February's Festivities!
Hey! Where's my shadow ?
Here's an accounting of our Bluegrass (and some other) activities for the month of February, 2012, just after they occur. Scroll down to reach the earliest activities of the month.
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February 20th: After spending several pleasurable hours playing pool at the Senior Center in Erwin, Mary and I went home for a very short stay before heading out to Elizabethton for the weekly Monday Night Bluegrass Jam at the Sunshine Market. There was a regionally well-known country music singer / guitar player out in the front part of the store being accompanied by the usual group of country musicians who always gather there on Mondays. The parking lot was so packed that cars were parked three deep and it was nearly impossible for some to find a place within reasonable walking distance. I've never seen the place so crowded.
When I got into the store and worked my way through the audience to get to the back room where many of us gather to play Bluegrass, it was the same way....packed! There were many pickers I'd never seen and some I've played with before but still haven't officially met. I'll try to at least list those I can remember playing an instrument (many, if not all, sing, too). Here goes: Ron Duncan, mandolin; Dan Boner (from ETSU) fiddle; Teddy Morton, Dobro; Gail (E.C. Miller's sister), vocals; Terry Tester, banjo & guitar; Roger Messer, guitar; Harvey Tester, guitar; Cooter Williams, guitar; Alan Shepard, vocals; Mr. and Mrs. Neil Onka, fiddle and guitar; yours truly playing an old GTR banjo that belongs to Roger Messer; Ed Dance, mandolin; Jim Woods, guitar; Gordon Hoyle, guitar; Wes Holtsclaw, guitar; and several others I'm unable to name playing various instruments. What a picking session!
One can just tell what spring and summer's going to be like with all this "cabin fever" going on. I can't wait until warmer weather gets here so we can get out of that noisy room and spread out and break up into smaller picking groups outside all around the parking lot. It won't be long now.
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Today, the 18th of February, Mary and I went with Ron Duncan to Greeneville, TN, to meet with other members of the band "String Fever". The band had to play at Bachmann Chevrolet. The car dealership was sponsoring a cherry pie bake-off with many entrants enrolled and prizes of considerable amounts (1st place $500.00)! Gary Taylor, leader of the band, played standup bass, Jerry Sams played rhythm guitar, Ron played banjo, Jim Hady played mandolin and lead guitar and I filled in on fiddle for Lisa Pattison who was away on vacation. We all had an absolutely wonderful time picking and singing and employees of the dealership and the pie contestants and other patrons really enjoyed our music. Later, several of us stopped at "The Farmer's Daughter" restaurant on the way home and "pigged out" on a superb meal. Here's the link in case you're ever of a mind to have an excellent meal in a great surrounding: http://thefarmersdaughterrestaurant.com/ Mary and I always enjoy hanging out with Ron, Jerry and the "boys".
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On the 17th, we went up to the biweekly Temple Hill Bluegrass Party. The evening started out with the first jam band playing for about an hour or so. If I can remember correctly, the musicians were: Ron Lewis, mandolin; Bob Van Horn, guitar; Terry Tester, guitar; Frank Rogers, fiddle; a man playing electric bass who I didn't know; and perhaps another musician or two that I missed. The next group up was Eddy Ray's band (which I've been calling "The Baronry of Bluegrass") consisting of Eddy playing mandolin; Ronnie Shelton, guitar; Terry Tester, bass; and yours truly on banjo. We were later joined by Ron Lewis on mandolin; and Frank Rogers on mandolin and fiddle. (It is such a treat to pick with Frank, as he is a very highly accomplished musician). The next group up was Ron Duncan, banjo; Jerry Sams, Guitar; yours truly, fiddle; Frank Rogers, mandolin; Terry Tester, bass; and perhaps a couple of others. This group morphed into another group consisting of Mike Hensley on banjo; Frank Rogers, fiddle & mandolin; Ronnie Shelton, guitar; Warren Shelton playing bass for a while and then doing vocals without picking an instrument and a few other pickers. Later, I was asked to go back up and play a couple of fiddle tunes along with Terry Tester as he played clawhammer banjo. I know there were musicians I have never met that played very well, but I was so busy running around I didn't get a chance to meet them, so I'm not able to include their names in this list. Wow, what a night!
The covered dishes people brought to share were so tasty. There must have been over thirty different types of casseroles to sample and I'll bet there were twenty types of desserts. This Friday night jam is turning into a premier event, for sure.
Mary had the time of her life out on the dance floor with old Elmer who can really kick it up at over eighty years old. We'll include pictures of the festivities later.
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Tonight, February 15th, Mary and I went with Ron and Sherry Duncan and Gordon Hoyle to The Creekside Restaurant in Jonesborough for the now weekly Wednesday night Bluegrass jam. We met up with fellow musicians and played for several hours before returning to Erwin. Musicians present were: Bob Nelson, lead guitar; Charlie Black, standup bass; Mike Little, Dobro; Ron Duncan, banjo; yours truly, fiddle; Terry Nelson, guitar; Ed Dance, mandolin; and a couple of gentlemen I've seen around and finally got to meet and pick with, George Bottcher, guitar; and Mike Sanford, guitar. The place was packed and everyone really enjoyed the music. Tomorrow night many of the same musicians plan to meet at "Pickles" restaurant, also in Jonesborough for another jam. Mary and I plan on going to the Unicoi Christian Church to see Adam Larkey, his sister, Sarah Grace Larkey and their dad, Eric, as they perform for an hour or so.
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Tonight, February 14th, was band practice for "Two Step Bluegrass". We all gathered at Mike Law's home on the East Side in Elizabethton. It's such a pleasure to listen to Mike Laws, Chuck Poore and Alan Shepard sing 3-part harmonies together. They've all been in many different bands over the years and have gathered a whole lot of expertise. They all play their instruments very well, too. Jeff Lewis plays the standup for the band and does a great job. He also sings bass parts in some of the songs we perform. I've been playing predominantly fiddle lately since Alan has been providing the rhythm guitar so necessary in Bluegrass. I always look forward to a practice with these guys. They literally know hundreds of songs. Great music by a great bunch of guys.
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After a couple of nights of hanging around the house waiting for the February snowstorm to thaw, Mary and I ventured out today, the 13th, and spent the day at the Senior Center shooting billiards with many of our friends there. later, we went to Elizabethton for the weekly Monday night jam.
Many of the usual pickers were there and it was good to see them. I brought my guitar (hand made by Steve Lane of northern New York) and my Magini fiddle while Ron Duncan brought his mandolin, guitar and fiddle. He played fiddle for several tunes while I played guitar. It was a fun switch for a change. Harvey Tester, Cooter Williams, Gordon Hoyle and Roger Messer all played guitars while I fiddled and Terry Tester played the banjo. Later, when we all moved into the front, Frank Wing showed up and played banjo along with Terry. Randy Carrier played mandolin as did Terry Nelson. Terry Nelson played his handmade mandolin built by Mike Draughn, luthier. The mandolin is an exact copy of a "Loar" and sounds superb. Merv Nidiffer was also present and played guitar and sang some great old Bluegrass numbers. Several other pickers were also present but I either don't know their names or I've forgotten who all was there.
Not specific to this evening alone, but other evenings included, lately several pickers have been quite bothered by the constant noise level in the back room where we all gather to play. I've mentioned it to others as well and many share my same concern. When the musicians begin to play, the room builds such reverberation that the music becomes muddled and the clarity is lost in the poor acoustics. "Clarity" is something that serious musicians strive for in their music. There are usually many fans who gather to listen and to converse with other friends and fans. The volume of the various conversations mixed with the constant "roar" of so many guitars and persistent tuning of banjos finally just gets the best of me and I pack up and wait until the front room is available to pick in. (For a treatise on how I feel about the optimum experience of musicians working together for the good of all, i.e., the good of the overall music, be sure to visit my "Philosophy of Music" pages here). When a singer sings a song, the backup musicians should play "backup", not leads, all the way through. This condition of playing "breaks" all the way through a singing song is incredibly distracting to the singer; annoying to those musicians who gather and hope for the most optimum outcome; seriously affects the overall "spirit" of the story being told within the verses and chorus of the song; and it's also downright rude! It's enough to ruin many a great jam sessions and turn them into mediocre jams. When the song is over, musicians should refrain from excessive tuning and discuss what the next tune to be played might be; not contribute to the chaos even further by incessant tuning and halfhearted plucking.
I know of a few musicians who have refrained from attending due to the chaos taking place. It's a shame to see this Monday night jam begin to deteriorate due to a lack of Bluegrass Jam Etiquette. In order to have the most optimum experience in practically any social gathering, rules and conventions are necessary.
I hope those responsible will take a more active role in sharing these concerns with the group so that this Jam will be all it can become.
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Tonight, February 9th, we went to a new place to jam. It's called "Pickle's Restaurant" and it's in Jonesborough. It was the first night that the owners have had Bluegrass music pickin' there and they loved it! The idea was conceived by Terry Nelson of "The Olde Timers" and most of the members of his band showed up to play along with several other pickers. Those that I can remember picking Bluegrass are: Terry Nelson, mandolin and guitar, Charlie Black, bass; Bob Nelson, lead guitar; Bill Slimons, guitar; James "Jimmy Lee" Clayton, banjo; Ron Duncan, banjo and mandolin; Roger Messer, guitar; Yours truly on fiddle and another nice older gentleman playing guitar that I didn't learn his name in time to publish it at this writing. Several others in attendance had very tasty meals served up by the owners. Mary and I had the homemade coconut pie and some fresh decaf since we had already eaten a ham and scalloped potato dinner before leaving the house. We're all looking forward to attending this jam again. The acoustical qualities seemed to provide a clarity not usually associated with working restaurants, but the sound projection was probably assisted by the concrete masonry blocks serving as both interior and exterior walls.
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Mary and I rode over to the Creekside Restaurant in Jonesborough tonight (February 8th) with Ron and Sherry Duncan for the first Wednesday night jam there. We were pleased with all the pickers who turned out. In addition to a wonderful time picking Bluegrass, we had a delicious meal as well. There was a very adequate and comfortable place set aside for the pickers.
Some of the musicians who turned out were: Larry Nelson, mandolin and bass; James "Jimmy Lee" Clayton, banjo; Charlie Black, bass; Bob Nelson, lead guitar; Michael Little, 1935 Dobro; Jerry Sams, guitar; Ed Dance, mandolin; Ron Duncan, banjo, fiddle and guitar; Mary, guitar; and yours truly, fiddle and banjo. Roger Messer and Bill Slimons were present but didn't play. There may have been others pickers who were present and didn't play, too. Everyone had a great time. The owners asked us to please come back next Wednesday and so I'd rather imagine there will be a nice group of pickers and listeners who return. It's really a nice atmosphere for jamming with plenty of seating for musicians and audience alike. I got to thinking about the different members from various bands that were present. Except for Paul Masters, all the members of "The Olde Timers" were there. Two members from "String Fever" also were present: Jerry Sams and Ron Duncan. Two from the band "Bob & Homer and The Bluegrass Boys" were there: Bob Nelson and Charlie Black. Charlie's also in "The Olde Timers". (I used to pick with "Bob & Homer & The Bluegrass Boys", too :)
Earlier today, (February 8th), I finished composing a D Minor tune for 5-string banjo. It uses the d-tuners to establish the minor 4 chord (G Minor) and also to revert back to the Tonic. It also has an up-the-neck variation of the theme established in first position. It's a melancholy piece which will certainly be complimented with harmony fiddles and tremolo mandolin parts. I can't wait until I can get in the studio to record it. In the mean time, I'll record the banjo parts with my Flip Camera.
Mary and I spent the morning playing pool down at the Senior Center with our friends, Red, Willard, Marvin and Frank. We had to leave early to get ready for jamming in Jonesborough tonight.
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While having a wonderful telephone conversation today, February 7th, with my longtime friend Donnie Perkins from upstate New York, I got a chance to hear him playing fiddle, mandolin, guitar and bass on a four-track (multi-tracked) recording produced by him in his studios in Chazy, NY. The tune he recorded and mixed was a tune he composed when he was only sixteen years old. He recently thought of a name for the piece based on a mishap a dear friend of his had one time while square dancing to the very same tune. Donnie named it "The Broken Zipper Reel". It's a very catchy tune in 2/4 time in the key of D Major. I can't wait until Mary and I head north in May of this year so that I can have him teach me how to play it. Donnie's written lots of fiddle tunes over the years including "Olympic Hornpipe", "Don's Homemade Jig", "Chum's Hornpipe", "Buff's Hornpipe", and "Bits and Pieces". He knows several hundred tunes by memory and is forever coming up with a tune I've never heard him play before saying "Here's one I almost forgot I knew". Mary and I can't wait to get to see him and Pat (Don's wife) and also Joe and Phyllis Ezero (Don's sister and her husband) when we return north for a visit. Don is featured here on this website in a number of places including the bands "The Perkins Family" and "The Food Stamp Ramblers" under the "My New York Bands" page under the main title "Bluegrass & Fiddling" and his own page titled "Donnie Perkins" under the "Fiddliferous" tab under the "Bluegrass & Fiddling" main title. Be sure to check him out.
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Tonight, the 6th of February, we went to The Sunshine market in Elizabethton for our usual weekly jam. Many of the "usual" pickers were present. Pickers like: Harvey Tester, Cooter Williams, Tom Harrald, Ron Duncan, Gordon Hoyle, Roger Messer, Terry Tester, Teddy Morton, Randy Carrier, Jeff Lewis, Tim Decker, Gary Laws, Alan Shepard Sr., Alan Shepard, Jr., Eddy Ray, Mary and yours truly, and probably a few others that I've forgotten. There was lots of Bluegrass and old-time played and everyone present had a lot of fun and enjoyed pickin' and singin'. When we finally broke up, several of us headed for Taco Bell which has now pretty much become a routine Monday night stop. While we were there we happened to see and visit with Chris Mathes, the Sheriff of Carter County, who stopped by for a Taco. It was fun visiting with him about Bluegrass music as he's a great picker and singer. We had seen him the other night at the Christian Church in Unicoi when he was playing with the band "Jeff Sharp & Friends".
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Mary and I met Ron and Sherry Duncan, Gordon Hoyle, Mr. & Mrs. Jerry Sams and Mr. & Mrs. Eddy and Dorothy Ray at The Choo Choo Cafe in Erwin tonight, February 4th, to have a pleasant dinner and listen to Eddy Ray's grandson, Lee Franklin and his band "Sons of Bluegrass" perform. All the members of the band are enrolled as students in the Bluegrass music curriculum in ETSU (Eastern Tennessee State University) and they're all very accomplished musicians. Lee plays guitar and is pretty much the lead singer of the group with additional harmony vocals provided by bassist Chris Armstrong. Lead guitar work is masterfully played by Arron Foster while the mandolin and fiddle work is excellently performed by musician/composer Kyle Murphy. The banjo picker is new to the band having only been with them for a couple of weeks but you'd never know it as his playing fits like a glove. His name is Dan Troyer. Anyone interested in booking this very fine band may visit their website at www.sonsofbluegrass.net. I also had the fine pleasure of meeting another banjo picker who was also in the audience. His name is Isaac Mainer and he plays with a couple of local bands around the Erwin area.
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What an absolute blast Mary and I had this past Friday night, February 3rd, at the Temple Hill Bluegrass party! There were three different groups of musicians who gathered on stage to play. The first was Eddy Ray and his two grandsons, Lee and Matthew, along with Terry Tester, Warren Shelton and yours truly. Eddy and his youngest grandson, Matthew, both played mandolins, his oldest grandson, Lee, played guitar and sang most of the leads while yours truly picked banjo and sang harmony lines. Terry Tester also played guitar and sang high tenor lines as he does so well and Warren Shelton played bass and also sang a few of his (and mine, too) favorite songs.
The next group up was Ron Duncan, banjo; Jerry Sams, guitar; Bill Harris, guitar; Terry Tester, bass; Ron Lewis, mandolin; Bob Van Horn, guitar (for a couple of songs); and near the end of their set, I was asked to come up and play my fiddle for a few numbers. This group cut a lot of Bluegrass and sang some beautiful numbers. Ron loves to play the instrumental called "Washington County" and often has me come up and fiddle it with him while he picks it on the banjo. I have always enjoyed picking with Ron since I first met him shortly after arriving in Tennessee. If anyone's doing much picking at all, it won't be too long before he/she runs into Ron playing his guitar, mandolin or banjo and singing and picking the old traditional (my favorites) Bill Monroe, Stanley Brothers, Louvin Brothers, & Flatt & Scruggs songs and tunes.
It was great to see "Big Ron" Lewis again. I haven't seen much of him this winter and I really enjoy pickin' and visitin' with him. Also, Gordon Hoyle and Mike Hensley were in the audience but chose not to come up on stage and perform, preferring to sit and listen. Mary spent most of the evening visiting with Sherry Duncan and Norma Jean Campbell when she wasn't out on the dance floor "kickin' it up"!
The third group to take the stage was already an active working band with an incredible amount of talent: the band called “Makeshift” consisting of Gary Laws on bass; James Story on mandolin and guitar; his father, Vernon Story on guitar; and Tim Decker on banjo. All four sing and harmonize beautifully. What a polished sound these fellows have! I just love listening to them.
After “Makeshift” was finished with their set, a bunch of pickers began a jam session at the foot of the stage. I picked banjo, Terry Tester played bass, Ron Duncan played guitar, Tim Decker played guitar, his son ( I apologize for forgetting his name) played mandolin, Frank Rogers played mandolin and fiddle, Eddy Ray played mandolin and Jerry Sams played guitar. Many of us sang and we played until after midnight. In fact, when Mary and I left, there were a few musicians still playing including Terry Tester who was clawhammering the banjo to the pleasure of Gail and Worley, the hosts of the party. Many pictures (taken by Mary) of the festivities will be posted to the "Bluegrass Country Pictures, Page 2" within a day or so.
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Thursday night, February 2nd, Mary and I met up with a bunch of our friends at the Christian Church in Unicoi to listen to The Carson Peters Band perform. Carson turned eight years old a short while back and he's already been tearing up a fiddle for several years now. The young boy is absolutely amazing. (More to follow. I'll be posting pictures, too.)
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February 20th: After spending several pleasurable hours playing pool at the Senior Center in Erwin, Mary and I went home for a very short stay before heading out to Elizabethton for the weekly Monday Night Bluegrass Jam at the Sunshine Market. There was a regionally well-known country music singer / guitar player out in the front part of the store being accompanied by the usual group of country musicians who always gather there on Mondays. The parking lot was so packed that cars were parked three deep and it was nearly impossible for some to find a place within reasonable walking distance. I've never seen the place so crowded.
When I got into the store and worked my way through the audience to get to the back room where many of us gather to play Bluegrass, it was the same way....packed! There were many pickers I'd never seen and some I've played with before but still haven't officially met. I'll try to at least list those I can remember playing an instrument (many, if not all, sing, too). Here goes: Ron Duncan, mandolin; Dan Boner (from ETSU) fiddle; Teddy Morton, Dobro; Gail (E.C. Miller's sister), vocals; Terry Tester, banjo & guitar; Roger Messer, guitar; Harvey Tester, guitar; Cooter Williams, guitar; Alan Shepard, vocals; Mr. and Mrs. Neil Onka, fiddle and guitar; yours truly playing an old GTR banjo that belongs to Roger Messer; Ed Dance, mandolin; Jim Woods, guitar; Gordon Hoyle, guitar; Wes Holtsclaw, guitar; and several others I'm unable to name playing various instruments. What a picking session!
One can just tell what spring and summer's going to be like with all this "cabin fever" going on. I can't wait until warmer weather gets here so we can get out of that noisy room and spread out and break up into smaller picking groups outside all around the parking lot. It won't be long now.
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Today, the 18th of February, Mary and I went with Ron Duncan to Greeneville, TN, to meet with other members of the band "String Fever". The band had to play at Bachmann Chevrolet. The car dealership was sponsoring a cherry pie bake-off with many entrants enrolled and prizes of considerable amounts (1st place $500.00)! Gary Taylor, leader of the band, played standup bass, Jerry Sams played rhythm guitar, Ron played banjo, Jim Hady played mandolin and lead guitar and I filled in on fiddle for Lisa Pattison who was away on vacation. We all had an absolutely wonderful time picking and singing and employees of the dealership and the pie contestants and other patrons really enjoyed our music. Later, several of us stopped at "The Farmer's Daughter" restaurant on the way home and "pigged out" on a superb meal. Here's the link in case you're ever of a mind to have an excellent meal in a great surrounding: http://thefarmersdaughterrestaurant.com/ Mary and I always enjoy hanging out with Ron, Jerry and the "boys".
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On the 17th, we went up to the biweekly Temple Hill Bluegrass Party. The evening started out with the first jam band playing for about an hour or so. If I can remember correctly, the musicians were: Ron Lewis, mandolin; Bob Van Horn, guitar; Terry Tester, guitar; Frank Rogers, fiddle; a man playing electric bass who I didn't know; and perhaps another musician or two that I missed. The next group up was Eddy Ray's band (which I've been calling "The Baronry of Bluegrass") consisting of Eddy playing mandolin; Ronnie Shelton, guitar; Terry Tester, bass; and yours truly on banjo. We were later joined by Ron Lewis on mandolin; and Frank Rogers on mandolin and fiddle. (It is such a treat to pick with Frank, as he is a very highly accomplished musician). The next group up was Ron Duncan, banjo; Jerry Sams, Guitar; yours truly, fiddle; Frank Rogers, mandolin; Terry Tester, bass; and perhaps a couple of others. This group morphed into another group consisting of Mike Hensley on banjo; Frank Rogers, fiddle & mandolin; Ronnie Shelton, guitar; Warren Shelton playing bass for a while and then doing vocals without picking an instrument and a few other pickers. Later, I was asked to go back up and play a couple of fiddle tunes along with Terry Tester as he played clawhammer banjo. I know there were musicians I have never met that played very well, but I was so busy running around I didn't get a chance to meet them, so I'm not able to include their names in this list. Wow, what a night!
The covered dishes people brought to share were so tasty. There must have been over thirty different types of casseroles to sample and I'll bet there were twenty types of desserts. This Friday night jam is turning into a premier event, for sure.
