Conversation so far:
What were beginning years like for the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band?
As Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, the six men started as a jug band and adopted the burgeoning southern California folk rock musical style, and playing in local clubs.
Who were the founding members of the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band?
The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band was founded around 1966 in Long Beach, California, United States, by singer-guitarist Jeff Hanna and singer-songwriter guitarist Bruce Kunkel.

Question: What was the genre or style of music they chose to play?
Self-contained rewrite: What was the genre or style of music the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band chose to play?