Pat,

Quote:

Speaking of purists... here in NC, bluegrass isn't considered real if the the band uses an electric bass or an acoustic-electric guitar.



Unfortunately, that attitude is still prevalent. I don't know if you remember when Newgrass Revival came on the bluegrass scene but those guys got a pretty cold reception at first primarily because of the electric bass, non-traditional songs, long hair and pot smoking tendencies. LOL. But they eventually gained a large following. Mainly because of all of the long haired pot smoking bluegrass fans.

I wouldn't even CONSIDER using backing tracks for a bluegrass gig. You would either get booed off the stage or at least get a cold reception from many in the audience. That's because there's so much emphasis placed on the musical ability of each band member, similar to a jazz setting. (Not to mention a reluctance to accept anything but acoustic instruments).

But if I were playing pop, rock or country I wouldn't give it a second thought. Backing tracks for musicians is a good thing, IMHO, (although I'm a semi-purist when it comes to bluegrass. Electric bass is fine although acoustic electric guitar is a no no in most cases).

Those who use backing tracks should feel good about about giving the listeners a "fuller" sound.

It ain't karaoke. It's a musician using the tools available to enhance the overall sound. Especially if they create their own tracks. As most of us know, it takes some work to get a good backing track.

Bob
................................
http://soundcloud.com/bobcflatpicke/music-in-the-mountains