Alison Kraus aged 24

Alison Kraus & Union Station certainly can present cracking bluegrass, but Alison herself would be popular whatever she was doing - the material is probably largely irrelevant. She looks right, acts right and sings right. In fact she has achieved wide fame through issuing records of music acceptable to an audience receptive to country-style music. The disks led to awards, recognition and popularity. This was possible because of the large, established Country music base in clubs and pubs. She also includes sophisticated folk-ballad-style pieces that have general appeal.

There is a large, established Country base, but no correspondingly large Bluegrass base. Why not? Quite simply because Country music, old and new, has wide appeal and Bluegrass hasn't. So what it boils down to is this: Do you want to play and sing this other kind of music? If so, why? What is the object of playing - why do you play at all?

Notwithstanding all the above, and not entirely tongue-in-cheek ;-) we offer the following ten pointers and ideas for those who crave the state of adulation that Alison Kraus has deservedly achieved:

• Surround yourself only with disciplined, top-rate musicians, who can present themselves properly and tidily and don't dribble.
• Consider playing anything other than real bluegrass, which must be minimised.
• Get into New Country and sophisticated folk styles (e.g. Richard Thompson).
• If you're fronting the band and you're male, consider a sex change operation.
• If you're not essentially handsome or beautiful, spend time at a beauty clinic or consider plastic surgery.
• If you sing and you're not top-rate, singing lessons are mandatory.
  Alternatively, get a good sound engineer.
• If your band can't sing good harmony then either use backing tapes or back out.
• If you can't sink to using an actual drum or bodhran, drum the guitar, etc., instead.
• Choose a banjo picker who picks quietly, doesn't know any instrumentals and stands at the back. Better still, get him to pick something else instead.
• If you have the misfortune to have a full-time job that brings in the money that allows you to enjoy what you're already doing, consider packing it in. You'll need all the time you can get to 'slick up' to the USA pro standards.

However if, like us (and this is often the case) you're the usual rag-bag, ugly, unprofessional, disorganised, badly presented, unsophisticated UK band that loves what it's doing, then stick with it. Forget the pipe dream. Run sessions, clubs and festivals and play at them, bring more people into the fold and continue enjoying yourself and your bluegrass, bringing joy and happiness to many others in the process.

S.I.Nickle and I.N.Hope.

Editors note: If you read this article carefully you will see that it actually praises AK ;
careless readers have thought otherwise.

Updated 23rd Jan 1999