HELLO, TEXAS!

       Howdy, y'all! Welcome to Talkin' Bluegrass Music! We're ready to talk bluegrass music just about any ol' time! Betcha you are, too, 'cept when you're pickin'!

       We want to thank Dennis Hillery, editor of "Bluegrass Reflections," the great publication from the Southwest Bluegrass Club. The little featured item (July 2013) about the Tennessee Gentlemen was mighty nice! A big thanks from any and all who ever performed with the Tennessee Gentlemen. Mandolin player and leader, Troy Castleberry, would say in his Iuka, MS, drawl, "We wanna thank ya!"

L to R: Richard Bailey, Troy Castleberry, Donny Catron, Steve Gregory at home at the Shack about 1980

       As we look back on some great old times spent at the merchandise table for the Gents, we recall the wonderful fans and  friends (too many to list), the great music onstage and in jams around the festival grounds, the wonderful festival food, and mostly, just being in Texas!

       Taping almost every show we ever attended has allowed for some wonderful memories of yesteryear. We play the tapes and albums quite often. We look through the photo albums, too. It makes for a lot of smiles and even a few tears. Sing along with me even if it's just in your head: "Deep within my heart lies a melody/a song of old San Antone/where in dreams I live with a memory/of Rose my Rose of San Antone/Moon in all your splendor...."

       Thank you, Texas, for being so hospitable and for all the good times spent with you. When you're passing through Tennessee on I-40, and it's a Friday night, stop off just east of Memphis in Collierville, pull out the lawn chairs and your fiddle (banjo, mandolin, guitar, or bass) and join the Collierville Historic Town Square Bluegrass & Old-Time Music Jam. You are always welcome here!

Pick away!

Betty

E-mail: bwestmoreland9@hotmail.com

Blog: talkinbluegrassmusic.blogspot.com

        

Part 3: Why Ya Been Gone So Long?

Sunnyside mansion comes with its own mysteries, a dungeon (now filled in) and tales of days gone by. It was the home of Col. Granville Sevier. It's located in Sevier Park in Nashville, TN. This writer grew up in Sevier Park, learning tennis, basketball, and swimming along the way. She eventually became the pool director and swim team coach. Nearly all (if not 'all') of the Nashville Metro pools have been filled in and are now just memories.

Near Sevier Park and Sunnyside sits the beautiful two-story Tudor family home of mystery writer Sallie Bissell. The grand Tudor lady and her sometime-occupant escaped the intrusion of the I-440 loop around Nashville, but just barely. The construction of I-440 was not particularly kind to the walls and ceilings of the few classic old homes still standing in the area. Sallie Bissell spends much of her time these days in Asheville, NC. She was recently back home in Nashviille to read and sign her fifth novel, Music of Ghosts, which is available at Malaprop in Nashville and on the ever-present Amazon.com.

Bluegrass or old-time content? Sallie Bissell's daughter plays the bass in old-time music. She has connections to Boogertown Gap and she currently performs with the Spring Chickens! You gotta love that name!

Part 2: Why Ya Been Gone So Long?

This portion of the trip is quite a bit closer to home! What a great time we have been having at the Collierville Historic Town Square Friday night jam! Oh man! It's hot and so is the bluegrass music!

Meet Liam! He's having more fun than anyone else!

Part 1: Why Ya Been Gone So Long?

       We haven't posted for quite a while! A solid month is more like it! We shall cut the chatter and just show you in pictures about where we've been and the sights we've seen! Come on along!

Buck and the Whites at Tuesday Opry

Sharon and Cheryl White Tuesday Opry

Pam Tillis and Lori Morgan Tuesday Opry

Dailey & Vincent Tuesday Opry

 

Visitor Center near Cherokee NC

Visitor Center near Cherokee NC

Pickin' at Rocky Branch Community Center Townsend TN

Pickin' at Rocky Branch Townsend TN

This Blog Began Years Ago. . . .

        Mostly, it began in my head as I traveled across I-40 and back home. The bad news is that the road never gets any shorter. The good news is that it never gets any longer either, thank goodness! One has plenty of time to look at the scenery and to think her own thoughts.

