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About Street roots. (Portland, OR) 1998-current | View Entire Issue (Dec. 21, 2012)
Street roots, Dec. 21, 2012 American classic Bluegrass artist David Grisman reflects on a half century in the music scene, still truckin’ into 2013 The David Grisman Bluegrass Experience will be performing on New Year’s Eve at the Alberta Rose Theater. BY SUE ZALOKAR S T A F F W R IT E R avid Grisman is iconic in the world of bluegrass, having played with a who’s who of artists, including Doc Watson, truly American art forms in that they both Bela Fleck and Bonnie Raitt, to name a few. developed here and are rooted in many He is a mandolin player, composer and European and African traditions. Bill producer. While still just a pup (Jerry Garcia Monroe’s biggest musical influence was a of The Grateful Dead gave him the black guitarist named Arnold Schultz, and nickname, “Dawg”), Grisman was gleaning his music is steeped in blues, which is also a insight into the world of music from some of major foundation of jazz. They are both the greatest players in the “old time” music “virtuosic” musics that require a great deal scene. of instrumental and vocal technique, and Grisman has spent 50 years celebrating, they both involve a great deal of studying and playing the old-time music of improvisation, although bluegrass is much rural people and places and bringing that m ore grounded in traditional melody. But I m u sica l otylo -to a moinotFcoTH a u d ie n c e . He guess for me, they are both extremely has cultivated the respect of other challenging and very enjoyable, as well as musicians and a loyal fan base that spans allowing for a great deal of individual generations. expression. I also love many other styles of The David Grisman Bluegrass music and they all have influenced my Experience will play two New Year’s Eve playing, arranging and composing. shows in Portland at the Alberta Rose Theatre. Grisman spoke with Street Roots S.Z.: Fo r you, what is the allure o f to share his thoughts about music, its m ountain m usic? heritage and its future. D Sue Zalokar: You currently have fo u r active groups: a quintet, a sextet, Bluegrass Experience band an d Folk Jazz Trio — it boggles the m ind, bluegrass an d jazz are seemingly very different kinds o f m usic. In yo u r experience, how are bluegrass an d jazz alike? David Grisman: Well, I keep going back to what Duke Ellington said: “There are only two kinds of music — good and bad!” Actually there are many similarities for me between bluegrass and jazz. They are both D.G.: Well it’s not so much mountain music as folk music or music that originated in rural environments. I listened to a lot of “old-time” and ethnically derived music that was more or less unaffected by the popular culture of the day and reflected earlier times when music was developed for purer reasons than having a hit record or appealing to huge audiences in the mass marketplace. The influence of commercialism really has nothing to do with aesthetic values, and I find those values largely missing in most contemporary music of all styles. PH O TO CO URTESY OF D A V ID G R IS M A N S.Z.: Often, the themes o f bluegrass speak to the simple life o f ordinary people - people who have experienced poverty on some level. Are there any social, political or personal connections fo r you to themes o f poverty or homelessness? D.G.: I’m definitely sympathetic to the huge numbers of people all over the world living in sub-standard conditions. I even devoted a recording project to songs of hum an suffering arid tragedy, “Life of Sorrow,” but my interests have always been rooted in the music, not the lyrics. I certainly can appreciate the great collaborations in songwriting between composers and lyricists. Yet my ear is usually attracted to the melodies, grooves and other musical elements. I’m not a big fan of mixing music with politics either, although I’m passionate about political issues. That could change, perhaps! S.Z.: You credit much o f you m usical aesthetic development to R alph Rinsler. (B ill M onroe’s m anager an d director o f the Folklife Institute at the Sm ithsonian). You have said that he did more to preserve Am erican folk culture in the 20th century than anyone else. Please elaborate on Mr. R in sle r’s contributions to both the m usical com m unity an d to yo u r own personal m usical journey. 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