Pete Seeger is Dead

28 January 2014

     Yesterday, not having seen the news yet, a friend mentioned Pete Seeger and I was going to make a joke about whether he was still alive or not. I didn't make the joke. Irony of ironies he died a few hours later and of course it was all over the news that another American Icon was dead at age 94. When I was a kid and television was new (there were only four TV sets within a two-block radius of the house I grew up in,) the McCarthy Army Hearings were front and center. A couple years after that  most everyone had a set in their homes. These grainy music videos would play in the afternoon (in black and white!) as sort of fillers between programs. Two of them were produced by The Weavers and we had to listen to "Good Night Irene" and "Tzena, Tzena. Tzena" endlessly along with snippets of Liberace. That was my first introduction to Pete Seeger. Then he disappeared. Just seemed to vanish in the 50's witch-hunts. He took the Fifth on admitting he was a communist. He admitted much later and only when it was safe, that he was indeed a communist. He sealed his fate for ever being hired again to work as an entertainer. But one wonders whether it was the communist affiliation or whether he just played lousy banjo? He took up the hootenanny circuit and sold pamphlets on how to play the banjo and entertain your friends. (the instructions never get beyond the ability to 'frail.' He made the comment publicly  that he invented frailing.) Then he sort of resurrected himself during the Folk era and the Vietnam Protests of the 60's.

     From then on, any and every liberal cause was his band-wagon du jour and the aging Old Left would haul him up on a stage to recount his battles with our tyrannous government. He was the Left's equivalent of the Right's 'knights of the limelight,'  Bob Hope, Adolphe Menjou, Ronald Reagan, and the Toastmaster General George Gessel. They were all dinosaurs of  The Big One and we who were slogging in the mud of Vietnam despised the Cheerleaders no matter what side of the fence the Cheerleaders were on. (They were Chicken Hawks - "It's a lovely war, and you boys go fight and die in it, but I'm too important to go die myself!')  To us, they were all guilty of promoting someone's propaganda. Sometimes the propaganda was merely stupid. Sometimes the propaganda was just stupid and hurtful. Seeger wrote a  few really good songs, even better when performed by the Byrds or others, but Seeger found his shtick in being the Lifetime Achievement Village Curmudgeon continually complaining about how the U.S. government screwed him in the 50's and he won't forget it. There was an interesting profile on Seeger recently on the PBS American Masters series. All the plaudits and nice comments came out upon news of his death. But the PBS show gives us another interesting glimpse into the Man. His almost paranoiac attitude toward authority, his refusal to acknowledge changing trends in his own version of  Folk music, and in nearly comedic terms, his battles with Bob Dylan at the infamous Newport Jazz Festival. What comes through loud and clear in the PBS program is an arrogant bitterness in the man. The egotism that's hard to deal with. The empty wind-bag with a messianic complex. Dylan was taking away Seeger's crown and the Boss didn't like it. Seeger got old. The shtick got boring and old. We all get old. He wrote a few good songs and helped sell a lot of banjos. Two of his biggest sellers were stolen from an old African American spiritual, the other one from the Bible. And he was quick to label anyone who didn't like his music as a Nazi. Pete Seeger is dead; but there are still plenty of entertainer/propagandists out there to take his place. 

Northern Connection - Another New Band Emerges

 Mark Seitz, T.J. Lundy, Steve Streett, and Frankie Short  

(Brian Eldreth on bass is left, and out of the frame.)

19 January 2014:

     Straight from Ed Henry's Dispatches from the Field: Congratulations to Frankie Short and Northern Connection. A day has passed and I have time to record a  few notes from yesterday's session with the Maryland Bluegrass Community at Jumbo Jimmy's Crab Shack in Port Deposit, Maryland. Odd how it's become my winter campaign headquarters for 2013-2014. I like it. I like the ambiance of camouflage ball-caps and cowboy boots mixed in with the smell of motorcycle fuel. I like to see families and extended families of  friends and neighbors celebrating birthday parties. Yesterday it was Joyce Miller's and Roger Williams' turn. Happy Birthday to Joyce and Roger! But the main event was the debut of  "Northern Connection" with Frankie Short,  Steve Streett,  Mark Seitz, Brian Eldreth, and  T.J. Lundy. One band goes down and another arises. This is basically a follow-up to the demise of  Baltimore Bluegrass, a group that called it quits in December, 2013. Frankie Short wanted to keep up the momentum so he quickly gathered four of  the most talented players in Maryland and launched Northern Connection. There is always a danger of  things going badly. There is always the danger of a polite, warm, reception; a few polite, warm hand-claps to acknowledge the presence of  the entertainers. After all, none of  them are strangers to this crowd at Jumbo Jimmy's and it's an even tougher nut to crack because the crowd at Jumbo's is Die-Hard bluegrass. They live on the raw energy of classic hillbilly music. If  they really appreciate what you're doing up in the playing area, they show their appreciation by crowding the dance floor with their exuberance. Yesterday afternoon and into the early evening the dance floor was packed - no room during a few wild fiddling sessions  with T.J. Lundy in high gear - especially in a long set of "Gold Rush."  The stand-out was Mark Seitz and his vocal work with Frankie Short. Mark plays mandolin and has a history of playing with Harold Tipton, Fastest Grass Alive, Keystone Bluegrass, and other bands. Toward the end of the evening, his daughter Keri Seitz joined the group for two vocal selections, "Cry, Cry Darlin'" and "Somehow tonight."  Steve Streett's father, John Streett, also joined in for a song, along with Bobby Lundy on bass. There were other musicians attending which gave credence to the debut as being something special for the Maryland bluegrass community, and it is something special.