Mary had the time of her life out on the dance floor with old Elmer who can really kick it up at over eighty years old. We'll include pictures of the festivities later.
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Tonight, February 15th, Mary and I went with Ron and Sherry Duncan and Gordon Hoyle to The Creekside Restaurant in Jonesborough for the now weekly Wednesday night Bluegrass jam. We met up with fellow musicians and played for several hours before returning to Erwin. Musicians present were: Bob Nelson, lead guitar; Charlie Black, standup bass; Mike Little, Dobro; Ron Duncan, banjo; yours truly, fiddle; Terry Nelson, guitar; Ed Dance, mandolin; and a couple of gentlemen I've seen around and finally got to meet and pick with, George Bottcher, guitar; and Mike Sanford, guitar. The place was packed and everyone really enjoyed the music. Tomorrow night many of the same musicians plan to meet at "Pickles" restaurant, also in Jonesborough for another jam. Mary and I plan on going to the Unicoi Christian Church to see Adam Larkey, his sister, Sarah Grace Larkey and their dad, Eric, as they perform for an hour or so.
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Tonight, February 14th, was band practice for "Two Step Bluegrass". We all gathered at Mike Law's home on the East Side in Elizabethton. It's such a pleasure to listen to Mike Laws, Chuck Poore and Alan Shepard sing 3-part harmonies together. They've all been in many different bands over the years and have gathered a whole lot of expertise. They all play their instruments very well, too. Jeff Lewis plays the standup for the band and does a great job. He also sings bass parts in some of the songs we perform. I've been playing predominantly fiddle lately since Alan has been providing the rhythm guitar so necessary in Bluegrass. I always look forward to a practice with these guys. They literally know hundreds of songs. Great music by a great bunch of guys.
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After a couple of nights of hanging around the house waiting for the February snowstorm to thaw, Mary and I ventured out today, the 13th, and spent the day at the Senior Center shooting billiards with many of our friends there. later, we went to Elizabethton for the weekly Monday night jam.
Many of the usual pickers were there and it was good to see them. I brought my guitar (hand made by Steve Lane of northern New York) and my Magini fiddle while Ron Duncan brought his mandolin, guitar and fiddle. He played fiddle for several tunes while I played guitar. It was a fun switch for a change. Harvey Tester, Cooter Williams, Gordon Hoyle and Roger Messer all played guitars while I fiddled and Terry Tester played the banjo. Later, when we all moved into the front, Frank Wing showed up and played banjo along with Terry. Randy Carrier played mandolin as did Terry Nelson. Terry Nelson played his handmade mandolin built by Mike Draughn, luthier. The mandolin is an exact copy of a "Loar" and sounds superb. Merv Nidiffer was also present and played guitar and sang some great old Bluegrass numbers. Several other pickers were also present but I either don't know their names or I've forgotten who all was there.
Not specific to this evening alone, but other evenings included, lately several pickers have been quite bothered by the constant noise level in the back room where we all gather to play. I've mentioned it to others as well and many share my same concern. When the musicians begin to play, the room builds such reverberation that the music becomes muddled and the clarity is lost in the poor acoustics. "Clarity" is something that serious musicians strive for in their music. There are usually many fans who gather to listen and to converse with other friends and fans. The volume of the various conversations mixed with the constant "roar" of so many guitars and persistent tuning of banjos finally just gets the best of me and I pack up and wait until the front room is available to pick in. (For a treatise on how I feel about the optimum experience of musicians working together for the good of all, i.e., the good of the overall music, be sure to visit my "Philosophy of Music" pages here). When a singer sings a song, the backup musicians should play "backup", not leads, all the way through. This condition of playing "breaks" all the way through a singing song is incredibly distracting to the singer; annoying to those musicians who gather and hope for the most optimum outcome; seriously affects the overall "spirit" of the story being told within the verses and chorus of the song; and it's also downright rude! It's enough to ruin many a great jam sessions and turn them into mediocre jams. When the song is over, musicians should refrain from excessive tuning and discuss what the next tune to be played might be; not contribute to the chaos even further by incessant tuning and halfhearted plucking.
I know of a few musicians who have refrained from attending due to the chaos taking place. It's a shame to see this Monday night jam begin to deteriorate due to a lack of Bluegrass Jam Etiquette. In order to have the most optimum experience in practically any social gathering, rules and conventions are necessary.
I hope those responsible will take a more active role in sharing these concerns with the group so that this Jam will be all it can become.
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Tonight, February 9th, we went to a new place to jam. It's called "Pickle's Restaurant" and it's in Jonesborough. It was the first night that the owners have had Bluegrass music pickin' there and they loved it! The idea was conceived by Terry Nelson of "The Olde Timers" and most of the members of his band showed up to play along with several other pickers. Those that I can remember picking Bluegrass are: Terry Nelson, mandolin and guitar, Charlie Black, bass; Bob Nelson, lead guitar; Bill Slimons, guitar; James "Jimmy Lee" Clayton, banjo; Ron Duncan, banjo and mandolin; Roger Messer, guitar; Yours truly on fiddle and another nice older gentleman playing guitar that I didn't learn his name in time to publish it at this writing. Several others in attendance had very tasty meals served up by the owners. Mary and I had the homemade coconut pie and some fresh decaf since we had already eaten a ham and scalloped potato dinner before leaving the house. We're all looking forward to attending this jam again. The acoustical qualities seemed to provide a clarity not usually associated with working restaurants, but the sound projection was probably assisted by the concrete masonry blocks serving as both interior and exterior walls.
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Mary and I rode over to the Creekside Restaurant in Jonesborough tonight (February 8th) with Ron and Sherry Duncan for the first Wednesday night jam there. We were pleased with all the pickers who turned out. In addition to a wonderful time picking Bluegrass, we had a delicious meal as well. There was a very adequate and comfortable place set aside for the pickers.
Some of the musicians who turned out were: Larry Nelson, mandolin and bass; James "Jimmy Lee" Clayton, banjo; Charlie Black, bass; Bob Nelson, lead guitar; Michael Little, 1935 Dobro; Jerry Sams, guitar; Ed Dance, mandolin; Ron Duncan, banjo, fiddle and guitar; Mary, guitar; and yours truly, fiddle and banjo. Roger Messer and Bill Slimons were present but didn't play. There may have been others pickers who were present and didn't play, too. Everyone had a great time. The owners asked us to please come back next Wednesday and so I'd rather imagine there will be a nice group of pickers and listeners who return. It's really a nice atmosphere for jamming with plenty of seating for musicians and audience alike. I got to thinking about the different members from various bands that were present. Except for Paul Masters, all the members of "The Olde Timers" were there. Two members from "String Fever" also were present: Jerry Sams and Ron Duncan. Two from the band "Bob & Homer and The Bluegrass Boys" were there: Bob Nelson and Charlie Black. Charlie's also in "The Olde Timers". (I used to pick with "Bob & Homer & The Bluegrass Boys", too :)
Earlier today, (February 8th), I finished composing a D Minor tune for 5-string banjo. It uses the d-tuners to establish the minor 4 chord (G Minor) and also to revert back to the Tonic. It also has an up-the-neck variation of the theme established in first position. It's a melancholy piece which will certainly be complimented with harmony fiddles and tremolo mandolin parts. I can't wait until I can get in the studio to record it. In the mean time, I'll record the banjo parts with my Flip Camera.
Mary and I spent the morning playing pool down at the Senior Center with our friends, Red, Willard, Marvin and Frank. We had to leave early to get ready for jamming in Jonesborough tonight.
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While having a wonderful telephone conversation today, February 7th, with my longtime friend Donnie Perkins from upstate New York, I got a chance to hear him playing fiddle, mandolin, guitar and bass on a four-track (multi-tracked) recording produced by him in his studios in Chazy, NY. The tune he recorded and mixed was a tune he composed when he was only sixteen years old. He recently thought of a name for the piece based on a mishap a dear friend of his had one time while square dancing to the very same tune. Donnie named it "The Broken Zipper Reel". It's a very catchy tune in 2/4 time in the key of D Major. I can't wait until Mary and I head north in May of this year so that I can have him teach me how to play it. Donnie's written lots of fiddle tunes over the years including "Olympic Hornpipe", "Don's Homemade Jig", "Chum's Hornpipe", "Buff's Hornpipe", and "Bits and Pieces". He knows several hundred tunes by memory and is forever coming up with a tune I've never heard him play before saying "Here's one I almost forgot I knew". Mary and I can't wait to get to see him and Pat (Don's wife) and also Joe and Phyllis Ezero (Don's sister and her husband) when we return north for a visit. Don is featured here on this website in a number of places including the bands "The Perkins Family" and "The Food Stamp Ramblers" under the "My New York Bands" page under the main title "Bluegrass & Fiddling" and his own page titled "Donnie Perkins" under the "Fiddliferous" tab under the "Bluegrass & Fiddling" main title. Be sure to check him out.
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Tonight, the 6th of February, we went to The Sunshine market in Elizabethton for our usual weekly jam. Many of the "usual" pickers were present. Pickers like: Harvey Tester, Cooter Williams, Tom Harrald, Ron Duncan, Gordon Hoyle, Roger Messer, Terry Tester, Teddy Morton, Randy Carrier, Jeff Lewis, Tim Decker, Gary Laws, Alan Shepard Sr., Alan Shepard, Jr., Eddy Ray, Mary and yours truly, and probably a few others that I've forgotten. There was lots of Bluegrass and old-time played and everyone present had a lot of fun and enjoyed pickin' and singin'. When we finally broke up, several of us headed for Taco Bell which has now pretty much become a routine Monday night stop. While we were there we happened to see and visit with Chris Mathes, the Sheriff of Carter County, who stopped by for a Taco. It was fun visiting with him about Bluegrass music as he's a great picker and singer. We had seen him the other night at the Christian Church in Unicoi when he was playing with the band "Jeff Sharp & Friends".
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Mary and I met Ron and Sherry Duncan, Gordon Hoyle, Mr. & Mrs. Jerry Sams and Mr. & Mrs. Eddy and Dorothy Ray at The Choo Choo Cafe in Erwin tonight, February 4th, to have a pleasant dinner and listen to Eddy Ray's grandson, Lee Franklin and his band "Sons of Bluegrass" perform. All the members of the band are enrolled as students in the Bluegrass music curriculum in ETSU (Eastern Tennessee State University) and they're all very accomplished musicians. Lee plays guitar and is pretty much the lead singer of the group with additional harmony vocals provided by bassist Chris Armstrong. Lead guitar work is masterfully played by Arron Foster while the mandolin and fiddle work is excellently performed by musician/composer Kyle Murphy. The banjo picker is new to the band having only been with them for a couple of weeks but you'd never know it as his playing fits like a glove. His name is Dan Troyer. Anyone interested in booking this very fine band may visit their website at www.sonsofbluegrass.net. I also had the fine pleasure of meeting another banjo picker who was also in the audience. His name is Isaac Mainer and he plays with a couple of local bands around the Erwin area.
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What an absolute blast Mary and I had this past Friday night, February 3rd, at the Temple Hill Bluegrass party! There were three different groups of musicians who gathered on stage to play. The first was Eddy Ray and his two grandsons, Lee and Matthew, along with Terry Tester, Warren Shelton and yours truly. Eddy and his youngest grandson, Matthew, both played mandolins, his oldest grandson, Lee, played guitar and sang most of the leads while yours truly picked banjo and sang harmony lines. Terry Tester also played guitar and sang high tenor lines as he does so well and Warren Shelton played bass and also sang a few of his (and mine, too) favorite songs.
The next group up was Ron Duncan, banjo; Jerry Sams, guitar; Bill Harris, guitar; Terry Tester, bass; Ron Lewis, mandolin; Bob Van Horn, guitar (for a couple of songs); and near the end of their set, I was asked to come up and play my fiddle for a few numbers. This group cut a lot of Bluegrass and sang some beautiful numbers. Ron loves to play the instrumental called "Washington County" and often has me come up and fiddle it with him while he picks it on the banjo. I have always enjoyed picking with Ron since I first met him shortly after arriving in Tennessee. If anyone's doing much picking at all, it won't be too long before he/she runs into Ron playing his guitar, mandolin or banjo and singing and picking the old traditional (my favorites) Bill Monroe, Stanley Brothers, Louvin Brothers, & Flatt & Scruggs songs and tunes.
It was great to see "Big Ron" Lewis again. I haven't seen much of him this winter and I really enjoy pickin' and visitin' with him. Also, Gordon Hoyle and Mike Hensley were in the audience but chose not to come up on stage and perform, preferring to sit and listen. Mary spent most of the evening visiting with Sherry Duncan and Norma Jean Campbell when she wasn't out on the dance floor "kickin' it up"!
The third group to take the stage was already an active working band with an incredible amount of talent: the band called “Makeshift” consisting of Gary Laws on bass; James Story on mandolin and guitar; his father, Vernon Story on guitar; and Tim Decker on banjo. All four sing and harmonize beautifully. What a polished sound these fellows have! I just love listening to them.
After “Makeshift” was finished with their set, a bunch of pickers began a jam session at the foot of the stage. I picked banjo, Terry Tester played bass, Ron Duncan played guitar, Tim Decker played guitar, his son ( I apologize for forgetting his name) played mandolin, Frank Rogers played mandolin and fiddle, Eddy Ray played mandolin and Jerry Sams played guitar. Many of us sang and we played until after midnight. In fact, when Mary and I left, there were a few musicians still playing including Terry Tester who was clawhammering the banjo to the pleasure of Gail and Worley, the hosts of the party. Many pictures (taken by Mary) of the festivities will be posted to the "Bluegrass Country Pictures, Page 2" within a day or so.
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Thursday night, February 2nd, Mary and I met up with a bunch of our friends at the Christian Church in Unicoi to listen to The Carson Peters Band perform. Carson turned eight years old a short while back and he's already been tearing up a fiddle for several years now. The young boy is absolutely amazing. (More to follow. I'll be posting pictures, too.)
January's Goings On!
Here's an accounting of our Bluegrass (with a little bit of other stuff thrown in from time to time) activities for the month of January, 2012, just after it occurs. Scroll down to reach the earliest activities of the month.
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January 31st, Tuesday night was band practice for "Two Step Bluegrass". Band members Mike Laws, Chuck Poore, Jeffrey Lewis, Alan Shepard and yours truly were present and practiced for about 3 1/2 hours. The vocal harmonies produced by Alan, Mike and Chuck are simply beautiful. The repertoire from the combined individuals is practically endless, so there will be a lot to choose from when the set lists are completed. Having Alan play guitar frees me up to concentrate on the fiddle a whole lot more. This gives us the banjo, Dobro and fiddle for lead instruments and guitar and bass for rhythm and bottom. As with each practice, I always enjoy the Bluegrass talent and the lighthearted humor.
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January 30th, Mary and I were busy shooting billiards at the Senior Center and later went to Elizabethton for the weekly Monday night Bluegrass jam. There were lots of musicians there this week. I’ll try to remember them: Mike Reed and Gail; Galen, Katie and Cory Jeter from “Rural Route Bluegrass”; Harvey Tester and Cooter Williams; Ron Duncan from “String Fever”; Gordon Hoyle, Randy Carrier, Tom Harrald, Frank Wing; then there was also Terry Tester & Eddy Ray from “The Baronry of Bluegrass”; Ed Dance, Teddy Morton, Roger Messer, Charlie Booher, and probably some others whom I’ve forgotten. Terry played Ron’s newly acquired Morgan Monroe “Ralph Stanley” Model 5-string banjo. It sounds real good, having that sharp, brilliant tone associated with the raised-head tone rings.
It was nice to see Charlie Booher playing again after being under the weather for a few weeks. It was also nice to see “Big Ed” (Ed Dance) again. He had his “new” Gibson “Sam Bush” (2002) mandolin with him. It’s a “Hoss”. At one point in the evening, I was sitting between Big Ed picking his “Bush” and Randy Carrier playing his 1923 Loar-signed Gibson. Now that’s what I call “Stereo Heaven”. Then, later, Teddy Morton played Big Ed’s mandolin. I didn’t realize that he played mandolin, but he does a fine job on it. I now know he plays resonator guitar, guitar, banjo and mandolin. This is typical individual multi-talent for this whole Eastern Tennessee area.
Many of us played right up until closing at 10:00 p.m. Several went to Taco Bell afterwards for a snack before heading home. What a great night with friends.
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Friday, during the early afternoon, Mary and I went down to the senior center where we love to shoot billiards. Later, we went to Wade and Shirley Ledford's to pick some Bluegrass. As usual, we had a blast. There were a lot of pickers there this evening. Alfred Carter and his son played fiddle and guitar; Tom Harrald and Mary played mandolins; Frank Culler, Wade, Harvey Tester, Cooter Williams and Mike Laws played guitars; Burl Mast and yours truly played banjos (I played fiddle when Burl played banjo); Warren Shelton played a little bass and sang. Jeffrey Lewis played bass and so did Frank for a while. We stayed an hour or so later than we normally do because we couldn't tear ourselves away from all the pickin' and singin'. All the people who show up here to pick are so talented. It's a real treat to pick with each and every one.
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During the day, Thursday, January 26th, I got a call from Galen Jeter. He called to say his shoulder was on the mend and that he and his band "Rural Route Bluegrass" was back to taking on a schedule. I was excited to hear the good news about his shoulder being on the mend and also that I'd be playing again with them. They're a fine family band with great harmonies and Cory, their son, picks a fine flattop guitar. Our first gig that's scheduled will be March 1st, a Thursday evening at the Unicoi Christian Church.
Later, Thursday night, Mary and I went down to Unicoi to the Christian Church to listen to the bands "Dusty Roads" and "Makeshift". We got there a little late to catch all of the first band, but what we did hear was excellent both in harmony and instrumentation. The next and last band for the evening was "Makeshift" and they were really hot. What a great bunch of fellows with great harmonies and musicianship. The band consists of Vernon Story on guitar, his son, James Story on mandolin and lead guitar, Gary Laws on bass, Tim Decker on banjo and for a special treat, they had a guest performer up on stage for a couple of numbers, Tim's son, Caleb Decker on mandolin doing a great job. He's only been playing since last August and he tore the mandolin right up for a couple of tunes, "Salt Creek" and "Pike County Breakdown". "Makeshift" is a really tight group and would be worth the trip if they're playing anywhere around you. (I can't get over the talents of James Story. Wow!) It was a fun night. Mary and I always enjoy seeing so many of our friends each time we venture out of the house.
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Tuesday night was band practice for "Two Step Bluegrass". It was held at Mike Law's home in East Side, a community offset from Elizabethton. Practice was about 4 hours of intense musical rehearsal of tunes ranging from the repertoire of Balsam Range, Third Tyme Out, early J. D. Crowe material and good old traditional tunes and songs. Lots of stuff in the keys of B (5 sharps), B Flat (3 flats) and E (4 sharps). These tunes lend themselves quite nicely to what I would call "pretty" music owing to the intricate finger-picking styles that Chuck Poore uses when he plays guitar and the gorgeous chords and overtones coming from mandolin, played by Mike Laws and also the riffs and melodic strains on the violin, (Bluegrass is truly beautiful when played in E) played by yours truly. As always, Jeffrey Lewis keeps a steady beat going on the standup and adds so much with the occasional passing tones from chord to chord. When we get into the standards, Mike usually switches over to a hard-driving banjo style and Chuck grabs the Dobro while I take the guitar. It's always such a pleasure to get together with these fellows and pick and sing. I'm already looking forward to our next practice.
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Monday night, January 23rd, we went to The Sunshine Market for our weekly Bluegrass jam. The parking lot was full when we arrived and so we had to park way around back. We were let in the back door which saved us a lot of walking while carrying so many instruments. Many of the usual pickers were there. Pickers that I knew and can remember were: Harvey Tester, Cooter Williams, Gordon Hoyle, Earl Duggar, Mike (who played standup bass most of the evening along with Gail), Roger Messer, Ron Duncan, Eddy Ray, Alan Shepard, Mary & Yours Truly, and Teddy Morton, and some others I'm sure I've forgotten. I was asked to pick banjo when we first got there and I stayed on that instrument the whole night. Even though I brought my fiddle, I didn't play it. I particularly like this Monday night jam because so much of the old, traditional Bluegrass is played and sung. The harmonies are super.
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Friday night, the 20th, Mary and I went to visit Wade and Shirley Ledford. There were several Bluegrassers present and we all picked for several hours. Harvey Tester, Cooter Williams, Frank Culler and Wade all played guitars, while Tom Harrald picked mandolin (and guitar a little here and there) and Mike Laws played mandolin (and some guitar) and I played banjo (and a few tunes on guitar, too). I left my fiddle home thinking that my friend Alfred Carter would be there and play his, but he didn't come. Later in the evening, Tom had me play a few tunes on a fiddle he had brought to the jam. Everyone who desired to was treated to a chicken liver dinner with greens and taters and the whole shootin' match. The Ledfords are wonderful people and we all enjoy visiting them.
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Thursday night, Mary and I went down to the Unicoi Christian Church Fellowship building to partake in the Bluegrass fun. This is a weekly event that moves here in the winter from The Red Barn on the Laurels Road. Tonight was the first get-together for the winter season. It is still run by Master of Ceremonies, Burl Mast, but hosted by the Church. The event moves from The Red Barn each winter due to the potential for lousy weather and the concern for cars getting stuck on the grass parking lot/lawn of The Red Barn.
I intended to only be a listener tonight and to sit with Mary in the audience and I didn't even bring any musical instruments with me to play. But, the moment I walked in the door, I was asked to play banjo with The Olde Timers Band. Mary and I had the pleasure of listening to the band earlier this past summer when they played at a church social and benefit on the Cherokee Road and we attended with our friends Ron and Sherry Duncan and Gordon Hoyle. We enjoyed the Olde Timers very much back then and we all enjoyed them this evening, too. I especially enjoyed them because I got a chance to be on stage with them and be a part of their performance. They're a great group of gentlemen and it was a pleasure to fill in for their regular banjo picker, Jimmy, who was out due to sickness. I needed a banjo to pick and my good friend, Frank Culler, asked Burl Mast if I could play Burl's Gibson Mastertone. He graciously consented and even provided me with finger picks to use. Burl's banjo is set up just right and was a dream to play. Needless to say, I enjoyed picking it very much. Quite a few patrons came up after the show and commented positively on my playing which was very nice of them. The band members, Paul, Bill, Charlie and Terry also thanked me and Eddy Ray for sitting in with them. Thank goodness the band played tunes I had heard before. Tomorrow at some point, I'll have Mary post some of the pictures she took of the festivities. We'll post them on the "Bluegrass and Country Pictures, Page 2" page. Be sure and check them out. Later, on our way home, we talked about how much we like our friends here in the South. What a great place to live.
