"New Picking Location"

We have now moved !

2011-02-23T17:42:00.000-06:00

Please stay in touch by going to: http://www.pickingintheheartland.blogspot.com

Last Day of Picking at Country Meadows: February 17th

2011-02-09T19:23:00.000-06:00

Hello everyone,

This is a reminder that our last day to pick at the Country Meadows Baptist Church will be Thursday, February 17th, 2011. We start picking at our new location on Friday, February 25th. See this link for more details.
"Picking in the Heartland" - Lee's Summit, MO

We will pick on the 4th Friday of each month!

Thanks for all your support over the last five years. We look forward to seeing you at the new location.
Bill and Dave.

We are moving to a new Location starting 2/25/11

2011-01-29T18:14:00.001-06:00

Hello everyone.
After five years of picking in the meadows, we are now moving to a new location starting February 25th at Woods Chapel United Methodist Church at 4725 NE Lakewood Way, Lee's Summit, MO 64064.
The church offers very nice facilities and more room. We will be meeting on the 4th FRIDAY of the month each month. It starts at 6:30pm. Please enter on the south side of the church using the east entrance.
If you any further questions please contact Bill at banjobarron@sbcglobal.net Looking forward to picking with you at our new location.

We have combined our jam with the Heartland Unplugged jam to form a new jam called: "Picking in the Heartland".

Our last two weekly picking session at Country Meadows Baptist Church will be on Thursday, February 10th and February 17th.

Check out the new blog: http://www.pickingintheheartland.blogspot.com

Anniversary PIcking Celebration - January 27th

2011-01-16T19:13:00.003-06:00

Hello Everyone. I hope you can make it to our 5yr anniversary celebration on January 27th at 6:30pm. Dave and I have planned some special things to entice you beyond our normal weekly picking. We plan to have some cake and ice cream, plus our traditional "last Thursday of the month CD give away", plus a nice "gift certificate give away" at a local restauarant. Of course there will be plenty of time for picking, singing, laughing and generally having a good time.
On another note, I heard the Rhonda Vincent show at the Northtown Opry last Thursday was really good. You might want to talk to Harvey or Carolyn about the details. I am really amazed that our picking venue is still going after these five years, which was really official on January 11th. Thanks to all those who come and support our efforts.

CONGRATULATIONS to our local KC Bluegrass talent at the Mid-West SPBGMA NOMINATIONS: Karla Campbell (bassfiddler performer of the year AND entertainer of the year); Jimmy Campbell (dobro performer of the year); Jim McGreevy (banjo performer of the year AND male vocalist of they year, contemporary); Ed Sellers (fiddle performer of the year); Mae Burlison (female vocalist of the year); Also congratulations to all the members of the Bluegrass Brigade band for Album of the year AND Bluegrass Band of the year (contemporary). Best of luck to each of you.

Bill

Jamming in January - Hot picking inspite of the cold!

2011-01-08T17:40:00.003-06:00

Hello everyone,
Happy New Year to each of you!!!! It may be cold outside but that doesn't stop the hot picking going on at our Thursday jam. This week we had four rooms of jamming. Lot's of banjos, guitars with a few mandolins and on Bass. Once again we are having some new folks join us that have found us on folkjam.org. The good thing is we encourage and support all skills levels from a newbie to professionals. Dave and I are now planning a celebration of the five year anniversary of the jam. Can you believe it? More details will follow. We miss all our friends who have temporarily located to Texas for the winter. Hope they are having fun in the sun! I know some of you are going to attend the Rhonda Vincent event at the Northtown Opry next Thursday. She puts on a great show.

Thanks also to the many listeners who come and provide encourgement to the musicians. We are amazed! Have a great week and see you on Thursday. By the way the picture is us playing at Missouri Town 1855 this past fall.
Bill

December HABOT meeting continues with great music and jamming

2010-12-18T08:58:00.000-06:00

Hello everyone,
I had a great time last night at the monthly HABOT club meeting. Lots of good music and jamming. There was a big crowd and it look like everyone was having a lot of fun. Check it out if you never have been there. HABOT Bluegrass Club. Regarding our weekly Thursday jam at Country Meadows Church, we continue to have fun and had a nice size crowd this week. We will finish the year next Thursday on 12/23 at 6:30. Because it is our last Thursday of the month, we have a free CD giveaway so come on out and see if you are the winner.

"It was the best of time; It was the worst(well just not as good) of times"

2010-12-12T16:17:00.003-06:00

The amazing thing about jamming is that it's like the ancient philosopher Forrest Gump said, "it's like a box of chocolates. You never know what your going to get." Thursday night we had a smaller than usual crowd. The group in the front room started playing Christmas songs and since I get to listen to those 8+ hours a day at JC Penney I was not in the mood to hear any and was itching to play some Bluegrass. So, Linda Garrison, Jim McGreevy, Joe Wilkerson, Wayne Loveall and yours truly went to one of the back rooms and had one of the best jams that I've been in for a while. It was just one of those nights with the right people the right blend of instruments and the right songs. Well Friday night rolled around so I thought I'd go to the Kansas City club and get another dose of pickin. The crowd was pretty small there also but Bill Barker, Harvey and I set us in one of the rooms and tried to get something started. Now you can jam with a Bass, Banjo and a fiddle but it really helps to have a guitar in there to fill things out. Well no guitar players came in so we picked for awhile and then adjournedto the basement to listen to Jim McGreevy and Blue Monday play for a while. They are great and you need to listen to them if you get a chance. We went back up to try again and I'm sad to say not guitar player again so we gave it up for the night. But, that's how it is sometimes. You can have one of your best times one night and then be disappointed the next. Well that main thing is to keep trying. Fully enjoy those great jams and look forward to the next time and hope it's as good or better. Until next time. Keep pickin' and see you when I can.

Loss of a Bluegrass Friend

2010-11-30T12:30:00.004-06:00

I just wanted to put a posting on about our friend Kenny Preston. He passed away yesterday at 6:20am after battling cancer. Kenny had been a loyal supporter of our jam and you could always rely on him for a good steady rhythm and a strong "G" run. Kenny liked his Martin Guitars and was our resident expert on the different models and variations. There is a memorial service scheduled for this Saturday 4pm at Pine Ridge Presbyterian Church 7600 NW Barry Road 64153. Please keep Kenny's wife Marcy and his family in your thoughts and prayers. Here is a photo of Kenny from Bill's slide show that was posted on the blog. It was taken in July shortly before Kenny's illness was diagnosed. Kenny we will miss you.

Jam Cancelled for Thanksgiving

2010-11-21T10:56:00.004-06:00

Remember everyone. We will not have the Bluegrass Jam this week due to the Thanksgiving holiday. Please enjoy your holiday and please remember all the Armed Forces men and women who are deployed and cannot be with their families this holiday season. See you all at our next meeting on 2 December.

The Seasons are Changing - but Bluegrass is still Bluegrass

2010-11-14T14:56:00.001-06:00

Hello Everyone,
Can you believe that we are already in the middle of the Fall season? I was one of those early doubters, that Fall was not going to be pretty this year, but I was wrong. To prove it, I am posting some local pictures around where I live. Red maples are always a favorite of mine and this year is no exception, so I hope you enjoy the pictures and this time of the year. As you know, the Fall always starts our local Bluegrass Club meetings and they always prove to be a lot of good picking and there are many good stage performances as well. If are not familiar with the local clubs, you can learn more by clicking on these two links below. The KC Area Bluegrass Music club meets the second Friday every month thru late spring. See http://www.kcabmc.org/ and the second club is HABOT which meets on the third Friday of every month. See: http://habot.org/ . You can also come out to our local jam each Thursday evening at 6:30pm We have a great time each Thursday as we have a variety of picking rooms. Hope to see you there. Bill

Veterans Day Pickin

2010-11-04T15:18:00.003-05:00

November the 11th is Veterans Day. It is also Thursday which means we will be jamming at Country Meadows. Just wanted to remind everyone that we will be honoring our veterans that day. Wear something with a patriotic theme like a flag pin or some other clothing item. Be prepared to sing a patriotic song or two. Use this time to honor those who have served and those who are still serving. Hope to see you all there.

Pumkpin' Pickin' - A Big Success

2010-10-30T09:34:00.003-05:00

Hello Everyone. Our weekly jam finished October with a great time. We presented our new Banner as you can see in the left photo (click on it to enlarge the image). Many thanks for Sig Zobans for his graphic design work. As many of you know, the last Thursday of every month we have CD giveaway, only this time the winner, Don Alison, won a two CD package including Jimmy Martin's greatest hits and Twenty years of Bluegrass. Also to support our Pumpkin Pickin theme, any homemade desert that was brought in was automatically entered into a judging contest for "best desert" and the winner received a nice gift card to Cracker Barrel. Congratulations to Rita Goade for her wonderful, pumpkin desert with that great topping with pecans. Yummy!
Beyond all that we had a great time pickin our favorites tunes with pickers in four different rooms. We also had a visitor from Colorado Springs. It always amazes me how the word of our jam gets around. Have a great week and tell your friends about our jam.
Bill

Let's Try This Again

2010-10-14T13:04:00.003-05:00

I recently did a posting about an upcoming theme night for the Jam. The night is October 28th and coincides with our Last Thursday CD Give Away. I stated that it was a Fall/Halloween theme. I am removing any reference to Halloween from the night to avoid any discomfort that some may have with it. It was not my intent of offend anyone and I apologize if I did. The Theme is still Pumpkin Pickin'. So:

1 Wear clothing that show Fall/Harvest.

2. Bring a treat that includes pumpkin. (a prize for the most popular)

3. Sing at least one song that is compatible with the theme.

4. We will have the usual CD Give Away.

Let's pick, eat and enjoy each others company.

Bluegrass Musician Interview - Ed Sellers

2010-10-05T16:14:00.006-05:00

Hello everyone. It is really a wonderful thing to be able to share someone's musical journey. Kansas City has so many talented Bluegrass musicians and Ed Sellers of the Bluegrass Missourians is just one of those individuals whose fiddle ability goes right to the top. Please enjoy the following interview so you can appreciate his story. Bill

BB: When did you get started in your musical journey?
Ed: I learned to play the guitar when I was 16. My hometown is Plattsburg, MO. Music was part of my early years along with football, basketball, track and getting my Private Pilot's license.

BB: What happened after that?
Ed: My Dad played the fiddle, and my Mom would dance. I backed up Dad on the guitar and sang some country songs. I played and sang at school and other local venues.

BB: Where did you go from there?
Ed: After high school, I joined the Army and ended up a Staff Sergeant in charge of the crew of an early warning radar unit in Illinois. While there, I started playing guitar and singing in a country rock group, The Galaxies. We played all around the Illinois and Indiana area. A highlight was when we opened for Roy Acuff and the Wilburn Brothers. Roy even introduced us on stage.

BB: What happened after the Army?
Ed: At the ripe old age of 20, I went to college at UCM to become a teacher. While there, I joined a fraternity, Sigma Tau Gamma, and played guitar and sang in the fraternity rock band. After 3 degrees and 35 years as a teacher, counselor and coach, I have retired to my avocation of bluegrass music and travel.

BB: How did you get into Bluegrass?
Ed: In 1974, I witnessed a fiddle contest at Kearny, MO. I decided at that point that I wanted to learn how to play the fiddle. In 1976, I joined the Bluegrass Missourians. I have been playing the fiddle ever since. There have been lots of highlights since then - opening up twice for Bill Monroe and other greats and winning
the fiddle championship of Kansas 4 times. Our band has recorded 14 albums.

BB: What is your favorite Bluegrass Band or Artist? and who influenced you the most?
Ed: Obviously, fiddle players are my favorite. There are so many good fiddle players out there. I try to learn from all of them.

BB: How many songs have you written?
Ed: 4 bluegrass songs. I wrote some early rock and country tunes, but I don't count them.

BB: What advice would you give to young people wanting to get started in Bluegrass?
Ed: Listen to the music. Keep your timing and noting pure. Practice.

BB: Anything else you want to say to wrap up this interview?
Ed: Yes, if folks want to learn more about me and the Bluegrass Missourians, please check out the following URL web site addresses:

http://www.Fiddlin-Ed-Sellers.com/

http://www.BluegrassMissourians.com/

Lee's Summit Oktoberfest

2010-09-25T18:42:00.003-05:00

I just got back from the Lee's Summit Oktoberfest where I played bass for Gary Russell's band, Sugar Ridge. We were scheduled to play at 3:15 pm and it looked all day like we were going to be rained on if not out. Well we were able to get out gig in and all went well. After we finished, I walked straight back to the car and loaded the bass. As we drove out of the parking lot it started to rain and continued for about an hour. It was one of those few times that it worked out. Saw a few people from the jam and church there. Hope all had a good time. See you all soon and keep pickin.

Grab your Fall Bluegrass Festival before it is too late!

2010-09-25T08:59:00.001-05:00

JD Crowe

Hello everyone. If you missed the Starvy Creek Bluegrass Festival in Conway, MO you can try it next spring. I had a chance to go down for one day to see J.D. Crowe and the New South. They were great and just as smooth as it gets. I believe there were record crowds attending. Fortunately, I was able to sit on the front row thanks to Ron R.

It is not too late to attend the Golden Valley Bluegrass Jamboree which is next weekend in Clinton, MO. Hope you can make that one as it the last one for this Fall.

