Gettysburg

[re simmers]

Anyone at Gettysburg Thursday? Aaron Williams, 15 yr. old mandolin picker in the Kenny/Amanda Smith band was the highlight for me. What a picker. Bibey's workshop was great. Larry Cordle has a super band, super material, and perfect arrangements. Lou Reid is up there with anybody as a combined singer/instrumentalist. I got in a few jams with Mike Nadleson, super California guitarist who had the booth under the porch. His CD is super, too. Some say it's an expensive festival. For $30 on Thurs., that was a lot of quality entertainment, and a nice clean festival.

[BlueMountain]

Yes, I was there. Yes, Aaron Williams shows a lot of promise. I talked with him later. He was playing a lower end Collings F. He had a lovely tone and way of playing that was different from anyone else there. (Might mention that Kenny Smith was the best guitar picker there--he was building intelligent solos made up of phrases and sentences, instead of just playing fast. I was impressed.) Yes, Bibey's workshop was interesting, what with his long account of where he got the Loar he was playing. A fine player. Danny Roberts was great (and sang well, too). Emory Lester was also fine, and he takes a different approach to accompanying people. A pleasure to see him. And of course Jesse McReynolds, playing his Stiver so hard that I thought it would explode. His grandson Luke McKnight backed him up well on his newly rebuilt Kentucky Dawg, which looks brand new now (the back and front were both separating). He says it's the best sounding mandolin he's ever played. Well. Depends on what one wants. I'd rather have Ron Thomason's Loar, which he played very well both on stage and in a workshop. The younger Cherryholmes boy is sure improving, and he has a new high end Collings he likes a lot (he's even better on fiddle). Speaking of fiddle, man, what a lot of great fiddling at this festival. Tucker Barry, Michael Cleveland, and lots of others. And Rob Ickes on dobro. (some others were less impressive). Best show? The Grascals, by far. And on the workshop stage, I got to perform my song "Limping Home from Gettysburg" for about fifty people, and that's just what we did yesterday.

[AlanN]

Thanks for the reports.

Who did Emory perform with?
Did Bibey play at all during the workshop? How many pickers attended?
How was the jamming?

So many questions http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif

[BlueMountain]

Who did Emory perform with?
Did Bibey play at all during the workshop? How many pickers attended?
How was the jamming?

Emory played with the Gary Ferguson Band. Gary was, as I recall, born and raised in Gettysburg, and he's strongly in the Gordon Lightfoot tradition (looks, style, and story lyrics). Thus, not the sort of person your usual bluegrass mandolin player fits in well with. Emory Lester, of course, can fit in just about anywhere. He played with Gary Ferguson in May, too, in Gettysburg, and I think is scheduled for next May, too. But he's not listed on the schedule as such, so if you come, don't forget to check out Gary Ferguson, as Emory is such a treat.

Yes, Alan Bibey played about half the time. I think there were about three or four mandolin players in the "audience" of, what, a dozen? Bibey was the only person on stage. It's great to watch him up close playing by himself.

How was the jamming? I think it was done mostly in secret or when I was at concerts, as I only got into one fun jam. I think there must be some secret place. You know, most of the bands play twice, daytime and evening. Where do they go all day? I think they all get together somewhere air conditioned and jam with each other, maybe in a tour bus or something.

Rhonda VIncent barely made it--her Martha White Bus broke down in Bristol, TN, and the bus company sent a replacement to take the band overnight to Gettysburg. They made it, though. But then she announced Friday night that she had to fly home to Nashville Saturday morning because her husband was having emergency heart surgery that day! Imagine trying to put on a good show when you know your husband or wife is in the hospital awaiting emergency heart surgery! That would be very tough.

[AlanN]

Only a dozen to watch Alan? I am surprised. He is at the top of the heap.

These North and Southeast festivals are at times simply too hot/yucky to jam at. Thanks for the report.

[DryBones]

Alan,(AB4USA) where's your report? Or did you skip it like me? http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif

[re simmers]

Yes, I walked into Bibey's workshop at starting time and there were just 2 other people. I was shocked that the tent wasn't filled for arguably one of the very best mandolin pickers.
Fiddle? How about Travis Wetzel with Jesse? Travis has so much energy and more melodies within melodies than I can think of.

[bluegrassjack2]

How was the camping facilities at the Gettysburg festival? I've not been yet but plan on it maybe next year.

[Tim]

I haven't camped at Gettysburg but the event is held in a commercial campground so I'd assume they have the standard ammenitites. #Based on announcements made from the stage, I got the impression that many of their campsites are reserved with people renewing their site for the next year at the current festival.

Also note that they have two festivals at Gettysburg most years - May and August.

[ab4usa]

Jason,
I did go on Thursday. Alan Bibey was an amazing player if not the best "teacher" for a workshop. Jesse was very cool playing with two of his grandsons and a great fiddler.

[BlueMountain]

Yes, Travis Wetzel is an amazing fiddler, and I don't think I've ever seen a fiddler who looks like he's having such a good time. Well, take that back. The fiddler for the Steep Canyon Rangers really loves what he's doing, and he does a great imitation of a very annoying car alarm.

I consider the facilities at the festival quite good for camping. If you want the same site as last time, yes, you need to sign up on the Saturday of the festival, but I signed up two months later and still got the same site, and there were plenty of empty sites last week just waiting for you. Nearly all the "improved" sites (electricity, water, sewage) are in full shade, which is very nice when the temp is 90 degrees and the humidity, too. The restrooms are cleaned several times a day, and there are showers with warm water. There are porta-potties for day visitors to use. "Rough" camping is rougher--generally in a big field. From where I was, I was a minute from the workshop tent and five from my seat near the main stage. Very handy. I'd estimate that maybe 1,000 people at once was the most, but I could be wrong. Maybe 2,000 Saturday night? Anyway, not big. Friendly. And if you like great mandolin, they get about the same people as the other festivals, and it's easy to get to chat with them, as there may be only a couple dozen people buying CDs after the show.

I suspect, though, from the size of the workshop audiences and from walking around at night that there may not be all that many pickers around. I met a couple MandolinCafe members, one with a label on his mandolin case, but I hear that at some of the big festivals there are hundreds of people playing around the place here and there.

[re simmers]

I don't camp. I live less than an hour away. I spoke to several people who camp at another campground and commute because Granite Hill has become too expensive. I don't camp, so I don't even know what they charge.

[BlueMountain]

Well, they charged $30 a night for my 13 foot 1967 trailer with electrical and water hookup and access to the restroom and warm shower. IF you can find a motel in Gettysburg, they're a lot more expensive than York or Chambersburg. And with a trailer you can take a break in the shade for a few hours, have some lunch. I'm not much of a camper, but it seems to me that $30 a night is pretty much the going rate, given the amenities.

[RichieK]

Does anyone have info on why Audie Blaylock wasn't with Michael Clevelands' band?

[Steve Perry]

Does anyone have info on why Audie Blaylock wasn't with Michael Clevelands' band?

He's left Michael and is reforming his old Redline band.

Audie news on The Bluegrass Blog (http://www.thebluegrassblog.com/audie-blaylock-redline/)

Steve Perry