As we approach America’s 250^th birthday, we recognize that traditional Americana music has been a significant bookmark in the country’s cultural history.

One strain of the nation’s organic music is bluegrass, a genre of acoustic music that emerged in Appalachia in the 1940s. Rooted in folk, blues, and gospel, bluegrass is driven by acoustic instruments, particularly the banjo, fiddle, mandolin, guitar and upright bass, along with fast tempos and virtuosic improvisation.

The weekly Monday Night Bluegrass Sessions at Mona's on June 22

Hailing from the “Bluegrass State” of Kentucky, mandolinist Bill Monroe and his band, the Blue Grass Boys, were among the earliest pioneers of this music. Monroe combined traditional Scottish and Irish folk ballads with African American blues to create a distinct, fast-paced sound. Lester Flatt and Earl Scruggs along with the Stanley Brothers helped popularize the music in the 1940s and 1950s.

Breakfast Special headlined at the Jalopy Theatre on June 14

Never really a part of America’s popular mainstream, bluegrass received a boost in the 1960s when the Grateful Dead, the Byrds and the Flying Burrito Brothers injected elements of bluegrass into their rock music. Currently, virtuoso musicians including Billy Strings, Greensky Bluegrass, Alison Krauss and Union Station, Sierra Hull, and Molly Tuttle are among the influx of younger musicians blending tradition with new sounds. A new subgenre of “jamgrass” bands, led by the Infamous StringDusters, Yonder Mountain String Band, Leftover Salmon, Railroad Earth and the String Cheese Incident, blend traditional bluegrass instruments with rock, jazz, and indie music, expanding the appeal of bluegrass beyond customary niches.

Michael Daves (right), Alex Hargreaves (center) and Tony Trischka at the Jalopy Tavern on June 14

Urban cities like New York have not been cited as a nesting ground for this rural music. Ironically, an 80-year-old Appalachian musical tradition currently has a vast underground network of bluegrass musicians and a faithful following in the New York City area. Open mic jams are thriving at Lucinda’s, Mathilde and Mona’s, among other venues.

The Bushwick Mountain Boys at Superfine on June 14

David Sussman, an avid supporter of the local bluegrass scene, provided The Manhattan Beat with a list of upcoming bluegrass events and a collection of recent photographs. Many of this week’s programs are free admission. Consult the web site or social media of the venue for more information about a show, including location and directions, parking, ticket availability, show times, age restrictions, and COVID compliance.