Asheville, nc jack of the wood

[f5loar]

Look for me and Evan Reilly to make a late night appearance tonight at the Thursday night jam session at the downtown Asheville resturant/bar The Jack of Wood on Patton Avenue. Come join us for some genuine Monroeism pickin'.

[Bobbie Dier]

I wish I could. It's only about an hours drive there for me but.....I'm a nurse and on call to OR. Bummer

[Michael H Geimer]

Well, I didn't want to start a new thread, so I dug this one up to say ...

The wife and I finally closed on our new home in North Carolina! We're very excited about it all. It will probably take us months to sell our place here and actually load up the car and drive across. We will be out there in a couple of week to get our keys, and get the utilities set up and all.

We'll be sure to find some jams and other players. It's our best bet for making new friends once we're in town. Mars Hill, Madison County.

[cooper4205]

i'm about 45 minutes from there. beautiful country and full of great music.

[Michael H Geimer]

There is a part of that is truly scared about playing anything at all, given the area's deep, long standing traditions.

A lady I know in Black Mountain always talks about those "displaced Northerners who keep trying to change things around." I don't want to be that guy.

[harwilli55]

Benig,

Carpetbagger you ain't however, you will find that area open to tons of musical styles(especially acoustic) and innovators galore along with the guardians of tradition, you will fit right in.

Welcome to the right coast !!!



Harlan

[evanreilly]

I moved to the Asheville area 3 1/2 years ago. Best 'welcoming' comment was: "Well, you look like you are from here [I wear bib overalls a lot]; you sing like you are from here; you play like you are from here, but you sure don't talk like you are from here."
I found that, down here, Bill Monroe's music is still in style.
There are more music things in Western North Carolina than I imagined possible, and they span the full spectrum. Mars Hill isn't too far out of Asheville, and I am sure you will find pickin' in your neighborhood.

[Michael H Geimer]

Thanks Harlan!

Another plus for fitting is my wife's knack for smoking pig! Of course, I had to straighten her out a bit about the sauce. It's not like the stuff you buy ... that's for grilling, not barbecue.

FWIW: I actually work on that sauce from Kansas, but I don't eat my work. I just make the bottle look nice!

Perry's in Black Mountain is on out list to eat (and My Father's Pizza, too). If anyone knows good pig in the area, let me know ... I plan to arrive hungry!

[Michael H Geimer]

Mars Hill isn't too far out of Asheville, and I am sure you will find pickin' in your neighborhood.

Nope, not far at all. That was a requirement, as my wife is a true "foodie". So, she needs to be close enough to fancy food that I can take her and give a break from her own recipes. Even here in the Bay Area, it is difficult for me to find restaurants that compare to her cooking.

(I'm soooo in love. Can you tell? )

Another thing: I bought a great CD from the store up top of Mt. Mitchell. (Roger Howell and Doug Phillips). My first impression was, "Hey! this guy's clawhammer playing actually sounds like what I'm doing!" Then I flip over the disc to read the credits, and the act is from ... Mars Hill.

[cooper4205]

you had better take a liking to sweet tea or you'll go thirsty

[evanreilly]

I get to play tunes with Roger Howell on a fairly regular basis. I think he lives in Marshall, next town over from Mars Hill. I have his CD somewhere here. He is one of the best old time fiddlers I have run into in my running around a variety of jams. Knows a pile of tunes, and their history. And a really nice guy!

[cooper4205]

where are some good jams to play on the weekends around western NC? it'd be worth the trip from the tri-cities

[f5loar]

Evan and I just ate at the Pizza place in Black Mtn. this past Sat. and he agreed it was mighty fine pizza although he had to eat one of those Northern style Pastrami hogies. Great place for pizza. Forget the Perry's BBQ. Too much like Castelberry's in the can and far from the fine BBQ found in the Lexington NC area. Best place in Black Mtn. area is the Madison's B&B which is out of town towards Ridgecreast. Very nice fine dining. There is a nice German style resturant in Black Mtn. And best lunch is the Veranda in downtown and Morning Glory out of town.
You will find hundreds of great places to eat in Asheville. Start with Tupelo Honeys in downtown and go from there in the downtown area working your way out.
When summer rolls around look for two mandolin pickers carrying Price cases at the Shindig on the Green.

[cooper4205]

you talking about 'My Father's Pizza' in Black Mtn? that place is great

[John Ritchhart]

Benignus, I live on Puncheon Fork at Ebbs Chapel. I have a fine porch to pick on if you're interested. Just an intermediate skill level but everything sounds good up on the mountain. Email me if you want to get together sometime.

[f5loar]

That's it the My Fathers. Others are Pizza Hut with fresh frozen delights(NOT!) and the Olympic Flame under new management right out of town. I'd say My Father's has it for Black Mtn. the best pizza in town.

[Michael H Geimer]

WooHoo! Good eats! Thanks for the suggestions.

I sure wish we could bring some of the bigger instruments out on this trip; it would be nice to sit on our new porch and pick together. But, I think it'll be just the Mid-mo M-0 since that one fits in the overhead. Besides, I actually bought that mandolin for the sake of bringing it along on my first trip across NC. Seems like I should have it with me on this 'First Trip Home'.

(Sigh) Our best guess is that we won't truly be relocated until much later on in the year. I'm ready now, but for the details ... so many details.

(My brother and his family are trying to move to Japan this year! Sure makes my task seem simple in comparison)

[Michael H Geimer]

... but everything sounds good up on the mountain.

Indeed it does. We picked this past weekend up in the Sierras. We were waiting for the sheriff to groom a X-country ski trail. So we sat on the tailgate of our Forester and picked tunes for a youth group who had snow camped there for the past two nights. I think it was the first time my wife had played an instrument outside (she's new to learning banjo) and she commented about how good they sounded. "That's because were in the mountains!", I told her.

[Phil Goodson]

You won't be very far from North Wilkesboro, site of Merlefest. Lots & lots of music going on in this neck of the woods.

Phil

[Narayan Kersak]

My wife and I will be moving to Asheville from West Virginia (not western virginia, but the actual state unto itself called West Virginia, area code 304 ; ) ), next January. We frequently visit. What days and times do the Jack of the Wood Jam occur? Are there a lot of Celtic players? Would a guitar or a mandolin fit better with the current regulars? How do the members feel about a flat picked guitar? Any insights welcome. I'd like to drop in on one of our next visits this summer.

[evanreilly]

From the Jack website:
" We also play host to three different jam sessions throughout the week. On Sunday nights starting around 5 PM is the Irish session, Wednesdays at nine is our Old Time mountain music jam, and on most Thursday nights is the highly popular Bluegrass jam starting around 10 PM."
The Jack
I guess they let me in often enough; might perhaps let you in as well.

[Narayan Kersak]

Hi Evan:

Thanks for the reply. Maybe I'll see you there this summer!

[f5loar]

And soon will begin the world reknowned "Pickin' on the Green" in downtown on Sat. nights. I consider the Thursday night bluegrass jam night to be "high end" pickin'

[evanreilly]

Here is the link to the Shindig on the Green, the Weekly Big Mountain Music jam in Asheville.

[cooper4205]

is the Shindig more of an open mic or will there be impromptu jamming going on?

the younger people that are in the top pic on that link(singer, mandolin and banjo) are all in the ETSU bluegrass program.