     In December I started a "Calendar" (see other articles on this site.) of  traditional bluegrass and where to find it in Maryland. A few dates in January grew into numerous dates and the names of the active traditional bands performing into March and April. So far, the calendar mainly focuses on the bands in the Baltimore/eastern Maryland region and doesn't cover what's going on in western Maryland or the Pan Handle. When the festival season arrives there will be so many bands reporting in and I've already decided I can't list it all. I've already gotten way over a thousand hits on the calendar and it continues to increase. What does this tell me? Welcome back, Frankie Short and Northern Connection. There is plenty of playing space and audience for everybody. If  you're thinking of  forming a band and joining this august gathering of traditionalists,  here's the caveat; the challenge; you better be ready to satisfy a discerning audience that loves their traditional bluegrass and knows exactly what they want to hear. When you can get them all crowding the dance floor, well, you just won the Grand Prix. Nice work, Frankie, you get the Gold Medal for being a class-act.

Northern Connection returns to Jumbo Jimmy's Crab Shack at a later date. (check my on-line calendar.)

Northern Connection: Frankie Short (guitar and lead vocals) Mark Seitz (mandolin and vocals) Steve Streett (banjo and vocals) T.J. Lundy (fiddle) Brian Eldreth (bass).

"Remember Your Level"

 Tom Reeves, Dave Propst, Ethan Hughes, Todd Stotler, Darren Beachley, and George Osing

(11 January 2014 - Echoes Recording Studios, Sharpsburg, Md.)

11 January 2014

     On the road again. It's a horrible morning of torrential rain and fog  going over the mountains west of Frederick, Maryland. Why do people drive so slow in the left lane? I thought that was an Ohio driving trait. I'm wondering how much water I'll have in my basement when I get home. I'm also concentrating on the word gratitude and wondering how I get roped into these things in my life. This time last year I was in Asia handing out scholarship money to deserving students in the Mekong Delta and I had to turn right around and go right back with a film crew from the NBC Golf Channel. Bluegrass is only a past-time for me. Like Croquet or building model boats. I have to concentrate on gratitude constantly. Few people get to do what I do and I have yet to figure out what that is because it involves going down so many crazy roads. This morning it's going up and down the dense fog and rain-driven slopes of the Allegheny  Mountains. The gratitude part of my life grounds me and serves as an anchor. Driving to this insane bluegrass stuff gives me plenty of  time to think. At least it's incredibly warm for January.  It's so warm I can actually roll my windows down and get some fresh mountain air. Instead of putting Trappist monks in monasteries the church authorities should put them to work driving cross-country Big Rigs. They would have plenty of productive time to silently contemplate God's existence. Which reminds me of a dusty old book store I used to visit in Oakton, Virginia.

     The first thing you noticed about the store was the guy behind the counter. The most unhappy man I ever met. He was rather portly and bearded, and had a bald head fringed with unkempt, long gray hair pulled back in a pony-tail. The store is long-gone now; but at that point in time he looked like a vestige of the drugged-out 60's. The look of him would have frightened children. And he was nasty. Nasty to me, nasty to customers, nasty to anyone who had a question about anything in the store. All of this would have been weird enough. One wonders why he was even attempting to run a business dealing directly with the public. No. The weirdest part was a bluish-gray, aluminum-looking sign on the back wall and above his head which read  "Remember Your Level."  The letters were in bold Helvetica font. It was a statement he was making to the rest of the world of his superior nastiness. Before you deal with me you'd better read the sign above my head. The first time I saw it I laughed, because it fit him to a tee, but I also had a strange thought I'd seen it somewhere before, maybe in a bad dream. I only ever went into the store to search his collection of music books and sheet music. I decided I would make one last stop there and then never stop in again, but the sign still intrigued me. This sarcastic, "Up Yours" to the world made you stop and think about one's level in life, in a democracy where we're taught that everyone is equal. We all know the fallacy of that way of thinking. I couldn't resist it. I paid for the sheet music I needed and had to ask him,
"Say. You know I've seen that sign before but can't place it. Where did you get it?"
"Why?" he almost screamed at me.
"Well it certainly makes you stop and think." I said.
"Do you think it's funny?" he replied, almost snarling.
"Nope. Just asked you where you got it. Simple enough?"
" I ripped it off the wall of the Third Level of the Kennedy Center parking garage!" he snarled.
That's it. Found poetry. Found existentialism. A public reminder that we always have to remember our level no matter what kind of a situation we're in.

     I'm responding to a special invitation to once again, climb those life's levels of special experiences. Gratitude once more. Always focus on the gratitude. I got a midnight message to join Darren Beachley for a recording session in Sharpsburg, Maryland. To say that I fell out of my chair with surprise is an understatement.  There are levels in every artistic endeavor that have to be appreciated. I've always been appreciative of Darren Beachley's music. There is that level of superiority in everything he touches that the crazy, bitter, guy in the bookstore will never, ever understand. Darren was born with a naturally pure, beautiful tenor voice, a sense of humor, and a strong will to promote and use his inate gifts to promote his career. That he plays a mean guitar and Dobro only enhances the first talent - The Voice. Darren's musical accomplishments are well documented in the U.S. music scene.  There is no need for me to re-hash the known facts or the resume. The central entry in the resume is that he was once part of Doyle Lawson's Quicksilver group, cut a number of popular songs with Doyle, and gained national recognition from the touring aspect of his membership in Doyle's entourage. The odd thing for me is the fact that I was introduced to Darren's voice in an entirely different situation other than listening to a Doyle Lawson recording. Some years ago at a performance featuring Bill Yates and the Country Gentlemen Tribute Band, I picked up a CD and I've since worn it out listening to it. (The Country Gentlemen - Bill Yates and Friends, July, 2007). The song list includes "Little Bessie" and it's a duet by Darren Beachley and Dave Propst. The name Dave Propst is going to show up later in this story. Now that bluegrass is being picked apart and being treated like a lab animal in music departments in major universities and colleges for the Arts, this recording of  "Little Bessie" should be upheld as the quintessential bluegrass recording. The main reason is the flawless (and hauntingly beautiful) vocalization of Beachley and Propst, along with the simplistic line of the instrumentation. In introducing my less knowledgeable friends to bluegrass, after they've convinced me that they're serious about learning about it, I've given them copies of  "Little Bessie," and told them to go home and study what they're hearing. I'm never wrong in my teaching tactics. "Little Bessie" is just a sample of what's on the whole album.