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Wednesday night, January 18th, I had band practice with "Two Step Bluegrass". Our practice was held at Mike Law's home in East Side, a residential district on the outskirts of Elizabethton. The core group consisting of Jeffrey Lewis, Mike Laws, Chuck Poore and Yours Truly attended with the additional treat of Alan Shepard sitting in with us. Jeffrey had suggested that I play a few banjo tunes (outside of my normal role of fiddle and guitar) and that Mike play some guitar tunes and songs (outside of his normal role as banjoist and mandolin player). This, of course, opened up a wide variety of material for the band to perform. Alan, Mike and Chuck had played together a lot over the years and their harmonies were spot on. It was a real enjoyment for me to listen to the intricacies within the blending of their voices. Mike is a very accomplished guitarist (as well as many other instruments) and Chuck does really well on both resonator guitar and flattop guitar. I had a delightful time and before I knew it, it was late and time to go home. They're a great group of fellows and I enjoy their company very much. Now I'm just waiting 'til the next practice.
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Tuesday found Mary and me down at the senior center in Erwin shooting billiards with some of our friends there. "Red", Roy, Terry, Henry, Willard and Iss all played with and against us throughout the late morning and early-to-mid afternoon. Buster and Frank were there, but didn't play when we were there. They probably played before we arrived. Many of the members are real early birds and play pool right after the place opens. Anyway, we just love hanging out down there. Everyone is so nice. It's a wonderful way to pass time, be with friends and enjoy the sport.
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Monday the 16th, Mary and I attended the jam in Elizabethton. We had an absolute blast visiting with our many friends there and pickin' Bluegrass. Charlie Booher wasn't there so Mike and Gail took turns playing standup bass while Harvey & Cooter played guitars. Gordon Hoyle had his brand new D-16 with him and wow, what a sound from a brand new guitar. Terry Tester played banjo. I played fiddle and Ron played guitar, too. Later, Frank Wing showed up and played banjo and Terry switched over to guitar and Ron played my fiddle for a few numbers while I switched to guitar. Alan Shepard also had his guitar with him and later, he and Terry and Gail sang some beautiful harmonies while Mike played the bass for them and Frank picked banjo. The women folk visited back and forth and Mary took quite a few photos (see them on "Bluegrass Country Pictures, Page 2"). We all had a great time and quite a few of us ended up at Taco Bell to finish off the evening with a snack.
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On Friday the 13th of January, Mary and I woke up to our driveway and yard blanketed with about a half-inch of snow. Later in the day, in just a few minutes, we had the driveway salted and passable. We received a call early from Eddy Ray informing us that the Temple Hill Bluegrass jam had been canceled due to poor weather. But, after a nice warming period throughout the day, we later received a call from Ron and Sherry Duncan informing us that the Bluegrass jam was back on. It was about 5:30 p.m. when we got the call, so we hurried around and got to the jam about 6:40 p.m.
It seems I must have totally misunderstood the format of the evening because one group of musicians played for over two hours (they were playing when we arrived and still playing when we left) while many very capable Bluegrass singers and pickers remained seated in the audience. Those on stage were all accomplished musicians and very enjoyable to listen to. But, I preferred the format used a couple of weeks prior, on New Years Eve, when there were several impromptu groups who took turns performing on the stage which provided all those who wanted to play with an opportunity to do so. Mary and I left early and enjoyed the evening at home.
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On Tuesday night, I traveled to Dennis Cove, TN, to play Bluegrass with the band of the same name. I followed Don Anderson up the mountain (around 4,200 feet in elevation of incredibly winding roads) and down the other side to Carl Hazelwood's home with the privilege of sitting in on one of their weekly practices. When I first heard the band performing at Thompson's, there was a lot of noise from people dancing and talking and I just wasn't able to hone in on the band's real talent. I knew they were accomplished musicians, but I didn't realize the extent of their talent. That all changed when I had the opportunity to hear them in the intimate setting of Carl's living room. Wow! They've been practicing every week for several years now and it really, really shows. Talk about "tight", they're tight. I was blown away by the songwriting talents of Chris Hazelwood, mandolinist...I mean blown away. I still am feeling my pulse to see if I'm alive. This man has songwriting talent that just has to be discovered by a larger audience. I can't wait until their new CD is out. I know Chris is going up the food chain of musical possibilities. Another songwriter with a real knack is Don Anderson, bassist for the band. He performed a couple of his originals, too, and they were expertly crafted gems. Along with the traditional Bluegrass tunes and the many original tunes, I spent a wonderful evening fiddling with these guys. Dean Burchett is a fine banjo picker with an authentic mix of Scruggs, Crowe, Stanley and Burchett licks to satisfy the most demanding listener. Carl plays a rhythm guitar that really holds it all together in a special way. Carl, Chris and Don handle the vocals with true harmonies that are a perfect blend. I had a blast fiddling along with the tunes I'd heard before and played much more quietly when the original material was presented due to the intricacies of the chords and melody lines.
I'm looking forward to sitting in on another session some time in the future. I don't fancy myself as talented enough to readily play the intricate melodies, timings and chordal structures without a steep learning curve, so after a day of thinking it over I called and thanked them for their kindness and time. I've just got a whole lot more learning to do before I step out with my fiddle. Watch for the Dennis Cove Band when they're playing a venue near you......they're well worth the trip to see and hear them and be sure and pick up one of their CDs.
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On Monday, January 9th, Mary and I had a great time at the Elizabethton Bluegrass jam at the Sunshine Market. There were quite a few pickers there. Roger Messer showed up and played his Recording King guitar and he also brought a hand-made 5-string fiddle for me to try out and see what I thought...I loved it! Charlie Booher played bass, Terry Tester played guitar as did Cooter Williams and Harvey Tester. Gordon Hoyle played guitar, too. I started out playing mandolin while Ron Duncan played banjo and later I switched to banjo. Eddy Ray showed up, too, and he played mandolin as did Randy Carrier. Alan Shepard sang a few numbers with Ron and Terry. Everyone had a good time. The back room lends itself very easily to noise, and the minute the front room became available, we all headed right out there to pick. The acoustics just aren't that good in the back room. Many people that were present here tonight have expressed an interest in attending the Temple Hill Bluegrass jam this coming Friday night.
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January 8th, in the evening while I was practicing a new banjo tune I'd just composed named "Fred's 5-String Breakdown", I received a call from Carl Hazelwood, guitarist for the Dennis Cove Band. He asked me to call Don Anderson, bassist, and to attend their next band practice and bring my fiddle. I had mentioned to them back on November 12th when they played at Thompson's Produce, that I'd heard they were looking for a fiddler and I'd be willing to try out for the position. They kindly took my name and told me they would call me in January....and by golly, they did. So, this Tuesday, January 10th, I'll try out for their band. They play a lot of intricate stuff in the keys of B (5 sharps) and B-Flat (3 flats) so I'd rather imagine I'll have my hands full trying to keep up since the fiddle is an instrument I've struggled with for many years when it comes to the keys of Bb, Eb, Ab, and B. They're a great group of musicians and I'm sure they'll be fair. If I feel that I can't help them -in fact, only hurt them with my playing - I'll walk away none-the-less for trying. It should be a lot of fun auditioning. Time will tell. Stay tuned; do not adjust your set :-)
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HAPPY BIRTHDAY EARL SCRUGGS and FRANK CULLER! January 6th, early in the day, we attended a party at the Senior Center in Erwin where there was a celebration of Elvis Presley music and other well known songs. Later, in the early evening, Mary and I went to Wade & Shirley Ledford's to play Bluegrass and see many of our friends. Alfred and Curtis Carter were there playing fiddle and guitar along with Harvey Tester and Cooter Williams playing guitar, Mike Laws playing banjo and guitar, Frank Culler was playing guitar, too, and Wade played guitar and I played mandolin. later I got to playing guitar, so it was kind of a guitar evening. It was also Frank's Birthday, so we all sang the old "Happy Birthday" song to him and wished him many more. Jeffrey Lewis was there but didn't bring his standup bass so he just sat and visited with Mary, Shirley, Barbara, Helen, Steve and others who were present. It was nice seeing him again, too. (Jeffrey and Mike Laws are members of the band "Two Step Bluegrass" which I am fortunate enough to also be in). It was a great night jamming and like always, I enjoyed it very much. Later, on the way home, I got a call from Roger Messer and he told me that Roy, the owner of the Sunshine Market in Elizabethton, would like to have jam sessions on Friday and Saturday nights throughout the winter and would like to have as many of us pickers show up as possible to get it started. I told Roger that I would gladly spread the word. I know that Fridays will be taken up for Mary and I as we alternate between Wade's in Hampton and the Temple Hill jam sessions in Ernestville and Saturdays will find us occasionally attending jams in Rheatown. But I think I would like going to a Saturday night jam in Elizabethton at the Sunshine Market, too, once in a while to offer my support to such a wonderful effort on Roy's part. Many thanks to him for his continuing support of our Bluegrass jams.
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January 4th, Mary and I were down at the Senior Center shooting billiards and saw our good friends Ron and Sherry Duncan and visited with them for a while. We learned that the band "String Fever" will be playing a couple of places in Bristol this week. If I can remember, Ron said one place was the "State Line Bar & Restaurant" and the other "The Picking Parlor". They are also scheduled to play somewhere in Gatlinburg, too. Sounds like a busy week for the band. They're all such wonderful people. Mary and I always enjoy being in their company. To book the group, email Gary Taylor at gtriver@earthlink.net.
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January 2nd was the first opportunity I had to do some Bluegrass jamming and wouldn't you know it, Mary and I were so busy with other little odds and ends that we plum forgot about the jam and when Ron and Sherry called to see where we were, it was too late and there was 3/4 inch of snow on the roads, so we decided to stay home. I since have filled in the jam dates for January in my little white schedule book and hopefully I won't miss any more music picking.
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January 31st, Tuesday night was band practice for "Two Step Bluegrass". Band members Mike Laws, Chuck Poore, Jeffrey Lewis, Alan Shepard and yours truly were present and practiced for about 3 1/2 hours. The vocal harmonies produced by Alan, Mike and Chuck are simply beautiful. The repertoire from the combined individuals is practically endless, so there will be a lot to choose from when the set lists are completed. Having Alan play guitar frees me up to concentrate on the fiddle a whole lot more. This gives us the banjo, Dobro and fiddle for lead instruments and guitar and bass for rhythm and bottom. As with each practice, I always enjoy the Bluegrass talent and the lighthearted humor.
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January 30th, Mary and I were busy shooting billiards at the Senior Center and later went to Elizabethton for the weekly Monday night Bluegrass jam. There were lots of musicians there this week. I’ll try to remember them: Mike Reed and Gail; Galen, Katie and Cory Jeter from “Rural Route Bluegrass”; Harvey Tester and Cooter Williams; Ron Duncan from “String Fever”; Gordon Hoyle, Randy Carrier, Tom Harrald, Frank Wing; then there was also Terry Tester & Eddy Ray from “The Baronry of Bluegrass”; Ed Dance, Teddy Morton, Roger Messer, Charlie Booher, and probably some others whom I’ve forgotten. Terry played Ron’s newly acquired Morgan Monroe “Ralph Stanley” Model 5-string banjo. It sounds real good, having that sharp, brilliant tone associated with the raised-head tone rings.
It was nice to see Charlie Booher playing again after being under the weather for a few weeks. It was also nice to see “Big Ed” (Ed Dance) again. He had his “new” Gibson “Sam Bush” (2002) mandolin with him. It’s a “Hoss”. At one point in the evening, I was sitting between Big Ed picking his “Bush” and Randy Carrier playing his 1923 Loar-signed Gibson. Now that’s what I call “Stereo Heaven”. Then, later, Teddy Morton played Big Ed’s mandolin. I didn’t realize that he played mandolin, but he does a fine job on it. I now know he plays resonator guitar, guitar, banjo and mandolin. This is typical individual multi-talent for this whole Eastern Tennessee area.
Many of us played right up until closing at 10:00 p.m. Several went to Taco Bell afterwards for a snack before heading home. What a great night with friends.
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Friday, during the early afternoon, Mary and I went down to the senior center where we love to shoot billiards. Later, we went to Wade and Shirley Ledford's to pick some Bluegrass. As usual, we had a blast. There were a lot of pickers there this evening. Alfred Carter and his son played fiddle and guitar; Tom Harrald and Mary played mandolins; Frank Culler, Wade, Harvey Tester, Cooter Williams and Mike Laws played guitars; Burl Mast and yours truly played banjos (I played fiddle when Burl played banjo); Warren Shelton played a little bass and sang. Jeffrey Lewis played bass and so did Frank for a while. We stayed an hour or so later than we normally do because we couldn't tear ourselves away from all the pickin' and singin'. All the people who show up here to pick are so talented. It's a real treat to pick with each and every one.
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During the day, Thursday, January 26th, I got a call from Galen Jeter. He called to say his shoulder was on the mend and that he and his band "Rural Route Bluegrass" was back to taking on a schedule. I was excited to hear the good news about his shoulder being on the mend and also that I'd be playing again with them. They're a fine family band with great harmonies and Cory, their son, picks a fine flattop guitar. Our first gig that's scheduled will be March 1st, a Thursday evening at the Unicoi Christian Church.
Later, Thursday night, Mary and I went down to Unicoi to the Christian Church to listen to the bands "Dusty Roads" and "Makeshift". We got there a little late to catch all of the first band, but what we did hear was excellent both in harmony and instrumentation. The next and last band for the evening was "Makeshift" and they were really hot. What a great bunch of fellows with great harmonies and musicianship. The band consists of Vernon Story on guitar, his son, James Story on mandolin and lead guitar, Gary Laws on bass, Tim Decker on banjo and for a special treat, they had a guest performer up on stage for a couple of numbers, Tim's son, Caleb Decker on mandolin doing a great job. He's only been playing since last August and he tore the mandolin right up for a couple of tunes, "Salt Creek" and "Pike County Breakdown". "Makeshift" is a really tight group and would be worth the trip if they're playing anywhere around you. (I can't get over the talents of James Story. Wow!) It was a fun night. Mary and I always enjoy seeing so many of our friends each time we venture out of the house.
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Tuesday night was band practice for "Two Step Bluegrass". It was held at Mike Law's home in East Side, a community offset from Elizabethton. Practice was about 4 hours of intense musical rehearsal of tunes ranging from the repertoire of Balsam Range, Third Tyme Out, early J. D. Crowe material and good old traditional tunes and songs. Lots of stuff in the keys of B (5 sharps), B Flat (3 flats) and E (4 sharps). These tunes lend themselves quite nicely to what I would call "pretty" music owing to the intricate finger-picking styles that Chuck Poore uses when he plays guitar and the gorgeous chords and overtones coming from mandolin, played by Mike Laws and also the riffs and melodic strains on the violin, (Bluegrass is truly beautiful when played in E) played by yours truly. As always, Jeffrey Lewis keeps a steady beat going on the standup and adds so much with the occasional passing tones from chord to chord. When we get into the standards, Mike usually switches over to a hard-driving banjo style and Chuck grabs the Dobro while I take the guitar. It's always such a pleasure to get together with these fellows and pick and sing. I'm already looking forward to our next practice.
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Monday night, January 23rd, we went to The Sunshine Market for our weekly Bluegrass jam. The parking lot was full when we arrived and so we had to park way around back. We were let in the back door which saved us a lot of walking while carrying so many instruments. Many of the usual pickers were there. Pickers that I knew and can remember were: Harvey Tester, Cooter Williams, Gordon Hoyle, Earl Duggar, Mike (who played standup bass most of the evening along with Gail), Roger Messer, Ron Duncan, Eddy Ray, Alan Shepard, Mary & Yours Truly, and Teddy Morton, and some others I'm sure I've forgotten. I was asked to pick banjo when we first got there and I stayed on that instrument the whole night. Even though I brought my fiddle, I didn't play it. I particularly like this Monday night jam because so much of the old, traditional Bluegrass is played and sung. The harmonies are super.
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Friday night, the 20th, Mary and I went to visit Wade and Shirley Ledford. There were several Bluegrassers present and we all picked for several hours. Harvey Tester, Cooter Williams, Frank Culler and Wade all played guitars, while Tom Harrald picked mandolin (and guitar a little here and there) and Mike Laws played mandolin (and some guitar) and I played banjo (and a few tunes on guitar, too). I left my fiddle home thinking that my friend Alfred Carter would be there and play his, but he didn't come. Later in the evening, Tom had me play a few tunes on a fiddle he had brought to the jam. Everyone who desired to was treated to a chicken liver dinner with greens and taters and the whole shootin' match. The Ledfords are wonderful people and we all enjoy visiting them.
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Thursday night, Mary and I went down to the Unicoi Christian Church Fellowship building to partake in the Bluegrass fun. This is a weekly event that moves here in the winter from The Red Barn on the Laurels Road. Tonight was the first get-together for the winter season. It is still run by Master of Ceremonies, Burl Mast, but hosted by the Church. The event moves from The Red Barn each winter due to the potential for lousy weather and the concern for cars getting stuck on the grass parking lot/lawn of The Red Barn.
I intended to only be a listener tonight and to sit with Mary in the audience and I didn't even bring any musical instruments with me to play. But, the moment I walked in the door, I was asked to play banjo with The Olde Timers Band. Mary and I had the pleasure of listening to the band earlier this past summer when they played at a church social and benefit on the Cherokee Road and we attended with our friends Ron and Sherry Duncan and Gordon Hoyle. We enjoyed the Olde Timers very much back then and we all enjoyed them this evening, too. I especially enjoyed them because I got a chance to be on stage with them and be a part of their performance. They're a great group of gentlemen and it was a pleasure to fill in for their regular banjo picker, Jimmy, who was out due to sickness. I needed a banjo to pick and my good friend, Frank Culler, asked Burl Mast if I could play Burl's Gibson Mastertone. He graciously consented and even provided me with finger picks to use. Burl's banjo is set up just right and was a dream to play. Needless to say, I enjoyed picking it very much. Quite a few patrons came up after the show and commented positively on my playing which was very nice of them. The band members, Paul, Bill, Charlie and Terry also thanked me and Eddy Ray for sitting in with them. Thank goodness the band played tunes I had heard before. Tomorrow at some point, I'll have Mary post some of the pictures she took of the festivities. We'll post them on the "Bluegrass and Country Pictures, Page 2" page. Be sure and check them out. Later, on our way home, we talked about how much we like our friends here in the South. What a great place to live.
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Wednesday night, January 18th, I had band practice with "Two Step Bluegrass". Our practice was held at Mike Law's home in East Side, a residential district on the outskirts of Elizabethton. The core group consisting of Jeffrey Lewis, Mike Laws, Chuck Poore and Yours Truly attended with the additional treat of Alan Shepard sitting in with us. Jeffrey had suggested that I play a few banjo tunes (outside of my normal role of fiddle and guitar) and that Mike play some guitar tunes and songs (outside of his normal role as banjoist and mandolin player). This, of course, opened up a wide variety of material for the band to perform. Alan, Mike and Chuck had played together a lot over the years and their harmonies were spot on. It was a real enjoyment for me to listen to the intricacies within the blending of their voices. Mike is a very accomplished guitarist (as well as many other instruments) and Chuck does really well on both resonator guitar and flattop guitar. I had a delightful time and before I knew it, it was late and time to go home. They're a great group of fellows and I enjoy their company very much. Now I'm just waiting 'til the next practice.
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Tuesday found Mary and me down at the senior center in Erwin shooting billiards with some of our friends there. "Red", Roy, Terry, Henry, Willard and Iss all played with and against us throughout the late morning and early-to-mid afternoon. Buster and Frank were there, but didn't play when we were there. They probably played before we arrived. Many of the members are real early birds and play pool right after the place opens. Anyway, we just love hanging out down there. Everyone is so nice. It's a wonderful way to pass time, be with friends and enjoy the sport.
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Monday the 16th, Mary and I attended the jam in Elizabethton. We had an absolute blast visiting with our many friends there and pickin' Bluegrass. Charlie Booher wasn't there so Mike and Gail took turns playing standup bass while Harvey & Cooter played guitars. Gordon Hoyle had his brand new D-16 with him and wow, what a sound from a brand new guitar. Terry Tester played banjo. I played fiddle and Ron played guitar, too. Later, Frank Wing showed up and played banjo and Terry switched over to guitar and Ron played my fiddle for a few numbers while I switched to guitar. Alan Shepard also had his guitar with him and later, he and Terry and Gail sang some beautiful harmonies while Mike played the bass for them and Frank picked banjo. The women folk visited back and forth and Mary took quite a few photos (see them on "Bluegrass Country Pictures, Page 2"). We all had a great time and quite a few of us ended up at Taco Bell to finish off the evening with a snack.
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On Friday the 13th of January, Mary and I woke up to our driveway and yard blanketed with about a half-inch of snow. Later in the day, in just a few minutes, we had the driveway salted and passable. We received a call early from Eddy Ray informing us that the Temple Hill Bluegrass jam had been canceled due to poor weather. But, after a nice warming period throughout the day, we later received a call from Ron and Sherry Duncan informing us that the Bluegrass jam was back on. It was about 5:30 p.m. when we got the call, so we hurried around and got to the jam about 6:40 p.m.
It seems I must have totally misunderstood the format of the evening because one group of musicians played for over two hours (they were playing when we arrived and still playing when we left) while many very capable Bluegrass singers and pickers remained seated in the audience. Those on stage were all accomplished musicians and very enjoyable to listen to. But, I preferred the format used a couple of weeks prior, on New Years Eve, when there were several impromptu groups who took turns performing on the stage which provided all those who wanted to play with an opportunity to do so. Mary and I left early and enjoyed the evening at home.
