Friday, July 15, 2016

 
THE HONEY DEWDROPS:  
FROM THE COLLIERVILLE TOWN SQUARE 
TO MUSIC CITY ROOTS
WITH MORE THAN A FEW PLACES BETWEEN
JULY 15, 2016
 
The Honey Dewdrops - Laura Wortman and Kagey Parrish
Collierville TN Historic Town Square Bluegrass &
Old-Time Music Jam - Summer, 2009
     THE HONEY DEWDROPS came by the Collierville (TN) Historic Town Square Bluegrass & Old-Time Music Jam just a few short years ago. We were thrilled! Has it really been seven years since they were passing through and heading to Midtown Memphis to play at Otherlands Coffee Bar? The photo we took said 2009, so yep, it has been seven years! My! How time does fly!
     This lovely, talented couple, Laura Wortman and Kagey Parrish, has traveled many a mile since their last visit, and we were thrilled to learn that Music City Roots ('live from The Factory in Franklin, TN) has advanced to live-streaming and that The Honey Dewdrops were going to appear right here on my computer on the night of July 13, 2016. Oh! The miracles of modern technology!
     Originally from Virginia, the husband-wife team of Wortman and Parrish now call Baltimore, Maryland their home. Their style is simple; their message right out of the pages of American history. Their voices are as close as one is to two. Their vocal harmony is sublime, and their work on guitar, banjo, and harmonica is subtle and near-perfect.
     Honey Dewdrops is the perfect name for this delightful couple: Their music is as sweet as honey, and the entire experience is as fresh as the morning dew on my grandmother's red roses.
     The host for Music City Roots on July 13 was Mike Bub, another real favorite of this writer's. Mike is the "bass player's bass player" and he works at a feverish pace with the band 18 South and with Rob Ickes and Trey Hensley. Mike, Rob, and Trey laid down some serious music when they closed out the show that recent Wednesday evening
     When Mike Bub introduced The Honey Dewdrops, I was instantly taken back to memories of their stunning harmonies and simple tunes about everyday things that are familiar to each of us.
     Laura and Kagey chose these five songs to sing on their portion of the show: Lowlands, Loneliest Songs, One Kind Word, Horses, and Same Old. The reader can hear 'Same Old' by visiting The Honey Dewdrops website. You may also order the three most current CDs at the website.
     The Honey Dewdrops are at the Ozark Folk Center in Mountain View, AR, as of this writing, and we only wish we were there to soak up the entire feel of that Mountain View "thing". There's no way to really explain The Honey Dewdrops or Mountain View, AR. You just have to be there to experience it for yourself. Be sure to catch Laura and Kagey the next time they come around. Check their performance schedule (cooler climes in the next couple of months...smart!), order some CDs, and take a pleasant trip back in time with The Honey Dewdrops! It will lift your soul in these troubled times!
 
For more information:
Music City Roots: www.musiccityroots.com
 
Pick away!
    
     
 
 


Monday, July 11, 2016

THE COUNTY LINE JAM
COLLIERVILLE, TN
 St. Andrew's Episcopal Church
July 10, 2016
 
The County Line Jam is a long-standing pleasant old-time music jam perfectly suited for a Sunday afternoon. Located at St. Andrew's Episcopal Church, just off the Collierville, TN, Historic Town Square, the jam was begun by dulcimer player/instructor Lee Cagle. Lee and several of her musical friends gather on the second Sunday of each month from 2-4 PM Central. Visitors are invited to play or just listen and chat with the performers.
 
L to R: Karl Gray, Marshall Brown, Judy Brown,
Danny Autry, Hilary Scheel, Lee Cagle
On July 10, this writer dropped in and saw old friends like Karl Gray, Donna Gray, Valerie Gray, Yolanda Harper, Marshall Brown, Judy Brown, Danny Autry, Hilary Scheel, and Lee herself. Lee's son Nat J. Cagle dropped by before the session was over. My! How that child has grown!
 
L to R: Karl Gray, Donna Gray,
Yolanda Harper, Valerie Gray,
Marshall Brown
Nat J. Cagle
Hilary Scheel and Lee Cagle
 
 
 
 
 
On this particular Sunday afternoon, we were treated to several old-time tunes played on guitar, mandolin, autoharp, fiddle, and dulcimer. It's all-acoustic, meaning no amplifiers or microphones. Here are some of those tunes:  Poor Boys Delight, Long Black Train, What'll I Do with the Baby-o, Farther Along, Whiskey 'fore Breakfast, Soldier's Joy, Rosin the Beau (Bow?), There Is a Time, Georgiana Moon, Little Birdie, Bile Dem Cabbage Down, and Old Joe Clark. Some of the tunes originated in Scotland, Ireland, and in other sectors of the British Isles and Western Europe. The tunes have been passed down through generations, and folks who were new to America brought those tunes and many others with them when they came to this new land.
 
Lee Cagle
Karl Gray at right
We are thankful to Lee Cagle and the County Line players for helping to keep the old songs alive. Lee encourages other musicians to join the all-acoustic jam. Fans like this writer enjoy watching and listening to the tunes and hearing stories about those ancient melodies.
 
Contact Lee Cagle for instruction, McSpadden Dulcimers, CDs, and information about The Memphis Dulcimer Gathering, Inc.
 
For more information:
 
Pick away!