The Last Hurrah - Maybe.

 Dave Propst  -  Brian Eldreth  -  Kenny Blair    Baltimore Bluegrass, 15 December 2013

15 December 2013

Baltimore Bluegrass Band played their guts out tonight. It was billed as the final appearance of this exceptional traditional bluegrass group from the Baltimore area. Fortunately, they'll be back at Jumbo Jimmy's to enhance the annual Christmas Party on the 22nd of December, and then that's it. After an eight-year run of fine music the dance is over. It was a crazy week leading up to tonight. Bad weather, Christmas shopping, and then the news that Baltimore Bluegrass stalwart Frankie Short was in the hospital after suffering a 'moderate' heart attack. There's no such thing as a moderate heart attack. It is what it is - a medical crisis. As they say, the show must go on. North along the Mason-Dixon Line shows were being cancelled right and left due to bad weather. Luckily, the Havre De Grace area escaped it. At 3:00 there was hardly anyone at Jumbo Jimmy's and I sat around and waited, while listening to Jerry Riecke and the troup of regular bluegrass jammers go through their paces. (Yvonne Smith: I love it when you pour heart into a song!) The band started coming in at 3:30. At 3:55 the place was packed and ready for a party. The darnedest thing I ever saw.
     Four sets of hard-charging bluegrass interspersed with Warren Blair's take on old honky tonk country songs. He always has the ability to turn a venue into a true roadhouse of the past. Back when taverns were called beer-joints and country music was really that. Baltimore Bluegrass has always relied heavily on vocal ability. They're masters at setting the right mood for the dancers or can be downright shocking for including a clear-as-cut-glass a cappella gospel number in the middle of the roadhouse. It worked and the audience loved it. It brought one of the night's biggest round of applause. Two more gospel numbers had the audience up and dancing. Actually, the wild dancing started around 4:30 and never quit until closing time. Two pivotal moments occurred. The first was when Warren Blair flew into "Orange Blossom Special." Yeah, you've heard it a million times in a million different places. Tonight, at least for me, I'd never heard it done quite this way. It bordered on the psychotic - and it was great. The second event was the appearance of Mike Munford, who played two numbers with the band and then stayed around to play some Christmas music. The Maryland bluegrass community continues to show its appreciation in kind for such a great talent. And concern too, for Frankie Short, Danny Paisley, and Mike Hartnett.
     I told somebody today on Facebook that with this bluegrass scene you just never know what's going to happen at a gathering. Therefore I'm reluctant to miss any of it. Without the support of this community there wouldn't be a bluegrass scene. It was all in evidence at Jumbo Jimmy's tonight with the outpouring for Baltimore Bluegrass and the concern for its members facing health issues. There really aren't any "Goodbyes" in store for this band. They'll be around for a long time, maybe in other settings or being called into other configurations. Or maybe they'll get together again sometime in the future at our request. It's not a party without them.

Baltimore Bluegrass:  Frankie Short, Dave Propst, Warren Blair, Steve Streett, Brian Eldreth.

Baltimore Bluegrass will be back at Jumbo Jimmy's Christmas Party on 22 December, 2013  with special guest Bobby Lundy on banjo