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On Tuesday night, I traveled to Dennis Cove, TN, to play Bluegrass with the band of the same name. I followed Don Anderson up the mountain (around 4,200 feet in elevation of incredibly winding roads) and down the other side to Carl Hazelwood's home with the privilege of sitting in on one of their weekly practices. When I first heard the band performing at Thompson's, there was a lot of noise from people dancing and talking and I just wasn't able to hone in on the band's real talent. I knew they were accomplished musicians, but I didn't realize the extent of their talent. That all changed when I had the opportunity to hear them in the intimate setting of Carl's living room. Wow! They've been practicing every week for several years now and it really, really shows. Talk about "tight", they're tight. I was blown away by the songwriting talents of Chris Hazelwood, mandolinist...I mean blown away. I still am feeling my pulse to see if I'm alive. This man has songwriting talent that just has to be discovered by a larger audience. I can't wait until their new CD is out. I know Chris is going up the food chain of musical possibilities. Another songwriter with a real knack is Don Anderson, bassist for the band. He performed a couple of his originals, too, and they were expertly crafted gems. Along with the traditional Bluegrass tunes and the many original tunes, I spent a wonderful evening fiddling with these guys. Dean Burchett is a fine banjo picker with an authentic mix of Scruggs, Crowe, Stanley and Burchett licks to satisfy the most demanding listener. Carl plays a rhythm guitar that really holds it all together in a special way. Carl, Chris and Don handle the vocals with true harmonies that are a perfect blend. I had a blast fiddling along with the tunes I'd heard before and played much more quietly when the original material was presented due to the intricacies of the chords and melody lines.
I'm looking forward to sitting in on another session some time in the future. I don't fancy myself as talented enough to readily play the intricate melodies, timings and chordal structures without a steep learning curve, so after a day of thinking it over I called and thanked them for their kindness and time. I've just got a whole lot more learning to do before I step out with my fiddle. Watch for the Dennis Cove Band when they're playing a venue near you......they're well worth the trip to see and hear them and be sure and pick up one of their CDs.
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On Monday, January 9th, Mary and I had a great time at the Elizabethton Bluegrass jam at the Sunshine Market. There were quite a few pickers there. Roger Messer showed up and played his Recording King guitar and he also brought a hand-made 5-string fiddle for me to try out and see what I thought...I loved it! Charlie Booher played bass, Terry Tester played guitar as did Cooter Williams and Harvey Tester. Gordon Hoyle played guitar, too. I started out playing mandolin while Ron Duncan played banjo and later I switched to banjo. Eddy Ray showed up, too, and he played mandolin as did Randy Carrier. Alan Shepard sang a few numbers with Ron and Terry. Everyone had a good time. The back room lends itself very easily to noise, and the minute the front room became available, we all headed right out there to pick. The acoustics just aren't that good in the back room. Many people that were present here tonight have expressed an interest in attending the Temple Hill Bluegrass jam this coming Friday night.
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January 8th, in the evening while I was practicing a new banjo tune I'd just composed named "Fred's 5-String Breakdown", I received a call from Carl Hazelwood, guitarist for the Dennis Cove Band. He asked me to call Don Anderson, bassist, and to attend their next band practice and bring my fiddle. I had mentioned to them back on November 12th when they played at Thompson's Produce, that I'd heard they were looking for a fiddler and I'd be willing to try out for the position. They kindly took my name and told me they would call me in January....and by golly, they did. So, this Tuesday, January 10th, I'll try out for their band. They play a lot of intricate stuff in the keys of B (5 sharps) and B-Flat (3 flats) so I'd rather imagine I'll have my hands full trying to keep up since the fiddle is an instrument I've struggled with for many years when it comes to the keys of Bb, Eb, Ab, and B. They're a great group of musicians and I'm sure they'll be fair. If I feel that I can't help them -in fact, only hurt them with my playing - I'll walk away none-the-less for trying. It should be a lot of fun auditioning. Time will tell. Stay tuned; do not adjust your set :-)
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HAPPY BIRTHDAY EARL SCRUGGS and FRANK CULLER! January 6th, early in the day, we attended a party at the Senior Center in Erwin where there was a celebration of Elvis Presley music and other well known songs. Later, in the early evening, Mary and I went to Wade & Shirley Ledford's to play Bluegrass and see many of our friends. Alfred and Curtis Carter were there playing fiddle and guitar along with Harvey Tester and Cooter Williams playing guitar, Mike Laws playing banjo and guitar, Frank Culler was playing guitar, too, and Wade played guitar and I played mandolin. later I got to playing guitar, so it was kind of a guitar evening. It was also Frank's Birthday, so we all sang the old "Happy Birthday" song to him and wished him many more. Jeffrey Lewis was there but didn't bring his standup bass so he just sat and visited with Mary, Shirley, Barbara, Helen, Steve and others who were present. It was nice seeing him again, too. (Jeffrey and Mike Laws are members of the band "Two Step Bluegrass" which I am fortunate enough to also be in). It was a great night jamming and like always, I enjoyed it very much. Later, on the way home, I got a call from Roger Messer and he told me that Roy, the owner of the Sunshine Market in Elizabethton, would like to have jam sessions on Friday and Saturday nights throughout the winter and would like to have as many of us pickers show up as possible to get it started. I told Roger that I would gladly spread the word. I know that Fridays will be taken up for Mary and I as we alternate between Wade's in Hampton and the Temple Hill jam sessions in Ernestville and Saturdays will find us occasionally attending jams in Rheatown. But I think I would like going to a Saturday night jam in Elizabethton at the Sunshine Market, too, once in a while to offer my support to such a wonderful effort on Roy's part. Many thanks to him for his continuing support of our Bluegrass jams.
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January 4th, Mary and I were down at the Senior Center shooting billiards and saw our good friends Ron and Sherry Duncan and visited with them for a while. We learned that the band "String Fever" will be playing a couple of places in Bristol this week. If I can remember, Ron said one place was the "State Line Bar & Restaurant" and the other "The Picking Parlor". They are also scheduled to play somewhere in Gatlinburg, too. Sounds like a busy week for the band. They're all such wonderful people. Mary and I always enjoy being in their company. To book the group, email Gary Taylor at gtriver@earthlink.net.
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January 2nd was the first opportunity I had to do some Bluegrass jamming and wouldn't you know it, Mary and I were so busy with other little odds and ends that we plum forgot about the jam and when Ron and Sherry called to see where we were, it was too late and there was 3/4 inch of snow on the roads, so we decided to stay home. I since have filled in the jam dates for January in my little white schedule book and hopefully I won't miss any more music picking.
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The Temple Hill Baronry of Bluegrass
Ron, Eddy & Fred, The Temple Hill Baronry of Bluegrass
What's Been Going on in November & December, 2011
The last night of December (and of the year 2011) was spent playing Bluegrass music at a Bluegrass party in Temple Hill. When the clock finally struck 12:00, I was playing the fiddle with a group of my closest friends. What a way to enter the New Year! Mary was in the audience having an absolute blast with a bunch of her closest friends. We had an absolutely wonderful time bringing in the New Year. Check out the pictures on "Bluegrass Country Pictures, Page 2".
I'll try to remember who all was pickin' Bluegrass at our party. At first, I played banjo at the request of Eddy Ray who played mandolin and had me pick with him and his long time friend Ronnie Shelton who played left-handed on a right-handed guitar. Eddy's grandson, Mark, played mandolin for a short while and to the pleasure of the audience, he played Amazing Grace. Ronnie Shelton is a very accomplished lead guitarist and has a super Bluegrass voice including a high tenor to kill for. (At the close of the Party, Eddy played Mike Hensley's banjo while Mike played my fiddle). Next, we were joined by Terry Tester who played bass for most of the evening including playing bass for all the other pickers, until much later when he switched over to claw-hammer banjo and Warren Shelton played bass. Then, a little later, Terry played guitar. Terry is an incredibly talented musician who also has a wonderful high tenor voice. Warren Shelton is a great musician and singer, too. It's always a treat to pick with him. Then we were joined by our friend from the Rock Creek Band, Bob Van Horn, who played a resonator guitar. It was great to see Bob again as he has been quite ill and now has to be on oxygen full-time. We all wish him a speedy recovery. He did a great job singing several of his favorite numbers. Then Ron Duncan came up on stage with his banjo and I switched to fiddle. Ron is an all-around talented guy who knows more Bluegrass songs than I've probably ever even heard. He's a veritable warehouse of Bluegrass lyrics and a real pleasure to know and to pick and sing with as well as pal around with. Then Bill Harris came up and sang and played guitar. Bill is a musician's musician with limitless talent and such a wonderful man to play with and to visit with. Later, we were all joined by Alan Shepard from the Stony Point/ Hunter area around Elizabethton, TN. Alan has a wonderful Bluegrass voice and is an old "pro" at harmony singing. He's such a great guy to pick with and a super nice fellow. Then Mike Hensley and his son (I'm sorry, but his name escapes me at this writing) came up and played some great numbers. Mike can play his 5-stringer lightning fast and his son can play the devil out of a lead guitar. They just tore the place up. Mike also plays fiddle really well and played my fiddle for a few numbers towards the end of the evening. Also, right around this time, my good friend who has run The Red Barn for so many years, Burl Mast, came up and played his banjo for quite a few numbers. Burl does a great job. There's no one I've ever met who's done more to promote Bluegrass music than Burl. He's a great guy to visit with, too. Later, the Larkey Family entertained us all. Sarah Grace with her beautiful vocals, Adam with his intricate fiddling and Eric, their father, holding it all together with his great guitar work. I'm sure I've forgotten a few pickers and singers, but if I can remember them, I'll put their names in later. My friend Gordon Hoyle was also present in the audience but chose not to play his guitar on stage, preferring to listen rather than pick. It was great to see him again, too. The Party was a total success and I can't wait until the 13th and 27th of January when we do it all over again.
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Friday night, the 23rd of December, we visited Wade and Shirley Ledford over in the hills of Valley Forge, TN. They had a lot of company and family stopping over throughout the evening hours and Mary and I got to meet several people we'd never met before. It was fun. As usual, the musicians showed up in great numbers and we all had a super time picking through the many Bluegrass tunes we all know. It's always such a pleasure when Wade picks up a guitar and sings a few of his old standbys. Cooter Williams and Mike Laws were absent due to not feeling up to par and we wish them speedy recoveries from their nasty colds. It seems like everyone has come down with a cold lately. Also absent were Tom Harrald and Jeffrey Lewis. Hope they're OK. Mary and I wished everyone a very Merry Christmas and left early to get home and go to bed early. Mary has been baking pies and bread and getting ready for the holidays and she's having so much fun as she always does this time of year. It's fun to watch her enjoy this time of year so much. Christmas in Tennessee is really special. We have so many new friends to share this joyous season with. The food is great, the music is out of this world and our friends are special. Who could ask for anything more? Of course we miss our immediate families and many dear friends back up North, but we manage to stay in touch often which helps so much this time of year, especially.
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Monday, December 19th, during the day, Mary and I spent several hours at the Senior Center playing billiards with some of our many friends there. "Red", Henry, Terry, Willard, Millard, Roy, Charlie, Kenneth, Iss, "Buster", Frank and Jack all had a great time enjoying the sport.
Later, in the evening, Mary and I attended the Monday night Bluegrass Jam at The Sunshine Market in Elizabethton. Here, several of our great friends showed up to pick and to listen. Charlie and Wanda Booher, Norma-Jean Campbell, Ron and Sherry Duncan, Gordon Hoyle, Eddy Ray, Alan Shepard, Alan Shepard, Jr. and his little boy Thomas, Harvey Tester, "Cooter" Williams, Teddy Morton, and many other listeners and players all showed up. We had a great time. The back room was a little on the cool side and it looks as though within a couple of weeks the group will be moving up to the front of the market as the Country Music group will be switching to Saturday nights. Nothing definite yet, just being discussed.
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Saturday night, Mary and I played at The Moose in Johnson City. Mary played mandolin. We picked with the core members of String Fever, which are Gary Taylor on bass (later, after Gary had to leave, Sherry played bass), Ron Duncan on banjo and guitar and Jerry Sams on guitar. I played fiddle for the most part but switched over to banjo and guitar for a while, too. We were invited to a wonderful smoked turkey dinner with all the fixings one could imagine. We always enjoy playing at The Moose Lodge and seeing our many friends there.
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Friday night, Mary and I were invited to Wade and Shirley Ledford's home for their annual Christmas party. There were many "finger foods" available and we all enjoyed them. After the eats and treats portion of the evening, many of us started playing Bluegrass music. Frank Culler played guitar, as did Cooter Williams and Harvey Tester. Mary played mandolin and I played banjo. Usually Mike Laws plays banjo, but he played guitar. He had just finished a brand new guitar that he built for Wade. So we all got to listen to it. Mike is an absolutely phenomenal guitar builder. His guitars begin their lives with incredible sound. Mike knows the exact formula for bracing guitars. His new guitars sound way better than any professionally made guitar I've ever heard. I'm not kidding, they sound that good! Alfred Carter played fiddle and another fellow named Lloyd played bass. Tom Harrald usually plays Dobro, but as I remember, he played mandolin for a while. Many of the Ledford's friends were in and out throughout the evening, so I'll not attempt to name them all. Mary and I had a truly wonderful time with so many of our friends. We always enjoy going to Wade and Shirley's.
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We ventured out away from home last night, Monday, December 12th, to head down to Elizabethton for some Bluegrass pickin' at the Sunshine Market. Several pickers showed up, so we all had a great time. I started playing banjo with Charlie Booher playing standup bass and after a while, Ron Duncan came in and played guitar. Later, we were joined by Teddy Morton on resonator guitar and Harvey Tester on flat top. Later still, we were joined by Alan Sheppard singing beautiful harmonies with Ron taking the lead lines. Lots and lots of Stanley tunes and Carter Family numbers were played. We all had a great time.
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We really had planned to attend the Monday night (December 5th) jam at The Sunshine Market in Elizabethton, but Mary and I both remained troubled by our colds and flu-like symptoms, so we decided to stay home in case we were still contagious. This makes a couple of weeks in a row that we've been unable to attend. Wow, we miss everyone that we usually see there. I called Charlie and Wanda Booher and also Ron and Sherry Duncan to tell them that Mary and I would not be going to the jam and both couples said they were not going either, due to their own sickness. The whole area seems to be sick with this "cold" going around and around. We've purposely stayed away from Wade and Shirley Ledford's on Friday nights, Rheatown on Saturday nights, Elizabethton on Mondays, Bluff City on Tuesdays, The Red Barn on Thursdays (although I did play there last Thursday, even though I didn't feel well)......I'll be glad when we're on the mend and pickin' an' singin' again!
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Mary and I met with Ron and Sherry Duncan, Gordon Hoyle and Roger Messer Saturday night, December 3rd, at Thompson's Produce on Rte 107 for an evening of entertainment by Kody Norris and the Watauga Mountain Boys. Kody always does a fine job singing and pickin on his flat top. The band played hard-driving traditional Bluegrass for over two hours with an occasional Christmas tune and some Gospel thrown in for good measure. I'm still trying to recover from a bad chest cold, so I sat right next to the wood stove the whole evening. Mary took lots of photos, so when she gets a chance I'll have her post some on "Bluegrass Country Pictures Page 2".
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Last night, Thursday, December 1st, I enjoyed playing Bluegrass at Burl Mast's Red Barn in Unicoi on the Sciota Road. I am in the band called "Two Step" consisting of Mike Laws, banjo and mandolin; Chuck Poore, resonator guitar and flat top guitar; Jeffrey Lewis, standup bass; and yours truly on fiddle. Last night we were honored to have Frank Culler sit in and play rhythm guitar for our whole set. This freed me up to play fiddle the entire set. We followed the band "String Fever" (I often times am asked to play in this band when a band member is not available). Last night, they had a full band with Gary Taylor on standup; Ron Duncan on banjo; Jerry Sams on guitar; Jim Hady on mandolin and lead guitar; and Lisa Pattison playing fiddle. After my band, "Two Step Bluegrass" finished, we were all treated to a surprise group of musicians:
Hunter Berry, fiddler for Rhonda Vincent and The Rage showed up with Rhonda's daughters, Sally (Hunter's wife) and Tensel Sandker, (they make up the band "Next Best Thing") and some other really good pickers like Brent Burke who has toured in a fill-in position for about three years with Rhonda but now is on the road full time with her. He's an amazing reso-guitar player. Haley Stiltner plays banjo with them. She attends ETSU Bluegrass programs in Johnson City, just up the road. Dan Boner played guitar, including some really hot licks and sang baritone vocals. So, all in all it was Dan Boner and Sally Berry on guitars, Tensel Sandker on standup bass, Hunter on fiddle, Brent Burke on resonator guitar and Haley Stiltner on banjo. Later in the show, 7 year old Carson Peters joined the band for a couple of tunes. Carson is flat out amazing! What a treat to have these accomplished, talented, professionals show up and play for an hour!
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The Thanksgiving holiday period was a whirlwind of activity in which Mary's children visited for a week during which we all went to Harmony, North Carolina to see other members of her family and up to Bristol to catch the Speedway Lighting Spectacular which included various Christmas themes displaying over two million (2,000,000) holiday lights.
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Monday night, November 21st, we arrived at The Sunshine Market at about 6:30 p.m. I brought my fiddle, leaving my banjo home for the evening. Terry Tester showed up just a little after we got there and he played his banjo along with Ron Duncan who played several numbers on his 5-stringer before switching to mandolin. Teddy Morton played resonator guitar, Charlie Booher plucked the double bass and Harvey Tester and Gordon Hoyle played their guitars. Later, Mary Winchell played a nice Morgan Monroe mandolin furnished to her for the evening by a nice gentleman in the audience. Mary and I left early after having a great time with many of our friends.
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We haven't spent much time visiting with our friends lately at the various Bluegrass jam nights largely due to my practicing for an upcoming CD I will be recording soon at Cooter William's studio on Rte 91, east of Elizabethton. I intend to have an interesting mix of original songs, banjo and fiddle instrumentals, and old traditional standby songs and instrumentals, too. Original songs intended for inclusion are: "Wind in the Woods", "Higher Ground" and "There's No Place". Traditional songs are: "My Little Girl in Tennessee", "I'm Confessing", "Room at the Top of the Stairs" and "I Got A Letter". Original banjo tunes are: "Foggy Mountain Minor", and "Alder Brook" (I'm thinking about adding in my most recent instrumental named "The Unicoi Bounce") and traditional banjo tunes: "You Are My Sunshine", "Sweet Dixie" and a medley of two tunes where I use the Scruggs-Keith tuners, "Earl's Breakdown" and "Flint Hill Special". (I also use the tuners in "You Are My Sunshine"). Original fiddle tunes will be "My Autumn Waltz" and "The Decipious Fiddler". I'm excited about recording the CD. I'll have Mary do all the photography and artwork. Five of the banjo arrangements appear in "The Banjo Book, Volume 1". They Are: "My Little Girl in Tennessee", "Foggy Mountain Minor", "Alder Brook", "Sweet Dixie" and "You Are My Sunshine". I'm fast at work creating the "Nashville sheets" (a unique system indicating chords and number of beats-per-chord) now to provide to the studio musicians for my original pieces.
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Monday night at The Sunshine Market in Elizabethton was a nice evening of jamming Bluegrass music. Some of the many pickers that showed were: Ron Duncan, Cooter Williams, Harvey Tester, Terry Tester, Charlie Booher, Frank Wing, Teddy Morton, and a couple of others. Gordon Hoyle and Mary Winchell were both present but didn't play any instrument choosing to just listen. I had a blast "playing in" my Gold Star banjo. The Keith-Scruggs tuners are a lot of fun to operate and so I've dug out the old tune from Earl Scruggs named "Flint Hill Special" and put that into my list of tunes to pick at jam night. Many of us miss the Sunday afternoon jams we were so accustomed to at The Rock Creek Opry Place in Erwin. Some of the pickers are fast at work trying to find another suitable place for Sundays. (The sooner, the better!)
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Saturday evening, Mary and I went to Thompson's on the Greeneville/Erwin Road (Rte 107) to watch the "Dennis Cove Band" play. They're very good. Their harmonies are excellent and they are all accomplished musicians. We met our friends Ron and Sherry Duncan, Gordon Hoyle and others there, enjoyed a great buffet meal and then sat down for a great performance by the band. Their website is: www.denniscoveband.com
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Thursday evening, November 10th, I was pleased to perform with the group "Wade & Friends". The performance was very well liked by the audience and everyone had a great time. Musicians in the band were: Wade Ledford, vocals and guitar; Harvey Tester, vocal and guitar; Mike Laws, vocals, banjo and guitar; Terry Tester, harmony vocals and guitar; Frank Culler, vocals and doghouse bass; Cooter Williams, guitar and yours truly, fiddler. At one point in the schedule, Wade had a couple of his granddaughters come up and sing a gospel number and later in the show the audience was further treated to a duet sung by Mike Laws and his delightful mother. We all had a super time. Many "THANKS" to Burl Mast for his untiring efforts to keep Bluegrass and Old-Time music alive! Be sure and check out the pictures on the "Bluegrass Country Pictures, Page 2" page. They'll be posted sometime later today.
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Tuesday evening, Mary and I attended an invitation-only dinner at the Mary B. Martin Storytelling Hall in historic Jonesborough, Tennessee. We were guests after having been part of Rural Route Bluegrass Band consisting of Galen, Katie and Cory Jeter (and yours truly). The Farmer's Market hosted an incredible dinner to thank the many vendors, musicians and others who assisted them throughout the summer.
The dinner was prepared by The Main Street Cafe and The Bistro (both businesses right in Jonesborough) with food locally grown by area farmers. The meal consisted of fresh salad greens with honey vinegrette dressing, lamb sausage pasta, roasted root vegetables, goat cheese grits, braised greens, pork belly hash, quiche feta mushrooms, and last, but not least, an apple breaded pudding pie. I can not remember when I've had such a tasty meal. Compliments to the chefs and many "Thanks" to the Farmer's Market.