Also don't forget that October begins our Bluegrass Clubs meetings. The second Friday of eac month is the KC Bluegrass Club and the third Friday of the month is the HABOT Bluegrass Club. See the links on the right side of this blog for directions. The Clubs are so much fun with lots of good bands and lots of picking/jamming as well.

Bill

It's Bluegrass Festival Time - Get out there and Pick/Sing/Listen

2010-09-04T09:32:00.006-05:00

Hello eveyone,

Are looking for something fun to do this Fall?? Try going to at least one of the three primary Bluegrass Festivals. I would recommend:

Starvey Creek - Sept 16,17,18 in Conway MO. Here is the link: http://www.starvycreek.com/
Bluegrass Pickin' Time - Sept 2-5 in Dixon, MO Here is the link: http://www.bluegrasspickintime.com/Park_events.htm#Memorial%20Day%20Festival
Golden Valley Bluegrass Jamboree - Sept 30 - Oct 3, 2010 in Clinton, MO. Here is link: http://www.orgsites.com/mo/goldenvalleybluegrass/

We had another great crowd at our Thursday Jam this week. Lots of listeners and five groups of pickers. It was sure good to see our friend Clay Wyer, visiting from Houston, TX. We hope he comes back as often as he can.

PS: The picture above is one I took in while visiting Busch Gardens in Tampa, FL in August and yes it was hot but not as hot as it was here in KC. This pretty bird reminded me of how bright and colorful is the sound of the Banjo, but only if it is in tune and played in time.

Keep up the picking,
Bill

Picking at the Meadows - Another week of fun after 4 3/4 years !!!

2010-08-21T10:08:00.003-05:00

Hello everyone. It is always enjoyable for me to see so many folks who regularly come to our weekly jam and actually have some "real" fun. Our audience is also so gracious and faithful to attend! I am also encourgaged to see others improve their skills as they learn and become better and better at their songs. Way to go Zig, who is one our newest fiddlers!

If you look at the old time jam picture you will see that not all jams offer the same facilities. Not sure what those folks did on a "cold day". As such, our jamming is not about facilities, but is about enjoying the music and the fellowship of those attending. I took the picture when I was visiting our State Capital building in Jefferson City earlier this summer. It is really a nice place to go visit and learn about our great state. If you go there you should also visit the Governor's mansion. Both of these are free and are a great educational experience for the whole family.
See you at the jam. Bill

HOT Weather = Bluegrass, Gospel and Old Tyme Music

2010-08-14T10:04:00.003-05:00

Hello Everyone. WOW, what a HOT summer, I think it is the 2nd hottest on record. Is it too hot to fish??? I don't think so. Look at the photo and make up your own mind.

I will have to say that HOT weather doesn't stop the pickers from coming to our weekly jam. We had another nice crowd this last Thursday and plenty of listeners as well. We are very appreciative to our host, Country Meadows Baptist Church for allowing us the use of their air conditioned facilities. Another bit of news is that we should offer congratulations to Dave Hicks for the birth of his first grandchild, a healthy baby girl. We can now officially call Dave a grandpa! His daughter is doing fine as well.

We continue to see some new faces show up, this week we welcome Bo who just moved to KC a week ago. He is looking for a job as a recent graduate of Missouri Science and Technology at Rolla with a BioChemical Engineering degree. Did you notice his choice instrument was playing the Banjo! Does this mean Banjo players are intelligent or no one will hire them? [laughing out loud].

By the way, the picture is of my prize Crappie that is 14" long. I knew if I didn't take a picture no one would believe me. I posted the photo to show "Mr Crappie", who is my guitar picking friend, how it is done, even in hot weather. He has been catching the 5" variety. His initials are KH.

See you Thursday,
Bill

What's your preference ?

2010-07-31T09:09:00.003-05:00

Hot Bluegrass tunes at Mach 3 with your hair on fire, Strumming a 3/4 time traditional country favorite, or sitting the the back row and quietly playing along to learn a new song. I've noticed all these at our "Pickin' in the Meadow" jam. But the greatest thing about all this is seeing the enjoyment on each person's face who is experiencing it. What I like about Bluegrass Music and Jamming is that you can enjoy all aspects of it. My favorite way to enjoy the music is taking my music "Fake Books" and just paging through and playing whatever I can. Some I know and some I don't. I don't get to do that as much as I'd like to with work, family, friends and hosting the Jam. Whatever aspect of Bluegrass you like the most I hope you find a venue that allows you to experience it whether it's at our place at Country Meadows, one of the other regularly scheduled jams or your own living room. Till we meet again. Enjoy pickin' and enjoy life.

Great fun at the Thursday Jam is enjoyed by a record crowd! Come join us!

2010-07-26T12:13:00.005-05:00

This last Thursday, I believe we set a record for the number of attendees. I counted 30 musicians. It was a lot of fun for everyone as we had mutliple rooms of jamming and continue to have new comers as well. I tried to capture the jam on camera and have posted a slide show to share with those who could not attend. Here is a Tip: You may want to click on the picture to the left or the slideshow to get a enlarged picture. I am sure you will recognize some of the musicians.

Dave and I have always encouraged all skill levels and it seems to be working. This means we have something for each person, even if you are a listener or "expert" musician. Please continue to invite your friends and we will make accomondations for extra jamming rooms as needed.

PS: More interviews will be forthcoming -- Next is Ed Sellers of the Bluegrass Missourians
Bill

Having fun picking Bluegrass along the Kentucky river?

2010-07-20T18:09:00.001-05:00

Picking and singing Bluegrass music is always fun wherever you are. That means even if you are floating down the Kentucky river on a shanty boat. As a matter of fact that is exactly what the Moron Brothers do. Of course they also catch fish along the way and eat some popcorn. Here is a short video I think you will enjoy. These guys are real comedians and have some of their own CDs. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-RaFApVP0zU
Lardo and Burley Moron write a lot other their own songs and play at a lot of different festivals. If you ever get a chance to hear them I am sure you will enjoy their "corny" humor.

Hope to see you this Thursday at our Jam. Tell your friends!
Bill

Singing Bluegrass Harmony - Do you need some help?

2010-07-10T09:15:00.002-05:00

Hello everyone. One of the beautiful parts of bluegrass music is the harmony singing. Have you ever learned how to sing harmony? It is all based on each singer singing a complementary note that fits within a chord structure. For example, a simple G chord triad consists of three notes in the scale, those being the 1st, 3rd and 5th notes of the 8 note scale. The G scale notes are G, A, B, C, D, E, F#, G which can also be thought of as the familiar do, re, mi, fa, so, la, ti, do. Also numerically, it can be 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8 which is also one octave. If you transpose the numbers back to the notes, the triad is G, B, D (1,3,5). In simple terms 3 part harmony consist of the singers singing three different notes to form a triad. There are variations of this but this is the basics. If you really want to learn more you can observe this you tube video from Jenny Lester and enjoy true bluegrass harmony. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LEGLIUcKs4o You can order her video from Amazon.com She also has a website that you might enjoy as well. http://learnrootsmusic.com/html/home.html
Oh yes, the picture is one I took this spring near my house and it reminded me of something to sing about because the reflection in the water is like harmony singing, it complements the photo and adds depth which is what harmony singing all about. Keep on picking! Hope to see you this Thursday at our jam.
Bill

The joy of getting a new instrument!

2010-07-04T20:26:00.004-05:00

Hello everyone. Hope you all are having a wonderful 4th of July as we celebrate our 234 years of Independence and our Life, Liberty and the pursuit of happiness, not to mention FREEDOM. May God continue to bless our Nation as we uphold the values of our founding fathers. I am very proud to be an American.
Regarding another topic, I have something to celebrate because I have acquired a new (different) instrument. I know that if you are a musician you can relate to this feeling of "WOW". There is nothing more exciting than finally getting the instrument of your choice. Fortunately for me this happened this weekend as I was visiting Morgan Music in Lebanon, MO. Thanks to Mike, I was able to make a trade in and get an upgraded banjo for the right price. As you can see from the picture on the left, I acquired a great used "Golden Era" Deering banjo, made in the USA. It has a great tone with a 1930's pre-war contruction. I love it.

I know that anyone can enjoy their instrument but it is always fun to get another one. Looking forward to our jam this Thursday. I know several folks were at Starvy Creek Festival this holiday weekend. Bill.

There is "No Bull" in Bluegrass Songs

2010-06-21T21:05:00.002-05:00

Hello everyone. Just like the title says: There is "No Bull" in Bluegrass Songs. I hope you can appreciate what I mean. Let me try to communicate my thinking by saying that Bluegrass Music is pure from the heart and has lyrics that always have a special expression. If you think about it, most of the vocal songs regardless of the topic it usually has an interesting story. Some examples include: "Little Georgia Rose", "Love of the Mountains", "Cumberland River", "Bury Me beneath the Willow", "Old Country Church", etc. All of these songs and hundreds of others are communicating some sincere message to the listener. In some cases the songs are actual experiences along life's way. Pure bred Bluegrass songs are some of the best genre of music you can find anywhere because it is real "roots" music that so many folks can relate to their own lives. I suppose you could argue my points with any genre of music, but then again look at the quality of "down home" folks this music attracts. It truly is heartfelt music because of people just like you.

No bull, many thanks to all of you who faithfully attend our weekly jam and expressing yourselves through bluegrass, gospel and old tyme music. See you on Thursday!
Bill

Bluegrass Interview with Local Musician - John Melito

2010-06-12T11:47:00.001-05:00

BB: If you ever want to learn to play the mandolin, you really need to read this interview as John Melito has a passion for teaching others how to play the mandolin. An even better than that, he is just a wonderful person. Hear is the interview:
BB: Can you tell me a little about your background?

John: College at Northwest, then taught for a few years, then went into sales and loved it.

BB: When did you get started in your musical journey?

John: Grew up in NJ, and listened to the oldies, when they were new! And yes, I played the accordion.

BB: What happened after that?
John: At college a friend taught me a few chords on his guitar which he let me play whenever I wanted.

BB: Where did you go from there?
John: Folk songs...PPM, Kingston Trio, etc.

BB: How did you get started in Bluegrass?
John: Years ago after moving to KC, my wife suggested I go to an Adult Education Music class that North KC school was having. I enjoyed it, and one gentleman said if I loved that, I’d also love the jams that were held at the Roanoke Center (by the Kansas City Area Bluegrass Music Club). The first time I attended, Deryle Cline, Bill Collins, Clay Collins, and a host of others were having so much fun, that I decided to join them.

BB: What is your favorite Bluegrass song?
John: There are too many to list...but most of them would be ‘up tempo’.

BB: What is your favorite Bluegrass Band or Artist? and who influenced you the most?
John: Locally, I’m always amazed at Bill Collins’ pickin’. He’s a great influence and friend.

Bands – Grasscals, Blue Highway, Mountain Heart, Lonesome River Band, are just a few that I enjoy.

BB: How many song have you written?
John: None at this time.

BB: What advice would you give to young people wanting to get started in Bluegrass?
John: Attend and PLAY at as many jams, festivals, shows, etc. as you can. If you’re new to picking and bluegrass, don’t be obnoxiously loud (like I was) when you’re in a jam.

BB: What is your favorite Bluegrass Festival or Magazine?
John: Festival: Starvy Creek.

BB: What is your favorite bluegrass instrument(s)?
John: Uh, let’s see...MANDOLIN.

BB: Anything else you want to say to wrap up this interview?
John: Anyone interested in learning some tips on how to play mandolin, try to attend a workshop, or ask me and I’d be happy to share what I know (which ain’t too much).

Bluegrass is for all Ages

2010-06-05T09:03:00.001-05:00

We like to encourage pickers of all ages to attend our weekly Bluegrass jam, but we really enjoy seeing younger folks. The picture to the left is one of our youngest players. His name is Andrew and he loves to play the banjo and it is evident in his playing. He even entered himself in his school's talent contest. Guess what, he was the only banjo player and I say: "GOOD FOR YOU". If you get a chance, say hello to him and encourage him to continue his playing because his generation will carry our Bluegrass traditions forward.

In other news, we continue to draw new folks to our jam which is always encouraging. We also had lots of listeners, which we always appreciate. In addition, we had a real good "hot" bluegrass session the last 1/2 hour in the "big room". Seems like we are making it a habit to close each week with some "big room bluegrass". If you have a desire to continue doing this type of "finale", please let us know. Looking forward to seeing again, so get out there and do some picking!

Bill

The Latest

2010-05-29T07:40:00.002-05:00

Well Bill is taking it easy at the lake this holiday weekend. Hope he is having a great time. The jam at Country Meadows was a little thin this week. I guess a lot of people are following Bill's lead and getting away from it all. The back room bunch were in full force with a good variety of pickers. The Banjo Boys had their usual group and seemed to be enjoying themselves. The front room was a little sparce though. Just myself, Harvey and Dennis. I mostly played my trusty Ovation guitar and accompanied Harvey and Dennis on the fiddles. As things settled down I made my way back to the nursery room and picked a little with the group back there. Everyone seemed to have a good time and Shelly was the winner of our first ever CD giveaway. It was off to Buckner last night. They had a big crowd there with a lot of activity. Many dancers and a lot conversation and laughter. I hope to take it easy the rest of the weekend (I have to work Saturday and Sunday). See you all at the next picking event.

