Wow!

I've said this before, and I'm sure I'll say it again, but I have a tendency to go into these shows with terrible anxiety because I don't know what's going to happen. Bands might not show up, they might play badly, if I'm playing, I'm sure to forget the words...etc.

This week was no exception. And like the thirteen previous shows, things worked out just fine. In fact, they worked out way better than fine. I remembered the words to my songs, Ralph helped me out and we didn't have any trainwrecks --success! Once our set was out of the way, the Java Brothers did their best (our best?) to tear it up, and I think we represented ourselves well. Thanks to all in attendance for the encouragement.

After the JBs, Bob came right out and turned the show on it's head with some great solo banjo ballads. There's something really great about the clawhammer banjo that I find irresistable, and my boy Bob's got it.
The crowd was particularly feisty last night and they got a show. The last band up was the Brian Peters trio, who I had never heard at all. They fit the bill at the Side Door because they were local, willing to play, recommended, and best of all, a jazz band. We'd never had one, and I was excited. I was nervous, too, though because, as I said, I'd never heard them. I needn't have worried, and with Vibes, electric bass, and drums, they took the joint over with great tunes like
Take the A Train, Chameleon, Four, Blue Bossa, Blue Monk, and and All Blues for a demanded encore. They were really great, and I loved how the crowd responded to them.

The whole show was exactly what I had in mind when we started this thing. Music of all kinds played for an attentive audience in a groovy atmosphere.

Thanks again to all the musicians and volunteers who helped and the audience who come and make the Sessions their own!

See you for the next one on February 20th!

Last Jam before Side Door 14

As usual I arrived a bit late and found the jam rockin' and packed. There was no place to sit for nearly an hour. But that's cool cause I got to catch up with Joe, Tim, Sam and other musicians who couldn't get a seat in the circle. Also hobnobbed with our awesome regular fan base. They're aficionados.

Saw some new faces at the jam which is always good. We got some new original banjo tunes (both good!) out of Joe and Jason. We had a bunch of fiddles between Sloan and Ralph and Richard. Ralph left and Chris didn't hurt anybody with his fiddle.


Ralph had to leave early but we soldiered on.

Don't forget now, the Side Door rides again on Saturday night.

The Brian Peters Trio
Bob Browder
The Java Brothers

and more!

Side Door Session Next Saturday - January 23rd

Here in 20-oh-10!

Another good 'urn

Downtown was hoppin', especially in the vicinity of 1144 E. Main Street. At one point I counted 15 pickers and 25 listeners -- 40 people inside The Coffee Mill! More filtered in and out throughout the evening.

Joe indulged in a couple of originals on a night when banjers reined. Wayne and George sang many fine numbers, guitarists and mandolinists picked sweetly, and the wheels came off an old-time fiddle medley. In other words, just another hard-driving bluegrass jam session in Radford (except that we actually had a guy playing a washtub bass near the end of the evening. He was pretty good!)

Great jam to start the year!

The cold temperatures kept some of the crowd down, but we had about 15 musicianers playing to a decent-sized audience at the Mill last night.

Boyz, gurlz, name some tunes we played. Wayne, after you left, Jason led us in "Auld Lang Syne" and Chris and I sang a Stanley Brothers song I don't remember. Richard was giving Chris a fiddle lesson when I bolted.

Hope Joe is feeling better.