     After the sad parting of  Mike Auldridge, Darren Beachley and The Legends of the Potomac drifted apart but Darren remained busy performing here in our region and abroad, and especially remained committed to his special high-calibre concert series in Brunswick, Maryland. Local hero that he is, we all knew what he was doing but the bluegrass world seemed fixed upon this sick fascination of  rumor-mongering about how far into obscurity Darren Beachley had sunk. The truth is, Darren was just simply getting on with his life as we all have to get on with our lives. Those of us who also respect his talent, also know that Darren wasn't remaining in some stage of creative stasis. After the "Legends" he really did quite well in expanding his listening audience and fan-base. He selectively and carefully did a 'pick-and-choose' of the people he wanted to perform with, and the places he wanted to play. The hard-core bluegrass bunch is a fickle crowd, but will always back their icons. Darren Beachley stayed at the top-of-the-mark of reputable artist/performers here in our region and further afield.

     Sharpsburg, Maryland - also known as Antietam. The names are interchangeable with Civil War buffs. The land around the small town reeks of  history. Sad history. Ironically it's also small, and quaint, and actually quite beautiful, even on this dismal January day. Every American citizen should be required to visit the Antietam Battlefield so they can get a handle on how many fellow citizens died here. I was the first to arrive at Todd Stotler's Echoes Recording Studio. It's situated on the very edge of the National Park land.
Todd Stotler and Darren Beachley have worked closely over the past several years. I wanted to get a run-down of the day's proceedings before the musicians arrived. Darren hadn't given me much information, and that's okay, because it was enough to know that Darren was in a production mode again, and whatever happened, it was going to be good. I knew Dave Propst was coming, but hadn't a clue who else would be there. For me, it was like old home week. At 11:00 am Tom Reeves, George Osing, Ethan Hughes, and Darren all came in like clock-work and got busy with little chit-chat and lots of instrument tuning. Two songs would be recorded in six hours of  allotted studio-time. Like a team-manager and team coach, Stotler and Beachley laid out the game-plan. The "Building a House" approach would be the game-plan for the day. Lay a foundation (Darren's guitar, melody, and vocals and Tom Reeves' bass-line) and then layer embellishments with Dave Propst's mandolin, George Osing's banjo and Ethan Hughes' dobro. Now here's the fun part - either an idiot with no leadership capabilities or a nazi martinet can throw your studio rental-time down a long, dark sewer. So my eyes were on Darren and Todd to see how this would play out. Let the games begin - and the winning finale was spectacular.

     In between takes I asked Darren what he was up to. (We're back to that "What's Darren Beachley up to?" question again.)  "I'm just going to float these two songs, eventually build up a final CD-full and go from there," he answered. I thought it was reasonable. Nothing profound in that. Meanwhile, Ethan Hughes, George Osing, Dave Propst, and Tom Reeves have darned-near become regulars with Darren when he's out performing in Darren's recent band configuration known as "Darren Beachley and Potomac." They're all relatively young and have a long stretch ahead of them of producing exceptional music. It was good to see them all that day melded into one purpose.  I  know all of them from other band configurations, and know the level of exceptional music they can make, and have made, at numerous live performances.

     Laying down a professional recording is a lot like the military. A lot of hurry-up and waiting. Go three feet and stop. A nurse in a doctor's office yelling "NEXT?"  It's tedious. There's nothing glitzy about it. There is a lot of  banter about covering up a mistake in live performance and feeling naked in front of a recording device. Some people can handle it. Most people haven't a clue. My bizarre thinking process is back in Viet Nam when I first experienced that combat is about killing each other. Not some video game. I had to decide real fast which level I was on. Here's Darren saying, "It's your turn." the unspoken question being, "Which level are you on?" We're all in the control room listening, evaluating, commenting, and also doing a lot of  laughing and smiling, not because it's hilarious, but because it all sounds so good when it's done professionally. The first song was "Dark Side of the Mountain" written by Paula Breedlove and Brad Davis. The second song was the old Stanley Brothers "Let Me Walk Lord by Your Side." The song choices are excellent. Darren is pleased with the proceedings. George Osing (banjo) had been sitting on the couch with me and Ethan Hughes. Earlier he asked us if we didn't mind if  he did "some doodling." He listened intently to the others while they were each recording and plunked really low-key on his banjo. When it was his turn in front of the mic he went into the attack and added his banjo lines.  Our jaws dropped. Not a word in the control booth. We all looked at each other. There was a ten-second pause before George asked if everything was okay. "Uh, yeah George, you're done," said Darren. George didn't know whether he meant "Hey George. You're fired!" or "Perfection George, no more takes." We all congratulated him when he came back in the Control Room. One of the big reasons why I love this music is you might only hear something once. Something so extraordinary you may never hear it again. It's done live and up front in a big auditorium or maybe some little tavern or bar downtown. Today it was taped for good and will become a part of something for future production. Darren Beachley was at the controls and Todd Stotler provided the right 'Ear' and tech know-how.

