Banjos, Bluegrass & Squirrel Barkers

Palm trees are not the first image that comes to mind when listening to bluegrass music. But this interesting, insider-ish account of the rich bluegrass and folk music scene that developed in California (mostly Southern California) beginning in the 1950s—and is still carrying on today—serves up fascinating lore that often intersects with pop and rock history. Starting with the wildly popular Kingston Trio, which formed in Honolulu and San Francisco, and whose 1958 hit single "Tom Dooley" helped launch the hootenanny years in American music, the bluegrass movement was an offshoot of folk music. The San Diego area alone saw the rise of countless bands, towered over by the local Scottsville Squirrel Barkers, whose members included Chris Hillman (who would later moonlight as co-founder of the Byrds), Bernie Leadon (the Flying Burrito Brothers and The Eagles), and Mason Williams ("Classical Gas"), the latter serving in the U.S. Navy by day and playing clubs at night. Director Rick Bowman traces the decades-long lineage of successive bluegrass groups who learned from prior generations in SoCal, among them the famous contemporary Nickel Creek, which features mandolin and public radio star Chris Thile. Quite a few folks from the historic ensembles were still alive and well during the shooting of this 2017 documentary, and they have lots of reflections and memories to share. Sure to appeal to bluegrass fans, this is recommended. Aud: C, P (T. Keogh)