play a few times - outstanding!

And add LeRoy Mack on dobro with the White brothers & Kentucky Colonels. He's 73 today, born in Glendale.

Ulrich Sinn · Post by **Ulrich Sinn** » 19 Sep 2013 7:56 am

http://losangeles.cbslocal.com/top-list ... nds-in-la/

Mark Eaton · Post by **Mark Eaton** » 19 Sep 2013 8:00 am

Timely article!

Thanks, Ulrich.

Jerry Hayes · Post by **Jerry Hayes** » 19 Sep 2013 8:10 am

Hey Ken, years ago when I still lived in SoCal a lady fiddle player and I went to a bluegrass festival at the Long Beach college campus. The headliner was none other than Linda Ronstadt. How 'bout that?.... California has always marched to a different "drummer" than other states. There used to be some very good "Hybrid" bluegrass groups that combined acoustic and electric instrumentation like "The Wild Oats"... "Aunt Dinah's Quilting Party" and others with players like Evan Anderson (mandolin), Ron Legrande (left handed 5 string banjo), Duncan Cameron (guitar and anything else he wanted to play)... A friend of mine (Tom Palumbo) used to play electric bass with Byron Berline at a little club in the beach area of Long Beach every Monday Night. He had a guy who used to play Dobro with the Golden State Boys named Skip something who played an electric six string lap steel standing up with Byron. Personally, I like the mixture of electric and acoustic instruments..... Kinda like the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band sound.......JH in Va.

Alvin Blaine · Post by **Alvin Blaine** » 19 Sep 2013 7:01 pm

Jerry Hayes wrote:Hey Ken, years ago when I still lived in SoCal a lady fiddle player and I went to a bluegrass festival at the Long Beach college campus. The headliner was none other than Linda Ronstadt. How 'bout that?.... California has always marched to a different "drummer" than other states. There used to be some very good "Hybrid" bluegrass groups that combined acoustic and electric instrumentation like "The Wild Oats"... "Aunt Dinah's Quilting Party" and others with players like Evan Anderson (mandolin), Ron Legrande (left handed 5 string banjo), Duncan Cameron (guitar and anything else he wanted to play)... A friend of mine (Tom Palumbo) used to play electric bass with Byron Berline at a little club in the beach area of Long Beach every Monday Night. He had a guy who used to play Dobro with the Golden State Boys named Skip something who played an electric six string lap steel standing up with Byron. Personally, I like the mixture of electric and acoustic instruments..... Kinda like the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band sound.......JH in Va.

Skip Conover

Post by **Brad Bechtel** » 20 Sep 2013 6:30 am

Ulrich Sinn wrote:http://losangeles.cbslocal.com/top-list ... nds-in-la/

Thanks for posting that article. Nice to see a dobro featured as the main photo!

Ken Lang · Post by **Ken Lang** » 25 Sep 2013 3:16 pm

Thanks all. I have bookmarked all the sites so when
I get back to Ca. I can check it out.

MIchael Bean · Post by **MIchael Bean** » 3 Oct 2013 9:30 am

I wish you could experience the bluegrass scene that's going on in Boston. Any night of the week you can hear some great pickers, some who are the future of bluegrass. Berklee College has had their Roots Music program headed by Matt Glaser, and it is attracting some amazing young players from all over the world. Sierra Hull attended Berklee for two years, Crooked Still was formed here, Andy Hall & Chris Pandolfi of the Infamous Stringdusters cut their teeth here, 2013 IBMA winners Della Mae started here, Nicky Sanders, who tours with Steve Martin & Steep Canyon Rangers - they are all over the place.

A couple of my young pals here have been playing on and off with Tony Trischka, Alison Brown, Peter Rowan; Steel Forum member and Berklee grad Jack Devereaux is a smokin' fiddler who has been touring with Nora Jane Strothers & The Party Line. A lot of amazing players are coming out of Boston.

These kids seriously keep me on my toes and give me reason to keep on practicing, just so that I can keep up with them.

The Boston Bluegrass Union has a great Kids Academy and does a lot for keeping bluegrass alive, while teaching them the heritage.

Mark Eaton · Post by **Mark Eaton** » 3 Oct 2013 9:39 am

First day of Hardly Strictly Bluegrass in Golden Gate Park tomorrow. Yahoo!!!

http://www.hardlystrictlybluegrass.com/2013/

MIchael Bean · Post by **MIchael Bean** » 3 Oct 2013 9:42 am

Now that is a festival!

Mark Eaton · Post by **Mark Eaton** » 3 Oct 2013 10:28 am

Jerry Douglas wrote on his forum that he has a Big Surprise in store. I finally got him to give us a hint, but it's the only one he gave and hasn't given any others.

It was: "They got their start in the '70s."

My prediction: Jerry is going to be organizing a tribute to Mike Auldridge with the Seldom Scene, who got their start in the '70s. We can expect others to join in like Emmylou.

Now I have to wait and see if I'm correct. The Seldom Scene takes the Banjo Stage tomorrow, and the Jerry Douglas Band is on the same stage on Saturday.

There is also a Salute to the Masters set on Saturday, which they had last year though Jerry wasn't involved, but he will be this time, paying tribute to Earl Scruggs, Doc Watson, Hazel Dickens and others who have played this festival in the past and have passed on, and no doubt something for Mike will be a part of that, but I think Jerry has something bigger in store as a tribute to Mr. Auldridge.

On the other hand - I could be completely wrong!

MIchael Bean · Post by **MIchael Bean** » 4 Oct 2013 6:54 am

Mark, I hope that's it and that somebody records it.
Are you "Mark in Sonoma" on the Jerry Douglas bulletin board?

Jason Odd · Post by **Jason Odd** » 23 Nov 2013 11:09 pm

I might point out that despite a thriving live scene, Bluegrass never really seems to have broken out in the SoCal area, except for the Ash Grove.

Ken's post mentions that he'd been in the L.A. area for 40 years, not sure when that period began, but Clarence White was killed in 1973, and the Ash Grove closed that same year.
Still, McCabes was starting to really take off and you could catch Country Gazette there when they weren't on the road (which was a lot in the 1970s)... oh, and local TV shows like Cal's Corral and Country Music Time which had their own bluegrass segments were over by the 1970s.