     "We won't leave here until everybody feels right and happy with what they've done," said Darren. Now that's saying something about a musician who knows what level he's on. There were a few short re-takes. Some tweaking here and there - nothing major. Two songs were in the can and ready for the application of Todd's magic.

     

    

               

I Know It When I See It

 Swindled!

January 1, 2014

I promised long ago I would never write about a bad band. It's not worth it. I'm invited to a lot of events to see and hear somebody's 'act.' I try to maintain a sense of decorum and objectivity about what I'm witnessing, or mostly what I've paid my own money to see.  This is the entertainment business. People are suitably entertained with entertainment forms that might not entertain me. I'm rankled when something is advertised as bluegrass and I come to find out what I'm witnessing has nothing to do with bluegrass. So call me Hard Core. I witnessed a band last night (they shall go un-named) at a place (which shall go un-named) because it wouldn't be fair to either the band or the venue to bring my sophomoric attempt at music criticism down upon either of them. The only thing I could think about while watching this debacle last night was Justice Potter Stewart's famous comment about trying to define pornography: "I know it when I see it." What I was watching and listening to didn't come anywhere near to the easiest definition of what constitutes bluegrass music. There were people up on stage with the right instruments but I've witnessed better musicianship (far better!) at local jams and house parties. The group played one song the whole set that came a tad close to being a "bluegrass" song. If I gave you the title, then people would figure out who the band is. I won't give the title of the song. I had enough and felt forced to get up and leave. It was too embarrassing. I had two distinct feelings rising up in my gullet: It was a slap in the face of bluegrass music and someone got suckered into paying these people to perform in public. A lot of other people got up and left, too, so I didn't feel so badly about voting with my feet.  Maybe they were bluegrass fans like me, or maybe like me, they weren't being entertained with this spectacle. Another reason I had to leave is because for the first time in my life since I've been going to bluegrass live performances I felt like booing these people. I could see our local headlines on New Year's Day:  "Crazed Vietnam Veteran Goes Berserk at Bad Bluegrass Performance!" Here's the part that really angered me: out of all the great local players I know who need to be on a stage sharing their gifts with the rest of the world and need the money, these inept, non-entertainer, non-musicians took their place and got the bread.

Nobody likes to be swindled.

In The Aftermath

 photo by Kristine King (2013) of  Toronto. (not for publication unless authorized by Kristine King)

1 January 2014

     I wasn't going to comment on anything throughout the holiday season except to mention the deep gratitude I feel toward the music community and those who support our music community. It's so easy to look back on a year and so easy to mumble platitudes about the next. Life is just a series of ups and downs, little sorrows and big ones. I wanted you to know that our conversation right before Christmas held great meaning to me as you and I travel the Emmaus Road toward personal happiness. In the end, all we can do is treasure the moment in the morning when we wake up and realize our hearts are still beating. The Christmas season and the days toward the New Year are times for us to quiet our frenetic lives and deeply contemplate our relationship with our Creator. Each year I try to simplify that process even more than the previous year. It  seriously helps that I have my Catholic faith. It's a process that works for this stumbler and I've tried to explain that. I just stumble along trying to find answers to all the great mysteries of life. I'm human and question all the world's evils that everyone else questions. I get angry like everyone else at all the injustices done to others (even within the framework of our own religion,) and I can also relish my life's joys of great, happy moments. I should concentrate more on those happy moments. They inevitably were brought to me through acts of caring, kindness, and unconditional love - all that is opposite of the negative forces of  hate and evil. My faith helps me to sort it all out. I didn't always like Christmas - even as a child. Mainly because I didn't understand any of its deeper implications. A child is born, brings a message of  Love into the world, and then is condemned to die for it and suffers a horrible death. Here's the really wild part - he's resurrected and lives for all time. I re-iterate: it works for me and maybe not others. That's their choice. For me? I hope I can use the lessons of the story as a way to live my life in 2014. Or just for today . . . there are no guarantees of a tomorrow. My prayers are always for you, Fellow-Traveler, as we face another day. The conversation has meant so much to me since we started it.

The Maryland Traditional Bluegrass Calendar

Notice! The Maryland Traditional Bluegrass Calendar MOVED to a new SITE as of March 4th, 2016. This calendar is NOT up to date. The new calendar is at:

www.marylandtraditionalbluegrass.blogspot.com

The Fall/Winter Season


Commenced on December 26th, 2013:

Tired of Americana Music trying to pass as bluegrass? Tired of bands who say they're bluegrass and don't know the first thing about playing bluegrass? Look no further. This Calendar is dedicated to Maryland Bands that are working steadily to bring good traditional bluegrass music to Maryland - and beyond. Come back often. It's updated frequently with new entries.

Special Note: I will post significant performance listings for other States as long as there is a Maryland Connection to the band or a Maryland musician performing with a certain band. You'll see listings for Pennsylvania, Delaware, Virginia, and an occasional West Virginia listing.

2016

January 2, 2016:   George Garris & FRIENDS at the Cecil County Memorial VFW Post. 815 Turkey Point Road, North East, Maryland, 21901. Music from 9:00 till 1:00 am. (Classic Country and More!)

January 3, 2016: Bob Perilla and the Big Hillbilly Bluegrass Band at Fireflies Restaurant & Cafe. 1501 Mount Vernon Ave. Alexandria, Virginia. They appear every Sunday for Brunch 11:00 am to 2:00 pm.

January 3, 2016:  Blades of Grass Bluegrass at the Cecil County Memorial VFW Post, 815 Turkey Point Road, North East, Maryland. 21901  Music from 4:00 to 8:00.

January 9, 2016:  George Garris & Friends at Spargo's American Restaurant. 3165 Main Street, Manchester, Maryland.  Music from 9:00 pm till 1:00 am. (Classic Country & More!)