Discover the Roots of Bluegrass Music

2010-05-18T17:05:00.001-05:00

Hello everyone, I just wanted to share this video to help you Discover the Roots of Bluegrass Music and how it is getting more popular. It is really good and moderated by some well known players. Click on this youtube video and you know what I am talking about.
http://www.youtube.com/watch#!v=-ajGutPpeJg&feature=related

Hope you enjoy it as it very informative. Hope to see you at our Thursday jam this week.
Bill

Bill & Dave's Excellent Music Adventure

2010-05-15T21:18:00.005-05:00

Well it was a rainy Saturday in Kansas City. Bill's wife was throwing a wedding shower for their daughter and Bill was looking for somewhere to stay out of the way. After a good night of picking at KCBMA's last club meeting of the season where everybody was trying out Don Allison's new banjo, Bill was interested looking at new banjos. With the closing of Mountain Music the selection of instruments is fairly poor here in KC so we headed out for the wilds of Eastern Kansas. With some good bluegrass tunes in the CD player and his Deering Seirra securely tucked away behind the seats Bill's trusty Toyota pickup (just in case we needed trading material) we slogged through the rain Up K10 highway to Lawrence KS and visited Mass (short for Massachusetts) Street Music. After about an hour travel (and some poor directions by me) we found the place and walked in. Bill asked where the banjos were and I guess by me in my bibbed overalls he said, "You guys need to go up to the third floor. You'll be right at home up there." Well we made our way past the low-end instruments and accessories on the first floor and climbed the stairs. We made it past the Electric Guitars locked in the semi-soundproof room and entered the upper chamber that housed the high-end instruments. The walls were covered with Martin, Taylor and some custom made Guitars and a host of mandolins and Ukes. The smell of mahogany and other exotic woods filled our senses with aniticpation of what we would discover. An assortment of banjos were nicely displayed on stands around the room (banjos are too heavy to put on the wall). Bill picked out a nice Gibson RB-250 and was soon playing "Earl's Breakdown and Fireball Mail." I Picked the lowest priced (I get nervous playing $2000+ Martin guitars) Taylor I could find off the wall and accompanied him on a few tunes. The associates were nice and knowledgeable about the instruments. Bill played some nice banjos and we were both impressed with the sound of the new Deering Sierra. The one they had was Maple one and it really sounded great. Well all good things have to come to an end. After an hour or so of playing and replaying several instruments we kept going back to that Sierra. I couldn't talk Bill into taking it home though. He said he had to think about it. Well after a hearty lunch at Subway we returned (still raining) to KC. All in all a nice way to spend the morning. Now that we know our way there we may brave another trip back to check out the inventory again. I would recommend it to anyone looking for a bluegrass instrument. Nice, place, nice people, nice instruments. Hope to see everyone at the next pickout.

Bluegrass Music Interview - Bob Brightwell

2010-05-08T08:31:00.002-05:00

It is always fun to capture the music journey of so many talented musicians around the KC Area. This interview is no exception because Bob Brightwell is just one of those nice people who is willing to share his journey. Bob is a great person and I hope you get to know him a little better as you read about his journey. To me, he is always a bright spot at our weekly jam. Bill.

BB: Can you tell me a little about your background?

Bob: Well, I uh, grew up in a little Northeast Missouri town called LaBelle. It is about 45 miles east of Kirksville, close to the Mississippi river. I was raised on a farm and was drawn to music at an early age. My mother was musical and taught me how to play the piano. I don’t play piano much anymore.

BB: When did you get started in musical journey?

Bob: I actually started playing reed instruments. I began with the clarinet and switched to the saxophone because they needed a sax player in my high school band. At age 13 or 14 I heard Duane Eddy on one of his first albums called “Million dollars worth of Twang” and liked the sound. We had an old Ukulele around the house and I “thumped” around on that for a while. A little later, my aunt bought me a Silvertone guitar by Sears. It was inexpensive and hard to fret, but I kept at it and became self taught by listening to some records. I also listened to Scotty Moore who was with Elvis Presley. Then one old guy who played in town had a big 1937-1938 Gibson arch top guitar for sale and I bought it. He played in a band called Gilbert’s combo. He showed me some chords and let me sit in on rhythm guitar occasionally. I was also amazed by Chet Atkins and I worked hard to learn some of his style.

BB: What happened after that?

Bob: Then when I was 16, I had an opportunity to play in a group. I went to Quincy, IL to audition and got the job with “Tiny and the Rockabillies”. Tiny was a 350lb drummer and also had a piano player and a rhythm guitar player I got to play a lot of outdoor dance floors and a few clubs. We mostly played the old style country music and some Rock & Roll till I was about 18.

BB: Where did you go from there?

Bob: Well, I went to college in Kirksville, MO and started making money by playing music. Met a keyboard player whose brother was a drummer with a good Johnnie Mathis type voice. So we started our band, called “Larry Dee and the Dynamics”. We mainly played 50-60s rock and roll and a lot of folk music. I played a 1960 Gibson thinline dual pickup electric guitar. During this time, I continued to work on the Chet Atkins style picking. Then after college, I got a high school teaching job in Mendon, Illinois . Mendon is just North of Quincy.

Then, I got hooked up with a 5 piece rock band in Quincy called Freddie Tieken and the Rockers. Freddie was a sax player and had a B3organ and bass guitar in the band .We played together for about four years all over western Illinois. Then I moved to KC to teach at Shawnee Mission South High School for two years and didn’t play in any band for a while. My guitar collected dust while I started my family.

In 1970, I left teaching and went to work at Blue Cross Blue Shield. Then the keyboard guy from Larry Dee’s band called me while in KC and we started playing a few gigs. We organized a group called “Three of a Kind”. We played for a few local clubs, but I didn’t like that much, so we focused mostly on private parties for a number of different non-profit type groups. In 1980, I moved to Fort Wayne Indiana and played some gigs at local hotels with just myself and a drum machine. Eventually, I quit playing in bands in the mid eighties as is was not as much fun as it used to be and the money always changes the complexity of the deal because you and have to play songs you may not like. So I started playing just for my own enjoyment. I’m still doing that today along with some recording in my home studio..

BB: How did you get into Bluegrass?

Bob: Well, uh, Bluegrass is pretty much like the old country music which I always liked and played. Back in the early days I bought an old fiddle at a farm sale and played it at square dances so I know a lot of old fiddle tunes which are so much a part of Bluegrass today. I could rip off a hot version “flop eared mule”.

BB: What is your favorite Bluegrass song?

Bob: Uh, probably is one by Larry Sparks called “Tennessee 1949”. I really like the words and great harmony on the chorus.

BB: What is your favorite Bluegrass Band or Artist? and who influenced you the most?

Bob: Well, right now I like the Grascals and another group called Lost and Found. As far as musicians, it would be Brian Sutton and Doc Watson.

BB: How many song have you written?

Bob: Oh yea, about 12 songs originally composed by me. Some are about where I grew up and others are about my personal life experiences.

BB: What advice would you give to young people wanting to get started in Bluegrass?

Bob: Practice, Practice, Practice and go to jams because you can always learn something from somebody. The people who practice a lot are really good because it is 99% perspiration and 1% inspiration. Also, take the time to learn chords – especially bar chords. Chords are the basis for everything on the guitar.

BB: What is your favorite Bluegrass Festival or Magazine?

Bob: I don’t take any bluegrass magazines, but I subscribe to “Acoustical Guitar” magazine. I like to go to Winfield.

BB: What is your favorite bluegrass instrument(s)?

Bob: Of course, my favorite is the guitar which will always be my first love. I also like and play the mandolin.

BB: Anything else you want to say to wrap up this interview?

Bob: I really enjoy going to jams because the people are real nice. They remind me of the people I grew up with. The fellowship and social aspects are very important to me because you get to meet a lot of people and each one can teach you something.

Hoo-ray! Hoo-ray! It's the first of May, Outside Picking starts today!

2010-05-01T08:57:00.001-05:00

Hello everyone. We had a very nice crowd attend our jam on Thursday evening and even had some new listeners join us as well. I was a little surprised at the crowd because of the Golden Valley Bluegrass Jamboree going on in Clinton, MO this week. It is always amazing who may show up. A couple weeks ago a man named Larry showed up from Monterey, California. He was in town for a couple of weeks and found us on the web by googling Kansas City Bluegrass.
On another subject, I am behind on getting my next interview posted with Bob Brightwell and it will be coming soon, so keep checking the blog. In the meantime, I hope you can come out to join us this week as we continue to pick, sing, grin and enjoy everything that our venue has to offer. Bill

MO-OK-AR-MO

2010-04-21T16:14:00.002-05:00

Well I made it back from the wilds of Oklahoma and Arkansas. Not much to report. I left home without a musical instrument and didn't even see any picking on the trip. The only music store in Eureka Springs AR was closed so I didn't even get to look at any instruments. Looking forward to seeing the crowd at Country Meadows after a week off.

Reminder: No Thursday Jam on April 15th

2010-04-12T21:27:00.001-05:00

Hello everyone. In case you didn't hear, there will be no jam this Thursday, April 15th. The good news is we will resume our normal Thursday schedule, starting April 22nd. Hope to see you there. In the meantime, keep on picking and learn something new.
Bill

HABOT's 20th Year Celebration is a BIG Success!!!

2010-04-03T09:31:00.001-05:00

Hello Everyone. Last Saturday March 27th, I attended the HABOT Bluegrass Club's 20th Year Celebration. WOW! It was a big success. Many thanks to those who made it happen. The image on the left is a picture of the Program cover and inside was the schedule of all the bands and when they were performing. The event lasted from 12:30pm to 10:00pm and it started with a potluck dinner (there sure was lots of good food and deserts). The bands included: Thayer Family; Bear Creek Bluegrass; Willow Creek; Byron Jones "Show Me Bluegrass"; I-35 Express; Liberty Highway; and concluded with the entertaining Hootin' Annies. Of course beyond the bands and the foods was the all of those pickers who just picked and picked and picked. It was a great time but by 5:00pm my back, shoulders and fingers were tired and I had to go home. Don't forget HABOT meets the third Friday of each month from Oct - April.

Also this last Thursday, we had a great time at our weekly Jam at "Picking in the Meadows". I have several more interviews coming up. Next on the list is: Bob Brightwell who is regular attender at our Thursday jam. Hope to see you all this coming Thursday.

In closing, I hope you spend some time to have a glorious Easter celebration this Sunday. For me, it is the pinnacle of my faith.

Bluegrass Musician Interview - Dave Batson

2010-03-22T19:28:00.000-05:00

As usual, another fun interview with a very talented musician that has been on the circuit for quite a while. His name is Dave Batson and he has an interesting musical journey. The interview went something like this.

BB: Hi Dave and thanks for your time this evening. I appreciate your willingness to share your musical journey.

DB: No problem, I hope it will be worth your time.

BB: Can you tell me a little about your background?

DB: Well, uh, basically I was born in South Missouri near Springfield in a town called Billings. My family moved to Kansas City in 1950. I graduated from Raytown High School.

BB: When did you get started in musical journey?

DB: I started being interested in music in elementary school, singing and playing guitar. I messed a little with the piano. I was mostly interested in singing and learned to play guitar to accompany myself . While in Jr High school, I started playing in bands. I soon learned that there were hundreds of guitar players but bass players were scarce. So, I learned to play bass. During High School, I spent a summer in Las Vegas on a TV show: it was the Bob Scott country variety hour. After about five months, my family had me come home so I finish high school. When I got out of the Marine Corps I met my wife while I was playing electric bass in a rock and roll band called “The Band”. I was a union musician back then because it was needed to play and get jobs. Most of the touring artists back then didn’t bring a band with them, it was cheaper for them to use local musicians through the union. For a couple of years I played a lot of “one night gigs”.

BB: Wow, what happened after that?

DB: Well, my wife and I liked folk music. I worked with a couple of guys who also liked folk music and had some jam sessions at my house. I had an album by a group called “The Brothers Four” and it had a song on it called “Waves on the Sea” and it had a bluegrass style banjo picker in it. After hearing that banjo, I was hooked on the bluegrass style of music and wanted to learn to pick the banjo. I messed around with it for about a year and a guy I worked with father in law taught me how to chord and do some rolls . . As I got more into bluegrass, I went down to the “What so Ever” club which was down off 12th street in Kansas City. Then a guy by the name of Mike Morris had a music store in Raytown and he catered to the bluegrass/country musicians. One Sunday he sponsored an afternoon jam session and invited everyone in the area that was into bluegrass. That is where I met Jerry Justus, mandolin; Larry Ellis, fiddle; Lonnie Hopkins, banjo; Howard Rash, banjo; Don Montgomery, bass; Bob Tripp, dobro, Lyman Enloe , and several others. About 75 people showed up. This was in about 1968. After hearing Hoppers and Rash pick banjo, I decided my best bet was to go back to guitar.

BB: Where did you go from there?

DB: Then we started going to different jam sessions. I ended up with jamming with Larry Ellis, Jerry Justus, Howard Rash, and Keith George. We were the first Green Side Up around 1969-70. We started playing at festivals in around 1970-71. I was the singer and guitar player. The name of the band came from an old joke about laying sod. Later on Rick George joined in 1971-72 as the new flat picker and bass singer. I stayed with them till 1976, then I took time off to be a father and focus on raising my boys.

BB: Very interesting.....please tell me more.

DB: Then in 1993-94 I helped form another band called “Bad Habit”. It was a rock band with my son. I played bass, and my youngest son played lead guitar. My nephew played rhythm guitar. We played at different places here and there for around 10 years.