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Monday night many friends of Bluegrass gathered at The Sunshine Market on Rte 400 in Elizabethton for the weekly jam session. I started off playing banjo along with Charlie Booher on double bass (1964 Kay "M" in excellent, almost new condition), Will (can't remember his last name, but he used to play with Josh Graves) on Dobro, and Cooter Williams on guitar. Later, we were joined by Mary Winchell and Randy Carrier on mandolins, Teddy Morton on resonator guitar, Harvey Tester, Terry Tester (no relation) and after another short while, Alan Shepard and a couple of fellows I don't know yet on guitars, another standup bass (played by a woman I haven't met), and, little by little, a host of other pickers came in, played a while and left. It was a fun-filled evening. Ron Duncan, Gordon Hoyle and Terry Barnes (Terry sang and played in Larry Spark's band) were also present but chose to listen rather than play. Promoters of the Tuesday night jam in Bluff City were also present and repeated their request to me to please come up, again to their jam at the Rescue Squad building. I told them I would as soon as my schedule allows, but Tuesday (today, the 8th of November) Mary and I were invited to a catered dinner hosted by the Jonesborough Farmer's Market as a result of me being a member of one of the bands (Rural Route Bluegrass) who played there throughout the summer months.
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Saturday, Mary and I took a drive to Newport to see our friends at the business known as "Strings & Things", a very nicely stocked music store. We wanted to see many of our friends we'd made when we first moved to Tennessee and to jam with Tony and his wife and also Jim and Charlie and so many others. We were shocked when we drove up to the building and found it closed, empty and vacated. "Strings & Things" went out of business, or so we first thought! We were very saddened to think it was closed. However, we've since learned that "Strings & Things" has relocated to Parrottsvile, TN, (a few miles away) and is open from 10:00 a.m 'til 5:00 p.m Monday through Saturdays. Their telephone number is 423- 623-8090. They're also online at: http://stringsnthings.biz
From there, we took I-40 West past the French Broad River up to I-81, to 11E into Greeneville. From there, we went to Rheatown for the Saturday night Bluegrass jam at the Rheatown Market. What a jam it was! If there was an empty seat, I didn't happen to see it! The whole evening was strictly Bluegrass music and the musicians were all top notch. It was a night to remember. Some of the many musicians that I know (and others I'm just getting to know) were: Charlie Booher, Kenny Williams, Mike Broome, Mary Winchell, Mike (guitar picker), Mike (banjo picker), a young boy playing "hot" mandolin, another fellow playing banjo, and several guitar players scattered throughout the audience. Mary doesn't let me fool with her camera very often, but she let me this time and so I took a picture of some of the pickers and audience but the camera shot I chose didn't pan the entire group (perhaps this is why Mary doesn't let such a camera novice as me take pictures, lol). Anyway, I'll post it soon on the "Bluegrass Country Pictures, Page 2" .
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Friday night, Mary and I played music at Wade & Shirley Ledford's home over in Hampton, TN. The Ledfords had many guests, including musicians Harvey Tester, Cooter Williams, Tom Harrald, Mike Laws, Terry Tester, Frank Culler, Wade, Mary and yours truly. Norma-Jean, Barbara and Steve and Helen were also there enjoying the fun. The band practiced tunes and songs we intend to play at the Red Barn in Unicoi this Thursday evening from 8:00 to 9:00.
Earlier in the day, Mary and I spent the morning with our friends at the Senior Center (where I am a member) playing billiards. We always look forward to seeing so many of our friends there. They're all very accomplished pool players and often we find ourselves in a match against or partner with gentlemen such as Terry, "Red", Roy (two different Roys), Marvin, Frank, Iss, Loy, Charlie, Willard, Buster, and many others. We laugh at the "kidding" that goes on back and forth between these long-time friends as they try to distract one another from potentially game-changing, critical pool shots. Spending time in the Senior Center with these people is truly a lot of enjoyment.
Thursday night was a night to remember forever. It was our first visit to Carter Fold. We rode up to Virginia with Ron and Sherry Duncan and Gordon Hoyle. Audie Blaylock and Redline were playing. Audie's played with such Bluegrass greats as Jimmy Martin, Rhonda Vincent and Michael Cleveland, to mention a few. His band is comprised of just about the very best in the business. His fiddler is Patrick McAvinue (playing an 1820 Hopf), banjoist is Russ Carson (playing a 1981 Gold Star which was bought at the same music shop, the same year as Tom Adams got his), mandolinist is Jason Wood (playing a fine sounding "Sam Bush" model F5 from Gibson which Jason has tweaked and worked on so much it's almost a "Jason Wood" mando) and his bassist is Reed Jones (if he isn't the best bassist in Bluegrass today, I'd be surprised). These musicians are in the top class of pickers and singers. Carter Fold has a great show area and a great museum that relates the history of the Carter Family. After the performance, I got to talk with each musician. So did Mary who also won a free CD by being the only one out of all the people there to find a "hidden mandolin" in the liner notes of Audie's new CD. Audie kidded her over the microphone and claimed her "free" CD was "blank".
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Tuesday, November 1st, Mary and I nearly went to Bluff City to the rescue squad building for the weekly jam. But, I was still having discomfort in my right shoulder blade and arm from an old injury and we decided it best to give some more rest to the injury so that when it comes time to play for Wade Ledford's band on November 10th I'll be OK to do so. I also have to play for a parade in Elizabethton before that, so here's hoping everything goes fine. It seems so strange not playing musical instruments very much at all for such a long period of time. I know I'm going to be "rusty" when I finally do chance it and start pickin' again. Tuesday was a beautiful day though. We hung out with Ron and Sherry in the afternoon.
I'll try to remember who all was pickin' Bluegrass at our party. At first, I played banjo at the request of Eddy Ray who played mandolin and had me pick with him and his long time friend Ronnie Shelton who played left-handed on a right-handed guitar. Eddy's grandson, Mark, played mandolin for a short while and to the pleasure of the audience, he played Amazing Grace. Ronnie Shelton is a very accomplished lead guitarist and has a super Bluegrass voice including a high tenor to kill for. (At the close of the Party, Eddy played Mike Hensley's banjo while Mike played my fiddle). Next, we were joined by Terry Tester who played bass for most of the evening including playing bass for all the other pickers, until much later when he switched over to claw-hammer banjo and Warren Shelton played bass. Then, a little later, Terry played guitar. Terry is an incredibly talented musician who also has a wonderful high tenor voice. Warren Shelton is a great musician and singer, too. It's always a treat to pick with him. Then we were joined by our friend from the Rock Creek Band, Bob Van Horn, who played a resonator guitar. It was great to see Bob again as he has been quite ill and now has to be on oxygen full-time. We all wish him a speedy recovery. He did a great job singing several of his favorite numbers. Then Ron Duncan came up on stage with his banjo and I switched to fiddle. Ron is an all-around talented guy who knows more Bluegrass songs than I've probably ever even heard. He's a veritable warehouse of Bluegrass lyrics and a real pleasure to know and to pick and sing with as well as pal around with. Then Bill Harris came up and sang and played guitar. Bill is a musician's musician with limitless talent and such a wonderful man to play with and to visit with. Later, we were all joined by Alan Shepard from the Stony Point/ Hunter area around Elizabethton, TN. Alan has a wonderful Bluegrass voice and is an old "pro" at harmony singing. He's such a great guy to pick with and a super nice fellow. Then Mike Hensley and his son (I'm sorry, but his name escapes me at this writing) came up and played some great numbers. Mike can play his 5-stringer lightning fast and his son can play the devil out of a lead guitar. They just tore the place up. Mike also plays fiddle really well and played my fiddle for a few numbers towards the end of the evening. Also, right around this time, my good friend who has run The Red Barn for so many years, Burl Mast, came up and played his banjo for quite a few numbers. Burl does a great job. There's no one I've ever met who's done more to promote Bluegrass music than Burl. He's a great guy to visit with, too. Later, the Larkey Family entertained us all. Sarah Grace with her beautiful vocals, Adam with his intricate fiddling and Eric, their father, holding it all together with his great guitar work. I'm sure I've forgotten a few pickers and singers, but if I can remember them, I'll put their names in later. My friend Gordon Hoyle was also present in the audience but chose not to play his guitar on stage, preferring to listen rather than pick. It was great to see him again, too. The Party was a total success and I can't wait until the 13th and 27th of January when we do it all over again.
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Friday night, the 23rd of December, we visited Wade and Shirley Ledford over in the hills of Valley Forge, TN. They had a lot of company and family stopping over throughout the evening hours and Mary and I got to meet several people we'd never met before. It was fun. As usual, the musicians showed up in great numbers and we all had a super time picking through the many Bluegrass tunes we all know. It's always such a pleasure when Wade picks up a guitar and sings a few of his old standbys. Cooter Williams and Mike Laws were absent due to not feeling up to par and we wish them speedy recoveries from their nasty colds. It seems like everyone has come down with a cold lately. Also absent were Tom Harrald and Jeffrey Lewis. Hope they're OK. Mary and I wished everyone a very Merry Christmas and left early to get home and go to bed early. Mary has been baking pies and bread and getting ready for the holidays and she's having so much fun as she always does this time of year. It's fun to watch her enjoy this time of year so much. Christmas in Tennessee is really special. We have so many new friends to share this joyous season with. The food is great, the music is out of this world and our friends are special. Who could ask for anything more? Of course we miss our immediate families and many dear friends back up North, but we manage to stay in touch often which helps so much this time of year, especially.
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Monday, December 19th, during the day, Mary and I spent several hours at the Senior Center playing billiards with some of our many friends there. "Red", Henry, Terry, Willard, Millard, Roy, Charlie, Kenneth, Iss, "Buster", Frank and Jack all had a great time enjoying the sport.
Later, in the evening, Mary and I attended the Monday night Bluegrass Jam at The Sunshine Market in Elizabethton. Here, several of our great friends showed up to pick and to listen. Charlie and Wanda Booher, Norma-Jean Campbell, Ron and Sherry Duncan, Gordon Hoyle, Eddy Ray, Alan Shepard, Alan Shepard, Jr. and his little boy Thomas, Harvey Tester, "Cooter" Williams, Teddy Morton, and many other listeners and players all showed up. We had a great time. The back room was a little on the cool side and it looks as though within a couple of weeks the group will be moving up to the front of the market as the Country Music group will be switching to Saturday nights. Nothing definite yet, just being discussed.
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Saturday night, Mary and I played at The Moose in Johnson City. Mary played mandolin. We picked with the core members of String Fever, which are Gary Taylor on bass (later, after Gary had to leave, Sherry played bass), Ron Duncan on banjo and guitar and Jerry Sams on guitar. I played fiddle for the most part but switched over to banjo and guitar for a while, too. We were invited to a wonderful smoked turkey dinner with all the fixings one could imagine. We always enjoy playing at The Moose Lodge and seeing our many friends there.
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Friday night, Mary and I were invited to Wade and Shirley Ledford's home for their annual Christmas party. There were many "finger foods" available and we all enjoyed them. After the eats and treats portion of the evening, many of us started playing Bluegrass music. Frank Culler played guitar, as did Cooter Williams and Harvey Tester. Mary played mandolin and I played banjo. Usually Mike Laws plays banjo, but he played guitar. He had just finished a brand new guitar that he built for Wade. So we all got to listen to it. Mike is an absolutely phenomenal guitar builder. His guitars begin their lives with incredible sound. Mike knows the exact formula for bracing guitars. His new guitars sound way better than any professionally made guitar I've ever heard. I'm not kidding, they sound that good! Alfred Carter played fiddle and another fellow named Lloyd played bass. Tom Harrald usually plays Dobro, but as I remember, he played mandolin for a while. Many of the Ledford's friends were in and out throughout the evening, so I'll not attempt to name them all. Mary and I had a truly wonderful time with so many of our friends. We always enjoy going to Wade and Shirley's.
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We ventured out away from home last night, Monday, December 12th, to head down to Elizabethton for some Bluegrass pickin' at the Sunshine Market. Several pickers showed up, so we all had a great time. I started playing banjo with Charlie Booher playing standup bass and after a while, Ron Duncan came in and played guitar. Later, we were joined by Teddy Morton on resonator guitar and Harvey Tester on flat top. Later still, we were joined by Alan Sheppard singing beautiful harmonies with Ron taking the lead lines. Lots and lots of Stanley tunes and Carter Family numbers were played. We all had a great time.
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We really had planned to attend the Monday night (December 5th) jam at The Sunshine Market in Elizabethton, but Mary and I both remained troubled by our colds and flu-like symptoms, so we decided to stay home in case we were still contagious. This makes a couple of weeks in a row that we've been unable to attend. Wow, we miss everyone that we usually see there. I called Charlie and Wanda Booher and also Ron and Sherry Duncan to tell them that Mary and I would not be going to the jam and both couples said they were not going either, due to their own sickness. The whole area seems to be sick with this "cold" going around and around. We've purposely stayed away from Wade and Shirley Ledford's on Friday nights, Rheatown on Saturday nights, Elizabethton on Mondays, Bluff City on Tuesdays, The Red Barn on Thursdays (although I did play there last Thursday, even though I didn't feel well)......I'll be glad when we're on the mend and pickin' an' singin' again!
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Mary and I met with Ron and Sherry Duncan, Gordon Hoyle and Roger Messer Saturday night, December 3rd, at Thompson's Produce on Rte 107 for an evening of entertainment by Kody Norris and the Watauga Mountain Boys. Kody always does a fine job singing and pickin on his flat top. The band played hard-driving traditional Bluegrass for over two hours with an occasional Christmas tune and some Gospel thrown in for good measure. I'm still trying to recover from a bad chest cold, so I sat right next to the wood stove the whole evening. Mary took lots of photos, so when she gets a chance I'll have her post some on "Bluegrass Country Pictures Page 2".
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Last night, Thursday, December 1st, I enjoyed playing Bluegrass at Burl Mast's Red Barn in Unicoi on the Sciota Road. I am in the band called "Two Step" consisting of Mike Laws, banjo and mandolin; Chuck Poore, resonator guitar and flat top guitar; Jeffrey Lewis, standup bass; and yours truly on fiddle. Last night we were honored to have Frank Culler sit in and play rhythm guitar for our whole set. This freed me up to play fiddle the entire set. We followed the band "String Fever" (I often times am asked to play in this band when a band member is not available). Last night, they had a full band with Gary Taylor on standup; Ron Duncan on banjo; Jerry Sams on guitar; Jim Hady on mandolin and lead guitar; and Lisa Pattison playing fiddle. After my band, "Two Step Bluegrass" finished, we were all treated to a surprise group of musicians:
Hunter Berry, fiddler for Rhonda Vincent and The Rage showed up with Rhonda's daughters, Sally (Hunter's wife) and Tensel Sandker, (they make up the band "Next Best Thing") and some other really good pickers like Brent Burke who has toured in a fill-in position for about three years with Rhonda but now is on the road full time with her. He's an amazing reso-guitar player. Haley Stiltner plays banjo with them. She attends ETSU Bluegrass programs in Johnson City, just up the road. Dan Boner played guitar, including some really hot licks and sang baritone vocals. So, all in all it was Dan Boner and Sally Berry on guitars, Tensel Sandker on standup bass, Hunter on fiddle, Brent Burke on resonator guitar and Haley Stiltner on banjo. Later in the show, 7 year old Carson Peters joined the band for a couple of tunes. Carson is flat out amazing! What a treat to have these accomplished, talented, professionals show up and play for an hour!
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The Thanksgiving holiday period was a whirlwind of activity in which Mary's children visited for a week during which we all went to Harmony, North Carolina to see other members of her family and up to Bristol to catch the Speedway Lighting Spectacular which included various Christmas themes displaying over two million (2,000,000) holiday lights.
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Monday night, November 21st, we arrived at The Sunshine Market at about 6:30 p.m. I brought my fiddle, leaving my banjo home for the evening. Terry Tester showed up just a little after we got there and he played his banjo along with Ron Duncan who played several numbers on his 5-stringer before switching to mandolin. Teddy Morton played resonator guitar, Charlie Booher plucked the double bass and Harvey Tester and Gordon Hoyle played their guitars. Later, Mary Winchell played a nice Morgan Monroe mandolin furnished to her for the evening by a nice gentleman in the audience. Mary and I left early after having a great time with many of our friends.
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We haven't spent much time visiting with our friends lately at the various Bluegrass jam nights largely due to my practicing for an upcoming CD I will be recording soon at Cooter William's studio on Rte 91, east of Elizabethton. I intend to have an interesting mix of original songs, banjo and fiddle instrumentals, and old traditional standby songs and instrumentals, too. Original songs intended for inclusion are: "Wind in the Woods", "Higher Ground" and "There's No Place". Traditional songs are: "My Little Girl in Tennessee", "I'm Confessing", "Room at the Top of the Stairs" and "I Got A Letter". Original banjo tunes are: "Foggy Mountain Minor", and "Alder Brook" (I'm thinking about adding in my most recent instrumental named "The Unicoi Bounce") and traditional banjo tunes: "You Are My Sunshine", "Sweet Dixie" and a medley of two tunes where I use the Scruggs-Keith tuners, "Earl's Breakdown" and "Flint Hill Special". (I also use the tuners in "You Are My Sunshine"). Original fiddle tunes will be "My Autumn Waltz" and "The Decipious Fiddler". I'm excited about recording the CD. I'll have Mary do all the photography and artwork. Five of the banjo arrangements appear in "The Banjo Book, Volume 1". They Are: "My Little Girl in Tennessee", "Foggy Mountain Minor", "Alder Brook", "Sweet Dixie" and "You Are My Sunshine". I'm fast at work creating the "Nashville sheets" (a unique system indicating chords and number of beats-per-chord) now to provide to the studio musicians for my original pieces.
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Monday night at The Sunshine Market in Elizabethton was a nice evening of jamming Bluegrass music. Some of the many pickers that showed were: Ron Duncan, Cooter Williams, Harvey Tester, Terry Tester, Charlie Booher, Frank Wing, Teddy Morton, and a couple of others. Gordon Hoyle and Mary Winchell were both present but didn't play any instrument choosing to just listen. I had a blast "playing in" my Gold Star banjo. The Keith-Scruggs tuners are a lot of fun to operate and so I've dug out the old tune from Earl Scruggs named "Flint Hill Special" and put that into my list of tunes to pick at jam night. Many of us miss the Sunday afternoon jams we were so accustomed to at The Rock Creek Opry Place in Erwin. Some of the pickers are fast at work trying to find another suitable place for Sundays. (The sooner, the better!)
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Saturday evening, Mary and I went to Thompson's on the Greeneville/Erwin Road (Rte 107) to watch the "Dennis Cove Band" play. They're very good. Their harmonies are excellent and they are all accomplished musicians. We met our friends Ron and Sherry Duncan, Gordon Hoyle and others there, enjoyed a great buffet meal and then sat down for a great performance by the band. Their website is: www.denniscoveband.com
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Thursday evening, November 10th, I was pleased to perform with the group "Wade & Friends". The performance was very well liked by the audience and everyone had a great time. Musicians in the band were: Wade Ledford, vocals and guitar; Harvey Tester, vocal and guitar; Mike Laws, vocals, banjo and guitar; Terry Tester, harmony vocals and guitar; Frank Culler, vocals and doghouse bass; Cooter Williams, guitar and yours truly, fiddler. At one point in the schedule, Wade had a couple of his granddaughters come up and sing a gospel number and later in the show the audience was further treated to a duet sung by Mike Laws and his delightful mother. We all had a super time. Many "THANKS" to Burl Mast for his untiring efforts to keep Bluegrass and Old-Time music alive! Be sure and check out the pictures on the "Bluegrass Country Pictures, Page 2" page. They'll be posted sometime later today.
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Tuesday evening, Mary and I attended an invitation-only dinner at the Mary B. Martin Storytelling Hall in historic Jonesborough, Tennessee. We were guests after having been part of Rural Route Bluegrass Band consisting of Galen, Katie and Cory Jeter (and yours truly). The Farmer's Market hosted an incredible dinner to thank the many vendors, musicians and others who assisted them throughout the summer.
The dinner was prepared by The Main Street Cafe and The Bistro (both businesses right in Jonesborough) with food locally grown by area farmers. The meal consisted of fresh salad greens with honey vinegrette dressing, lamb sausage pasta, roasted root vegetables, goat cheese grits, braised greens, pork belly hash, quiche feta mushrooms, and last, but not least, an apple breaded pudding pie. I can not remember when I've had such a tasty meal. Compliments to the chefs and many "Thanks" to the Farmer's Market.
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Monday night many friends of Bluegrass gathered at The Sunshine Market on Rte 400 in Elizabethton for the weekly jam session. I started off playing banjo along with Charlie Booher on double bass (1964 Kay "M" in excellent, almost new condition), Will (can't remember his last name, but he used to play with Josh Graves) on Dobro, and Cooter Williams on guitar. Later, we were joined by Mary Winchell and Randy Carrier on mandolins, Teddy Morton on resonator guitar, Harvey Tester, Terry Tester (no relation) and after another short while, Alan Shepard and a couple of fellows I don't know yet on guitars, another standup bass (played by a woman I haven't met), and, little by little, a host of other pickers came in, played a while and left. It was a fun-filled evening. Ron Duncan, Gordon Hoyle and Terry Barnes (Terry sang and played in Larry Spark's band) were also present but chose to listen rather than play. Promoters of the Tuesday night jam in Bluff City were also present and repeated their request to me to please come up, again to their jam at the Rescue Squad building. I told them I would as soon as my schedule allows, but Tuesday (today, the 8th of November) Mary and I were invited to a catered dinner hosted by the Jonesborough Farmer's Market as a result of me being a member of one of the bands (Rural Route Bluegrass) who played there throughout the summer months.