January 10, 2016:  Danny Paisley & The Southern Grass at Jumbo Jimmy's Crab Shack. 1065 Bainbridge Rd. Port Deposit, Md. 21904. Music from 4:00 to 8:00.

January 10, 2016: Nitro Ride at the Cecil County Memorial VFW Post. 815 Turkey Point Road, North East, Maryland. 21901. Music from 4:00 to 8:00. No admission charge. 

January 15, 2016: George Garris & Friends at Cactus Flats Bar and Grill. 10026 Hansonville Road, Frederick, Md. 21702. Music from 8:00 to Midnight. (Classic Country and More!)

January 16, 2016:   Foggy Hollow Bluegrass at the Felton Fire Hall  (Union Volunteer Fire Company)  61 Main Street, in Felton, Pa. 17322. Music starts at 6:00 and goes till 10:00.

January 16, 2016: Michael Cleveland & Flamekeeper at Lucketts Old School House, 42361 Lucketts Road, Lucketts, Virginia, 20176 (Route 15 N. toward Point of Rocks, Maryland.) 7:00. Doors open at 6:00.

January 16, 2016:  Blades of Grass Bluegrass at "Blue Mountain Shindig" Kempton Rod and Gun Club, 192 Pine Creek Road, Kempton. Pa. 19526.

January 17, 2016:  Danny Paisley & The Southern Grass at the Cecil County Memorial VFW Post. 815 Turkey Point Rd. North East, Maryland. 21901. Music from 4:00 to 8:00.

January 17, 2016:  Frankie Short & Northern Connection at Jumbo Jimmy's Crab Shack. 1065 Bainbridge Rd., Port Deposit, Maryland. Music from 4:00 to 8:00.

January 23, 2016: The Carroll County Ramblers and Circa Blue at the Arcadia Indoor Bluegrass Show. The Arcadia Fire Hall Activities Building at 16020 Carnival Drive, Upperco, Md. 21155. Music from 6:00 to 9:30.

January 23, 2016: Valerie Smith & Liberty Pike at Lucketts Old School House. 42361 Lucketts Road, Lucketts, Va. 20176. Doors open at 6:00. Show starts at 7:00.

January 23, 2016:  Foggy Hollow Bluegrass at the Pit Stop Barbecue in Jarrettsville. 3701 Jarrettsville Road, Jarrettsville, Maryland, 21184. Music from 8:00 to Midnight.

January 24, 2016:  AcrosstheTrack Bluegrass at the Cecil County Memorial VFW Post. 815 Turkey Point Road, North East, Md. 21901. Music from 4:00 till 8:00. Never a Cover Charge.

January 24, 2016: A Premiere! The first appearance anywhere of  "Mason Dixon Line" at Jumbo Jimmy's Crab Shack. 1065 Bainbridge Road, Port Deposit, Maryland. 21904. Music from 4:00 to 8:00.

January 30, 2016:  AcrosstheTrack Bluegrass at Darlington/Dublin VFW Post. 3440 Conowingo Road, Street, Md. 21154. Doors open at 5:00. Music commences at 6:00.

January 30, 2016: Patsy's Honky Tonk Torch & Twang at Branded '72 in Rockville. 387 East Gude Drive, Rockville, Maryland, 20850. Music from 9:00 pm to midnight.  (Classic Country & More!)

January 31, 2016:  Danny Paisley & The Southern Grass at Jumbo Jimmy's Crab Shack. 1065 Bianbridge Rd. Port Deposit, Maryland, 21904.  Music from 4:00 to 8:00

January 31, 2016:  Fastest Grass Alive! with Special Guest Grant Eller at the Cecil County Memorial VFW Post. 815 Turkey Point Rd. North Est, Maryland, 21901. Music from 4:00 till 8:00. Never a Cover Charge.

January 31, 2016:  Patsy's Honky Tonk Torch & Twang at the Old Bowie Town Grille. 8604 Chestnut Avenue, Bowie, Maryland. 20715. The music starts at 6:30. Fine dining. Classic Country and more!

February 5, 2016:  Darren Beachley & POTOMAC at the Blue Side Tavern, No. 6 South Bentz Street. Frederick, Maryland 21701. Music from 9:00 till Midnight. Reservations recommended. Call the Tavern at (301) 663-0200.

February 5, 2016:  JR Country at Cactus Flats Bar and Grill. 10026 Hansonville Road, Frederick, Maryland. 21702. Music from 8:30 to 12:30  (Classic Country)

February 5, 2016:  Foggy Hollow Bluegrass at the Geneva Farm Golf Course. 217 Davis Road, Street, Maryland 21154. Music from 8:00 till midnight. Excellent food! 

February 6, 2016:  Springfield Exit at the Old School House, Lucketts, Virginia. Doors open at 6:00, music at 7:00. Rt. 15 North, in the center of the village of Lucketts. Zip Code: 20176.

February 6, 2016: George Garris & Friends at the Laurel American Legion Post, Laurel, Md. Music from 8:00 to Midnight. (Classic Country & More!)

February 6, 2016: Bluestone at the Union Fire Hall in Felton, Pa. (Felton Fire Company)  No. 61 Main Street, Felton, Pa. 17322. Doors open at 4:30. The music begins at 6:00. For more information go to www.feltonfireco.org.

February 6, 2016: A Debut! First time ever. "Lovesick Hillbillies" at the Milkhouse Brewery. 8253 Dollyhyde Road, Mount Airy, Maryland 21771. Music from 5:00 till 8:00

February 7, 2016: No bluegrass at Jumbo Jimmy's due to the football game.

