Jam nation

Musicians brought their usual fervor and pep to the Mill last night. Multiple banjos, mandolins, fiddles and guitars swarmed downtown, even spilling onto the concrete jungle of The Street Formerly Known As Norwood.

A great session was enjoyed indoors by a sizable crowd. Outside, a band of young whippersnappers, not to mention Tim Mills, played well past the 2200 hours mark.

Don't forget to come see the Java Brothers at the 4th of July hootenanny in Bisset Park, right at 5 p.m.

Fandangos, Floyd and Fests dominate July

Cadillac Sky
July 3, Friday, 8 p.m. @ Kirk Avenue Music Hall, Roanoke

Radford 4th of July Celebration
July 4, Saturday, 7 a.m.-10 p.m. @ Bisset Park

Floyd Fandango
Featuring Buckwheat Zydeco
July 4-5, Saturday-Sunday @ FloydFest grounds, Blue Ridge Parkway

Sunken Garden Saturday!
Yo Mama's Big Fat Booty Band
July 4, Saturday, 8:30 p.m. @ Nesselrod on the New, Radford

Roanoke Fiddle and Banjo Club
July 4, Saturday, 6 p.m. @ Vinton Farmers Market

Whitetop Mountain Band, Kentucky Wild Horse
July 4, Saturday, 7 p.m. @ Blue Ridge Music Center

Sunken Garden Sundays
Second Impressions
June 5, Sunday, 6:30 p.m. @ Nesselrod on the New, Radford

The Happy Mountain Boys
June 5, Sunday, 7 p.m. @ Roanoke Mountain Campground

Wayside Bluegrass Festival
July 8-11, Wednesday-Saturday @ Wayside Park, Stuart

Phil Wiggins, Rick Franklin and Nat Reese
July 11, Saturday, 7 p.m. @ Blue Ridge Music Center

Avett Brothers
July 11, Saturday, 8 p.m. @ Roanoke Performing Arts Theatre

Sunken Garden Sundays
Larry Keel and Natural Bridge
June 12, Sunday, 5 p.m. @ Nesselrod on the New, Radford

Olen and Frances Gardner
June 12, Sunday, 7 p.m. @ Roanoke Mountain Campground

Mineral Bluegrass Festival
July 16-18, Thursday-Saturday @ Mineral, Va.

Radford After 5
July 17, Friday, 5:30 p.m. @ Radford Farmers Market

Alleghany County Fiddlers Convention
July 17-18, Friday-Saturday @ Sparta, N.C.

Robin and Linda Williams
With Willard Gayheart and Bobby Patterson
July 18, Saturday, 7 p.m. @ Blue Ridge Music Center

Sunken Garden Sundays
Paul Thorn
June 19, Sunday, 5 p.m. @ Nesselrod on the New, Radford

Appalachian Heritage
June 19, Sunday, 7 p.m. @ Roanoke Mountain Campground

FloydFest
Featuring Blues Traveler, Peter Rowan, Railroad Earth, many others
July 23-26, Thursday-Sunday @ FloydFest grounds, Blue Ridge Parkway

Linda Lay and Springfield Exit
With the New North Carolina Ramblers
July 25, Saturday, 7 p.m. @ Blue Ridge Music Center

Judy, Henry and Jack
June 26, Sunday, 7 p.m. @ Roanoke Mountain Campground

Roanoke Fiddlefest
July 31-August 1, Friday-Saturday @ Hollins University, Roanoke

Appalachian String Band Music Festival
July 29-August 2, Wednesday-Sunday @ Clifftop, W.Va.

Ricky Skaggs and Kentucky Thunder
With Scott Freeman and Friends
August 1, Saturday, 7 p.m. @ Blue Ridge Music Center

Song of the Mountains
Featuring Karl Shiflett and Big Country Show
August 1, Saturday, 7 p.m. @ Lincoln Theatre, Marion

New River Rock Skippers
August 2, Sunday, 7 p.m. @ Roanoke Mountain Campground

For more links, go to www.radfordfiddle.com

All Kinds of Music at the Sunken Garden

I had to miss the Infamous String Dusters last week, and it sounds like it was definitely my loss.

This Sunday approaching features Jimmy Thackery and as added enticement, our own (and he is our own) Scott Fore will be opening up.

Will our own Slash be there, too? I'll be there to find out.

A good jam to see

If Mr. Seibert had to go out after last night's jam, he coulda done worse.

It was an interest jam last night. That's what I logged on initially to say when I was sad discover that Mr Simpkins had passed. It was a fairly small group of pickers, and missing some of our leading lights. I was dog tired, so I played and sang even crappier than usual, but I always when the regular group is shuffled, we got to some new and some neglected songs, and different folks got to take breaks. Ralph and I got to harmonize, which was fun. Christian and Mary go some serious solos in on their respective mandolins. Our new pal with old Martin mando was there. Richard is getting more fluent every week on his fiddle. Doug held us all together, as usual.

An average night of pickin is alwasy way better than a good night of anything work-related, to paraphrase a bumper sticker I read somewhere...

So I retroactively dedicate "Over the Waterfall" to Mr. Simpkins - safe travels!

Heaven gains another fine banjo picker - Seibert Simpkins

It's with great sadness I learned that Seibert passed away early this morning peacefully. I enjoyed my brief friendship with him and his company at several bluegrass jam sessions including Snowville on Thursday evenings and Coffee Mill on Monday nights.