        On the westbound side of I-40 on a cliff not far out of Nashville, TN, were two spray-painted sentiments. You probably saw them many times. Chipped away by wind and weather, those notes are now covered by bushes and small trees that sprouted along the edges of the cliff. When I drive by that location, I always wonder if Van still loves Carol. Did she love him? Did they marry, do they have grandchildren now? As for Bill from KY (or a fan of KY), what was significant about '73? Was that the year that he spray-painted the message on the cliff? Did he graduate from KY that year? I'm interested. I would like to know about Van, Carol and Bill. Those two guys risked their lives and a hefty fine as they climbed up to the spot where they left their marks.

       Before I get too far into this story, I need to let you know about the bluegrass music content of this blog. It is revealed partially through my introduction of my friend George and his family. Fans will recognize in this photo one of the finest bluegrass guitarists to ever hit a string! The event here is a book-signing for George and other Mid-State authors. George has a wonderful relationship with the entire human race, and recently he has included an imam and six nuns who are his neighbors. George, his neighbor Sister Bertha, and the imam shared their thoughts over coffee and Key Lime Pie a few days ago. I cannot wait to hear what they each had to say about religion in today's complicated world.

        Approaching the gates of most festivals after a long ride on I-40 and I-30, I would begin to look and listen for jammin' around the festival  park. One fellow I could always identify just from the sound of his banjo is my friend Richard here. Whether he was onstage or sitting on the tailgate of somebody's pickup truck, I could spot his banjo licks anywhere. I knew who it was! Here he is at Turkey Track in Waldron, AR, 'way on over close to the Oklahoma line. The year was 1980, one of the hottest summers on record! Awww, pick it, Rich!

       This tempting huckleberry cheesecake served at Lake McDonald Lodge in Glacier National Park is on a splendid table. You can see that for yourself. I'm trying desperately here to segue into "The Splendid Table" on American Public Media with Lynne Rossetto Kasper. I caught her on the radio on a recent Sunday while returning home on where else? I-40. One of her guests to be interviewed was my friend Cary Fowler, who heads up the Global Crop Diversity Trust. The Trust has grain seeds from every corner of the world which are stored at consistently cold temperatures in an ice-covered vault in Svalbard, Norway. The idea is that neither war nor floods nor fire nor famine nor any other catastrophe can disrupt the feeding of countries around the globe, should it become necessary to start over.

        

Here is Cary Fowler thanking his high school biology teacher, Edna Hatcher Bennett, for instilling in him a deep love for all things scientific. He and his teacher were at dinner in October of 2012 at Pete & Sam's in Memphis, celebrating the 45th anniversary of his high school class. Cary came in from Italy or Germany for the class reunion. Google the Global Crop Diversity Trust or Cary Fowler to learn more about his amazing project. Listen to the podcast of "The Splendid Table" (May 5, 2013) with Cary's interview.

         This pen is a little yellow Bic(R) ballpoint that time has just about 'written' off! It was inexpensive. It never failed. It never left a glob of ink when I began to write. It did its job perfectly. So, of course they don't make them anymore! The Bic(R) or one like it has written down many a grocery list or story which popped into my mind. Even this humble little ballpoint has a connection to bluegrass music. When it dawned on me that suddenly these pens were becoming harder to find with each passing year, I stumbled upon thirteen packages of them, wrapped two to a package (two for 89 cents), in a RoadRunner (now Total, if the name hasn't changed yet again) convenience store near the Strange Family Bluegrass Festival in Texarkana, TX. I bought all thirteen packages! When I opened the package containing this pen, it started writing as soon as I touched it to paper--and this after probably 30+ years. It was just sitting in its package, dutifully awaiting its chance to strut its stuff. You had a good thing going there, Mr. Bic(R).

        There is no way to top this off except with one of the most gorgeous birds ever to land on one of my feeders. The bird on the right is the Red-Headed Woodpecker. It prefers hot pepper suet cakes. The immature bird is shown on the left. The bird spooked and flew off when I got my camera. I had to call upon "Birds of North America: A Guide to Field Identification" to let you know who stops to feed as I blog and listen to bluegrass music.

       Start your own blog! There is no telling where it will lead you! 

Pick away! 

THE CLAIRE LYNCH BAND

PULLS IN AT NASHVILLE'S STATION INN

      

Claire: "How do you like my band?"