DB: After that, I drifted back to Bluegrass and had an opportunity to play with Bluegrass Missourians as bass and singer. Now I have been with them about three years and that brings me you up to date.

BB: What is your favorite Bluegrass song?

DB: Oh, golly. Probably the one I am doing at the time. I would hate to pick one over the other. There are so many good songs. I tend to like the more traditional sound, even though there are some really hot contemporary musicians.

BB: What is your favorite Bluegrass Band or Artist? and who influenced you the most?

DB: Oh, if I had to narrow it down to one, it would be the old Stanley Brothers. To be honest I did more Flatt and Scruggs music than anything and they were my earliest influence. I also like Bill Monroe who wrote a lot of good songs. Also, I really like the voice of Mac Wiseman.

BB: What advice would you give to young people wanting to get started in Bluegrass?

DB: Get around and play as much as can and get know as many musicians as you can and watch them and try to do what they do…and then go beyond that.

BB: What is your favorite Bluegrass Festival or Magazine?

DB: Well, I take Bluegrass Unlimited magazine, because it has lots of information about artist and festival happenings. I really enjoy the festivals at Starvy creek, Dixon and Clinton.

BB: What is your favorite bluegrass instrument(s)?

DB: It would have to be the banjo, because it is what hooked me to begin with.

BB: Dave, is there anything else you want to say to wrap up this interview?

DB: Bluegrass is one of the best activities anyone can get involved with. The people are great and it is good clean fun.

BB: In closing Dave is a wonderful guy that just wants to continue in the Bluegrass venue and enjoy all that it has to offer. I am very glad he is a regular at our weekly jams. If you don't know him introduce yourself and you will have a friend for life. He is just that type of guy!

Is Bluegrass Music for YOU?

2010-03-13T09:45:00.007-06:00

Hello everyone. Life is interesting. The other day my wife and I went out to eat at Panera Bread and I noticed the "order taker" had a nice logo name tag. Under the name tag was a little sign that says: My Passion is Music. This got my attention so I ask her what type of music she liked and she said: "Oh, I like all kinds of music!" My next response was: "Oh that is great, do you like Bluegrass Music? She paused and stated: "well, I like most kinds of music". So needless to say our conversation quickly returned to what food selection I wanted to make.

A little later on, after re-playing the "music conversation" over in my head, I began to wonder what is it that draws a person to bluegrass music? Do you know the answer? I am sure everyone may have a different answer but there must be a common theme. The common theme is the heart of the people. Bluegrass music draws out some of life's real events, stories, and experiences that people can connect to. It is a feeling within yourself that just resonates. The traditional songs are both wide and deep in terms of their meanings behind the lyrics. In most cases the music is not complicated but at the same time it can bring out laughter, happiness, and even sadness. Of course, Bluegrass gospel songs can bring out a significant spiritual meaning as well that provides a connection to God. Bluegrass music is all these things I just mentioned. This is what we connect to as we live out each day of our lives. It is the heart of the people, the songs and fellowship that draws people to bluegrass. Hope to see you at our next jam.
Bill

2010-02-28T14:40:00.002-06:00

Once again had a good time at Heartland Unplugged. We claimed the "carpeted room" at the end of hall. We had a big crowd after Steve Gouge finished his stage show but they soon dispersed and moved on. I hope it wasn't my singing that ran them off. The "swing" players were working the room next to us and had a good following. Those guys really have a good time and I enjoy listening to them. I just can't play all those fancy chords they play. Harvey brought his trusty Kay bass which allowed me to set down and play my Epiphone guitar for a change. If you haven't been to Heartland Unplugged you need to give it a try. Carl is setting up the stage shows to begin the show and we always have some good picking in the jam rooms. They also serve a mean cheeseburger combo for a very reasonable price. So head south on the next 4th Friday and join the fun.

Nashville Picker brings out a good crowd

2010-02-21T12:59:00.003-06:00

Hello all you Bluegrass Pickers. Last Thursday was a great time of picking at our weekly jam. Thanks to Rita, we had a special guest all the way from Nashville. His name is Lonnie Jones (see photo). He is a good picker and a nice person with a little southern accent. I hope he comes back again sometime soon. He is the founder/owner of a Bluegrass Music Park in Madison, TN (just a few miles North of Nashville). Below is his website if you are going that way or want to learn more: http://larrysgrandoldgarage.com/

We had a nice crowd and had five rooms of pickers going at the sametime. It is amazing how jamming brings out the good in people and provides a venue to relax, smile, sing, laugh and eliminate some stress. Hope to see you this next Thursday. Lastly, more interviews coming featuring Dave Batson of the Bluegrass Missourians.
Bill

Bluegrass Musician Interview

2010-02-13T12:29:00.005-06:00

BB: It is always a pleasure to learn about some of our local KC Bluegrass talent. This interview with Kenny Huckabey is no exception. He is one of the nicest people you will ever meet and a good "crappie" fisherman and friend. It is my priveledge to share this interview with you and allow you to read his Bluegrass Journey. The interview went like this:

BB: Hi Kenny, thanks for your time. Can you tell me a little about your background?

KH: Ok, sure, I came to KC in 1950 but am originally from Keytesville, Mo (a little West of Moberly). I was born on a hill farm and raised in central Missouri and listened to the Grand Old Opry which was my first exposure to Bluegrass music and Bill Monroe. My dad and all my brothers and sisters played music as well.

BB: When did you get started in Bluegrass music?

KH: I probably got started in about 1975 in the Kansas City Area. I started going to KC Bluegrass Club when it was meeting on 12th Street in downtown Kansas City. It was there I first Jim McGreevy there along with Arlen Collins playing the guitar and Delbert Collins playing the mandolin and Edmond Collins playing the five string banjo.

BB: What happened after that?

KH: From then on I played bluegrass music off and on and got involved with Gail Cavanah and he wanted to start a country family theatre to play country and bluegrass music. It was located off of Highway 291, where Lakewood in Lee’s Summit is now. The RLDS church was running a big red barn which gave us a place to set up and play. We performed in the loft. During this time, I also met Jeff Elso when he was about 15 or 16 and of course he played the banjo and his dad played the bass fiddle. I also met Gene Hayter, who in my opinion was the best fiddler in the country. We did this for four or five years.

BB: Where did you go from there?

KH: Then I got involved in my son’s rock and roll band for 7 or 8 years. The band was called “The Rock and Roll Zones” and I played guitar. Then we decided to start our own country family theatre band and called ourselves the “The Huckabee’s” and our logo had honey bees surrounding an “H”. We performed in Levasy, MO in the old school house for about 12 years. Our family put on a country and bluegrass show. We also had a bluegrass gospel band with my family and a preacher who played the steel guitar (he called it a bisquet board). We also traveled all around with our kids and performing regularly at different churches.

KH: While peforming in Levasy, I got aquainted with Dick (bass) and Rick (dobro) Hugill in Levasy who would come to our show. The Hugill’s wanted to start a bluegrass band which we did and were called “Over the hill bluegrass” and we traveled four states (OK, Kansas, Iowa, MO). While in Iowa, Rick competed in the four state dobro championship contest and won first place! Also we entered the bluegrass band and came in five place in coast to coast contest.

KH: Finally, about 10 years ago Nick (banjo) and Loretta Revard (bass) joined us to become “Classic Grass” and we still are playing. We perform at the Cass County fair every year. We also made a CD entitled “Classic Grass”. Now I am just kicking around playing around whenever they need me.

BB: What is your favorite Bluegrass song?

KH: It is hard to say, but probably a song called that has the lyrics “Hills I call Home”; I also like Matterhorn, and always love the Bluegrass Gospel songs.

BB: What is your favorite Bluegrass Band or Artist? and who influenced you the most?

Jim McGreevy of the Bluegrass Bridgade is my favorite local bluegrass musician. Clay Collins, was the individual who influenced me the most for Bluegrass music along with HM and Joan Roe.

BB: How many song have you written?

KH: I haven't written any songs.

BB: What advice would you give to young people wanting to get started in Bluegrass?

KH: I would encourage them to get started and tell them it is the best music for young people. It is good, clean and fun. It is thrilling to both the body and mind.

BB: What is your favorite Bluegrass Festival or Magazine?
KH: Let’s see, humm, well I will say the Golden Valley Festival in Clinton, MO. I don’t subscribe to any magazines.

BB: What is your favorite bluegrass instrument(s)?

To listen to, it would be the 5 string banjo. I love listening to the banjo. I tried to play at one time, couldn’t get the rolls down like I needed to so I had to give it up. The Guitar is by far my favorite instrument to play.

BB: Hello everyone. In closing, if you don't know Kenny Huckabey, come by our Thursday jam and get to know a very fine guitar picker and individual along with his wonderful family. More interviews will becoming so keep checking and see who is next! Let me know if you want to be on the list to be interviewed. Hope to see you at our jam!

Cleaning out the closet

2010-02-08T18:08:00.003-06:00

I've decided to clean out the closet and sell a couple of my surplus instruments. I have a Dean A-Style Mandolin with a soft case and two instructional books. They sell new for around $160.00 and I would like to get $100.00 for it. I also have a Washburn D12-12-N 12 String Guitar with an SKB hard case that I am asking $200.00 for. Both play well but I just don't have the time to play the mandolin and I rarely if ever use the 12 string anymore. I'll bring them up to the Country Meadows Jam next week (2/18) I have to go the the HABOT board meeting this week. I may make it to the jam in time to clean up. If anyone wants to ask and additional question on the instruments e-mail me at wdhick@yahoo.com or call 816-810-5099.

David Hicks

We have some real Bluegrass Winners!

2010-02-07T20:24:00.003-06:00

Hello everyone. It is so wonderful to see the talent that is roaming the Kansas City bluegrass jams. Did you know that we have three winners right here in our midst. I would like to stress that these are folks that "get it" when it comes to Bluegrass music. As a matter of fact they are notable winners because they are recipients of a formal awards at the 36th Annual SPBGMA Midwest Music Awards. The award ceremony was held in Jefferson City for the 26th Midwest convention in Jefferson City, MO January 15,16, and 17th. I would like to go there sometime and see the action. The local winners are:

Jim McGreevy won the Male Vocalist of the Year (contemporary). Mae Burleson won the Female Vocalist of the Year (contemporary). Karla Campbell (Hootin Annies), won Bassfiddle player of the year. Next time you see these folks, please offer your congratulations for their hard work and professionalism. It is a real pleasure to jam with these folks at any of the bluegrass venues available in the KC area. Hope to see you again at our Thursday jam. By the way next interview will be coming soon with Kenny Huckabey.
Bill

Four years of Picking and the JAM is still going!!!

2010-01-31T13:37:00.003-06:00

Hello everyone! We have reason to celebrate after completing four years of picking at our weekly jam. Dave and Bill want to thank each of you for your committment in keeping the jam going. Our church is glad to provide this type of a venue as we reach out to the community and make it a place to sing and play Bluegrass, Gospel and Old Time Music. We have got guests from many parts of the country in the past four years. Let's face it, jamming is a fun thing to do compared to other options in this world. We look forward to seeing each of you each week and enjoy the talent that comes through the door. Have a great week and hope to see you Thursday!

Bluegrass Musician Interview Part 2 of 2

2010-01-16T10:47:00.010-06:00

As promised, below is the continuation of my interview with Jim McGreevy. Hope you enjoy it and please post a comment as you like. Now here is the rest of Jim's journey as mentioned in part 1.

JM: Then in 1979 I joined the Bluegrass Brigade, and just chopped rhythm on the mandolin, and helped sing some. I first performed with them at Silver Dollar City's music festival. Rusty Dutton played the banjo (and some twin fiddle), Don Mongomery played fiddle, Jack Burlison played guitar, and his wife Mae played the bass. In 1983, when Rusty had to leave us due to his job requirements, I started playing banjo almost exclusively, and gradually added some tunes using the mandolin. Jack and Mae's grand-daughter (August) also started playing the fiddle with us in '93 through her high school years. She then moved to Branson, continuing to play with us whenever her schedule allowed. She now lives in Chattanooga, TN where she and her fireman husband have their own new bluegrass band, called Barefoot Nellie.

BB: What is one of your favorite Bluegrass songs? JM:“Little Old Log Cabin in the Lane” is one favorite. This song was possibly written before 1900, and recorded about 1920 by Fiddling John Carson and his daughter Moonshine Kate. This recording is credited as being the first "hit" country song, according to a plaque we saw in the Country Music Hall of Fame in Nashville.

BB: Which band do you like to listen to most often today?
JM: A few years ago, and if Charlie Waller was alive today, it would have to be the Country Gentleman. Today, I like Blue Highway, Lonesome River Band, Longview, the Grascals, and of course, Rhonda Vincent and the Rage.

BB: What advice would you give to young people wanting to get started in Bluegrass?
JM: Go out and get around as much Bluegrass music as you can, and listen to and observe the pickers who are more advanced than you are. Have your instrument of choice professionally setup so you won’t become discouraged if you try to play it and it doesn’t sound or perform right. Lastly, Practice, Practice, Practice. Pay particular attention to tuning, tempo and timing.

BB: What is your favorite Bluegrass Magazine or Festival?
JM: Without question, it is Bluegrass Unlimited –-- I have subscribed for over 40 years. My favorite festival is Bluegrass Picking Time at Dixon, MO. I have been going there off and on for 40 years. I like it because it is geared toward the lesser known groups from the Midwest, and never wholly relied on booking just the "big name" bands. It has more of a relaxed down home atmosphere and great jamming.

