I just got word that a true musical giant, Vassar Clements, has passed away. Vassar was a wonderfully unique player whose thorough joy came out in his music. He melded country and jazz to create a sound that was unmistakably his own. For those who are bluegrass-challenged, you might know Vassar as the fiddle player in Old & in the Way. Others in that band included Peter Rowan on guitar, the late John Kahn on bass, the great David Grisman on mandolin, and, of course, the late and great Jerry Garcia on banjo. I'll be playing a tune for Vassar tonight, and I will inhale. Geez, most of Old & in the Way has passed on - at least deadheads don't get old, we just become Jerryatric.
Bill