February 7, 2016:  Bob Perilla and The Big Hillbilly Bluegrass Band appear at Fireflies Restaurant & Cafe. 1501 Mount Vernon Ave. Alexandria, Virginia. Every Sunday for Brunch at 11:00 am to 2:00 pm.

February 11, 2016:  Allen Boyd appears at the Wayside Inn in Middletown. Classic Country and More. The Wayside Inn, 7783 Main Street, Middletown, Virginia, 22645. 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm. 

February 13, 2016: The Carroll County Ramblers at Ye Old Country Auction Barn in Newville, Pa. Music from 6:00 to 9:00.

February 13, 2016:  Marv Ashby & High Octane at the Backseat Bar and Restaurant. 104 Fullhouse Drive, Winchester, Va.  8:00.

February 14, 2016: Danny Paisley & The Southern Grass at the Frying Pan Park Bluegrass Concert Series, (at the Frying Pan Farm Park Visitors Center) 2739 West Ox Road, Herndon, Virginia. Music at 7:00. $20.00 admission. More information at www.fairfaxcounty.gov/parks/fryingpanpark

February 14, 2016:  The Hall Brothers at JV's Restaurant in Falls Church, Virginia. 6666 Arlington Blvd. Falls Church, Va. 22042  Starts at 8:30. (Classic Country and More.)

February 14, 2016: No bluegrass at Jumbo Jimmy's Crab Shack due to Valentine's Day.

February 18, 2016: Springfield Exit at the Grand Ballroom of the George Washington Hotel in Winchester, Va. 103 E. Piccadilly Street, Winchester. Doors open at 6:00. Music starts promptly at 7:00. $10 admission, $20 for admission and a buffet dinner.

February 19, 2016:  Women in Bluegrass - A Tribute to Lynn Morris. At the Bright Box Theater in Winchester, Va. No. 15 N. Loudoun Street, Winchester, Va. 22601. Tickets or Reservations advised - Highly advised!  8:00 pm. 

February 19, 2016:  Drymill Road at Lost Rhino Brewing Company. 21730 Red Rum Drive, Suite 147-157, Ashburn, Virginia. Musc from 7:00 to 10:00. 


February 20, 2016: BlueTrain at the Darlington/Dublin VFW Post. 3440 Conowingo Road, Street, Md. 21154. Music from 7:00 till 11:00.

February 20, 2016: Foggy Hollow, Bill Runkle & Smith Hollow, Long Ryde, Bluestone, and a duo called "Dakota." All in one show at the West Liberty United Methodist Church. 20400 West Liberty Road, White Hall, Md. 21161. 5:00 to 10:00 pm. $12 admission includes a full dinner.

February 20, 2016:  Sammy Shelor & Big Virginia Sky at the Vinyl Lounge. 3401 K Street, NW. Washington, DC. Music from 10:30 pm to Midnight.


February 21, 2016:  BlueTrain at Jumbo Jimmy's Crab Shack. 1065 Bainbridge Road, Port Deposit, Md. 21904. Music from 4:00 to 8:00.

February 26, 2016: George Garris & Friends at the Smokin' Hot Bar and Grill. 2465 Route 97, Glenwood, Maryland, 21738. Music starts at 8:30. (Classic Country, Rockabilly, and More!)

*February 27, 2016:  The 12-Hour Marathon Jam for Fisher House at the Severn, Maryland American Legion Post. The event starts at 12:00 noon and runs until midnight. Stay posted for further details after the Holidays. Keep this date open on your calendars.

*February 28, 2016:  Presenting Two Hollows - Foggy Hollow and Bill Runkle and Smith Hollow in a special program at the Bel Air Moose Lodge. 310 E. Jarrettsville Rd., Forest Hill, Md. 21050. Music from 1 to 5:00.

February 28, 2016:  Frankie Short & Northern Connection at Jumbo Jimmy's Crab Shack. 1065 Bainbridge Rd., Port Deposit, Md. 21904  Music from 4:00 to 8:00.

February 28, 2016:  Nitro Ride at the North East VFW Post.  Cecil County Memorial VFW Post, 815 Turkey Point Road, North East, 21901. Music from 4:00 to 8:00. "Never a Cover Charge!"

March 4, 2016:  Lizzie & The Yeehaw Gang at the Horn 'O Plenty  Farm-to-table Restaurant, 220 Wolfsburg Road, Bedford, Pa. 15522. Music from 6:00 to 9:00.

March 5, 2016:  "A Musical Tribute to 3 Icons - Jerry Lee Lewis, Patsy Cline and Willie Nelson" with Patsy Stephens and The Hall Brothers. American Legion Post, College Park, Md.  9218 Baltimore Ave. College Park, 20740.  Music from 8:00 to 11:00.

March 6, 2016: Bob Perilla and The Big Hillbilly Bluegrass Band appear at Fireflies Restaurant & Cafe. 1501 Mount Vernon Ave. Alexandria, Virginia. Every Sunday for Brunch between 11:00 am and 2:00 pm. 

March 6, 2016:  AcrosstheTrack Bluegrass at Jumbo Jimmy's Crab Shack. 1065 Bainbridge Road, Port Deposit, Maryland. 21904. Music from 4:00 to 8:00.

March 10, 2016: Marv Ashby & High Octane at the Bright Box Theater in Winchester. Address: No. 15 North Loudoun Street, Winchester, Virginia, 22601. Performance starts at 7:00. Tickets advised. For tickets go to www.brightboxwinchester.com.

March 12, 2016:  Dean Sapp & Harford Express at Gracie's in Elkton. 213 North Street, Elkton, Maryland, 21921. Music from 6:00 till 10:00. 

March 13, 2016: Danny Paisley & The Southern Grass at the Eastern Shore Bluegrass Association Show in Marydel, Delaware. 1:00.

