Live Bluegrass Bands appearing. Here's the link to all the details.
http://www.flagpond.com/festival/ramp/fest.htm
http://www.flagpond.com/festival/ramp/fest.htm
 I remember Sam Tidwell from my old Skowhegan, Maine Bluegrass Festival days and from the times I would visit Fred Pike at his home in Cambridge, Maine. The Salty Dog Bluegrass Festival was right across the road from Fred's and he and Sam founded it. I had so much fun field picking with Sam and Fred and Bob Denoncourt (I got this picture from Bob's site) and Billy Kimball. Sam and Fred kept my sides hurting constantly with their "Down East" humor. Sam and Fred were masters of any instrument they picked up and I learned a lot from many hours of picking with them in the early to mid-seventies. Sam was an excellent story teller, too. He used to gather a crowd at Dick and Becky Pelletier's home in Kent's Hill, Maine, when he'd agree to stretch a few tales. Fred passed away in 1996 if my memory is right. Sam passed away this year (2012) on April 30th. They both were great guys!  I must have been in the Cedar Ridge band about 12 of the twenty years it's been in existence. I might be off a little, maybe it's only ten years, I really can't remember. But there are a few memories that I cherish having to do with Rick Moon who, unfortunately, passed away this past Friday, due to heart complications. For many nights throughout the winter months the group would get together, usually in the basement of Butch and Melody Ryan's home in Ballston Spa. There, we would practice our sets for the upcoming musical season consisting of Bluegrass festivals all around New York state and often in Vermont, Pennsylvania and even Maine. I got to know the Ryan's, The Meyer's and the Moon's just like family. I loved them all dearly. I shared countless miles on the road with them and countless hours around the motorhomes and stages. One of the most memorable little things that I keep thinking about was the playful banter that Butch and Rick had back and forth with each other on stage during each of our performances. Rick always seemed to have such a happy smile on his face when he was on stage performing for his fans and friends. Like the rest of the band members, Rick was in "flow" when he performed. His experience was optimum, where nothing but the music was happening for him,. I could tell. So many times I would look over toward him and I'd catch him picking his mandolin in total "flow". It was an inspiration to me to catch him in "flow". That's what the music is supposed to be about and Rick knew it at a deep level and he lived it both on stage, back stage and at practice and jams. I'll miss his smile and his friendship and of course his contribution to the band Cedar Ridge, yet I'm happy to remember that flowing smile. I can't help but think that he's wearing that same smile right now up in the Heaven he so often sung and picked about during his life on the Bluegrass road. We're all so much better for having known him. May he rest in Peace. This is an incredible group of musicians playing incredible compositions. I've recently added a few new pages to the website. Lots of new pictures taken by Mary have also been uploaded. Please be sure to browse around and enjoy them. Mary and I moved here to sunny eastern Tennessee from the great Adirondack Mountains in upstate New York. I've created a page in which I compare the populations and mean average incomes here at "County Comparisons". If you click on "Bluegrass & Fiddling", then click on "Hobby Music", then click on "Repertoire", you'll have a choice of 4 different instrument pages that now have drop-down pages of photographs of many of the musicians I know playing their instruments. There's a "Guitarists & Bassists" page, a "Banjoists",a "Mandolinists" and a "Fiddler's" picture page. Also under the same "Bluegrass & Fiddling" header there's a drop down page named "Fiddliferous" and under this page is a new page of YouTube videos that I have been practicing lately on the fiddle. Check out the "Fiddle Tune Practice Page". Also I've added lots of breathtakingly beautiful Spring pictures by Mary of various subjects here in the South. Check it out here at "Spring 2012 in the South". Here's a really cool tune I've been playing a lot after having just learned it from an early recording. It's written by Kenny Baker and also performed by him. It's one of a trio of Kenny Baker tunes I've learned lately. Visit my "Fiddle Tunes Practice Page" to hear the others. This afternoon at 2:00 (CDT) the family of Earl Scruggs will host a public funeral for Earl at the Nashville Ryman Auditorium. "A Celebration of Life for Earl Scruggs" will be broadcast live, commercial-free, by WSM 650AM. It will also be broadcast live on www.wsmonline.com Earl passed away the morning of the 28th of March. He died of natural causes. No one person has ever been so instrumental in bringing the joy of banjo picking to so many. Below is the tune that drew so many of us in. R.I. P. Earl. Wonderful story about him.... I’ve been working on my website quite a bit in the last few days. A few new pages have been created. There’s a page titled “Unicoi, Limestone Cove and Erwin” that has a few interesting pictures Mary has taken with her cell phone. There’s another page “Spring 2012 in Tennessee” with photos where she had her really nice camera out for the occasion. Another page “Notable Local Bands” focuses in on area bands that are really good bands comprised of excellent musicians. I’ve created a “Memorable Instruments” page where from time to time I’ll reminisce about various meaningful instruments I’ve had occasion to play or repair. Also, I’ve added lots more of Mary's photos throughout the site (especially on the “Bluegrass Country Pictures Page 3” page, toward the bottom). The “Bulletin Board” page is being kept up to date with my playing, practicing and jamming schedules. Have a look around and as always, Thanks for stopping by. | ArchivesMay 2012 CategoriesAll |
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