If you’ve been at a jam, and someone reels off a perfect rendition of a classic banjo (or guitar, or fiddle) solo, it’s a thrilling moment, no doubt. And if you’re at a jam and someone reels off a solo that’s wholly different, that’s a thrilling moment too, isn’t it?
Bluegrass loves its traditions and its classic moments, and that’s a big part of why we love this music so much. The classic performances are so perfect, it gives you chills. Bluegrass does not have a monopoly on this feeling. Blues, jazz and rock also have iconic performances that players seek to render perfectly, to actually touch that perfection.
And some players do achieve this. The best achieve it regularly, and the rest of us touch it now and again, if we’re lucky.
But here’s where something interesting happens. The players that are good enough to nail these iconic performances tend to move on. It’s not enough to mimic a perfect solo. This is something that they can do over and over. Its greatest meaning, and impact, came the first time it was done, and the moment can never actually be repeated. No one can really share that perfect moment.
We all need to seek our own perfect moments.
This desire drives great players to lofty heights, and year after year, we can revel in those efforts. It may be said that new classics are created every year. Only time can determine which will endure. Art can never stand still.
Aren’t we all artists, at heart? Yes, there are those that will (or already have) create music that will be considered classic at some time. But why can’t we all take a stab at this ideal? Sure, our very best solo at some jam may be worth generations of study, but what happens at 3am at a bluegrass will never get the public recognition for such an honor. It doesn’t mean it didn’t happen, right?
I have heard note-perfect renditions of classic bluegrass playing at late-night jams, and I have also heard astonishing playing that very well may have represented bold new interpretations at these same jams. I have surprised myself at times. These things did happen – but they won’t influence bluegrass fans for generations to come. But they did happen – you just had to be there.
So, whether you’re trying to play just like that record you love, trying to push the envelope, or simply express yourself, go ahead, you’re making some sort of Bluegrass history!