March 13, 2016:  Frankie Short & Northern Connection at Jumbo Jimmy's Crab Shack. 1065 Bainbridge Road, Port Deposit, Maryland. 21904. Music from 4:00 to 8:00.


March 19, 2016:  Salem Bottom Boys at the Felton Fire Hall (Union Volunteer Fire Co.)  61 Main Street, Felton, Pa. 17322. Doors open at 4:30 and the music starts at 6:00.

March 19, 2016: AcrosstheTrack Bluegrass at the "Blue Mountain Shindig" Kempton Rod and Gun Club, 192 Pine Road, Kempton, Pa. 19529. Music from 6:00 to 9:00.

March 20, 2016: Danny Paisley & The Southern Grass at Jumbo Jimmy's. 1065 Bainbridge Rd., Port Deposit, Md. 21904.  Music from 4:00 to 8:00.  

March 26, 2016:  Danny Paisley & the Southern Grass & The Carroll County Ramblers at the Arcadia Indoor Bluegrass Show. (Arcadia Fire Hall Activities Building). 16020 Carnival Drive, Upperco, Maryland, 21155.

March 26, 2016: Darren Beachley & Potomac at the Lucketts Old School House. 42361 Lucketts Road, Lucketts, Va. 20176. Doors open at 6:00. Show starts at 7:00.


April 10, 2016:  Frankie Short & Northern Connection. Jumbo Jimmy's Crab Shack. 1065 Bainbridge Road, Port Deposit, Md. 21904.  Music from 4:00 to 8:00. 

April 17, 2016:  BlueTrain at Boordy's Vineyards. 12820 Long Green Pike, Hydes, Md. 21082. See website for more info. www.boordy.com  No time given.

April 24, 2016:  Bluetrain at Goofy's Spirits & Eatery (The Season Opener!). 5965 York Road, Spring Grove, Pa. 17362. Music from 4:00 to 8:00.

May 1, 2016:  BlueTrain at Jumbo Jimmy's Crab Shack. 1065 Bainbridge Rd., Port Deposit, Md. 21904. Music from 4:00 till 8:00.

May 7, 2016:  BlueTrain at the Felton Fire Company (Union Volunteer Fire Company) 61 Main Street, Felton, Pa. 17322. No time given.

May 8, 2016:  Frankie Short & Northern Connection at Jumbo Jimmy's Crab Shack. 1065 Bainbridge Road, Port Deposit, Maryland, 21904.  Music from 4:00 to 8:00.

May 15, 2016:  Bluetrain at Goofy's Eatery & Spirits (Whitey Runkle's Birthday!) 5965 York Road, Spring Grove, Pa. 17362. Music from 4:00 to 8:00.

June 5, 2016:  Bluetrain at Goofy's Eatery & Spirits. 5965 York Road, Spring Grove, Pa. 17362. Music from 4:00 to 8:00.

July 17, 2016:  BlueTrain at Jumbo Jimmy's Crab Shack. 1065 Bainbridge Road, Port Deposit, Md. 21904. Music from 4:00 to 8:00.

August 13, 2016:  BlueTrain at the Lurman Woodland Theater Concert Series. Bloomsbury Ave at Hilltop Road, Catonsville, Md. 21228. Music from 6:00 to 8:00.

August 21, 2016:  Bluetrain at Goofy's Eatery & Spirits. 5965 York Road, Spring Grove, Pa. 17362. Music from 4:00 to 8:00.

September 18, 2016:  Bluetrain at Goofy's Eatery & Spirits. 5965 York Road, Spring Grove, Pa. 17362. Music from 4:00 to 8:00.

October 1, 2016:  BlueTrain at Boordy Vineyards. 12820 Long Green Pike, Hydes, Maryland, 21082. Music from 1:00 to 5:00.

October 8, 2016:  BlueTrain at the National Apple Harvest Festival (Biglerville, Pa.) South Mountain Fairgrounds, 615 Narrows Rd. Biglerville, Pa. 17307. Shows at 10:00 am and 3:15 pm.

October 15, 2016:  BlueTrain at Holy Cross Lutheran Church. 1090 Sterling Road, Herndon, Va. Music from 7:30 till 9:30. 

November 6, 2016:  BlueTrain at Jumbo Jimmy's Crab Shack. 1065 Bainbridge Road, Port Deposit, Maryland, 21904. Music from 4:00 to 8:00.


 

Dates and notices posted as I receive them.  Please don't send me unconfirmed dates. 

Bands and Performers:  e-mail updates and performance notices to ehenry393@gmail.com. Warning: "The early bird gets the Worm!" Disclaimer: I print the info I get from the venue or group/ band leader or manager. If I'm fed wrong information, that information will be printed. Please fact-check your dates and times.

                                                     *************************

NEW ENTRY!   VENUES IN MARYLAND AND BEYOND THAT REGULARLY FEATURE AND SUPPORT TRADITIONAL BLUEGRASS

Jumbo Jimmy's Crab Shack: 1065 Bainbridge Road, Port Deposit, Maryland, 21904

Darlington/Dublin VFW Post: 3440 Conowingo Road, Street, Maryland, 21154

Goofy's Eatery & Spirits:  5965 York Road, Spring Grove, Pennsylvania, 17362

Cecil County Memorial VFW Post: 815 Turkey Point Road, North East, Maryland, 21901

College Park American Legion Post: 9218 Baltimore Avenue, College Park, Maryland, 20740

Columbia Lake-Front Concerts Site & Stage (Summer Only)  10275 Wincopin Circle, Columbia, Maryland, 21044.