Although I wasn't able to make it to the Coffee Mill last night, I understand from Richard that Seibert was there listening and enjoying the fine music --- it gives me comfort he was enjoying himself!!

Seibert fully enjoyed the music, and although not always out in front, was a fine banjo picker and always ready with a smile. You'll be missed. Joe

Great show at Sunken Garden

The Infamous Stringdusters were in terrific form during the latest Sunken Garden Sundays showcase yesterday. They drew the biggest crowd yet -- more than 100 in the "amphitheatre" and a lot of people on the hill. I'd say easily 150 total.

I didn't know a lot of the new material, and they definitely cut loose with the jammy stuff, but they played 2 excellent sets. Would have more details if I hadn't spent most of the evening chasing a 2-year-old all over Fairlawn.

They tore up "Uncle Pen" just as I piled into my car.

Super Solstice

We have phenomenal music coming our way the rest of June.

Merle Haggard
June 16, Tuesday, 7:30 p.m. @ Roanoke Performing Arts Theatre

Maury River Fiddlers Convention
June 17-20, Wednesday-Saturday @ Buena Vista, Va.

Radford After 5
June 19, Friday, 5:30 p.m. @ Radford Farmers Market

Wayne C. Henderson Music Festival
and Guitar Competition
June 20, Saturday, 10:30 a.m.-7 p.m. @ Grayson Highlands State Park

Floyd Town Jubilee
June 20, Saturday, 11 a.m. @ Lineberry Park, Floyd

Black Twig Pickers with Jack Rose
June 20, Saturday, 9 p.m. @ The Cellar, Blacksburg

Chatauqua Festival
Featuring Bluegrass, Beach and Country Music
June 20-27 @ Wytheville

Sunken Garden Sundays
Infamous Stringdusters
June 21, Sunday, 5 p.m. @ Nesselrod on the New, Radford

The Duhks
June 23, Tuesday, 8 p.m. @ Kirk Avenue Music Hall, Roanoke

Song of the Mountains Festival
June 25-27, Thursday-Saturday @ Rural Retreat

Grayson County Fiddlers Convention
June 26-27, Friday-Saturday @ Elk Creek, Va.

Boogie Woogie Piano
With Daryl Davis, Wayne Henderson and Gary Patton
June 27, Saturday, 7 p.m. @ Blue Ridge Music Center

Sunken Garden Sundays
Jimmy Thackery
June 28, Sunday, 5 p.m. @ Nesselrod on the New, Radford

And just wait till July gets here! Details at RadfordFiddle.com.

Chris Burgoyne: Wagon Wheel Hoss

Great jam last night. Chris has already patted himself on the back here, so I'll say no more about his musical gifts -- although he really did sound good on the bass. Asenath took a turn, too, and also sounded great.

Had a good group and a nice crowd, including several first-timers. At the end of the night, a passel of Sharkey's-fueled college kids wandered in and requested one more song. I eyed Dale and he knew which arrow to pull from the quiver. When we started up "Wagon Wheel," one of the girls shouted, "That's what I was gonna request!"

The kids all sang along and high-fived us. Do we know our audience or what?

You all owe me.

Except Ralph, he bought me coffee, so I owe him.

Thanks to Doug's unexcused absence, I got to be the bass playah of the night. While I enjoy playing the bass, I must confess, the Key of B is pretty exhausting.


Just kidding. I dig playing bass and I had a great time. My fingers are actually blistered, though, which is the down side.

C'est la vie.

Bass la vie?

We Used our Bible for a Roadmap

It's always nice to play music in a church. To be honest, there's little else these days that will get me there.
The Java Brothers exposed themselves (musically speaking) to another congregation this morning. This time is was Radford's Central United Methodist Church. It was nice for me especially cause I walked over, enjoying a perfect June morning.

We saw some very kindly folks and enjoyed some fine community. We played the aforementioned Reno-Smiley number - "I'm Using my Bible for a Roadmap." On top of that, Deb helped us with "I'll Fly Away," and we gave 'em "Hallelujah, I'm Ready to Go."

I dedicated by unspoken prayer request to Miss Ella Watson, who's been blessed with the chance to get the liver transplant she needs, but even on your luckiest day, that's not a procedure to sneeze at.

So keep her in your thoughts.

Come on down and see us at the Coffee Mill on Monday, and remember we'll be doin' our thing July 4th in Bissett Park.

Dan Tyminski

This one is called "Wheels" and Frye likes it.

I like it, too.

More music ... in Radford! (and close by)

OK kids, we don't get a whole lotta weekends like this in the River City, so let's show 'em what we got.

Your old pals the Java Brothers re-open the Music on the New series at Glencoe Museum on Friday at 7 p.m. Good tunes, food and drinks. The music is free, not the rest of it.

Saturday, the New River Land Trust Land Jam unfurls at Sinkland Farms. Lotsa familiar names on the bill.

Later Saturday, James King performs out by the confluence of the Little River, New River and Claytor Lake in the debut of a new venue. Check www.radfordfiddle.com for details and directions.

Sunday is the second edition of Sunken Garden Sundays at Nesselrod. Electric bluesman Chris Duarte headlines. Gates open at 4 p.m.

See ya at the shows!

Jam report 6/8/09

Plenty of musicianers mowed down some bluegrass Monday night; too many to mention by name, but enough to support jams inside and out. Crowd was still a little light -- probably because of The Coffee Mill's rep as a place that boils over in the summer. Wasn't that hot last night, tho.

Lotsa music coming up. Check www.radfordfiddle.com for details.