Over the weekend of January 15-18, the bluegrass tribe gathered at the Marriott Hotel in downtown Bakersfield for the annual Great 48 event. There were folks from the San Diego Bluegrass Society and the North San Diego County Bluegrass and Folk Club, as well as pickers from Los Angeles, central California, and the northern reaches, and from out of state. Some rode into town on a train with on-board bluegrass jamming.
The event featured workshops, showcase concerts open mic, and an offsite concert by the John Jorgenson Bluegrass Band. The main activity, however, was jamming in every nook and cranny of the Marriott—in the hallways, the lobby, and in the numerous suites, including the one sponsored by the SDBS and NCBFC.
The Great 48 is produced by the California Bluegrass Association (CBA), the largest non-profit bluegrass organization in the country. The CBA also produces the annual South State 48, a sister event, held every November in Carlsbad. The popular Julian Family Fiddle Camp is also a production of the CBA…