BB: What is your favorite bluegrass instrument?
JM: I must say the banjo is my favorite instrument. You can’t go wrong with it, as long as you play sensibly and tastefully for the situation, and with respect for the music and the other players.

BB: Thanks to Jim for sharing his bluegrass journey.
I am planning to provide other interviews with other local musicians, so check back often to see who is next.

Bluegrass Musician Interview - Part 1 of 2

2010-01-06T19:18:00.008-06:00

Recently I have had the distinct pleasure of interviewing a local bluegrass musician that is well respected in our music community. His name is Jim McGreevy. The following paragraphs reveal answers to several questions about Jim's Bluegrass Journey. The interview went like this:
BB: When did you get started in Bluegrass?
JM: I was born and raised on a farm in Oklahoma. After college I moved to Kansas City (KC) in 1960, where I worked for Bayer Corporation for 40 ½ years. I started listening to and learning bluegrass in 1965 -- it evolved out of my love of folk music. Prior to that, my music had been mostly country and western swing while growing up.
BB: Who influenced you the most and how did it all happen?
JM: An old friend named Dick Bradley who was a good banjo and guitar picker in the KC area. I went to the first Winfield, KS folk festival at the college featuring Doc Watson. Also playing were Vern Williams and Ray Park, with Herb Pederson singing high tenor. They laid down some strong traditional bluegrass. Very impressive !

JM: I also met some local KC bluegrass pickers like the original Collins Brothers band, Lonnie Hoppers, and Howard Rash. I sometimes got to play some rhythm guitar with them. My first banjo playing started out by using the frailing style, but soon switched to the 3 finger roll on the banjo. I did lots of practicing and also listened to Earl Scruggs from a couple of his albums. Flatt and Scruggs had one album called “Folk Songs of Our Land”, or something like that. It was not too fast and you could keep up with their tempo, while practicing a basic 8-note or 4-note Scruggs roll.

JM: As I improved my rolls and speed, it opened the door to take it a step farther and I got to play in my first band, named the "29 String Band" since all the instruments' strings added up to 29. I was playing the guitar, Dick Bradley was the banjo player, Jim Mason played the dobro, Jerry Mills on mandolin, and the bass fiddle was played by Arkie Phillips (just retired from the Horse Creek Band at Silver Dollar City). At the time, we thought we were playing bluegrass, but it was really more folk-oriented. We occasionally played in a coffee house called the Dust Bowl in Tulsa, OK. I met a young Alan Munde there, and got to pick with him in some jam sessions. He was playing in a group out of Texas, called the Stone Mountain Boys. He is a great guy. Also I met Royce Campbell, Eddie Shelton, Byron Berline, and Dudley Murphy there.

JM: I also began to go to some KC jams, meetings of the Old Fiddlers' Club in the later '60s, held in an old iron workers hall on Prospect. From that, we later formed the first band called Bluegrass Association in 1969 or 70, and played our first festival in the fall of 1970 at Dixon, MO. Chuck Stearman played mandolin (today he heads up the SPBGMA organization), Lyman Enloe (one of the very finest Missouri fiddlers) on fiddle, John Bennett on guitar, Don Montgomery on bass, and I played banjo. Audrey Belt (Lyman’s daughter) sang with us. We stayed together about 8 or 9 years before we gradually had to disband due to health and logistical problems.

BB: Stayed tuned for Part 2 -- Coming Soon!

Last 09 Pickout

2010-01-01T18:07:00.003-06:00

Our last pickout at Country Meadows was small as expected. We had 5 pickers in the Nursery Room and about the same out in the Nursery Office. One of our church families needed the main room for a New Years celebration so we inhabited the Nursery area and picked the old year out. We dispersed at the appointed time as our church youth were gathering for an overnight at another local church. I had to pull the early shift at JC Penney so I was not able to greet the New Year when it came in but it was only three hours old when I did see it. Well we were few in nubmer but we enjoyed ourselves. Looking forward to the first Jam of 2010 and hope to see you all there.

Closing the Year with Bluegrass Picking

2009-12-29T15:51:00.005-06:00

Hello everyone,

Just a reminder, our jam will be open this Thursday, Dec 31 at our regular time. We know is it new year's eve, but our infamous bass player (D.H.) will be hosting the jam while Bill will be bringing in the new year at the lake. Hope you had a wonderful Christmas. I wonder if the jam will bring in the tune, "Auld Lang Syne". If anyone knows the meaning of "days of Auld Lang Syne" please post a comment and let everyone else know. Have a Happy New Year and I hope you can come to the jam and close out the year with some traditional tunes.

Having Fun Picking before Christmas

2009-12-19T08:27:00.008-06:00

Hello everyone! It sure is fun to sit back and pick a few Christmas songs during this time of the year. I personally really love the song "Beautiful Star of Bethlehem". Kathy S. did such a wonderful job of singing and delivering the Christmas message in that song. Others sang and picked a few other favorites and seemed like everyone had a good time and was in a "good mood" considering all the extra stress during this busy time of the year. I will be posting a new set of pictures this week. Look for it on the right of your screen. If you have not been to our jam lately, give us a try as we had four rooms of pickers last week and lots of "goodies". See the picture for some homemade cookies I get to enjoy!
NOTE: Our jam is closed this Thursday, 12/24, BUT the Church will open for Christmas eve services at 6:00pm, come join us as we celebrate the birth of Christ, the King of Kings!
IMPORTANT NOTE: Have a very Merry Christmas and may you rejoice in the real meaning of why we celebrate Christmas, what a wonderful gift.

Picking at Branson, MO

2009-12-06T17:34:00.005-06:00

Hello everyone. During a recent visit to Branson, MO I was able to participate in a jam session at the Branson Mill Arts and Crafts Center. It was a lot of fun as we played for the busload of out of town folks that came to visit this wonderful music city. The jam started at 8:30am and lasted to who knows when, cause I left after a couple of hours as we planned to go to Silver Dollar City. We played a variety of music including some Christmas songs. The main guitar man also had 12 rockabilly CD's for sale. So the early jam consisted of a banjo (me), dobro, bass and guitar. The guitar player also played a couple of songs on the hammered dulcimer. I am sure other pickers would be joining as the day progressed. I just love to be in different places and jam with all kinds of different folks. The guitar player works with AA and has been sober for 27 years. (thank God!) You most likely will have to click on the picture to see the details of this picking porch. The owner makes dulcimers and other instrumented devices.
I really missed our jam this Thursday, and plan to return this week. I heard Clay was there and sorry I missed him and his guitar playing. Hope you can make it to the jam this week. Have a great week as we celebrate this Christmas season!

Post Thanksgiving Picking Continues...

2009-11-29T15:57:00.003-06:00

Hello everyone. Can you believe that Thanksgiving is already over? I sure hope you got to spend time with your family and enjoy some of that great pilgram food. Have you done any picking lately? Are you working on some Christmas songs (bluegrass style)? I always enjoy picking "What child is this?" starting out slow and then picking up the pace with the bluegrass zip! Not only is it a fun song to play on the banjo but it has such a great message and is the centerpiece of the Christmas season. I am looking forward to hearing some of your favorite Christmas songs at our weekly jam. Sorry I missed hearing and picking with the "Redhead Express" at Heartland Unplugged last Friday evening. I hear it was a big success. Congrats to Carl and crew for recruiting such a top name group.

Great time at the HABOT club meeting

2009-11-21T13:42:00.005-06:00

Hello everyone. If you have never been to our monthly HABOT club meeting you are missing an enjoyable bluegrass experience (please see the link in the right navigation panel to view more details). The picking was really good and I had a blast picking with Wayne Loveall, Ken Preston, and a few other new faces. A young boy (about 11-12 yrs) did a great job of playing the fiddle. There was a real good size crowd and lots of good entertainment provided by local bands, including Sugar Ridge and the Great Possum String Band. Jamming is so much fun and really brings out the smiles in all kinds of ways. I really hope you have a chance to come to our weekly Jam on Thursdays as we encourage all skills levels. We had a good size group as well. I took some pictures and will be posting another slide show to give you a flavor of what you are missing. We will be CLOSED on Thanksgiving day, but I truly hope you will take time to express your thankfulness for all your blessings and remember who provides them to you!!! Happy Thanksgiving to all!!

More picking fun at the KC Bluegrass Club

2009-11-14T13:32:00.007-06:00

Hello everyone. Great weather made it real easy for me to go to the KC Bluegrass Club meeting and jam last night. They had a nice size crowd, especially in the area where the bands played. As usual, I always enjoy picking with some different folks that have the same bent for Bluegrass music. Rita sang a real nice song called something like: "Jesus, Hold my Hand". I will have to look that one up as I really enjoyed it. It was good to hear Wayne Loveall sing his copyrighted song he composed called: "My Sweet Caroline".
Regarding our weekly jam, it was fun too. Hearing Ron Raymer play the lead on the song "Pick Away" using his dobro was a real treat!. By the way the picture is me enjoying the fall at the Lake of the Ozarks, at Osage Beach. Try posting a comment and let me know how you are doing! Hope to see you Thursday!
Bill

Another Successful Bluegrass Jam

2009-11-06T17:54:00.003-06:00

Hello everyone again. What fun we had Thursday night at our weekly jam. Lots of folks and plenty of picking and grinning. Thanks to who ever made that coconut pudding with the crust. It was delicious! We had a big group out front with two other rooms full of more picking. Then at the end some of us stayed out front for some real "hot" picking. We turned Harvey loose and WOW, nobody could keep up with him. But after we reeled him in (no offense)we had some nice hot bluegrass. Thanks to all you who faithfully come each week. Have a great weekend!
Bill

New Bluegrass Banner in Process!

2009-10-31T11:51:00.008-05:00

Hello everyone. Well as you know, daylight savings time will be over by tomorrow morning and we will be back on normal time (whatever that is?). Does this mean we have lost one hour of picking? If so I guess we will gain it back in the spring. Now, on to another subject. It is really good to see some more new faces attending our weekly jam. One of our goals at the jam is to encourage all ages and skill levels to attend so we can promote the Bluegrass genre of music. It is so much fun to be "Picking in the Meadows". Other news: I plan to purchase a custom made banner to display at our weekly jam. I am still working on the design but it must be of very good quality with a look that makes people feel welcome. As a matter of fact, it might be a reflection the wonderful people who attend our weekly jam. If you have any ideas, please let me know. I have posted some updated photo albums of our picking at the meadows and in Buckner. So take a look and enjoy the photos. Have a safe and healthy week.
Bill

Bluegrass Falling Leaves

2009-10-27T19:07:00.004-05:00

Hello everyone! Looks like Autumn is in full swing and the colors are extra ordinarily beautiful this year. Speaking of Autumn, it reminds me of the bluegrass song called "Falling Leaves". I believe it is a Grandpa Jones song that talks about life and that when you die you hope there will be more friends standing around than leaves that have fallen on the ground. And it also mentions about helping others along the way because you can only take with you what you give away! Hope to see you all this Thursday at our weekly jam.
Bill

HABOT brings out the October Pickers

2009-10-17T19:50:00.008-05:00

Once again the Heart of America Bluegrass and Old Time Music Club brings out the pickers. I had a great time picking with Dave, Harvey, Wayne, John, Matt and about 2-3 other pickers. There were several rooms of pickers and plenty of folks in the main area listening to the bands. I think some of the younger ones picking were from the "Loose Gravel" band, but I am not sure. Anyway we all had a great time and played right up to the very end before they close the doors. It was good to see so many familiar faces. HABOT is such a good bluegrass club and the people are nice and friendly and showcase a lot of area talent. Hope you can come the next meeting in the third Friday of November. Please check the HABOT link in the right panel to find out more details. As they say at the club, "make HABOT a habit".

Also had some good picking at our weekly jam on Thursday. So get on out and join the circle and help us pick, sing and have fun! By the way, in the picture, my grandson is a wonderful "little man" and can really sing. I can't wait to see where that may take him.
Bill

Getting the most out of your Bluegrass Music

2009-10-03T08:28:00.006-05:00

How do you get the most your Bluegrass Music? I guess the answer depends on whether you are playing or listening. As a player I would say you have to "feel" the music and let it be who you are. This means you have to let the music run from your head to your fingers and down your leg to your feet. The result is you are expressing yourself by either "bobbing" your head or tapping your foot. I forgot to mention the expression on your face, which means you could be smiling, laughing, crying, looking lost, in some deep concentration with a little "drool" in the corner of your mouth or just a calm serene look of pure enjoyment. It is interesting as a player to observe the variety of folks who listen. For example, some may be smiling, clapping their hands or tapping their feet to the beat of the music. Others, may be singing along while smiling, yawning, sewing, cross-stitching, working cross-word puzzles, napping, shuffling their feet while sitting to emulate some sort of clogging or rabbit dance, swaying back and forth. While others, may be trying to learn and are seriously watching what you are doing. The best part about the listener is you get to show your appreciation of the wonderful Bluegrass Music by applauding at the end of a hot break, or at the end of the song. Some musicians, question as to whether they really liked the song or are just glad you are done playing. PLEASE POST A COMMENT ON HOW YOU GET THE MOST OUT OF YOUR BLUEGRASS MUSIC. See you at our next Jam on Thursday!
Bill

Bluegrass Picking in Parkville - Great Time!

