For twenty years, I’ve had a Thanksgiving weekend potluck and pickin’ party called the Bluegrass Turkey Jam. Cold, rainy weather like we’ve had this holiday weekend doesn’t deter musicians. The house was packed with pickers and the music was great!Bluegrass jams can get pretty rowdy though. Last night for instance, a glass of wine got knocked out fighting with a banjo. The banjo won.
Banjo players (undeservedly) get a bad rap and frequently are the butt of jokes. At one bluegrass festival, a crime scene outline of a body and a banjo was painted on the ground in front of the stage.
I recently joked that the murder of a banjo player at a bluegrass festival wouldn’t work for a Detective McGregor mystery because no one would care enough to look for suspects… but I’m actually considering that plotline for a book.
