The Dawg's got his paws full of projects

In 1973, mandolinist David Grisman helped put bluegrass in the ears of an unusually large audience, when he and Grateful Dead guitarist Jerry Garcia launched Old & In the Way. The band's self-titled first album was said to be the best-selling bluegrass recording at the time, and turned legions of Deadheads onto acoustic string music.
But Grisman made perhaps an even greater contribution to music two years later, when he founded his David Grisman Quintet. The group mixed jazz, Brazilian and Gypsy styles with bluegrass, and helped bust open the door for experimentation in the acoustic realm.
Grisman brings his bluegrass group, the David Grisman Bluegrass Experience, to Belly Up on Sunday, July 11. The band will be absent its regular bassist, David's son Sam — but those who insist on seeing the younger Grisman can catch him picking as a member of Bearfoot, who play the same night at Steve's Guitars in Carbondale.
The father answered some questions posed by The Aspen Times via e-mail.
Q: You're best known for your David Grisman Quintet, which plays a mix of jazz, Gypsy, South American and bluegrass styles. What's behind the desire to play straight-up bluegrass in the David Grisman Bluegrass Experience?
DG: I've loved and played bluegrass intermittently now for over 45 years. Once bluegrass gets in your blood it never leaves. I have no reason to cease playing traditional bluegrass just because I do other things musically. I actually formed the DGBX in 1987 to tour behind a double album I made back then, “Home is Where the Heart Is.”  Read on.