2009-09-27T13:48:00.007-05:00

Hi everyone! We had a great time picking at the Bluegrass Festival in Parkville, MO. There was a pretty good crowd there and everyone seemed to be having fun. We picked outside under a nice shady tree adjacent to the Bentley's Music Store from about 1:30-5:00pm. As ususal we attracted some listeners. As a matter of fact we met the parents of our local bluegrass girl Valerie Smith. Yes, the Bluegrass icon from Holt, MO. Her Dad picked with us as well as some other locals. We had a lot of interruptions with the railroad trains coming in about every 15-20 minutes and they were so loud we just had to stop until they passed. Inspite of all that, it was a great time and I hope they do this again next year and you can come out as well. Reminder: You can click on any of the pictures and get an enlarged view to see more details!!
See you at our weekly jam this Thursday! Bill

1st HABOT of 2009

2009-09-21T17:46:00.003-05:00

I attended the HABOT club pickout last Friday. Like our Country Meadows Jam numbers were down. There was only one picking room going not counting the Slow Jam Room. There were maybe 6-10 of us in the room but we still had a pretty good time. A guy that I did not get the name of had a mandolin with a resonator on it. It sounded like he had it plugged into an amplifier. It was was it projected really well but was not objectionally loud. We knew the numbers would be down due to Starvey Creek but it usually rebound the following month. If anyone is interested it's held at North Cross Methodist Church on Vivian Road just west of Antioch in North Kansas City on the third Friday night of the month. I didn't watch any of the bands on stage but there was a good sized audience and they seemed to be enjoying the show. I also was able to play with Linda Garrison and several of the "Buckner Bunch" at a fundraiser for Wayside Waifs sponsored by one of Linda friends. We had a good time there also and the crowd was really appreciative of our musical offering. Several people asked for our card thinking that we were an organized group. I have been dabbling with several groups lately and am going to play at the Lee's Summit Oktoberfest with Gary Russell and his group. I'm still on the fence about getting too invloved with performing. I am sure with the right group of people it would be OK but I just don't want to take the fun out of the music by making it like a job. Well not much chance of that for now. Hope to see some of you at the many opportunities for picking that we have now that Fall is here. Keep on pickin'.

Turnaround

2009-09-18T04:33:00.002-05:00

Well we went from our biggest crowd to one of our smallest. With the big Starvey Creek Bluegrass Festival in progress a lot of our pickers were missing this week. Still had a good crowd of listeners though. Bill and I held the fort in the front room and we still had three more rooms with pickers in the back albeit smaller than usual. Thanks to Harvey for playing rhythm guitar for us. I'll be absent next week as I will be practicing with Gary Russell and his group for the Lee's Summit Oktoberfest on the 26th. I should be back the next week and looking forward to it. Not much else to report. Hope to see many of you at the first HABOT meeting tonight. Keep pickin' until then.

Biggest Crowd Ever

2009-09-12T07:52:00.003-05:00

Wow! I didn't get an actual count but we did have the biggest crowd ever at Country Meadows. We had 4 rooms with pickers and more listener than we ever had. I stayed in the front room playing bass but did take a short break to restock the bottled water and make a fresh pot of coffee. Had a great time and the best piece of coconut cream pie that I have ever had. All said it was a great success and Bill and I are really please with how the jam has grown. Speaking of Bill Barker it was his birthday yesterday, so a big Happy Birthday to him. Bill is a good friend and a fun guy to pick with. Went to Buckner last night and also had a good time. Looks like the Jam is going to continue up there with new people hosting it. Thanks to all who take the time to keep the doors open. Well I have a full agenda coming up. This Sunday (9/13) is our church picnic at Country Meadows Baptist Church. We will be meeting outside in the rear parking lot right after morning worship. I will have the sound system set up in the shelter house and we will have an open mic and I will be "DJ" in tapes and CDs for those who are using recorded accompaniment. Bill and I will have our instruments and several of the Thursday night pickers have expressed a desire to come and jam after the main festivities are over. Should be a good time. We have some really talented people at the church and I know of one group that has some good Southern Gospel tunes ready. All are welcome. The church is providing hot dogs and hamburgers and people are encouraged to bring a side dish or dessert. Church is at 1015AM and all are welcome to that also with the picnic immediately to follow about 1200pm. Hope to see you there.

Bluegrass Music is for all ages

2009-08-29T09:35:00.006-05:00

One great thing about Bluegrass music is that it appeals to all ages and it is so good for you. Whether you are a musician or just a listener there is something about it that stirs you and gets your foot tapping. I really enjoy my banjo students and hear is a picture of Andrew W. with his Grandad (Don M). Andrew is 10 years old and likes to play the banjo. It is so encouraging to me see his eyes sparkle when he starts to play. He is a quick learner and has a lot of promise. I look forward to seeing him progress in the weeks ahead and hope he will come to our jam in the near future.
Bill

Bluegrass Music and Crappie Fishing???

2009-08-23T21:04:00.007-05:00

Hello everyone! One of the interesting things about fishing is that you never know what you may catch. You can see this picture of a "blue" catfish I caught while trying to catch some of my favorite fish, crappie. I landed this "cat" on 4lb test line using a minnow! By the way, I threw him back as I don't like to eat catfish. Oh yes, what about the crappie? I had a good time and ended up with 35 crappie to put in the freezer. All of this has nothing to do with bluegrass music but it is what I do when I am not jamming with friends. Have a great day and I hope to see you at our jam this Thursday so you can enjoy the fun whether you are a listener or a musician.
Bill

Smaller Crowd

2009-08-21T08:07:00.003-05:00

Went picking in Buckner last Friday. I finally remembered my camera so here's a picture of the group from the Bass Player's perspective. Pretty good group and we had the usual good Buckner time. Things were a little leaner at Country Meadows last night. The front room was supported by Bill and myself. Bill and his trusty Gibson Banjo were the only lead players so he was able to get all the breaks he wanted. We somehow soldiered on and had a good time. The toddlers room was packed with a full compliment of pickers and listeners. The crib room was hopping with Nick & Loretta Rivard and a small group back there. We had some sad news that Janet Loveall had lost her mother. Our thoughts and prayers go out to Janet and her family. Well life goes on and I know that the Loveall will deal with the loss and be back with us soon. Until then keep pickin.

Alternative Music

2009-08-14T07:54:00.003-05:00

I was wondering what other music some of you Bluegrass people listen to. I often listen to music from different genres. Some of it is related to Bluegrass and some is not. Lately I have been listening to a lot of Gordon Lightfoot. He has done some really good music. Some have made their way into Bluegrass but many have not. I also listen to some older rock music such as the Allman Brothers, Poco and Nitty, Gritty Dirt Band and have also acquired some South American music that is a combination of Spanish and Native Indian styles. It's all has certain aspects that I like and that have influenced me. Please comment back and let me know what you like outside of Bluegrass. Have a great day and keep pickin and/or listening.

Picking in Buckner thrives again!

2009-08-10T20:08:00.006-05:00

If you have ever driven by Sundown Valley just south of downtown Buckner on AA Highway, you are not far from where Dave and I picked last Friday evening. It was a lot of fun and I created a new "Picking in Buckner" album to view on this week's blog. Those listeners are so nice and very appreciative of everyone's music regardless of our skills.
This week, I got a call from a guy who wants to learn bluegrass guitar. How exciting! I invited him to attend our weekly Thursday jam session to learn and observe how it is done. It is always a thrill to see new faces as we continue to reach out to all skill levels. Hope to see you there this week. Please NOTE: The two pictures on this posting are from our Thursday Jam at "Picking in the Meadows".

Bill

Bluegrass Prevails

2009-08-04T21:11:00.006-05:00

Hello everyone, I am trying to get back into the swing of things now that I am back from Europe. The jet lag (7 hrs) is harder to adjust to than I thought but after one week, I think are getting less fatigue. Our 30 year anniversary trip was a wonderful experience that was not only educational but also created many new memories. I took about 300 pictures and 1.5 hours of video. I am attaching a couple of pictures to share a glimpse of Mykonos, Greece. You can click on the picture if you want to see an enlarged view. This water is so beautiful.

Last Thursday was a great time at our jam. Lots of folks jamming and having a great time. I noticed all the treats from Santorini, Greece were eaten. By the way those were roasted peanuts with a sugar coating, covered with sesame seeds. Yum!!! I sure enjoyed playing my Gibson banjo with you all. Let me know what you are up to and post a comment!! Would love to hear from you!!

Bill

European Banjo Player Returns!!!

2009-07-28T09:06:00.004-05:00

Hello everyone! I can now say I have officially been to Europe, but I quickly realize that there is no place like the good old USA and very glad to be back! I took lots of pictures to share and will bring some treats from Santorini, Greece to our jam this Thursday. Had a good time in spite of adjusting to the seven hour time change. My wife and I consider ourselves very blessed (and don't take it for granted)to be able celebrate our 30yr anniversary cruising the Mediterranean. Unfortunately, my head is in a bit of a fog this morning as we got back in last night about 1:15am. I will have much more to share later!! I sure missed the jams. Didn't see one banjo while I was gone!
Bill

Forgot my Camera

2009-07-27T18:43:00.002-05:00

Well we had good crowd at Country Meadows last Thursday. Started out pretty slim in the front room so I took the bass to the middle nursery room and started playing with that group. I went out front to check on things and a large circle had formed. Thanks to the Reymers for staying in there and providing the Bass and Ron's multi-instrumental talents. Later the Rivards showed up and took over the crib room. With them and the Banjo Boys in the nursery greeting area we were four rooms strong. Looks like all had a good time. I went down to Heartland Unplugged Friday night but it was a slim night. Looked like a pretty good group in the main room but Harvey, Kenny Preston and I staked out a picking room but didn't get much support. We we played for a while but packed up early and went home. Sunday afternoon was Jam at Wyatt's Fiddle Shop. A lot of people there. Several of us claimed the front porch since it was cooler than the patio on the back of the house. Had a good time but had to leave early to attend a birthday dinner with the family. Don't know if this is supposed to be an ongoing event or not. Unfortunately I failed to bring my camera to any of these events so I am picutureless (I dont' think that's really a word). Sorry Bill I'll try to do better in the future. All for now see you all at the next event.

Missing Banjo Player

2009-07-21T12:54:00.002-05:00

Well, Bill Barker is away for two weeks on a trip. Get ready for this fellas. He took his wife to Europe for their 30th wedding anniversary. Man that's going to be hard to top. I hope the other wives don't get wind of this or it could really cut into a lot of guys musical instrument/bluegrass festival funds. I'm sure they're having a good time. They will be visiting Italy, Greece and Turkey. We should see him back to the pickout on the 30th. He was sorely missed as I was in the front room with 4 fiddle player. Now fiddle players are great but it get's a little redundant on breaks when you have that many. Probably my fault for not going into the back room and rousting up the Banjo Boys to fill in. All in all it was a good time. I played bass in the front room and then went to the back for the last 30 minutes or so and played with that group to finish up the night. Looking forward to this week. Hope to see you all there.

Local Musician Interview - Ron Raymer

2009-07-07T19:27:00.003-05:00

BB: When did you get started in Bluegrass music? RR: I had a friend who had an extensive collection of bluegrass and country on reels and I used to go and jam with him in 1960’s and played primarily country music. This man was very knowledgeable. During this time, Arrena bought me a “cheap” banjo. This same man had some banjo tapes and I got interested by attending a festival up North promoted by Byron Jones. Then Lester Flatt came to Kearney with Marty Stewart at 12 years old. I did lots of observing and started getting in to it. My first festival to spend the night was in Dixon, MO in the mid-80s. I played lots of gospel and country before getting into real bluegrass. In 1973 I had a 12 string guitar and had Bob George reset the bridge. He wanted to know if I did the engraving on the pick guard and I said yes. Bob was like a sort of “Jr Samples” and gave me some engraving business. Bob wanted to build banjos, so he supplied all the parts and I did the engraving and we made two custom banjos which we finished in 1983 and I am still playing mine today. Interestingly enough, I started with a flat pick on the banjo and later switched to my own three finger picking style which later got me interested in bluegrass music. BB: What is your favorite Bluegrass song?
RR: Albert Brumley wrote a song called "Dreaming of a Little Cabin" which is a sentimental song that I really like. BB: What is your favorite Bluegrass Band or Artist? and who influenced you the most? RR: That’s a hard question! Flatt & Scruggs; Stanley Brothers and Country Gentlemen (Charlie Waller). Other big influencers include: the “Bluegrass Association” (aka Jim McGreevy, Chuck Stearman (founder of SPBGMA), Don Montgomery, Audrey Belk along with her father Lyman Enloe.
BB: How many songs have you written? RR: I have literally written hundreds of songs and have recorded 300 of them on 17 CDs. In addition, I have four instrumental recordings of me playing the hammered dulcimer in the 1980’s. I recorded 3-4 recordings with the Raytown Revue. I like songs that touch your emotions like sentimental (good ole days), humor, gospel and patriotic songs. We use this approach in the shows which Arrena and I perform. My favorite song that I have written would be a gospel song entitled: “ My name is Peter”. I wrote this song during a song writing competition. BB: What advice would you give to young people wanting to get started in Bluegrass? RR: I would say to try and listen to others but be original as that is the key to any successful group. You don’t have to play something “just like Earl or Bill Monroe” although that preserves the music but it adds no creativity. BB: What are the names of the bands you play in? RR: Raytown Revue, The Raymers (Arrena and Ron). BB: What is your favorite Bluegrass Festival or Magazine? RR: Starvey Creek Bluegrass Festival – Conway, MO
RR: Bluegrass Unlimited - Magazine. BB: What is your favorite bluegrass instrument? RR: Which ever one I am playing at the time. Guitar is my main instrument since I was 14. I also play mandolin, banjo, dobro, bass and hammered dulcimer. BB: Not only is Ron a talented musician but he also is an excellent engraver, sculptor, artist and wood carver. Check out his website in the right panel of this blog.