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Saturday, Mary and I took a drive to Newport to see our friends at the business known as "Strings & Things", a very nicely stocked music store. We wanted to see many of our friends we'd made when we first moved to Tennessee and to jam with Tony and his wife and also Jim and Charlie and so many others. We were shocked when we drove up to the building and found it closed, empty and vacated. "Strings & Things" went out of business, or so we first thought! We were very saddened to think it was closed. However, we've since learned that "Strings & Things" has relocated to Parrottsvile, TN, (a few miles away) and is open from 10:00 a.m 'til 5:00 p.m Monday through Saturdays. Their telephone number is 423- 623-8090. They're also online at: http://stringsnthings.biz
From there, we took I-40 West past the French Broad River up to I-81, to 11E into Greeneville. From there, we went to Rheatown for the Saturday night Bluegrass jam at the Rheatown Market. What a jam it was! If there was an empty seat, I didn't happen to see it! The whole evening was strictly Bluegrass music and the musicians were all top notch. It was a night to remember. Some of the many musicians that I know (and others I'm just getting to know) were: Charlie Booher, Kenny Williams, Mike Broome, Mary Winchell, Mike (guitar picker), Mike (banjo picker), a young boy playing "hot" mandolin, another fellow playing banjo, and several guitar players scattered throughout the audience. Mary doesn't let me fool with her camera very often, but she let me this time and so I took a picture of some of the pickers and audience but the camera shot I chose didn't pan the entire group (perhaps this is why Mary doesn't let such a camera novice as me take pictures, lol). Anyway, I'll post it soon on the "Bluegrass Country Pictures, Page 2" .
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Friday night, Mary and I played music at Wade & Shirley Ledford's home over in Hampton, TN. The Ledfords had many guests, including musicians Harvey Tester, Cooter Williams, Tom Harrald, Mike Laws, Terry Tester, Frank Culler, Wade, Mary and yours truly. Norma-Jean, Barbara and Steve and Helen were also there enjoying the fun. The band practiced tunes and songs we intend to play at the Red Barn in Unicoi this Thursday evening from 8:00 to 9:00.
Earlier in the day, Mary and I spent the morning with our friends at the Senior Center (where I am a member) playing billiards. We always look forward to seeing so many of our friends there. They're all very accomplished pool players and often we find ourselves in a match against or partner with gentlemen such as Terry, "Red", Roy (two different Roys), Marvin, Frank, Iss, Loy, Charlie, Willard, Buster, and many others. We laugh at the "kidding" that goes on back and forth between these long-time friends as they try to distract one another from potentially game-changing, critical pool shots. Spending time in the Senior Center with these people is truly a lot of enjoyment.
Thursday night was a night to remember forever. It was our first visit to Carter Fold. We rode up to Virginia with Ron and Sherry Duncan and Gordon Hoyle. Audie Blaylock and Redline were playing. Audie's played with such Bluegrass greats as Jimmy Martin, Rhonda Vincent and Michael Cleveland, to mention a few. His band is comprised of just about the very best in the business. His fiddler is Patrick McAvinue (playing an 1820 Hopf), banjoist is Russ Carson (playing a 1981 Gold Star which was bought at the same music shop, the same year as Tom Adams got his), mandolinist is Jason Wood (playing a fine sounding "Sam Bush" model F5 from Gibson which Jason has tweaked and worked on so much it's almost a "Jason Wood" mando) and his bassist is Reed Jones (if he isn't the best bassist in Bluegrass today, I'd be surprised). These musicians are in the top class of pickers and singers. Carter Fold has a great show area and a great museum that relates the history of the Carter Family. After the performance, I got to talk with each musician. So did Mary who also won a free CD by being the only one out of all the people there to find a "hidden mandolin" in the liner notes of Audie's new CD. Audie kidded her over the microphone and claimed her "free" CD was "blank".
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Tuesday, November 1st, Mary and I nearly went to Bluff City to the rescue squad building for the weekly jam. But, I was still having discomfort in my right shoulder blade and arm from an old injury and we decided it best to give some more rest to the injury so that when it comes time to play for Wade Ledford's band on November 10th I'll be OK to do so. I also have to play for a parade in Elizabethton before that, so here's hoping everything goes fine. It seems so strange not playing musical instruments very much at all for such a long period of time. I know I'm going to be "rusty" when I finally do chance it and start pickin' again. Tuesday was a beautiful day though. We hung out with Ron and Sherry in the afternoon.
WHAT'S BEEN GOING ON IN SEPTEMBER & OCTOBER
I didn't play music much on Monday night (Halloween), just a little mandolin. I'm still babying my right shoulder from a previous injury that has recently flared up. Mary played her mandolin and Ron Duncan's mandolin quite a bit, though, so at least there was music from our family being contributed to the overall mix of musicians. Speaking of musicians, Kenny Williams played some great fiddle, Cooter Williams, Ron Duncan, Harvey Tester and later, Terry Tester, played guitars. Terry started off the evening playing banjo. It was hard to recognize Terry since he was all made up into quite an impressive Halloween costume. (Pictures will be posted later to the "Bluegrass Country Pictures, Page 2" page). Later, Ed Dance came and played mandolin and Frank Wing showed up and played banjo. Alan Shepard, Jr. was present but didn't sing or play. It was nice to see Norm Stickney again. He attends lots of Bluegrass jams. Eddy Ray was present and may have picked some with Tom Harrald who played country music in the other room with a lot of other musician friends of ours. Alan Robinson taped the evening's music and will make DVDs available to those requesting one. It was nice to see Jeff Lewis, again, too. He's been quite busy lately. He's the bass player for a band I'm in called "Two Step Bluegrass". We have a practice this Wednesday night and a gig playing on a Float in a parade this Friday before Mike Laws and I have to practice at Wade Ledford's later Friday evening for an upcoming performance at "The Red Barn" on November 10th. The music is still keeping Mary and me busy as we find ourselves running all around the countryside pickin' and grinnin' with so many of our wonderful Tennessee friends.
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Sunday afternoon was lots of fun at the Rock Creek Opry Place in Erwin. Before we got started playing very much Bluegrass, we all signed a get well card for our friend and fellow band member, Bob Van Horn, who has been in the hospital for over 10 days. We all miss Bob and wish him a speedy recovery. Musicians that came out this Sunday were "Big Ed" Dance, Eddy Ray, Warren Shelton, Ron Duncan, Gordon Hoyle, Mary Winchell and yours truly. Another fellow showed up after a while and played guitar and sang a few numbers, but I didn't get his name. Also, as a special treat, Robert Crigger, our host, came up and played fiddle for several numbers. He has a great "touch" on the fiddle and does a great job with "Maiden's Prayer" and "Faded Love" among many others. We all had a great time.
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Saturday night Mary and I went out with Ron and Sherry in search of some Bluegrass music. Ron had read in the paper that the Dennis Cove band was playing at Gentleman Jim's but when we got there and inquired about it, we were told that Gentleman Jim's was closing forever that very same night and they had cancelled the band and didn't get the news into the newspaper in time. So we went up to Jonesborough to the Cranberry Thistle but it was a country band scheduled to play, not Bluegrass, so we went from there into Johnson City to the Empire Buffet Chinese food restaurant, had dinner and drove back to Erwin, got in our car and Mary and I came home to watch TV and retire early.
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Due to discomfort from a rotator cup, I intentionally refrained from playing music Wednesday and Thursday. Friday night Mary and I went over to Wade and Shirley Ledford's so that I could practice for the upcoming show on November 10th at The Red Barn. My shoulder blade was still too painful to operate freely. I just listened to the rest of the band rehearse so that I would have a better idea what the program material was going to be and what keys I would have to play the fiddle in on the night of the performance. Wade, Frank Culler, Harvey Tester and Mike Laws all played guitars as they worked out material for our song list. Mary played along on one of Wade's mandolins for the fun of it. I was itching to play the whole while everyone else was playing but limited my playing to a couple of breaks on a couple of tunes...that was it.
Mary had taken pictures of Wade & Shirley and Steve & Helen and also Wade and yours truly earlier in the week at a family picnic of the Ledford's and she was eager to present the enlarged copies, all nicely framed, to Shirley and Helen. They really liked the pictures a lot. Also, Shirley had made a Blackberry Pudding Pie from Wade's grandmother's recipe. Mary and I had never tasted one and Wade had promised he'd have one there for us when Friday night came. Wow! What a treat! When we left, Shirley gave us the remainder to take home and enjoy. Sore shoulder and all, I appointed myself the one to carry the pudding pie to the car!
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Tuesday night we drove up to Bluff City to the Resue Squad Hall on Rte 44. Mary and I learned in Elizabethton a couple of Monday's ago that the Rescue Squad in Bluff City had recently started a Bluegrass Jam on Tuesday nights. We've been wondering what to do some Tuesday nights, so we thought we'd take a drive up there and check it out. We both were quite impressed with the musically talented people who showed up to jam. Many of the people are members of the same band so the music had a more polished, rehearsed sound to it than would be otherwise. It was more like a band practice with the ability for others to sit in. We're thinking of going again, but bringing more "jammers" and opening up another of the rooms available for music. Mary and I saw several familiar faces and even saw our good friend, Gary Taylor, who heads up the band "String Fever". Gary lives close by in Bluff City.
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Monday night at the Sunshine Market was a lot of fun. Many of the pickers showed up and played in the back storage room which had been cleared out and several rows of chairs all lined up for listeners. I played banjo for over an hour before switching to fiddle when Teddy Morton switched from resonator guitar to banjo. Ron Duncan, Randy Carrier (for a few tunes) and Mary all picked mandolin, while Terry Tester, Cooter Williams and Harvey Tester played guitars and Charlie Booher played bass. Later, Cory Jeter and a couple of his fellow Bluegrass music students from ETSU showed up and flat-picked and sang and had a great time. There was also another group of Bluegrass pickers in the front room of the store. I noticed Alan Shepard and his son, Alan, Jr., picking out in front with Frank Wing on banjo and Randy Carrier on mandolin. There was a bass player and a guitar picker that I hadn't met before that were also part of the group. We all had a super time. Monday nights are a real musical pleasure for a lot of people. There's always a good audience that shows up to listen to the traditional Bluegrass.
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Sunday at the Rock Creek Opry Place started off kinda slow at first but developed into a nice jam session with me playing my banjo, Eddy Ray playing Mary's mandolin, Mary playing Ron Duncan's mandolin, Ron Duncan and Gordon Hoyle playing guitars and Warren Shelton thumpin' on Eddy Ray's double bass. We all sang and picked for a couple of hours and then Mary and I had to leave to get to a family picnic hosted by Wade and Shirley Ledford. We got to meet a lot of the members of the extended family and have some excellent food on an absolutely perfect Tennessee day. Wade told Mary and me that we are part of the family and we sure do feel that way. We feel like we've known them for years even though it's only been about three months. This coming Friday night, Mary and I will be attending a Halloween party in Elizabethton at the request of Mike Laws and directly after we leave there, we'll be going (with Mike) to Wade and Shirley's to practice for Wade's upcoming performance at The Red Barn on November 10th. Wade has told me all about Shirley's special blackberry pudding and said he'd have her make it special for us......so I don't want to miss that!
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Saturday afternoon I played in the little town of Milburnton, Tennessee, with Bob and Homer and The Bluegrass Boys. We played at a little Methodist country church after having a wonderful meal hosted by the church members. There was not a cloud in the sky and the weather was beautiful with a temperature around 58 degrees as the sun prepared to set. It was a little cool to pick our instruments in the shady areas but we all endured the cold, numbing effects of Autumn and enjoyed the day just like all the many who turned out for the Milburnton Community Fall Fun Day festival. Members of the band playing traditional Bluegrass and Bluegrass Gospel today were: Bob Nelson, lead guitar; Homer Ball, rhythm guitar; Mike Broome, resonator guitar, mandolin and fiddle; and yours truly on banjo. Mary took some pictures of the band and we'll post them here shortly along with pictures of our trip to Marshall, North Carolina and also some pictures of our Monday night jamming at Elizabethton. As Mary and I traveled on Glendale Road out to meet with 81 South, we couldn't help but notice the sheer beauty of the rolling hills and the perfectly kept farms dotting the hillsides all seeming to remind us of why we're so happy here in sunny Tennessee with our many country friends. About a half-dozen people came up to me after we finished playing at the church pavilion to comment on my banjo playing and one fellow I distinctly remember saying "I'm so glad you've moved to Tennessee...What took you so long?"
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Mary and I spent Friday evening at Wade and Shirley Ledford's picking and singing with many other guests. Wade played guitar and sang. Also, Cooter Williams and Harvey Tester played guitar and Harvey sang a few numbers. Terry Tester picked banjo for a while after he played Wade's new guitar that Mike Laws built for Wade. I mostly played the fiddle, but I did sing a few songs while playing Wade's new guitar. Roger Messer played some fiddle and some guitar and Tom Harrald played mandolin. Mike Laws played mostly banjo, but did play some mandolin towards the end of the evening. Frank Culler played some guitar, too. Mary played a 1919 Kalamazoo mandolin (belonging to Frank) and enjoyed it very much. We all had some summer sausage, crackers, sharp cheese and pickles and after some conversation, got right back into picking and singing again. Mary and I always enjoy our visits to the Ledford's. What a great way to spend a Friday night............pickin' 'n singin' amongst friends!!!
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Wednesday was a practice Bluegrass around the house day and catch up on errands, etc.
Thursday was quite a day indeed! Along about 4:00 p.m. Mary and I stopped at Ron and Sherry's to visit and before long, we were all in the car heading for Marshall, North Carolina, to catch Bobby Hicks playing at the Zuma Coffe House on Main Street. Mary and I had been several times and each time I would take the floor and jam and play along with Bobby and the gang of musicians who faithfully show every Thursday night. But this time I had forgotten my banjo picks and changed the strings on my old fiddle that same morning and worried that I would be distracting by having to tune a lot, so I left the instruments in the car and just became a listener for the evening. The musicians present were: Bobby Hicks, Adam Masters, Mac Claflin, Roger Howell and Kathryn Parham on fiddles, Bryce Parham (Kathryn's father) on guitar, and Cathy Arrowwood on double bass. The band was later joined by my friend Steve Davidowski, pianist. Noticeably missing was Orrin Jenstad on mandolin. Also missing from the last time Mary and I were there was Leonard Hollifield, vocals and guitar, and Branson Raines on fiddle. We all had such a great time!
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Tuesday Mary and I played some of Terry Tester's CDs while we drove around doing different errands. I've been asked to record with Terry at Cooter William's Studio here in eastern TN, so I figure it's a good idea to get acquainted with the "flavor" of his music, i.e., timing, phrasing, special tunings of instruments, etc., before hitting the studio ill-prepared. Terry also has asked Kenny Williams to play guitar, Mike Laws to play bass, Ron Duncan to play mandolin (and me to fiddle) while he plays banjo on the CDs. Terry is a pleasure to pick with. He's a very accomplished musician who has played with Bill Monroe and Raymond Fairchild. He knows how to play a number of different instruments very well and sings so high the Apostles can hear him!
I'm looking forward to the recording sessions.
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Monday night in Elizabethton was truly a fun time. There was just the right mix of pickers. I started out playing banjo with Charlie Booher on bass, Kenny Williams on fiddle, Cooter Williams, Harvey Tester and Ron Duncan on guitars and after a short while I decided to take a breather and Terry Tester played banjo along with those already mentioned and Teddy Morton played resonator guitar and Gordon Hoyle on guitar and Eddy Ray and Roger Messer playing different instruments and then I switched back and forth between mandolin and fiddle. Later, Alan Shepard, his son Alan Jr., and Randy Carrier, Jeff Webb and others kept the Bluegrass flowing for quite some time. My sweetheart, Mary, played mandolin for quite a while throughout the evening and also thumped the washtub bass for a few tunes. I took her camera and got a few pictures of her playing and I'll post them soon. Many of the "Sunshine Market Bluegrass Ramblers" signed the washtub bass which belongs to Wes Holtsclaw who can really play it very well. It's a really cool instrument in the hands of someone who knows how to play it.
It was fun playing some twin-fiddle stuff with Kenny Williams tonight. Usually either Kenny will play fiddle or I will and Kenny will play another Bluegrass instrument (he's very talented and can play several instruments) so it's really a treat to get to play double fiddle stuff. It never ceases to amaze me how many other of these southern musicians around eastern Tennessee can switch off between so many different instruments....and play them all so well.
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The Bluegrass music jam at Rock Creek Opry Place in Erwin this past Sunday, October 16th, was a lot of fun. Most of the usual pickers were present. Pickers such as: Bob Van Horn, Ron Duncan, Eddy Ray and yours truly. Then we were treated to other pickers that come less frequently, such as Terry Tester and Ed Dance. We missed seeing Warren Shelton, Kenny Williams, Jerry Sams, Junior and others, but hopefully we'll see them next time.
A special treat was when Tim Decker showed up and brought his banjo. Tim is a very accomplished banjoist and high-tenor and lead singer. It was a pleasure to have him on stage.
Another joy was when Adam and Sarah Grace Larkey and their father, Eric, showed up and performed for about an hour. These kids (and their father) are very talented. They were joined by Tim Decker on banjo (he often accompanies them during performances) and Terry Tester on bass.
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Saturday morning Mary and I left early to travel to Jonesborough. On the way, we stopped at Gentleman Jim's for a light breakfast and arrived in Jonesborough ahead of schedule. Here, we met with Galen, Katie and Cory Jeter who all make up the Bluegrass band "Rural Route". We began playing (I played banjo) at 9:00 a.m. and finished around 11:30 a.m. I had never performed at The Farmer's Market and found it to be a very pleasurable experience. Later, Galen, Katie, Mary and I had lunch at The Mountain View restaurant on route 11E before heading over to the Davy Crockett Birthplace State Park where "Rural Route" played from 2:20 'til 3:50. While at the Davy Crockett Birthplace State Park, Mary and I had the good fortune of meeting up with Mr. and Mrs. Mike Broome who were in attendance in the audience. Mike is a fellow member with me in the band called "Bob and Homer & The Bluegrass Boys". He's a super picker and a wonderful fellow. Other bands that played at this event were: TV Barnett and the Roan Mountain Moonshiners; Lonesome Pine; and Payne Town Crossing.
After the show, Mary and I headed to Unicoi to catch the last few songs of "String Fever" who were performing at The Heritage Days in Unicoi. Here, Gary Taylor, Ron Duncan, Jerry Sams and Jim Hady were playing along with special guest fiddler Kenny Williams who was filling in for Lisa Pattison who was absent. Later, after some good old laughs, most of the gang headed for Rocky's Pizza in Erwin for a late dinner. When Mary and I finally arrived home, it didn't take too long before we were sound asleep after what was a super day with many of our friends.
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Friday afternoon and evening found Mary and I at the Center for Aging and Health in Erwin for their fall festivities. I played fiddle for the band "String Fever". Other band members playing were: Gary Taylor, band leader and bassist; Ron Duncan, banjo; Jerry Sams, guitar; and Jim Hady switching back and forth between mandolin and guitar. The band was a "hit" and well received by all who attended. Mary took some great photos that will be posted soon. By the time we got out, I was too tired to get to Wade Ledford's house for the Friday night jam and I knew I had to practice banjo for my upcoming work the next morning in Jonesborough with the band "Rural Route Bluegrass". We had a great time at the Center. Thanks to the band "String Fever" for inviting me to play with them.
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Thursday, Mary, Robert, (Mary's brother) and I went to Norma Jean Campbell's for a surprise combined birthday for Lena (Norma Jean's sister) and Mary. The idea was Terry Tester's and Terry and Norma provided a superb meal of ham, mashed potatoes, vegetables, stuffing, cake and ice cream and a whole lot of other foods too numerable to mention. Later, Ron Duncan, Terry and I provided Old-Time and Bluegrass music. Those in attendance were Jim and Lena, Pauline (also Norma's sister), Terry and Norma, Ron and Sherry, and Robert, Mary and me. Ron, Terry and I discussed Terry's upcoming CDs which are in the planning stages presently and we worked on a few tunes that may well be included.
Later, Terry, Norma, Ron, Sherry, Mary and I went over to The Red Barn for the usual Thursday night music scene. After the in-house country band played, "Jonesborough Jim" played for an hour and after him, the featured attraction was "The Adam Larkey Band". Adam (15 years of age) and his sister, Sarah Grace, (10 years of age) rocked the house with their talents. They were very ably assisted by Adam's father, Eric, on guitar, a member of the "Spivey Mountain Boys" on bass and an excellent banjo picker from the local area. (My apologies for not knowing the names of the additional band members, but I'll do a little research and edit this later).
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Tuesday and Wednesday were filled with running errands during the daylight hours and practicing fiddle, banjo and guitar evenings. A practice had been scheduled for "Two-Step Bluegrass" for Wednesday evening but was cancelled a few hours early due to band member last-minute scheduling problems.
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This Monday night was a lot of fun at the Elizabethton jam at the Sunshine Market. Lots of pickers showed up. Space has now been made available in the rear area of the store where the musicians and their "fans" can assemble and enjoy the warmth during the autumn and winter months. Our sincere "Thanks" goes out to the owner for such kindness and consideration. Some of the musicians present that I can remember are: Big Ed Dance, mandolin; Ron Duncan, mandolin; Eddy Ray, bass and mandolin; Randy Carrier, mandolin; Alan Shepard and his son Alan Jr, each switching back and forth on the guitar and banjo; Roger Messer, bass; Cooter Williams and Harvey Tester (neither one played this evening, but both are accomplished guitarists); Terry Tester, banjo; Frank Wing, banjo; Gordon Hoyle, guitar; Mary Winchell, mandolin; yours truly, fiddle and banjo; Bill Fernald, guitar; Teddy Morton, resonator guitar; Kenny Williams, bass; and probably some others that I've forgotten. It was a beautiful autumn evening and we all played outside, taking advantage of the weather knowing full well it won't last forever.
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Sunday, Mary and I and our guests Bill and Sally Fernald took a little Sunday drive down to Buladeen, North Carolina, for an ice cream cone at the local gas station/general store. We went to Bakersville and drove around for a while first. The autumn colors were fantastic. Mary took lots of photographs. I've posted a few of them here on the site. Later, at home, Bill and I played our guitars for several hours running through a lot of the songs we've known for years. We went to bed late and got up late Monday morning. Tonight, we'll go over to Elizabethton for our weekly Bluegrass jam at the Sunshine Market on Rte 400.
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Saturday found Mary and me at a "Community Gathering" near Stone Dam, TN. Here, we were invited to an incredible feast of home-baked goods (all manner of dishes prepared by excellent cooks) that were very, very delicious. Later, after a wonderful meal, I played banjo with the band "Bob and Homer & The Bluegrass Boys". Members of the band that were present were: Bob Nelson, Homer Ball, Charlie Black, Mike Broome and yours truly. (Tom Caldwell was unable to make it). What a wonderful time alongside Pudding Brook, picking Bluegrass and singing to the many community members who gathered there for their annual get-together.
