Southern Music - Brian Wier

In the US, bluegrass music is generally characterized as being distinctly a southern thing. Bluegrass music originated in the Appalachian foothills as a combination of traditional folk music (particularly the Scotch-Irish) and African American jazz and blues. Bluegrass implements traditional European instruments such as the fiddle and mandolin as well as instruments rooted in Africa such as the banjo. While bluegrass may have begun and developed in the south under names such as Earl Scruggs and Bill Monroe, this is no longer the case. Artists from outside the south such as Bela Fleck and the Yonder Mountain String Band have adapted bluegrass music to other genres and gained widespread popularity. As the years have gone by, bluegrass has gradually drifted out of the south out west. This trend can be seen in the numerous bluegrass festivals, such as the Telluride Bluegrass Festival and Rocky Grass, which are both held in Colorado.

In this video, Bela Fleck uses traditional bluegrass instruments such as the banjo and harmonica in a jazz fusion style while drawing upon bluegrass musical styles.