Coming Soon !!!! Just for You!!

2009-07-07T07:40:00.007-05:00

Hello everyone, I know I have been promising some more local interviews and now is the time. I will soon be publishing an interview with Ron Raymer of so stay tuned. Looking foward to seeing everyone at our Thursday Jam at 6:30pm By the way, while I was crappie fishing at the Lake of the Ozarks, I caught this 24" Flathead catfish with a minnow and 4 lb test line. He sure is ugly and had a bad odor, so I threw him back in the lake.

Picking last week

2009-07-03T10:02:00.005-05:00

I have been remiss in my duties as co-poster of the blog. Bill was at the lake last week and I failed to post anything. He returned last night and "kindly mentioned" to me my failure to post while he was gone. Well went to Heartland Unplugged and had a great time. Several of us from Country Meadows claimed a back room and jammed until closing time. A good time was had by all. Thanks to the Heartland bunch for a good jamming atmosphere and good snacks. The hamburgers were quite tasty. I also attended the Pigless Pig Roast at the Rivard's Nursery. There was a thunderstorm when I arrived but it passed, the weather cooled off and we had a good night of jamming. I left about 10pm and the big circle was still going strong. Thanks much to Nick and Loretta for putting it together. Looking forward to the next one.

Are you ready for Summer & Outdoor Picking?

2009-06-20T12:59:00.005-05:00

Hello everyone. As spring draws to a close, we can all get ready for summer and enjoy the great outdoors. Yep, and that includes picnics, camping, hiking, and all those other fun vacation things we do when the weather start to warm up. In addition, we can attend any of the regional bluegrass festivals and enjoy that great "outdoor picking". You know what I mean, getting to really make the music while the sweat runs down our face and back. However, as you are picking outside it is easy to overlook, that pesky little plant called "poison ivy". I am posting a couple of pictures so you will be aware what it looks like. Many folks are allergic to this plant and it makes you itch so bad you want to crawl right out of your skin. So be careful to avoid it. Remember it has three leaves and is most recognizable the its notorious "notch". The best advice I received is "leaves of three, let it be". Don't forget to attend our public jam session each Thursday hosted by Country Meadows Baptist Church at 4901 Lee's Summit Road (1/4 south of the old stevenson's restaurant). Starts at 6:30pm. Hope to see you then!

Peculiar was not very peculiar

2009-06-14T14:19:00.009-05:00

On Saturday, Bill, my son Jeremy and I piled in the old 98 Explorer (that I have unofficially named the Bluegrass Express) and headed to the Art Festival and pickout in Peculiar MO. First I would like to thank all the Country Meadows regulars (pickers and listeners) who supported this event. I believe we easily doubled the size of the pickout by our presence. Hopefully it will encourage them to have more events like this. Thanks much to the organizers. We had a nice tent with a huge air conditioner, which thankfully we did not have to use, snacks and a good location. Bill, Jeremy and I arrived about 5pm and jumped right in. Jeremy checked out the local art and dining cuisine while Bill and I started picking. We took one break to get something to eat and played right on through till close to 10pm. Whew, I must admit that I was ready for a break a the end. Thurdsay night at Country Meadows, Friday night a Buckner and then Saturday in Peculiar. Believe me my picking meter was pegged out. I was a tired but happy man. I believe everyone had a good time in spite of the noise of the chainsaw carving, the car alarm horns, the generators and the porta-potty doors slamming, but I guess that is all part of playing live out in the open. Had a great time and hope they do it again next year. Looking forward to the next Bluegrass adventure. Until then keep pickin' and grinnin'.

Thursday Night and Peculiar Pickin'

2009-06-12T11:44:00.003-05:00

Big crowd at Country Meadows last night. Some new faces also. A pleasant surprise was David Wendler. David is a musician and a luthier (that's a fancy name for a person who builds and repairs stinged instruments). He really likes to belt out the songs and is not shy about it. Had a good time with him and several of us in the crowd are going to be giving him some business. He stated that he wants to put together a Bluegrass Gospel group possibly spilling over to the Southern Gospel side a little. If any one is interested get in touch with him. He can be contacted at dave@electrocoustic.com. Several of us are planning on going to the Clara Brierly Arts Festival in Peculiar Saturday PM. They are supposed to have a "Pickers Tent" set up but we figured if it was full that some of us would find a place somewhere to congregate and pick. Sounds like a fun Bluegrass adventure. It was Bill's thinking (which is ususally very insightful) that we should support any Bluegrass event this close to get the organizers interested in future events here in the KC area. It is sad that there are not more big Bluegrass events closer to us here. I know by going to HABOT and KC Bluegrass Association events that there should be plenty of people around to support them. So if you have the time, get out there one of the next three nights and support Bluegrass Music.

Steve Martin's New CD

2009-06-09T21:14:00.003-05:00

I just picked up a copy of Steve Martin's new banjo CD The Crow. Great CD, Great Music with some great musicians helping Steve. Yes, this is the same Steve Martin that did the Wild and Crazy Guy on Saturday Night live, Recorded King Tut and made such movies as, The Pink Panther, Father of the Bride and several others. He's been playing banjo for 40 years and wrote 99% of the songs on the CD. Get a copy and listen to it. Support Bluegrass music. Sounds like there's a lot of places to play this weekend. Joyce Carriker sent out a couple of e-mails on them. Big art festival in Peculiar MO. They are going to have some bands playing and a "Pickers Tent" set up. It goes Fri, Sat, Sun. Sound like it could be fun. We had a good time last Thursday, Bill and I broke away from the front room and did a smaller group in one of the back rooms. Had a good time playing some hot tunes. Looking forward to this week. The one thing I like about the pickouts it that it's alway a different group of people. We'll see who there this week. Till then.

Picking with the Chickens?

2009-06-06T07:33:00.007-05:00

Hello everyone. It wouldn't surprise me if most of the Bluegrass lovers have some type of rural background. Maybe from your parents or at least grandparents. I know I love to be outside and enjoy picking in a rural setting. The picture you see today is me "picking with the chickens" at the Hummingbird Inn just outside of Branson, Missouri. In this particular case, my wife and I planned a special weekend get away to relax and enjoy God's creation. The Hummingbird Inn is a delightful bed and breakfast neatly located at the top of a long valley that enables you to see some of those beautiful ozark hills (especially in the fall). The rooms are decorated with different themes and our room had a unique Lewis and Clark theme which was absolutely perfect for that setting. I sure enjoyed picking outside in the shed with the "chickens". One reminder when picking with the chickens is to watch where you step! The owners also allowed me to "pick" indoors by their beautiful flagstone fireplace. It seemed the other guests enjoyed it as well. All of these experiences caused me to reflect about going to the farm as a child and brought back some good memories. I hope you get a chance to pick outside this summer at some of the fine bluegrass festivals in our area. Oh, by the way, the Hummingbird Inn has lots of hummingbirds and other native birds they feed on their outside porch overlooking the valley. Until later, keep on Picking, Bowing, Strumming, Singing, and Laughing. Hey that sounds a lot like our Thursday Jam! See you then.

Freedom is not Free, but our Bluegrass Jam is!

2009-05-30T08:02:00.010-05:00

Hello everyone. Another memorial holiday has past and I hope you took some time to remember those in the military that "gave their lives for our freedom" and also remembered our loved ones who have gone on as well. We must never take our freedom for granted. After all, freedom is not free and we are thankful to all our veterans and active armed forces. During this time of the year I always like to play the Battle Hymn of the Republic. The music words are so rich and true and have a special meaning in my heart, especially the words "His truth is marching on".

On another note, we have been very blessed at our Thursday evening jam sessions to see so many new faces (both in the crowd and the musicians as well). I thank each one of you for your participation. Bluegrass, Gospel, and Old Time music will bring a smile to your face, provide exercise (tapping your foot) and make you in a better mood. Now that is a compelling reason to invite your friends. Looking forward to seeing you next Thursday! Please post a comment on the blog as I would love to hear from you.

2009-05-23T09:37:00.002-05:00

Last night was the fourth Friday of the month so Bill and I loaded the instruments in his trusty silver Toyota pickup and headed south to attend Heartland Unplugged. The funny thing about Heartland Unplugged is that they were plugged in. There was a sound system and an acoustic electric Bass. No complaints though. The system helped to pull out some of the softer players and any bass is always a welcome addition. I have an amp for my upright that I use in larger venues and when I just don't feel like making my fingers sore pulling on those stings hard for 3-4 hours. Bill, Dennis, Kenny, Harvey, Bob and I claimed a back room and played all night there. We lost Bob early but continued on without him. Jim McGreevy joined in at the end but my fingers were pretty sore by then. I was trying a set of steel strings for more volume. The volume was great but they are harder on the fingers to play. Jim, sorry if I sounded a little weak on those last few tunes. I replaced the G and D strings with my trusty Weedwackers and think I have the right mix on there now. We'll see what the folks think at Pickin' in the Meadow this next Thursday. We had a good time and were tired and played out by the end of the evening. Thank to the people of St. Luke's Methodist Church for the use of their beautiful facility. Hope to see some of you there next month. That will be June the 26th. There are a lot of festival coming up. The 28th annual Pickin' Time Festival is this weekend in Dixon MO and the Bear Creek Annual Fish Fry and Music Fest will be in Osceola Mo June 6th. I may have to attend that one to see Joyce and Jake again. I really miss not picking with them more. Well, have a great day and keep pickin'.

New Youtube Video

2009-05-17T13:23:00.003-05:00

Hi everyone. About 3 days ago I received a new webcam as a Thank You award from my place of employment. After a little persistence and determination, I figured out how to use it to make a youtube video. So it is now posted on the blog under the section entitled: "Local Musicians on Youtube". It is not my best playing as I was a little self conscience playing in front of a camera, but at least you can reocognize the very popular, "Rolling in my sweet baby's arms". I love to play this song with Ken Preston as he pounds on his Martin. Please let me know if you have any problems viewing it. Look forward to seeing everyone at our Thursday Jam.

Missing Banjo Player

2009-05-15T12:24:00.003-05:00

Well I was on my own at the Thursday night pickout. Bill was attending a function for his grandaughter and could not be there. The night started out slow as we knew that several of the regulars would not be attending. But, things didn't go that way. We had a large circle in the main room and many spectators. The spectators even all stood up and sang along when Doug played I'll Fly Away. First time I'd seen that. The Buckner crew plus Vince and the Reymers were in the Toddlers Room and there was another smaller group in the Crib Room. Don and Lee (two of the three banjo boys) joined us in the main room. Over all good time for everyone. Jim McGreevy played some nice breaks on his trusty mandoline. Thanks Jim. Harvey played his guitar and fiddle and filled in on the bass while I took a break. The bad this was when I came back he'd played all the note out of it and I couldn't play anything the rest of the night. Seriously, Harvey plays a very active bass style that I could never hope to copy. I'll just stick to trying to keep a steady beat and keep everyone in time. Well Bill should be back next week. Looking forward to seeing him then. Well, off to Buckner to play tonight. If anyone wants to come it starts about 6:30pm at the VFW Building on the main drag on the east end of town. Until next post, keep picking.

Picking at the KC Bluegrass Club

2009-05-09T09:19:00.003-05:00

Hello everyone. I attended the monthly KC Bluegrass Club get together last night. It was a lot of fun. Many familiar people were there and got to jam with good pikers and singers. It is always entertaining to hear the bands as well.
Our weekly Thursday night jam session good this week as well. We even had Dave Hicks back to play the bass. We had some great chocolate chips cookies that were quickly comsumed, so thanks to Linda G. This Sunday is Mother's day and we played several bluegrass mother's songs. I hope you show your Mother know how much you appreciate her by doing something special or at least honoring her memory if she is deceased. I love the song: "If I could here my Mother pray again". So many of the Bluegrass songs were written out of deep feelings about a particular subject. These songs share personal insight into the songwriter lives. It is a pure joy for me to know so many of you have written songs or maybe added additional verses to existing songs. Hope you have a great week and would love to hear from you, so please feel free to post a comment. Closing Reminder: Please keep Wayne and Janet Loveall in your prayers as Wayne begins the process of healing from his fall.

Bluegrass Picking in the Spring

2009-05-02T21:22:00.006-05:00

One really good thing about the spring season is that you can pick outside without fighting those pesky mosquitoes. For example, I know a few folks went to the Golden Valley Festival in Clinton, MO this weekend and bet they didn't get any bites, except maybe a tick or two. Sure hope you festival pickers didn't get too much rain. We had a good time at our Thursday jam again as we hosted three rooms of pickers. I look forward to seeing you all next Thursday and hearing the report of of the Clinton festival. Our blog continues to get more hits and lots of repeat visitors which is good, BUT I wish more people would post a comment so we actually have some communication going on. I am thinking we will have some more new visitors this week, so come on out and enjoy the fun. Many thanks to our loyal audience who faithfully comes to listen!! I am thinking about designing a "banner" for our jam session. It will say something like: "Welcome to Bluegrass Picking in the Meadows". Most likely it will be about 2 x 4 foot in size. If you have any ideas, please let me know.