Mary and I followed Mike Broome to the Rheatown Store for some more pickin' and singin' before heading home to await the midnight arrival of our dear friends Bill and Sally Fernald who are in town after having been in the Chattanooga area. They'll stay with us a few days before returning to Zephyr Hills, Florida.
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Friday, from about 3:00 p.m. until 7:00 p.m. we picked Bluegrass on North Main Street in Erwin at the Apple Festival. We started in the Choo Choo Cafe, and after a few tunes, moved outside to where the crowds were gathered. Passersby had the opportunity to hear our band "String Fever" with all but one member present (Jim Hady was not able to make the performance). Those members present were Gary Taylor, band leader and bassist, Jerry Sams, guitar, Ron Duncan, banjo, Lisa Pattison, fiddle, Ed Snodderly, resonator guitar, and yours truly (filling in for Jim Hady), guitar and mandolin. Over 100,000 people are in town for the festival and there was truly standing room only on the streets, so our Bluegrass was heard and appreciated by a LOT of people. Many passersby stopped and clogged and danced to the music. We all had a blast. Thanks to Gary Taylor for including me in the lineup. I so much enjoy playing with these seasoned veterans of Bluegrass music.
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Thursday night, we jammed at the Red Barn in Unicoi. We all had a great time. We always have a great time at Mr. and Mrs. Burl Mast's "Red Barn". So many of our Bluegrass friends come there each Thursday and we just look forward to seeing them all.
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Mary and I sure had a blast yesterday afternoon down at Norma Jean's house while Mary helped Norma with her computer. I laughed so hard my sides ached! What a wonderful lady. From there, we went to Elizabethton for the Monday night jam. We all picked inside. The core group that first got started picking consisted of Kenny Williams, guitar; Ron Duncan, mandolin; Terry Tester, banjo; Charlie Booher, bass; and yours truly on fiddle. We were joined a little later by Teddy Morton, resonator guitar; Frank Wing, banjo; Clancy Mullins, banjo; Cooter Williams, Gordon Hoyle, Mary Winchell (my sweetheart), and Bill Hardin on guitars. Later, Kenny switched to fiddle, Terry to guitar, and I switched to banjo for another go around at it. We jammed for several hours. There was also a jam session in the front area (inside) of the market. I know Mr. & Mrs. Galen and Katie Jeter and their son Cory were present as were many other pickers. Cory is enrolled in the Bluegrass Music Bachelor's Degree Program at ETSU and can "tear up" a flattop guitar. I'll be playing banjo and fiddle in their band temporarily for a couple of gigs on Saturday the 15th of October for the Farmer's Market in Jonesborough and at the Davy Crockett Park in Limestone later in the day. I'm looking forward to this as they are all accomplished musicians and fun to pick with.
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Today, Sunday was our weekly jam session at Robert Crigger's Rock Creek Opry Place. The musicians who showed today did an exceptional job pickin' and singin'. They were: Bob Van Horn, guitar; Ron Duncan, guitar and mandolin; Terry Tester, banjo and guitar; Eddy Ray, mandolin; and yours truly on fiddle and a little bit of banjo toward the very end. Bob sang a few of his old favorites as did Ron and Terry. Our special guest star was none other than Robert Crigger who played rhythm Bluegrass guitar for most of the afternoon, sang a few tunes and ended up playing my fiddle while I switched to banjo. Robert is a very accomplished musician and he does a great job on playing double-stop fiddling. He's real smooth at fiddling and he loves playing music just like the rest of us. We all had a great afternoon. Next Sunday the Opry Place will be closed because of the Apple Festival taking place in Erwin when over 100,000 people are expected to be in town. I'll be playing at the Choo Choo Cafe with "String Fever" right there on North Main street all day Friday and also Saturday morning until noon or maybe even 1:00 in the afternoon, so it should be lots of fun. Directly after finishing playing in Erwin on Saturday, I'll have to drive up to Chuckey, TN, to play there in the late afternoon and early evening with "Bob and Homer & The Bluegrass Boys".
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I think the 1st Annual Rice Creek Bluegrass festival, held Saturday, October 1st, was a huge success in spite of the cold weather. When Mary and I (and Ron, Sherri and Gordon) first arrived, I got right into a jam session with Big Ron Lewis, Edison Wallin and Mike Broome that lasted quite a while and was very enjoyable. Then Mike and I were called off by fellow band members to practice up for our stage show which had been moved back to 6:00 p.m. We started practicing at about 3:45 and played right up until we went on stage and then played on stage for nearly an hour. It was so cold each one of us had problems with our fingers and with our instruments staying in tune, but we toughed it out and had a great time.....now that's dedication. It was 47 degrees with a slight choppy swirling wind! Stay tuned at this website for pictures of band members freezing to death....lol!
The food concessions were superb. Many of us watched the apple butter being made over the wood fire and there were several ground campfires to help us all stay warmer throughout the festivities. It was well attended and I noted many little children having the absolute time of their lives running around and playing, seeming totally oblivious to the cold.
Eddy Ray kindly asked a bunch of us to play at this festival and he practiced with us but became too cold to go on stage with us. Band members on stage were: Ron Duncan, banjo; Jerry Sams, guitar; Terry Tester, double bass; Mike Broome, resonator guitar; and yours truly on fiddle. (Eddy had intended to play mandolin with us). We all give our "Thanks" to Eddy for thinking of us and to Frank and Julie Rogers for hosting us. Needless to say, we're all looking forward to next year and the 2nd Annual Rice Creek Bluegrass Festival.
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Friday afternoon Mary and I rode with Ron and Sherri and Gordon up to the Rice Creek festival site where the festivities are scheduled to begin today (Saturday October 1st). We all dug in for a superb pig and chicken roast with all the fixin's preceded and followed by Bluegrass pickin' extraordinaire. When we arrived there was a small group of accomplished pickers set up in a circle adjacent to the roaster and the smells of food were most inviting. The group consisted of Frank Rogers, Mike Broome, Big Ron Lewis, Edison Wallin and Cathy Arrowwood. Later, when our group formed, it consisted of Ron Duncan, Jerry Sams, Eddy Ray, Mike Broome and yours truly. There was a 15 mph breeze and the temperature was down in the low fifties, yet we all persevered. When it started to rain we went up on the stage to pick. Soon we were accompanied by Tim Decker, Gary Laws, Mike Hensley, Frank Rogers, the young multi-talented James Story (excellent mandolinist) and others. We all picked for several hours, quitting around 9:00 p.m. No doubt we are all dedicated, hard-core "Bluegrassers" !!!
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Thursday night Mary and I went up to Philadelphia, TN, to The Pilot Hill General Store for a tasty meal of hotdogs, hamburgers and french fries, and some Bluegrass pickin' on the porch. Many of the old "standbys" were there pickin' up a storm. It was nice to see them all and we stayed a couple of hours and had a good time. We hadn't been up in the area on a Thursday night in quite a while....it was a pleasure to see so many friends again. We then took off back to Unicoi to the Red Barn to see some more of our Bluegrass friends. I ended up pickin' the fiddle in Burl Mast's basement with Alan Shepard and his son, Alan Junior, and Terry Tester, Ron Duncan and another fellow I have seen several times but haven't been introduced to. We picked for an hour and a half or so and then departed for home.
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Monday night, September 26th, we went to Elizabethton at the Sunshine Market and got into a lengthy jam outside beneath the huge overhang on the right-hand side of the building. The core group consisted of Ron Duncan, Terry Tester, me, Harvey Tester, Ron Lewis and Bill "Charlie" Booher. Many others joined in throughout the night. Later, Mary got into some pickin' with Ron Duncan's Flatiron mandolin and joined in on the fun. Alan Shepard, his son Alan Junior, and his son Thomas, showed up later, too, along with Teddy Morton who high-tenored the Bill Monroe classic "Footprints in the Snow". Others - too many to mention - dropped in, as well. We all had a great time. There was also another group playing inside due to the lightly falling rain. I saw Galen and his son Cory, and also Ken Williams, Randy Carrier, Teddy Morton, Tim Decker and others, but I didn't get a chance to come in and pick with them....hopefully next time. A nice audience was seated all around the pickers and members were very supportive with their applause....just a great time was had by all.
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Sunday, I picked at The Rock Creek Opry Place in Erwin. Pickers on stage at different times throughout the day were: Junior on guitar, Bob Van Horn on guitar, Jerry Sams on guitar, Eddy Ray on bass and mandolin, Ron Duncan on banjo, guitar and mandolin, Warren Shelton on bass, and yours truly on fiddle and banjo. The event was well attended and everyone had a great time. Our host, Robert Crigger is a wonderful man and we are all very thankful to him for providing such a great place to pick and sing.
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Saturday morning I played with "Bob & Homer & The Bluegrass Boys" up in Chuckey, TN at a nursing home for an autumn fund raising event. Band members present were Bob Nelson on lead guitar and vocals, Homer Ball on rhythm guitar and vocals, Tom Caldwell on mandolin and vocals, Mike Broome on double bass and vocals and yours truly on banjo and vocals. We really enjoyed the audience and playing for them. I always enjoy this group to pick with. They're all such kind southern gentlemen.
Later, we met with our friends at the Bluegrass festivities in Watauga at the City Hall and listened to several groups play at the "Mike Scott Homecoming".
After this event which ended at 6:00 p.m., we went south to Erwin for a Benefit Bluegrass Performance at the parking lot of The Food Lion named "Help For Mike" who is a young man stricken with a cancerous-type disease that Doctors are struggling with. This was a very supportive turnout and much money was raised to help with the medical costs. The main attraction was the last band, "The Spivey Mountain Boys". Wow! What a great group!
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Last night, Mary and I went to Wade and Shirley Ledford's for a wonderful dinner and pickin' Bluegrass. There we picked with Tom Harrald, Roger Messer, Harvey Tester, Big Ron Lewis, Brian, the fiddler, Frank Culler, Cooter Williams, Mike Laws and our host, Wade Ledford. A great time was had by all. It's always a wonderful time at the Ledfords.
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Yesterday, after a surprise birthday luncheon for me arranged by Mary, at the Golden Corral in Johnson City, Mary and I attended the shows at The Red Barn in Unicoi, TN. I jammed outside with a bunch of pickers until a gentle rain started slowly soaking me and my old banjo. Being a little slower these days, I finally remembered I was smart enough to come out of the rain, so I went inside the Red Barn, found Mary and sat with her through a couple of different bands. We enjoyed them both. The first one, "Makeshift" was a very talented group (4) who had their vocals nailed right down and were very good on their instruments as well. The next and last group of the evening was the "Hilltoppers", a nationally known band who played southern Appalachian music that pre-dated Bluegrass. It was a wonderful performance. My friend Terry tester plays clawhammer banjo with this group as well as playing in a group with Ron Duncan and me called "Dyed in the Wool".
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Wednesday night I was asked to play with the main core of "String Fever" up at the Moose Lodge in Johnson City. Ron Duncan played banjo, Jerry Sams played guitar, Gary Taylor played double bass and I played the fiddle. We were very well received by the audience. We all had a great time pickin', singin' and visitin' back and forth. After the performance, we all hung out in the back room and told stories and jokes and laughed our fool heads off. Many thanks to the Band for letting me sit in.
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Tuesday night I played with "Two Step Bluegrass" at the Life Center Nursing home in Elizabethton. We played for 1 1/2 hours and had an absolutely wonderful time entertaining the "old folks". Mary took some photos, so look for a few here and there around this site, shortly.
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Monday night was a really great pickin' night at the Sunshine Market in Elizabethton. There were four distinct circles of Bluegrassers all pickin' at the same time. This jam is one of my true all-time favorites.
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Yesterday, we picked outside at the Rock Creek Opry Place in Erwin. Lots of fun. A real talented mandolinist, Ed, showed up from Marion, NC and fit right in with our jam. We all hope to see more of him in the near future.
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Saturday, Mary and I left for Rheatown to pick with the gang there. We had a blast, as we always do, and much pickin' and grinnin' was had by all.
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Last night, September 16th, Mary and I were guests at the home of Wade and Shirley Ledford. What a tasty spaghetti dinner followed by some great Bluegrass music with many of our Bluegrass friends providing the entertainment.
Today, we head for a pickin' party in Upchurch, TN. Later, we'll stop by the Rheatown Store for some more pickin' on our way home. Looks to be another great Bluegrass day!
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Today, September 15th, is my brother Dave's ( "Grizz") Birthday. Happy Birthday Grizz! Many more to you Bro. Signed: Your Idol.
Also today, Mary and I will have to decide whether to go down to Marshall, NC and pick with Bobby Hicks and a few of his endearing friends at the Zuma Coffee House in town, or go to the Old Pilot Hill General Store in Philadelphia, TN, and pick there with the many pickers who show each Thursday, or maybe go just down the road a piece to Burl's Red Barn and pick and sing with our many close friends who show up there each Thursday evening. Too early to tell.....but one thing's almost for certain, we'll pick some Bluegrass somewhere!
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Today, September 12th, Mary and I will head down to Elizabethton to the Sunshine Market and meet up with many of our friends and do some serious pickin', singin' and grinnin'! The Monday Night Jam is always a real treat and so many of us look forward to it every week. One never knows who all will show up to pick and sing. But there's always plenty of musicians. When the weather cools, we'll all be inside in the backroom storage area where it's heated.
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Yesterday, the 11th of September was a picking blast at the Rock Creek Opry Place on rte 395 in Erwin. The Stage Band played for a little over three hours and fun was had by all who attended. We honored the victims of 9-11 by playing The Battle Hymn of The Republic as was thoughtfully suggested by Eddy Ray.
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Sunday afternoon was lots of fun at the Rock Creek Opry Place in Erwin. Before we got started playing very much Bluegrass, we all signed a get well card for our friend and fellow band member, Bob Van Horn, who has been in the hospital for over 10 days. We all miss Bob and wish him a speedy recovery. Musicians that came out this Sunday were "Big Ed" Dance, Eddy Ray, Warren Shelton, Ron Duncan, Gordon Hoyle, Mary Winchell and yours truly. Another fellow showed up after a while and played guitar and sang a few numbers, but I didn't get his name. Also, as a special treat, Robert Crigger, our host, came up and played fiddle for several numbers. He has a great "touch" on the fiddle and does a great job with "Maiden's Prayer" and "Faded Love" among many others. We all had a great time.
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Saturday night Mary and I went out with Ron and Sherry in search of some Bluegrass music. Ron had read in the paper that the Dennis Cove band was playing at Gentleman Jim's but when we got there and inquired about it, we were told that Gentleman Jim's was closing forever that very same night and they had cancelled the band and didn't get the news into the newspaper in time. So we went up to Jonesborough to the Cranberry Thistle but it was a country band scheduled to play, not Bluegrass, so we went from there into Johnson City to the Empire Buffet Chinese food restaurant, had dinner and drove back to Erwin, got in our car and Mary and I came home to watch TV and retire early.
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Due to discomfort from a rotator cup, I intentionally refrained from playing music Wednesday and Thursday. Friday night Mary and I went over to Wade and Shirley Ledford's so that I could practice for the upcoming show on November 10th at The Red Barn. My shoulder blade was still too painful to operate freely. I just listened to the rest of the band rehearse so that I would have a better idea what the program material was going to be and what keys I would have to play the fiddle in on the night of the performance. Wade, Frank Culler, Harvey Tester and Mike Laws all played guitars as they worked out material for our song list. Mary played along on one of Wade's mandolins for the fun of it. I was itching to play the whole while everyone else was playing but limited my playing to a couple of breaks on a couple of tunes...that was it.
Mary had taken pictures of Wade & Shirley and Steve & Helen and also Wade and yours truly earlier in the week at a family picnic of the Ledford's and she was eager to present the enlarged copies, all nicely framed, to Shirley and Helen. They really liked the pictures a lot. Also, Shirley had made a Blackberry Pudding Pie from Wade's grandmother's recipe. Mary and I had never tasted one and Wade had promised he'd have one there for us when Friday night came. Wow! What a treat! When we left, Shirley gave us the remainder to take home and enjoy. Sore shoulder and all, I appointed myself the one to carry the pudding pie to the car!
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Tuesday night we drove up to Bluff City to the Resue Squad Hall on Rte 44. Mary and I learned in Elizabethton a couple of Monday's ago that the Rescue Squad in Bluff City had recently started a Bluegrass Jam on Tuesday nights. We've been wondering what to do some Tuesday nights, so we thought we'd take a drive up there and check it out. We both were quite impressed with the musically talented people who showed up to jam. Many of the people are members of the same band so the music had a more polished, rehearsed sound to it than would be otherwise. It was more like a band practice with the ability for others to sit in. We're thinking of going again, but bringing more "jammers" and opening up another of the rooms available for music. Mary and I saw several familiar faces and even saw our good friend, Gary Taylor, who heads up the band "String Fever". Gary lives close by in Bluff City.
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Monday night at the Sunshine Market was a lot of fun. Many of the pickers showed up and played in the back storage room which had been cleared out and several rows of chairs all lined up for listeners. I played banjo for over an hour before switching to fiddle when Teddy Morton switched from resonator guitar to banjo. Ron Duncan, Randy Carrier (for a few tunes) and Mary all picked mandolin, while Terry Tester, Cooter Williams and Harvey Tester played guitars and Charlie Booher played bass. Later, Cory Jeter and a couple of his fellow Bluegrass music students from ETSU showed up and flat-picked and sang and had a great time. There was also another group of Bluegrass pickers in the front room of the store. I noticed Alan Shepard and his son, Alan, Jr., picking out in front with Frank Wing on banjo and Randy Carrier on mandolin. There was a bass player and a guitar picker that I hadn't met before that were also part of the group. We all had a super time. Monday nights are a real musical pleasure for a lot of people. There's always a good audience that shows up to listen to the traditional Bluegrass.
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Sunday at the Rock Creek Opry Place started off kinda slow at first but developed into a nice jam session with me playing my banjo, Eddy Ray playing Mary's mandolin, Mary playing Ron Duncan's mandolin, Ron Duncan and Gordon Hoyle playing guitars and Warren Shelton thumpin' on Eddy Ray's double bass. We all sang and picked for a couple of hours and then Mary and I had to leave to get to a family picnic hosted by Wade and Shirley Ledford. We got to meet a lot of the members of the extended family and have some excellent food on an absolutely perfect Tennessee day. Wade told Mary and me that we are part of the family and we sure do feel that way. We feel like we've known them for years even though it's only been about three months. This coming Friday night, Mary and I will be attending a Halloween party in Elizabethton at the request of Mike Laws and directly after we leave there, we'll be going (with Mike) to Wade and Shirley's to practice for Wade's upcoming performance at The Red Barn on November 10th. Wade has told me all about Shirley's special blackberry pudding and said he'd have her make it special for us......so I don't want to miss that!
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Saturday afternoon I played in the little town of Milburnton, Tennessee, with Bob and Homer and The Bluegrass Boys. We played at a little Methodist country church after having a wonderful meal hosted by the church members. There was not a cloud in the sky and the weather was beautiful with a temperature around 58 degrees as the sun prepared to set. It was a little cool to pick our instruments in the shady areas but we all endured the cold, numbing effects of Autumn and enjoyed the day just like all the many who turned out for the Milburnton Community Fall Fun Day festival. Members of the band playing traditional Bluegrass and Bluegrass Gospel today were: Bob Nelson, lead guitar; Homer Ball, rhythm guitar; Mike Broome, resonator guitar, mandolin and fiddle; and yours truly on banjo. Mary took some pictures of the band and we'll post them here shortly along with pictures of our trip to Marshall, North Carolina and also some pictures of our Monday night jamming at Elizabethton. As Mary and I traveled on Glendale Road out to meet with 81 South, we couldn't help but notice the sheer beauty of the rolling hills and the perfectly kept farms dotting the hillsides all seeming to remind us of why we're so happy here in sunny Tennessee with our many country friends. About a half-dozen people came up to me after we finished playing at the church pavilion to comment on my banjo playing and one fellow I distinctly remember saying "I'm so glad you've moved to Tennessee...What took you so long?"
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Mary and I spent Friday evening at Wade and Shirley Ledford's picking and singing with many other guests. Wade played guitar and sang. Also, Cooter Williams and Harvey Tester played guitar and Harvey sang a few numbers. Terry Tester picked banjo for a while after he played Wade's new guitar that Mike Laws built for Wade. I mostly played the fiddle, but I did sing a few songs while playing Wade's new guitar. Roger Messer played some fiddle and some guitar and Tom Harrald played mandolin. Mike Laws played mostly banjo, but did play some mandolin towards the end of the evening. Frank Culler played some guitar, too. Mary played a 1919 Kalamazoo mandolin (belonging to Frank) and enjoyed it very much. We all had some summer sausage, crackers, sharp cheese and pickles and after some conversation, got right back into picking and singing again. Mary and I always enjoy our visits to the Ledford's. What a great way to spend a Friday night............pickin' 'n singin' amongst friends!!!
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Wednesday was a practice Bluegrass around the house day and catch up on errands, etc.
Thursday was quite a day indeed! Along about 4:00 p.m. Mary and I stopped at Ron and Sherry's to visit and before long, we were all in the car heading for Marshall, North Carolina, to catch Bobby Hicks playing at the Zuma Coffe House on Main Street. Mary and I had been several times and each time I would take the floor and jam and play along with Bobby and the gang of musicians who faithfully show every Thursday night. But this time I had forgotten my banjo picks and changed the strings on my old fiddle that same morning and worried that I would be distracting by having to tune a lot, so I left the instruments in the car and just became a listener for the evening. The musicians present were: Bobby Hicks, Adam Masters, Mac Claflin, Roger Howell and Kathryn Parham on fiddles, Bryce Parham (Kathryn's father) on guitar, and Cathy Arrowwood on double bass. The band was later joined by my friend Steve Davidowski, pianist. Noticeably missing was Orrin Jenstad on mandolin. Also missing from the last time Mary and I were there was Leonard Hollifield, vocals and guitar, and Branson Raines on fiddle. We all had such a great time!
