In the 1970s, a handful of players took bluegrass somewhere new. New Grass Revival pushed the music toward longer forms and rock energy. John Hartford traded a hit songwriter’s career for a banjo and a houseboat. Old & In the Way put Jerry Garcia on banjo next to Peter Rowan and David Grisman, and the live tape from that short-lived band introduced thousands of people to the music. The songs that came out of this era — Peter Rowan’s originals, Norman Blake’s narratives, the Townes Van Zandt and John Prine covers that became standards — reshaped what a bluegrass repertoire could include.

This is a strong list to learn from if you want a foothold in the modern jam canon. Most of these tunes still come around at festivals and pick sessions. Each song’s page on Picker’s Guide has chord charts, lyrics, recordings, and song history, so you can take any one of them from first listen to playing it yourself.