One of the many things that have been in the back of my mind over the years, is the amount of work that goes into keeping a bluegrass event, jam session or festival going over many years, generally for little reward and sometimes amidst fierce criticism.
There are many who help make the Australian Bluegrass music scene what it is currently, and keep it alive and in the public focus. There are just as many people who originally worked to create the local scene here in Australia and they may not be known to those of us who have just arrived later in the process.
At the Australian Bluegrass Blog we hope to bring recognition to those people who have helped create, shape and grow Bluegrass Music in Australia by bringing you their stories. John Werner from the Stringbusters raised this idea with me again a few months ago; so it is time to do something about it.
We are currently conducting interviews with a variety of folk and have plans to introduce you to them and others, bit by bit, over the coming months on a page called Bluegrass Profiles.
No doubt there will be a variety of ideas on who should be featured in this project and we do seek your input, but we also ask that you please be patient. We’ll get around to building a comprehensive list as and when we can. Please feel free to chip in and suggest names to feature for the future.
Please stay tuned.
A couple of people I have spoken to over the past couple of years have raised the idea of putting together a history of bluegrass in Australia. This “Bluegrass Profiles” project could be a great resource for whoever eventually puts their hand up to do the larger history project – if nothing else it could be used to put together a chronology of bluegrass bands and their musicians. Well done lads!
Being a relative new comer to the scene I’m really looking forward to getting to know a little about the people that laid down the foundations to give us what we have today. Good stuff.
A very worthwhile project. It would be a pity to not acknowledge all the years of shear hard work and dedication,(for very little recognition and reward), that these true pioneers of Bluegrass Music in Australia have made. Without their efforts we would definitely not have what we have, and cherish, today. Great idea John and Greg!