Smokin' Hot Bar & Grille:  2465 Route 97, Glenwood, Maryland, 21738

Cactus Flats Bar:  10026 Hansonville Road, Frederick, Maryland, 21702

Fireflies Cafe:  1501 Mount Vernon Avenue, Alexandria, Virginia

The Bright Box (Theater):  No. 15 North Loudoun Street, Winchester, Virginia, 22601

JV's Restaurant and Bar:  6666 Arlington Blvd., Falls Church, Virginia 22042

Old Bowie Town Grille:  8604 Chestnut Avenue, Bowie, Maryland, 20715

Felton Fire Hall (AKA Union Fire Hall, AKA Union Volunteer Fire Co.)  61 Main Street, Felton, Pennsylvania, 17322   Link: www.feltonfireco.org

Arcadia Fire Hall:  16020 Carnival Avenue, Upperco, Maryland, 21155

Stables Restaurant:  452 East Main Street, Westminster, Maryland, 21157

The George Washington Hotel:  103 Piccadilly Street, Winchester, Virginia, 22601

The American Legion Post in Hughesville:  Hughesville, Maryland. Best information obtained at www.americanlegionbluegrass.com

The Goodwill Fire Company (home of the Seven Mountain Bluegrass Association shows). 2318 South Queen Street, York, Pennsylvania. Lots of information at www.sevenmountainsbluegrass.org

 

BEFORE YOU SAY GOODBYE:  BOOKMARK THIS PAGE SO YOU CAN CHECK BACK FREQUENTLY.   

Celebrating a Bluegrass Christmas: Maryland-Style!

 Baltimore Bluegrass Band, with all the 'regulars' and fans at Jumbo Jimmy's Crab Shack 

in Port Deposit, Md. for the 2013 Christmas Party. A historic gathering!

It was billed as the final performance of Baltimore Bluegrass, but everyone knew there was still a Christmas Party obligation to fulfill. At least all the regulars at Jumbo Jimmy's knew that. Last weekend was the swan song. But yesterday afternoon (22 December 2013) was the real swan song. What they didn't know is Baltimore Bluegrass member Frankie Short was coming back one last time to play some songs and thank long-time friends for supporting him through his hospitalization and health problems. All that aside, he looked great and sounded great. I got to Jumbo Jimmy's Crab Shack late due to the heavy volume of holiday traffic going both north and south on I-95. Last minute holiday shoppers only added to the chaos. Jumbo Jimmy's was packed. Not a seat in the house except the last booth near the playing area that also serves as a space for the players to drop their instrument cases. Doreen Ashford, Jumbo Jimmy's ever-busy Bar Manager directed me to the booth. Nobody ever wants to sit there because you're usually right up against a speaker, or, there are so many dancers, the waiters have a hard time serving you. It was pretty wild. It was obvious the party had been going on since 1:00 p.m.  Baltimore Bluegrass was way into their first set when I arrived. I had to make my way around all the dancers to greet people and say my 'howdies.' There were also lots of people moving about handing out gifts and Christmas cards, lots of hugs and well-wishes. It was really hard to tell where anyone was actually sitting. When I initially entered the 'back room' the first people I saw were Darin Wassum and Jim Langer of AcrosstheTrack Bluegrass Band. They play a lot of Sundays at Jumbo Jimmy's throughout the year and I enjoy their style. Joyce Miller and "Chubby" were holding forth at their usual table surrounded by friends and family while sons T.J. and Bobby Lundy were special guests for the afternoon's entertainment.  I was in for a whole afternoon and evening's worth of surprises as far as the entertainment was concerned. Not only did Baltimore Bluegrass take care of the usual requests (there wasn't anything close to a set-list) but invited musicians Carroll Swam (of Bluestone), Kenny Blair, Jerry Reicke, Rex Smith, Yvonne Smith, Tina Ray, and Darlene Harris to come forward and join them on various songs. Since I'm a guy who likes my programs regimented like a marching Marine Corps rifle battalion I found this a little discumbobulated, but the spirit was celebration of the Band and how much good music they've given to audiences for the past eight years.
     There were 'sleepers.' The unexpected golden moment. I think they call it 'serendipity,' a word I've always shied away from like 'shopping mall.' Darlene Harris got up and sang a few songs and then sang a song or two with Tina Ray. I had never heard her before, or Tina. Just every once in a great while in obscure places like Jumbo Jimmy's Crab Shack or some far-flung VFW or Legion Hall out in the sticks you hear torch singers like Darlene emotionally belt out the songs that represent real country music. The perfect compliment to the way Warren Blair can belt them out. Darlene Harris amazed me. She had just the right about of conviction to take the audience and the dancers back to a time when entertainers like Loretta Lynn or Patsy Cline really made a difference in the music business. At the close of the day-long and night-long party, Baltimore Bluegrass finished up with "Loggin' Man," their second encore number. There were two standing ovations with all the reluctant farewells and goodbyes. There was a note of sadness to it all that such a unique bunch of musicians are folding up the tent; but these are familiar faces in the Bluegrass Scene and they'll be around. They're not dropping off the face of the earth. Traditional bluegrass music is a continuum of the human experience. Folks coming and going and getting sick and getting better. Good times and hard times and emotional ups and downs. There are bad times to gather and grieve and there are good times to gather to celebrate and have fun. They know how to gather and celebrate a bluegrass Christmas over near Havre de Grace, Maryland.

Baltimore Bluegrass:  Frankie Short, Dave Propst, Warren Blair, and Steve Streett.
                                     (Filled in during Frankie's absence: Kenny Blair, Brian Eldreth)
Guest Musicians - 22 December -  Bobby Lundy, T.J. Lundy, Rex Smith, Yvonne Smith, Jerry Reicke, Carroll Swam, Darlene Harris, and Tina Ray.