While his Quintet may not be exactly bluegrass, John Jorgenson certainly has the credentials to merit attention here on The Bluegrass Blog. John is one of the most talented musicians you’ll ever see. The last time I saw him perform live, a friend accompanied me to the concert. My friend plays guitar. At one point in the show John asked if there were any guitar players in the audience. My friend blurted out, “I thought I was a guitar player!” His remark drew laughter from many in the audience who shared his sentiment.

The John Jorgenson Quintet focuses primarily on the the swing style jazz music popularized by Django Reinhardt in Paris during the 1930’s and 40’s. Due to the influence of artists like David Grisman and Tony Rice, several of Reinhardt’s tunes have become favorites among mandolin and guitar players within the bluegrass world. Minor Swing is perhaps the most famous of these.

John Jorgenson is one of the leading practitioners of this style of music in America today.

Our friend Doug McKelway at News 8 in Washington D.C. will have The John Jorgenson Quintet in the studio today for a live streaming performance. The group will be featured during the 12 noon hour on Let’s Talk Live. The program will then be replayed again today at 3PM. All times are EST.

You can watch the show online at the station’s website. Just look for the live streaming link. It airs at 12 Noon and 3PM EST today.

The segment will most likely be archived for a time on the show’s webiste at letstalklive.tv, in case you miss the live stream.

Here’s a video of the Quintet performing the song Ghost Dance, just to give you a taste.