2009-04-27T19:33:00.003-05:00

Bill and I went down to Heartland Unplugged Friday night. We had a good time. I had another chance to try out the new bass and Bill brought along his trusty Gibson Banjo (RB57?). We were out numbered by fiddle players but we managed to hold our own. We tried to keep it bluegrass but a few old country tunes were sung and there was even a calypso Banana Boat song (by one of the fiddle players). We played until about 10pm. I packed up the bass when Bill said, "One more song." Well three songs later Bill finally holstered the trusty Gibson and we motored back to Independence. Man I love playing bluegrass. My fingers were sore but I was a happy man. Well don't know if I'll make it anywhere this Friday night. We have some good friends that were stationed with us in Japan coming to town and were scheduled to have dinner with them. But, your all going to comment on the blog and I can talk to you that way. Talk to you all soon.

Local Musician Interview - Wayne Loveall

2009-04-19T14:39:00.005-05:00

Today I am posting the results of an interview I conducted with Wayne Loveall, who is pictured on the left. I asked Wayne several questions and it goes like this:
BB: When did you get started in Bluegrass? WL: I have sang most of my life: Gospel, Country and the old traditional Bluegrass. I actually started performing in 1986. I was mostly influenced by my Dad (Warren) who was a good singer. I listened to KOAM radio out of Pittsburgh, KS and was influenced by the music of Roy & Earl (a guitar and mandolin player). BB: What is your favorite Bluegrass song? WL: It is really hard to say, because there are so many but two stand out: Lonesome River and Say won't you be mine both by the Stanley Brothers. BB: Who is your favorite Bluegrass and Artist? WL: Stanley Brothers and Jimmy Martin. BB: How many songs have you written? WL: About 100. "Across the Miles" is my favorite, which I wrote in the mid-90's. BB: What advise would you give to young people who want to play Bluegrass? WL: Get with people who know how to play and are better than you are. BB: What are the names of the bands you play in? WL: Raytown Revue and Missouri Ramblers. BB: What is your favorite Bluegrass festival and magazine? WL: Golden Valley Bluegrass Jamboree in Clinton, MO and Starvey Creek Bluegrass festival in Conway, MO. Bluegrass Unlimited is my favorite magazine. BB: What is your favorite Bluegrass instrument? WL: Guitar as played by Doc Watson or Dan Crary.

2009-04-18T09:18:00.003-05:00

Well, Bill's at the lake trying his best to reduce the local Crappie population. I was off last night so I pointed the old Explorer up BB highway and headed to the big town of Buckner. There in the VFW hall I was able to try out my new bass. I just got it back from the shop and was eager to check it out. If any of you have ever attended the Buckner Jam you know that it is a little different. A lot of spectators who come to enjoy the music and each others company. They can get a little loud so you have to play louder if you want to be heard. It looks like it was a success. Everyone complimented the bass and said they could hear it fine. I was really pleased. I have to thank the talented craftsmen at KC Strings. This is my second bass that they have set up for me and they did a good job of taking a low-end instrument and making the most of it. I look forward of trying it out at Country Meadow again as soon as my schedule allows. Remember that the Jam will be in the basement this week to accommodate the Dave Ramsey simulcast. Drive around to the south end of the building and circle back to the north. You'll see a set of double doors on the north side of the newer addition. Enter there into the fellowship hall and there will be jamming rooms set up. Don't know if I'll be there but have a great time. See you all soon.

Bluegrass Loyalty Jamming

2009-04-04T08:47:00.009-05:00

Hello Everyone. Check out the new gadget I added at the very bottom of the blog. It is Chords and Scales training tool. In addition, I have been trying to get the word out about this blog and it seems to be working as the numbers of "hits" are increasing. So please share this website with your friends. Having more visits to the blog is good, but it is nothing compared to our Thursday Jam. This last Thursday we had over thirty musicians in various rooms having a great time jamming away and playing their favorites tunes. It is so nice to see so many of the same faces week after week. Now that is what I call "Bluegrass Loyalty"! Yep, just regular people who love this kind of music that come out each week to have fun and enjoy life. For beginners, our venue is a good place to learn from others who can observe and learn new breaks or techniques to improve their skill. We welcome anyone new that comes to play or who just listens to the music. Make sure you post a comment in the blog as I would love to hear from you! PS: One last note, I conducted my first interview with a local musician and I will be posting the results very soon.

2009-03-31T13:24:00.003-05:00

Don't you just love Missouri weather. 6 inches of snow on Saturday and 70 degrees on Monday. If you don't like the weather just wait and it will change. On to Bluegrass. I just purchased Michael Martin Murphy's CD Bluegrass and Buckaroos. Wow, a great mix of his songs done bluegrass style. He's has some great pickers and singers on the album. Check it out. I know Bill Barker has been working on Carolina in the Pines. It's on there and done really well. For all you fiddlers it has a cut called Fiddlin Man that is done to the tune of St. Annes' Reel. Great job by Andy Leftwich who plays with Ricky Skaggs. I would encourage anyone who likes songs from other genres played bluegrass style to check it out. I personally like a little change once in a while. I've been listening to a lot of Gordon Lightfoot lately. He's my favorite non-bluegrass artist. His lyrics are so great, he really puts a lot of feeling into them. I only wish I could express my thoughts that way. Well I'm looking forward to Bill Barker's interviews with local musicians/songwriters and hear what they have to say. Looks like I might make it again this week hope to see everyone there. And to Mellissa who posted a comment, looking forward to seeing you as you pass through. Don't forget your instument. See you then.

Two Thurdsays in a row

2009-03-28T18:14:00.004-05:00

Things were hopping at Country Meadows Thursday night. We had musician playing in five different spots. Wow it was a lot of fun. It was good to see so many the old crowd there. Thanks for all who had kind words for me and expressed that they had missed me. I had a really good time and seemed to be keeping the beat as best I could. Playing music is the best therapy that I can think of. I always feel better after I've been to a good session. I guess that's what I like about Bluegrass is that it's a simple type of music that many people can play and enjoy. Well I hope that you that were there enjoyed yourselves and anyone who is reading this and wondering what were talking about come on by and check it out.

2009-03-23T12:44:00.004-05:00

Well finally was able to get a Thursday night off. Thanks to the current climate in Washington and the villianization of corporate aviation things are slow-wwww in the aircraft industry. We had to cut back to 32 hours work weeks for a while. I guess that's better than a layoff but hard on some of our guys who are not as blessed as I am. Back to Bluegrass. Had a good time Thursday. Harvey was his usual mischievous self. We played some good songs and thanks to the "Banjo Boys" (John, Don and Lee) for joining the circle. Rita was glad that I was there to play bass so she could focus on her fiddle. Denny did a great job on his sunburst colored Martin. I really noticed that I was having some timing problems. Got a little rusty from 2 months without picking regularly. Bill and I played Sunday PM at church and I was struggling on the Guitar also. I guess it gets away too easy. Hope to get back to a schedule that allows me to be a the pick outs more regularly but not too soon from the looks of the current economic situation. Well about all the ramblings that I have for now. I'll be anxiously awaiting responses. Until next time keep picking and blogging.

Weekly Bluegrass Report

2009-03-22T20:58:00.005-05:00

Hello everyone! A big thanks goes to Dave Hicks for covering for me, while I was dealing with a personal family health situtation. After talking to Dave, sounds like everyone had a good time. Looking forward to being there this coming Thursday for another round of Bluegrass, Gospel and Old Time music. Please post a comment and let me know what you are up to!

Weekly "Picking in the Meadows" Report

2009-03-14T09:18:00.004-05:00

Hello everyone. WOW! We keep getting new faces to our Thursday evening jam. This week we had a lady come in from Lawrence, KS. She found us on the internet. If you don't know I registered us on folkjam.com and posted our blog there as well. She played the claw hammer banjo along with Nancy our other claw hammer banjoist. It was good to see John P, who has a French name in the audience as some of our regular audience. I also really appreciated the fine guitar playing by Denny and Macky this past week which made some good old hard driving Bluegrass to get your juices flowing. Our jam has so many faithful "regulars" and I look forward to seeing each of them each week. Thank you all for your support. Please post a comment in the blog as I would love to hear from you!

Weekly Picking in the Meadows Report

2009-03-07T08:39:00.007-06:00

Hello everyone! Another week has passed and the "Picking in the Meadows" continues. It is so much clean fun! Make Thursday evening YOUR favorite jam venue! Thanks to Rita and Harvey for bringing and playing the bass this week. Did anyone lose a guitar pick? I have found an extra heavy white guitar pick with a blue oval that says "cool". Please let me know if you are the owner and you will get it back.
I plan to begin our musician interviews before too long. Anyone who wants to volunteer to be the first interviewee? Remember, the results will be posted on our blog. I look forward to reading your comments, so please post your views and let me know if you would like to see any special topics for future blogging.

Weekly Picking in the Meadows Report

2009-03-02T18:08:00.005-06:00

Hello my friends,

Another Thursday jam and another four rooms of folks picking away and having a good time. Thanks to everyone who help me with the setup and tear down of the rooms, especially with the chairs. Oh yes, I need to thank to Melvin for the cinnamon rolls. Yummie! We could have used another bass player this last Thursday, but we did our best without the "boom boom".

I also took a little journey to the Heartland Unplugged jam event this last Friday and had a great time. It is always nice to have so many options for public picking. If you have never been to our Thursday jam, come on out, we will be glad to see you. All ages and all skill levels welcome. String instruments only. Bye for now.

Weekly "Picking in the Meadows" Report

2009-02-21T16:56:00.003-06:00

Hello fellow bluegrass bloggers! This week has gone by really fast. I sure enjoyed seeing Joyce, Jake and Leon at our Thursday jam. It seems that "Picking at the Meadows" is becoming pretty popular. What a joy it is to see so many new faces in the audience as well. This week we had three sisters in the audience and they were all smiling and quietly singing along. Two of them were from Michigan. Also, we had four rooms of jamming going on! Our weekly jam is what I call a real "stimulus" package that you can't assign a monetary value. I am hoping that as we continue to bring in new people, we become a venue where people can invite their friends and have a great time. See next Thursday! Don't forget to post a comment as I would love to hear back from you!

Happy Valentine's Day - on the 14th

2009-02-13T20:10:00.007-06:00

Hello everyone. WOW, I can't believe how many people are coming to our Thursday night jam at the Meadows. Thanks to Rita for playing bass this past Thursday, you did a great job. It seems we are getting new visitors each week. As a matter of fact, I got a call this week from some folks in St Joseph, MO. They were wanting a place to sing so I invited them to "come on down". We are even getting more spectators as well. It is so nice to enjoy all the nice people and the great music.

Well tomorrow is Valentine's day, and I am not sure if there are any bluegrass valentine's songs. Please, remember your priorities and give your instrument a rest and focus on your valentine. I wonder what true bluegrassers do for Valentines? Whatever it is, I hope you do something very special for YOUR valentine. Let me know if there is any bluegrass valentine songs. Keep posting you comments!

Song Writing

2009-02-07T18:51:00.003-06:00

I have never written a song. I always envied those who could. I get some ideas but just never seem to be able to get the words and melody together. I have listened to interviews with songwriters and there seems to be no single method to it. Some get part of a melody and then later put words to it. Others get an ideas for a line or title and go from there. Some write individually and others collaborate. I wish it was one of my talents but it seems that I am destined to sing others songs. My admiration to those of you so gifted. Keep writing.

Coming Soon !!!! Just for You!!

2009-02-07T08:09:00.004-06:00

Hello fellow Bluegrassers.
When it comes to creating a great Bluegrass song, I have often thought about how does it "really happen"? What is the inspiration? Do you write the lyrics first, then the notes or visa versa? How do people get started in Bluegrass to begin with? How do you decide which instrument to play? How do Bluegrass bands get formed to begin with? The list goes on!

Good News! Over the next few weeks, I intend to do some investigating and find the answers to these kinds of questions. To do this I plan to "informally interview" several local musicians or bands to get a better understanding of how it actually happened to them. I intend to post the results on our blog and give all of us a chance to really appreciate the talent that is in the KC area. I think this will be very interesting to read. Most likely you will know many of the people.

There are several local musicians who have written several songs and others who are just great pickers. I have already seen some of you on youtube. Here is an example:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0R0KGX7zFmA&feature=related

Others have conducted "mandolin workshops". I have much more to share about mandolin tips very soon so stayed tuned. Thanks to all of you for supporting KC's first Bluegrass Blog.
BJB.

Bluegrass Jamming Etiquette

2009-01-28T20:19:00.007-06:00

Hello everyone,
We have been having some good sized crowds at our Thursday Jam which sometimes makes it difficult get everyone coordinated and playing together. To help, now is a good time to provide a reminder of some general Jamming Etiquette. So please be considerate of others and use these guidelines:
1. Give everyone an equal chance to participate regardless of skill level.
2. Use an orderly progression to take turns playing in the group. Either go clockwise or counterclockwise.
3. Play softly when others are singing or playing a break , so everyone can hear.
4. Do not give instruction or correction to anyone unless they ask for it. If they do ask for help leave the group and find a secluded spot and allow the group to continue.
5. If you play a significantly different style of music than Bluegrass, Gospel or Old Time Music or do not feel like you want to adhere to these guidelines let us know and we’ll find you a room where you can pick with others of similar inclination.

Have fun while you play. We are here to enjoy the music and each other’s company. Remember, be respectful of others and enjoy the music.