Top 10 Great Live Bluegrass Performances -- No. 8 Mark O'Connor

[Mr.Mystery]

Mark O’Connor has been a fixture in American bluegrass since he burst on the scene in his early teens. A virtuoso on the guitar—he won the National Flatpicking Contest held yearly at the Walnut Valley Bluegrass festival at age 13—he has mostly played fiddle in the ensuing decades . . . And played with absolutely everyone: Bela Fleck, Sam Bush, Tony Rice, Alison Krause as well as popular country acts such as Johnny Cash and Marty Stuart.

He also collaborates with classical and jazz musicians.

Here’s one of the finest bluegrass tunes ever written by Bill Monroe and Kenny Baker, “Jerusalem Ridge,” with its haunting minor chord Scotch-Irish feel.

This isn’t exactly a “great live performance” since there is no audience, but the sound quality is better than any actual on-stage versions I could find.

Notice how at about the two minute mark, they turn the tune into a “round,” with one fiddle playing the melody while another plays the same melody but a few beats behind. Sounds like a symphony.

[The Polack MSgt]

1. Kenny Baker famously transcribed Bill Monroe's mandolin parts to the fiddle

On the album "Kenny Baker Plays Bill Monroe".

9 years back, Noem Pikelny transcribed all of Kenny's fiddle parts from that album to the Banjo and released "Noam Pikelny Plays Kenny Baker Plays Bill Monroe"

If you haven't had a chance to listen, I can't recommend it highly enough.

[Mr.Mystery]

2. Yup, I've heard a few songs on this album but not all . . .

thanks for the link.