[Dixielandjazz] origins of bluegrass, ol timey mountain music, etc

[Cebuisle2 at aol.com]

Years ago I took some courses in music at Queens City College in N.Y. One  of 
the texts explained the origins of what we know as "Bluegrass" thusly-
 
Long before the Great Depression the mountain people of the Eastern states  
were poor. They had always been poor. The new jazz music could be heard on the  
radios in the mountains, which pretty much became the biggest source of  
entertainment. The locals couldn't imitate it-the costs of buying wind musical  
instruments was beyond their meager lifestyle. However, many homes had the  
string instruments hanging on pegs, and players aplenty. The result was toe  
tapping "Bluegrass" done with fiddles, banjos, guitars and simple rhythm  
instruments. A different kind of "jazz" music, and still popular today.
 
Never forgot the lesson-but did forget the title and author of the  text!!    
   
                                                                              
                                Ted
<BR><BR><BR>**************************************<BR> AOL now offers free 
email to everyone.  Find out more about what's free from AOL at 
http://www.aol.com.