I'd have to go with Ross and Yoko Ono as most popular, but I'll tell you
what, Shoji Tabuchi has got to be right up there in the top 5.
The Japanese bluegrass band that makes a brief appearance in High Lonesome
was Train 45; they did two tours of the US before breaking up. I believe
their mandolin player at the time was Shin Akimoto, who spends a fair amount
of time in the US, as does Saburo Watanabe, who, last time I looked, was
Secretary of the IBMA. There's also Kazuhiro Inaba, who's put out at least
one US release, Kaz Inaba and Friends; Don Rigsby, who's recorded with him,
calls him "awesome." There's also a family bluegrass band fronted by a
couple or three sisters that's toured here once or twice, and showcased at
the IBMA's trade show a couple of years ago.
Jon Weisberger Kenton County, KY [EMAIL PROTECTED]
http://home.fuse.net/jonweisberger/