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Tuesday Mary and I played some of Terry Tester's CDs while we drove around doing different errands. I've been asked to record with Terry at Cooter William's Studio here in eastern TN, so I figure it's a good idea to get acquainted with the "flavor" of his music, i.e., timing, phrasing, special tunings of instruments, etc., before hitting the studio ill-prepared. Terry also has asked Kenny Williams to play guitar, Mike Laws to play bass, Ron Duncan to play mandolin (and me to fiddle) while he plays banjo on the CDs. Terry is a pleasure to pick with. He's a very accomplished musician who has played with Bill Monroe and Raymond Fairchild. He knows how to play a number of different instruments very well and sings so high the Apostles can hear him!
I'm looking forward to the recording sessions.
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Monday night in Elizabethton was truly a fun time. There was just the right mix of pickers. I started out playing banjo with Charlie Booher on bass, Kenny Williams on fiddle, Cooter Williams, Harvey Tester and Ron Duncan on guitars and after a short while I decided to take a breather and Terry Tester played banjo along with those already mentioned and Teddy Morton played resonator guitar and Gordon Hoyle on guitar and Eddy Ray and Roger Messer playing different instruments and then I switched back and forth between mandolin and fiddle. Later, Alan Shepard, his son Alan Jr., and Randy Carrier, Jeff Webb and others kept the Bluegrass flowing for quite some time. My sweetheart, Mary, played mandolin for quite a while throughout the evening and also thumped the washtub bass for a few tunes. I took her camera and got a few pictures of her playing and I'll post them soon. Many of the "Sunshine Market Bluegrass Ramblers" signed the washtub bass which belongs to Wes Holtsclaw who can really play it very well. It's a really cool instrument in the hands of someone who knows how to play it.
It was fun playing some twin-fiddle stuff with Kenny Williams tonight. Usually either Kenny will play fiddle or I will and Kenny will play another Bluegrass instrument (he's very talented and can play several instruments) so it's really a treat to get to play double fiddle stuff. It never ceases to amaze me how many other of these southern musicians around eastern Tennessee can switch off between so many different instruments....and play them all so well.
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The Bluegrass music jam at Rock Creek Opry Place in Erwin this past Sunday, October 16th, was a lot of fun. Most of the usual pickers were present. Pickers such as: Bob Van Horn, Ron Duncan, Eddy Ray and yours truly. Then we were treated to other pickers that come less frequently, such as Terry Tester and Ed Dance. We missed seeing Warren Shelton, Kenny Williams, Jerry Sams, Junior and others, but hopefully we'll see them next time.
A special treat was when Tim Decker showed up and brought his banjo. Tim is a very accomplished banjoist and high-tenor and lead singer. It was a pleasure to have him on stage.
Another joy was when Adam and Sarah Grace Larkey and their father, Eric, showed up and performed for about an hour. These kids (and their father) are very talented. They were joined by Tim Decker on banjo (he often accompanies them during performances) and Terry Tester on bass.
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Saturday morning Mary and I left early to travel to Jonesborough. On the way, we stopped at Gentleman Jim's for a light breakfast and arrived in Jonesborough ahead of schedule. Here, we met with Galen, Katie and Cory Jeter who all make up the Bluegrass band "Rural Route". We began playing (I played banjo) at 9:00 a.m. and finished around 11:30 a.m. I had never performed at The Farmer's Market and found it to be a very pleasurable experience. Later, Galen, Katie, Mary and I had lunch at The Mountain View restaurant on route 11E before heading over to the Davy Crockett Birthplace State Park where "Rural Route" played from 2:20 'til 3:50. While at the Davy Crockett Birthplace State Park, Mary and I had the good fortune of meeting up with Mr. and Mrs. Mike Broome who were in attendance in the audience. Mike is a fellow member with me in the band called "Bob and Homer & The Bluegrass Boys". He's a super picker and a wonderful fellow. Other bands that played at this event were: TV Barnett and the Roan Mountain Moonshiners; Lonesome Pine; and Payne Town Crossing.
After the show, Mary and I headed to Unicoi to catch the last few songs of "String Fever" who were performing at The Heritage Days in Unicoi. Here, Gary Taylor, Ron Duncan, Jerry Sams and Jim Hady were playing along with special guest fiddler Kenny Williams who was filling in for Lisa Pattison who was absent. Later, after some good old laughs, most of the gang headed for Rocky's Pizza in Erwin for a late dinner. When Mary and I finally arrived home, it didn't take too long before we were sound asleep after what was a super day with many of our friends.
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Friday afternoon and evening found Mary and I at the Center for Aging and Health in Erwin for their fall festivities. I played fiddle for the band "String Fever". Other band members playing were: Gary Taylor, band leader and bassist; Ron Duncan, banjo; Jerry Sams, guitar; and Jim Hady switching back and forth between mandolin and guitar. The band was a "hit" and well received by all who attended. Mary took some great photos that will be posted soon. By the time we got out, I was too tired to get to Wade Ledford's house for the Friday night jam and I knew I had to practice banjo for my upcoming work the next morning in Jonesborough with the band "Rural Route Bluegrass". We had a great time at the Center. Thanks to the band "String Fever" for inviting me to play with them.
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Thursday, Mary, Robert, (Mary's brother) and I went to Norma Jean Campbell's for a surprise combined birthday for Lena (Norma Jean's sister) and Mary. The idea was Terry Tester's and Terry and Norma provided a superb meal of ham, mashed potatoes, vegetables, stuffing, cake and ice cream and a whole lot of other foods too numerable to mention. Later, Ron Duncan, Terry and I provided Old-Time and Bluegrass music. Those in attendance were Jim and Lena, Pauline (also Norma's sister), Terry and Norma, Ron and Sherry, and Robert, Mary and me. Ron, Terry and I discussed Terry's upcoming CDs which are in the planning stages presently and we worked on a few tunes that may well be included.
Later, Terry, Norma, Ron, Sherry, Mary and I went over to The Red Barn for the usual Thursday night music scene. After the in-house country band played, "Jonesborough Jim" played for an hour and after him, the featured attraction was "The Adam Larkey Band". Adam (15 years of age) and his sister, Sarah Grace, (10 years of age) rocked the house with their talents. They were very ably assisted by Adam's father, Eric, on guitar, a member of the "Spivey Mountain Boys" on bass and an excellent banjo picker from the local area. (My apologies for not knowing the names of the additional band members, but I'll do a little research and edit this later).
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Tuesday and Wednesday were filled with running errands during the daylight hours and practicing fiddle, banjo and guitar evenings. A practice had been scheduled for "Two-Step Bluegrass" for Wednesday evening but was cancelled a few hours early due to band member last-minute scheduling problems.
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This Monday night was a lot of fun at the Elizabethton jam at the Sunshine Market. Lots of pickers showed up. Space has now been made available in the rear area of the store where the musicians and their "fans" can assemble and enjoy the warmth during the autumn and winter months. Our sincere "Thanks" goes out to the owner for such kindness and consideration. Some of the musicians present that I can remember are: Big Ed Dance, mandolin; Ron Duncan, mandolin; Eddy Ray, bass and mandolin; Randy Carrier, mandolin; Alan Shepard and his son Alan Jr, each switching back and forth on the guitar and banjo; Roger Messer, bass; Cooter Williams and Harvey Tester (neither one played this evening, but both are accomplished guitarists); Terry Tester, banjo; Frank Wing, banjo; Gordon Hoyle, guitar; Mary Winchell, mandolin; yours truly, fiddle and banjo; Bill Fernald, guitar; Teddy Morton, resonator guitar; Kenny Williams, bass; and probably some others that I've forgotten. It was a beautiful autumn evening and we all played outside, taking advantage of the weather knowing full well it won't last forever.
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Sunday, Mary and I and our guests Bill and Sally Fernald took a little Sunday drive down to Buladeen, North Carolina, for an ice cream cone at the local gas station/general store. We went to Bakersville and drove around for a while first. The autumn colors were fantastic. Mary took lots of photographs. I've posted a few of them here on the site. Later, at home, Bill and I played our guitars for several hours running through a lot of the songs we've known for years. We went to bed late and got up late Monday morning. Tonight, we'll go over to Elizabethton for our weekly Bluegrass jam at the Sunshine Market on Rte 400.
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Saturday found Mary and me at a "Community Gathering" near Stone Dam, TN. Here, we were invited to an incredible feast of home-baked goods (all manner of dishes prepared by excellent cooks) that were very, very delicious. Later, after a wonderful meal, I played banjo with the band "Bob and Homer & The Bluegrass Boys". Members of the band that were present were: Bob Nelson, Homer Ball, Charlie Black, Mike Broome and yours truly. (Tom Caldwell was unable to make it). What a wonderful time alongside Pudding Brook, picking Bluegrass and singing to the many community members who gathered there for their annual get-together.
Mary and I followed Mike Broome to the Rheatown Store for some more pickin' and singin' before heading home to await the midnight arrival of our dear friends Bill and Sally Fernald who are in town after having been in the Chattanooga area. They'll stay with us a few days before returning to Zephyr Hills, Florida.
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Friday, from about 3:00 p.m. until 7:00 p.m. we picked Bluegrass on North Main Street in Erwin at the Apple Festival. We started in the Choo Choo Cafe, and after a few tunes, moved outside to where the crowds were gathered. Passersby had the opportunity to hear our band "String Fever" with all but one member present (Jim Hady was not able to make the performance). Those members present were Gary Taylor, band leader and bassist, Jerry Sams, guitar, Ron Duncan, banjo, Lisa Pattison, fiddle, Ed Snodderly, resonator guitar, and yours truly (filling in for Jim Hady), guitar and mandolin. Over 100,000 people are in town for the festival and there was truly standing room only on the streets, so our Bluegrass was heard and appreciated by a LOT of people. Many passersby stopped and clogged and danced to the music. We all had a blast. Thanks to Gary Taylor for including me in the lineup. I so much enjoy playing with these seasoned veterans of Bluegrass music.
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Thursday night, we jammed at the Red Barn in Unicoi. We all had a great time. We always have a great time at Mr. and Mrs. Burl Mast's "Red Barn". So many of our Bluegrass friends come there each Thursday and we just look forward to seeing them all.
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Mary and I sure had a blast yesterday afternoon down at Norma Jean's house while Mary helped Norma with her computer. I laughed so hard my sides ached! What a wonderful lady. From there, we went to Elizabethton for the Monday night jam. We all picked inside. The core group that first got started picking consisted of Kenny Williams, guitar; Ron Duncan, mandolin; Terry Tester, banjo; Charlie Booher, bass; and yours truly on fiddle. We were joined a little later by Teddy Morton, resonator guitar; Frank Wing, banjo; Clancy Mullins, banjo; Cooter Williams, Gordon Hoyle, Mary Winchell (my sweetheart), and Bill Hardin on guitars. Later, Kenny switched to fiddle, Terry to guitar, and I switched to banjo for another go around at it. We jammed for several hours. There was also a jam session in the front area (inside) of the market. I know Mr. & Mrs. Galen and Katie Jeter and their son Cory were present as were many other pickers. Cory is enrolled in the Bluegrass Music Bachelor's Degree Program at ETSU and can "tear up" a flattop guitar. I'll be playing banjo and fiddle in their band temporarily for a couple of gigs on Saturday the 15th of October for the Farmer's Market in Jonesborough and at the Davy Crockett Park in Limestone later in the day. I'm looking forward to this as they are all accomplished musicians and fun to pick with.
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Today, Sunday was our weekly jam session at Robert Crigger's Rock Creek Opry Place. The musicians who showed today did an exceptional job pickin' and singin'. They were: Bob Van Horn, guitar; Ron Duncan, guitar and mandolin; Terry Tester, banjo and guitar; Eddy Ray, mandolin; and yours truly on fiddle and a little bit of banjo toward the very end. Bob sang a few of his old favorites as did Ron and Terry. Our special guest star was none other than Robert Crigger who played rhythm Bluegrass guitar for most of the afternoon, sang a few tunes and ended up playing my fiddle while I switched to banjo. Robert is a very accomplished musician and he does a great job on playing double-stop fiddling. He's real smooth at fiddling and he loves playing music just like the rest of us. We all had a great afternoon. Next Sunday the Opry Place will be closed because of the Apple Festival taking place in Erwin when over 100,000 people are expected to be in town. I'll be playing at the Choo Choo Cafe with "String Fever" right there on North Main street all day Friday and also Saturday morning until noon or maybe even 1:00 in the afternoon, so it should be lots of fun. Directly after finishing playing in Erwin on Saturday, I'll have to drive up to Chuckey, TN, to play there in the late afternoon and early evening with "Bob and Homer & The Bluegrass Boys".
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I think the 1st Annual Rice Creek Bluegrass festival, held Saturday, October 1st, was a huge success in spite of the cold weather. When Mary and I (and Ron, Sherri and Gordon) first arrived, I got right into a jam session with Big Ron Lewis, Edison Wallin and Mike Broome that lasted quite a while and was very enjoyable. Then Mike and I were called off by fellow band members to practice up for our stage show which had been moved back to 6:00 p.m. We started practicing at about 3:45 and played right up until we went on stage and then played on stage for nearly an hour. It was so cold each one of us had problems with our fingers and with our instruments staying in tune, but we toughed it out and had a great time.....now that's dedication. It was 47 degrees with a slight choppy swirling wind! Stay tuned at this website for pictures of band members freezing to death....lol!
The food concessions were superb. Many of us watched the apple butter being made over the wood fire and there were several ground campfires to help us all stay warmer throughout the festivities. It was well attended and I noted many little children having the absolute time of their lives running around and playing, seeming totally oblivious to the cold.
Eddy Ray kindly asked a bunch of us to play at this festival and he practiced with us but became too cold to go on stage with us. Band members on stage were: Ron Duncan, banjo; Jerry Sams, guitar; Terry Tester, double bass; Mike Broome, resonator guitar; and yours truly on fiddle. (Eddy had intended to play mandolin with us). We all give our "Thanks" to Eddy for thinking of us and to Frank and Julie Rogers for hosting us. Needless to say, we're all looking forward to next year and the 2nd Annual Rice Creek Bluegrass Festival.
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Friday afternoon Mary and I rode with Ron and Sherri and Gordon up to the Rice Creek festival site where the festivities are scheduled to begin today (Saturday October 1st). We all dug in for a superb pig and chicken roast with all the fixin's preceded and followed by Bluegrass pickin' extraordinaire. When we arrived there was a small group of accomplished pickers set up in a circle adjacent to the roaster and the smells of food were most inviting. The group consisted of Frank Rogers, Mike Broome, Big Ron Lewis, Edison Wallin and Cathy Arrowwood. Later, when our group formed, it consisted of Ron Duncan, Jerry Sams, Eddy Ray, Mike Broome and yours truly. There was a 15 mph breeze and the temperature was down in the low fifties, yet we all persevered. When it started to rain we went up on the stage to pick. Soon we were accompanied by Tim Decker, Gary Laws, Mike Hensley, Frank Rogers, the young multi-talented James Story (excellent mandolinist) and others. We all picked for several hours, quitting around 9:00 p.m. No doubt we are all dedicated, hard-core "Bluegrassers" !!!
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Thursday night Mary and I went up to Philadelphia, TN, to The Pilot Hill General Store for a tasty meal of hotdogs, hamburgers and french fries, and some Bluegrass pickin' on the porch. Many of the old "standbys" were there pickin' up a storm. It was nice to see them all and we stayed a couple of hours and had a good time. We hadn't been up in the area on a Thursday night in quite a while....it was a pleasure to see so many friends again. We then took off back to Unicoi to the Red Barn to see some more of our Bluegrass friends. I ended up pickin' the fiddle in Burl Mast's basement with Alan Shepard and his son, Alan Junior, and Terry Tester, Ron Duncan and another fellow I have seen several times but haven't been introduced to. We picked for an hour and a half or so and then departed for home.
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Monday night, September 26th, we went to Elizabethton at the Sunshine Market and got into a lengthy jam outside beneath the huge overhang on the right-hand side of the building. The core group consisted of Ron Duncan, Terry Tester, me, Harvey Tester, Ron Lewis and Bill "Charlie" Booher. Many others joined in throughout the night. Later, Mary got into some pickin' with Ron Duncan's Flatiron mandolin and joined in on the fun. Alan Shepard, his son Alan Junior, and his son Thomas, showed up later, too, along with Teddy Morton who high-tenored the Bill Monroe classic "Footprints in the Snow". Others - too many to mention - dropped in, as well. We all had a great time. There was also another group playing inside due to the lightly falling rain. I saw Galen and his son Cory, and also Ken Williams, Randy Carrier, Teddy Morton, Tim Decker and others, but I didn't get a chance to come in and pick with them....hopefully next time. A nice audience was seated all around the pickers and members were very supportive with their applause....just a great time was had by all.
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Sunday, I picked at The Rock Creek Opry Place in Erwin. Pickers on stage at different times throughout the day were: Junior on guitar, Bob Van Horn on guitar, Jerry Sams on guitar, Eddy Ray on bass and mandolin, Ron Duncan on banjo, guitar and mandolin, Warren Shelton on bass, and yours truly on fiddle and banjo. The event was well attended and everyone had a great time. Our host, Robert Crigger is a wonderful man and we are all very thankful to him for providing such a great place to pick and sing.
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Saturday morning I played with "Bob & Homer & The Bluegrass Boys" up in Chuckey, TN at a nursing home for an autumn fund raising event. Band members present were Bob Nelson on lead guitar and vocals, Homer Ball on rhythm guitar and vocals, Tom Caldwell on mandolin and vocals, Mike Broome on double bass and vocals and yours truly on banjo and vocals. We really enjoyed the audience and playing for them. I always enjoy this group to pick with. They're all such kind southern gentlemen.
Later, we met with our friends at the Bluegrass festivities in Watauga at the City Hall and listened to several groups play at the "Mike Scott Homecoming".
After this event which ended at 6:00 p.m., we went south to Erwin for a Benefit Bluegrass Performance at the parking lot of The Food Lion named "Help For Mike" who is a young man stricken with a cancerous-type disease that Doctors are struggling with. This was a very supportive turnout and much money was raised to help with the medical costs. The main attraction was the last band, "The Spivey Mountain Boys". Wow! What a great group!
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Last night, Mary and I went to Wade and Shirley Ledford's for a wonderful dinner and pickin' Bluegrass. There we picked with Tom Harrald, Roger Messer, Harvey Tester, Big Ron Lewis, Brian, the fiddler, Frank Culler, Cooter Williams, Mike Laws and our host, Wade Ledford. A great time was had by all. It's always a wonderful time at the Ledfords.
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Yesterday, after a surprise birthday luncheon for me arranged by Mary, at the Golden Corral in Johnson City, Mary and I attended the shows at The Red Barn in Unicoi, TN. I jammed outside with a bunch of pickers until a gentle rain started slowly soaking me and my old banjo. Being a little slower these days, I finally remembered I was smart enough to come out of the rain, so I went inside the Red Barn, found Mary and sat with her through a couple of different bands. We enjoyed them both. The first one, "Makeshift" was a very talented group (4) who had their vocals nailed right down and were very good on their instruments as well. The next and last group of the evening was the "Hilltoppers", a nationally known band who played southern Appalachian music that pre-dated Bluegrass. It was a wonderful performance. My friend Terry tester plays clawhammer banjo with this group as well as playing in a group with Ron Duncan and me called "Dyed in the Wool".
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Wednesday night I was asked to play with the main core of "String Fever" up at the Moose Lodge in Johnson City. Ron Duncan played banjo, Jerry Sams played guitar, Gary Taylor played double bass and I played the fiddle. We were very well received by the audience. We all had a great time pickin', singin' and visitin' back and forth. After the performance, we all hung out in the back room and told stories and jokes and laughed our fool heads off. Many thanks to the Band for letting me sit in.
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Tuesday night I played with "Two Step Bluegrass" at the Life Center Nursing home in Elizabethton. We played for 1 1/2 hours and had an absolutely wonderful time entertaining the "old folks". Mary took some photos, so look for a few here and there around this site, shortly.
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Monday night was a really great pickin' night at the Sunshine Market in Elizabethton. There were four distinct circles of Bluegrassers all pickin' at the same time. This jam is one of my true all-time favorites.
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Yesterday, we picked outside at the Rock Creek Opry Place in Erwin. Lots of fun. A real talented mandolinist, Ed, showed up from Marion, NC and fit right in with our jam. We all hope to see more of him in the near future.
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Saturday, Mary and I left for Rheatown to pick with the gang there. We had a blast, as we always do, and much pickin' and grinnin' was had by all.
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Last night, September 16th, Mary and I were guests at the home of Wade and Shirley Ledford. What a tasty spaghetti dinner followed by some great Bluegrass music with many of our Bluegrass friends providing the entertainment.
Today, we head for a pickin' party in Upchurch, TN. Later, we'll stop by the Rheatown Store for some more pickin' on our way home. Looks to be another great Bluegrass day!
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Today, September 15th, is my brother Dave's ( "Grizz") Birthday. Happy Birthday Grizz! Many more to you Bro. Signed: Your Idol.
Also today, Mary and I will have to decide whether to go down to Marshall, NC and pick with Bobby Hicks and a few of his endearing friends at the Zuma Coffee House in town, or go to the Old Pilot Hill General Store in Philadelphia, TN, and pick there with the many pickers who show each Thursday, or maybe go just down the road a piece to Burl's Red Barn and pick and sing with our many close friends who show up there each Thursday evening. Too early to tell.....but one thing's almost for certain, we'll pick some Bluegrass somewhere!
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Today, September 12th, Mary and I will head down to Elizabethton to the Sunshine Market and meet up with many of our friends and do some serious pickin', singin' and grinnin'! The Monday Night Jam is always a real treat and so many of us look forward to it every week. One never knows who all will show up to pick and sing. But there's always plenty of musicians. When the weather cools, we'll all be inside in the backroom storage area where it's heated.
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Yesterday, the 11th of September was a picking blast at the Rock Creek Opry Place on rte 395 in Erwin. The Stage Band played for a little over three hours and fun was had by all who attended. We honored the victims of 9-11 by playing The Battle Hymn of The Republic as was thoughtfully suggested by Eddy Ray.
