newgrass

Newgrass is a subgenre of bluegrass music that emerged in the United States in the late 1960s and 1970s, incorporating elements from jazz, rock, folk, and other styles. It is often described as progressive bluegrass and is defined by a willingness to experiment beyond traditional bluegrass forms while maintaining acoustic roots and tight ensemble playing.

Musically, newgrass is characterized by high-level instrumental proficiency, extended improvisation, and inventive arrangements. Musicians frequently explore unusual rhythms, modal harmony, and cross-genre influences. While traditional bluegrass instrumentation such as mandolin, banjo, fiddle, guitar, and bass remains central, newgrass bands may incorporate keyboards, electric guitar, or pedal steel to extend sonic possibilities.

Origins and notable acts: New Grass Revival is widely cited as a pioneering act in the movement, with members including Sam Bush and John Cowan contributing to its development. Béla Fleck and the Flecktones fused jazz sensibilities with bluegrass instrumentation, helping to popularize the approach. Other influential groups include Nickel Creek, the Punch Brothers, and various ensembles at the forefront of contemporary acoustic music. Over time, the term has been used to describe a range of artists who emphasize improvisation, genre-blending, and nontraditional song structures within an acoustic framework.

Influence: Newgrass broadened bluegrass audiences and inspired successive generations of players to push harmonic and rhythmic boundaries while preserving core bluegrass aesthetics. It remains a flexible label for contemporary, improvisation-driven bluegrass that engages with other musical traditions.