Best of the Welcome Columns


Best of the Welcome Columns

Author: Bartlett, Regina
HARMONY ROAD - October 19, 2012

As I sit down to write this column I have just discovered that our good friend and former Bluegrass Breakdown Editor, Suzanne Dennison has passed. She was my first CBA Woman friend and I really liked her. We would talk about Bluegrass Music and the musicians we liked. I told her that I wanted to write about Bluegrass Music and that she inspired me. I thought the world of Suzanne. God Bless her and her family and especially Don, her husband. They both were very active CBA Members and Volunteers and part of our California Bluegrass Heritage. Here's a little recap of my latest trip on Harmony Road. Jake’s Brown Barn Reunion Festival was wonderful. Put this little harvest festival on your list to not miss next year. Honestly, this is a good festival. Remember I told you so.Sue Quesenberry and Nancy Barker worked the main gate and have been working so hard to present this wonderful memorial festival for Jake Quesenberry. Michael Hall and Carl Pagter also did a lot of work behind the scenes to pull this festival together. “As we play and listen to our Bluegrass Music, let us remember Jake and the many other great musicians and friends who are forever in our hearts and minds.” Doug Franklin shared his historic Franklin Ranch in Gilroy with us once again. The stage, the barns, the food provided by the Clampers, the camping, the sound equipment. He told Suzanne Suwanda to tell us to pick a peck of peppers…and he meant it to. Seriously, there were 5 different kinds of peppers growing in the fields, and we could help ourselves. I did and now I have strings of red peppers hanging on my front porch. The RBA provided the sound engineered by Alan Lam. It was really very good sound this year thanks to Alan. The Brown Barn opened last Friday, with an Open Mic…but nobody signed up because everybody was out picking in the campgrounds. The jamming was happening! It was FUN. Mike Hall and I and Suzanne Suwanda were the emcees. Suzanne is a wonderful emcee. She could give a workshop in how to make announcements and make them entertaining and informative and delightful...all at the same time. Pete Hicks played in Bean Creek, The Central Valley Boys and also The Larry Hosford Quartet. He plays everything (guitar, fiddle, mandolin, ukelele) WELL. He told me to tell you all that he’s ready to take on some students…just a tip. So you all,go to the General of Bluegrass, Pete Hicks. Friday Night: Just Picked String Band Melissa Blas Duane Campbell Jake Davis Rich Giuffrida Cory Welch The Dim Lights Dana Frankel Larry Cohea Avram Frankel Matt Kendall Vicki Frankel Kitchen Help Jennifer Kitchen Alex Mayers Tom Cooper Matt Kendall Avram Frankel Saturday Morning: The Dim Lights 27 Strings Sycamore String Band Sidesaddle & Company Kim Elking Lisa Burns Lee Anne Welch Rob Horgan Glen Dauphin For Thirty Three years this band has performed at festivals and benefits all over the West Coast. Rob Horgan is a great banjo player and is usually very quiet and humble. He spoke about the medical treatments that have been going on for his wife Ingrid and asked for us to help out any way that we can. We care for our family of friends in Bluegrass Music. Sidesaddle is playing for the benefit for Ingrid David Horgan on Oct. 28th at the Morgan Hill Grange Hall The Brown Barn Stormers Kitchen Help Larry Hosford Quartet Larry Hosford Pete Hicks Charlie Wallace Sam Stone on bass. Pete Hicks on guitar and Charlie Wallace on dobra and slide guitar backed Larry Hosford so very well. It was superb. I requested, “The King Takes the Queen” and Larry played it for me. He hasn’t played that song lately and I really appreciated it. Pleasant Valley Boys Matt Dudman: lead vocals, mandolin George Goodell: harmony vocals, banjo Jenny Lynn: harmony vocals, guitar Jim Allison: fiddle Mark "Cousin Rainwater" Eagleton: string bass This is a great band. They knocked me out. This was the best I’ve heard them play. I really liked their music. They play top notch music, providing fun for all, with hot instrumental licks and sweet vocal harmonies, backed by a tight rhythm section, all packed into a fast paced, entertaining music show like you’ve never seen before. Bean Creek Pete Hicks on fiddle and mandolin Rob Horgan on banjo Sarah Eblen on bass Billy Pitrone on guitar Could this band get any better? Well they had Ingrid David Horgan sing harmony on the Carter Family song, The Gospel Ship. It was wonderful. Dark Hollow John Kornhouser, Guitar Larry Cohea, Banjo Alan Bond, Mandolin Louise Mintun, Bass Mark Wardenburg, Fiddle This band has been playing for 10 years now. They play with grace and ease and lots of class. I really like the classic songs that they’re playing too. Central Valley Boys Yoseff Tucker guitar, vocals Billy Moore banjo, vocals John Cogdill mandolin, vocals Dave Gooding Bass, Booking They wore their red suits and just kicked out one great song after another. Sunday: The Wakerobins The Lampel Brothers 27 Strings John Gwinner & Tina Louise Barr Suzanne Suwanda and Robert Cornelius I still hear Tina Louise’s autoharp. I can’t remember the exact song they played but I have heard Chet Atkins play it. Oh what a force of musical talent we have with all these wonderful musicians playing together. It really was fantastic. The festival ended with a set by me, Regina Bartlett on Appalachian Mountain Dulcimer and guitar. I’m sure Jake’s smiling down from heaven and listening to all his friends pick and play Bluegrass Music. I am so grateful to have all these wonderful musician friends in my life. All the bands just played so well on stage…they played their hearts out. It was good to jam with friends out in the Campground. I think that we California Bluegrass Members are blessed. So, I don’t think I’ll be going to the Fall CampOut this year…so in case I do win the Martin Guitar, please somebody call me or leave a Facebook message! So there you have it. I’ll see you next on Harmony Road at the Morgan Hill Grange Hall on October 28th for the Ingrid David Horgan Benefit Concert 2 p.m.- 6 p.m. It will be a grand time. This Benefit Concert will help with medical bills, and features Bean Creek, Sidesaddle & Co. and special guest Ed Neff and many other great musician friends. $20.00 suggested donation. If you can not attend the benefit, you can also send in a donation to Kim Elking 831-637-8742 See you there! See you out on Harmony Road!

Posted: 10/19/2012