I checked out an old jam that used to run on Saturday mornings and afternoons at the Vista Antique Steam and Gas Engine Museum, but I found that only three people were there and only one of which played bluegrass, he was teaching the other two.  I'm hoping that the jam I used to frequent on Thursday nights in Encinitas at Today's Pizza and Salad hasn't deteriorated like the one on this past Saturday. The jam starts at 6 and ends at 8, I'm hoping to make it there by 7 if anyone wants to come along and check out what a bluegrass jam is like just let me know.

Someone asked in class the other day what were my favorite bluegrass bands and invariably I gave the ones that featured my favorite mandolin players.  As requested I'll put up here my favorites again and one I forgot to mention.

At the top place is The Punch Brothers, a band featuring my all time favorite mandolin player Chris Thile.  Here is a link to one of the tunes they do: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=braQeLkJUvE

I actually forgot to mention the band New Grass Revival, which features Sam Bush, the rhythm powerhouse of mandolin players.  This band has a lot of material from the different decades that it was active.  Here is one of the videos they did awhile back: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JW7wCeUjFcA

Another one of my favorite bands is Ricky Skaggs and Kentucky Thunder, Ricky Skaggs is probably the most traditional sounding of the mandolin players I listen to and he does a lot of standard bluegrass tunes.  Here is one of the standard tunes he does: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_-gsqHGQEAY

Lastly is one of my favorite bands that isn't around anymore, compromised of Chris Thile, Sarah Watkins and Sean Watkins, Nickel Creek.  Here is one of the tunes I actually spent a long while learning the mandolin part to and one of my favorite songs: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v2o0TYnHEUY