AFTER A SUCCESSFUL TRIP TO IDAHO AND MONTANA, and before heading to Alabama and Florida for their tour of Southern states, the CLAIRE LYNCH BAND pulled in at the Station Inn in Nashville, TN, on Thursday, April 25, 2013. The tiny spot in what is now known as The Gulch, is located at 402 12th Avenue South, just off Broad Street. Fans in and around Nashville know and love Claire Lynch and her incredible band. They were ready and waiting to hear the band. We discovered a line of 30 people standing outside the Station Inn an hour before the door opened at 7:00 PM.

       Protocol says that the listener enters the building, pays the cover, picks out his favorite seat in the house, goes to the counter to order a pizza and something cold to drink, and prepares himself for a great night of music. Chances are that he knows several people there in the room. Owner J.T. GRAY and his sidekicks ANN SOYARS and LIN BARBER make sure that everyone is comfortable and set for the night. It works out well for everybody.

Claire: "Buttermilk Road, guys!"

Claire:"Check , M-m-m, Hello, Ah-h-h"

       The band comes in early to check the sound and to work out last-minute details of their show. By 9:00 PM, it's time for the band to kick! And the Claire Lynch Band can kick! Award-winners all, the Claire Lynch Band is a bluegrass force to be reckoned with! BRYAN McDOWELL handles fiddle and mandolin duties, along with vocal harmony. MARK SCHATZ is the cut-up in the group, as he shows what he can do with old-time clawhammer banjo, upright bass (with or without bow), "body" and vocals. That body thing? He can slap and make music with every part of his body, including his feet. He slaps, he clogs, he sings, and he is such a treat to watch.   MATT WINGATE is a world-class guitarist! He plays acoustic guitar, archtop, mandolin, bouzouki, and probably many more instruments. An accomplished singer, Matt harmonizes with Claire, Bryan, and Mark, to give the band their unique sound. CLAIRE LYNCH? The very mention of her name calls to mind 35+ years of running the road, refining her craft, and having the experience of being one of the best who plays with some of the best. An award-winning singer-songwriter and IBMA Female Vocalist of the year in 2010, Claire is known and loved all over the world. If you've been meaning to catch the band, visit the Claire Lynch website to see the band's extensive schedule. www.clairelynch.com 

Wall-to-wall mandolins on Birdland Breakdown

       We will show you their song list and some photos from the wonderful evening with the Claire Lynch Band at the Station Inn in Nashville.

Mark: "I'll just use this sign for my clogging!"

      
Song List: Crazy Over You, Thibodeaux, Jealousy, Hummingbird, Leavin' on that Evenin' Train, Dear Sister (title cut of CD soon to be released), One More Night, Don't Mean a Thing If It Ain't Got That Swing, Doing Time, Buttermilk Road/Stay All Night, Be All Right Tomorrow, Everybody Knows I've Been Crying, Katy Hill, Paul and Peter Walked, Barbed Wire Boys, Birdland Breakdown, Widow's Weeds, Sailing to Philadelphia, Wabash Cannonball, [Standing Ovation], Encore: Who Knows What Tomorrow May Bring 

Mark: "Watch this, y'all!"

Blogger: "This band sends chills up my back!"

   









Check out theClaire Lynch Band!  www.clairelynch.com

BLUEGRASS MUSIC TONIGHT!

 That's about enough! We've been indoors now just about long enough! The weather's perfect and we're heading for the Collierville, TN, Historic Town Square for the next six months! See you there at about 6:30-ish CDT (really, it's Bluegrass Standard Time). Bring your instruments and lawn chairs. May be chilly when the sun goes down tonight, so bring your favorite afghan or throw!

We're warming up at home with some glorious Skaggs & Rice, J.D.Crowe & the New South, and a bucket-load of Tony Rice (Cold on the Shoulder, Manzanita, and Church Street Blues). Powerful stuff!

We hope you're planning to go to Sevierville, TN, in May for Bloomin' BBQ and Bluegrass. The Bluegrass Album Band will perform a free concert for the event. This is one of the finest bluegrass bands ever put together, and this tour is likely to be their last. Now, there's a bummer! Catch 'em before they go! 

Back to TR and "John Hardy"!

Pick away!

Betty