February’s first-Tuesday facilitated Beginner Bluegrass Jam will meet Tuesday, 2/2/10 from 7:30-9:00pm at the Germania parlor area (youth friendly) of The Up North Bar, 514 E Wilson St. Madison, near the Essen Haus at the corner of Blair and Wilson streets. There’s plenty of free parking behind the Essen Haus. Formal instruction and facilitation will run from approximately 7:30-8:30pm (as soon as I get there after my lessons at Spruce Tree Music)
This month we will start with the following songs. If we have time we will also go around the circle with song suggestions from you.
Take Me Back to Tulsa, key of G, (2 chords, G, D); My Home’s Across the Blue Ridge Mts, key of G, (2 chords, G, D); Crawdad Song, key of G (3 chords, G, C, D); Long Journey Home, Key of G, (3 chords G, C, D); Nine lb Hammer, Key of G, (3 chords, G, C, D); Cripple Creek, key of A, instrumental (3 chords, A, D, E); Sitting Alone in the Moonlight -key of G, waltz time (4 chords, G, C, D, & Gb).
Once again this Tuesday Jon Peik will be leading his popular Beginners Jam at the Germania parlor area (kid friendly) of The Up North Bar, 514 E Wilson St. Madison, near the Essen Haus at the corner of Blair and Wilson streets. Formal instruction and facilitation will run from approximately 7:30-8:30pm.
Jon writes: “This month we will go around the circle with song suggestions from you-so please bring a song to suggest and share. Remember if you sing it, you get to pick the key. Instrumentals are also welcome.”
The Germania parlor area (kid friendly) of The Up North Bar, 514 E Wilson St. Madison, near the Essen Haus at the corner of Blair and Wilson streets. There’s plenty of free parking behind the Essen Haus.
Formal instruction and facilitation will run from approximately 7:30-8:30pm
Any time there’s five Tuesdays in a month it’s time for some surprises, and December’s no different. At this Tuesday’s SWBMAI Instructor-Led Jam on December 29, I, your humble Webmaster, will be leading the festivities. I thought I’d just go with the computer theme and bring along some classic bluegrass, country and folk song charts from two of my favorite Internet lyric sites: chordie.com and cowboylyrics.com. Just in case you’d like to get a head start, here they are:
As usual, we’ll meet at the Germania Parlor, adjacent to the Up North Bar, 514 E. Wilson Street., Madison, starting at 7 pm. Feel free to bring along any song you’d like to share with the rest of the group. I look forward to seeing you there!
Holiday Greetings! I’m writing to remind you: The 3rd Tuesday Beginner’s Bluegrass Jam, sponsored by SWBMAI (Southern Wisconsin Bluegrass Music Association), and hosted by yours truly, Dave Nance, will be held this Tuesday evening, December 15, 2009, at the Up North Bar at 514 E. Wilson St.
I’ll be there by 7:30 P.M.; we’ll start the jam by 8.
What’s on tap for this month? Any bluegrass or old-time or such that anyone wants to try, but also — Christmas music, of course!
I thought about trying to line up some Christmas bluegrass, but it turns out that once you get past “Christmas Time Is a’Comin’” (by Tex Logan, covered by Bill Monroe), there’s just not very much of it there. Even if you widen out to “Country” as a genre, the pickins is still mighty thin. Really, there’s only two main kinds of Christmas music: there’s the good ol’ Christmas carols — and then there’s the great classic pop(ular) songs, many out of Tin Pan Alley and the golden period of American popular song which stretched from the 1920’s into the 1960’s.
Well, I thought, Bluegrass is also really a kind of “pop” music: popular music made for and spread through LP records. And just about any song can be played “Bluegrass style”, with the right instruments and the right feel. So, I thought, let’s try to “Bluegrass” some of the songs in the popular Christmas music canon – like these:
Blue Christmas – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7t2d0HIjIgo (Elvis Presley)
I’ll Be Home For Christmas – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FQL-8nzbjtM (Elvis Presley)
Please Come Home For Christmas – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zCxvCAxHRUw (Charles Brown)
Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aQzlJRjXSGY (Frank Sinatra)
Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QcQU3LYNZQc (Chrissie Hynde and the Pretenders)
White Christmas – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9vPfOjAw5Z0 (Bing Crosby)
The Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting, etc.) – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cubgWvBfs24 (Nat King Cole)
Silver Bells – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=stEjTFMb940 (Jim Reeves – so I guess this is Country!)
Santa Claus Is Coming To Town – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pzpYOKGMxuI (Frank Sinatra)
(and, of course: Christmas Time Is a’Comin’ — http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EXfBYXElPII (Bill Monroe)
NOTE: I have put together Lyric and Chord charts for each of these, and I will bring enough copies for everybody. I’ve tried to “tame” some of the “jazz chords” that occur in some of these songs, so that they should all be pretty playable.
And, of course, any Xmas songs or carols anyone else would like to try — or just plain ol’ Bluegrass if we get enough Christmas cheer.
Illinois resident and brand new SWBMAI member Pamela Love Martz took top honors and $150 in cash at last Saturday’s “SWBMAI’s Got Talent” competition, with a soulful and classic-sounding rendition of “Too Late” by Hugh X. Lewis. The competition took place at SWBMAI’s 2009 holiday party at the Goodman Center in Madison.
Eight acts competed for cash prizes before an enthusiastic crowd. Winners were decided by an Applause-O-Meter at the end of the competition. In addition, a “Crowd Favorite” award was selected by by direct ballot of the audience.
A jug band consisting of Beverly Hills, Scott Knickelbine, Arvid Berge, Dave Nance and Frank Parks won the Second Place prize as well as the Crowd Favorite award with a spirited performance of “Blues in the Bottle.” Sandy Nowak, Dan Hildebrand, Jim Carrier, John Jirak, Mitch Rosefelt, Dale Ward and Natalie Grady won Third Place with a winsome, multimedia rendition of the bluegrass classic “Roses in the Snow.” Catherine Ryner and Jim Hodges won Honorable Mention for their duet on “Do I Ever Cross Your Mind.”
The 2009 SWBMAI holiday party was the best-attended in recent years. Kudos to board member Sharon Manion for organizing the event, and for shooting this video of the winning acts!
Next Tuesday (12/1/09) will be our annual Christmas and holiday song Beginner Bluegrass Jam Class. We will meet Tuesday from 7:30-9:00pm at:
The Germania parlor area (kid friendly) of The Up North Bar, 514 E Wilson St. Madison, near the Essen Haus at the corner of Blair and Wilson streets. There’s plenty of free parking behind the Essen Haus.
Formal instruction and facilitation will run from approximately 7:30-8:30pm (as soon as I get there after my lessons at Spruce Tree Music)
This month we will play primarily from the following list:
Christmas Time’s a Comin-key of G (3 chords G, C & D)
Silent Night (waltz time)-key of G (3 chords G, C & D)
Jingle Bells-key of G (4 chords G, C, D & A)
Silver Bells-key of D or G (3 chords D, G, & A OR G, C, & D)
Auld Lang Syne-key of G (3 chords G, C & D)
Away in a Manger (waltz time)-key of D (3 chords D, G, & A)
We Wish You a Merry Christmas-key of G (6 chords, G, C, D, A, B, Em)
And. . . don’t worry if you don’t already know these songs, part of the fun is learning how to play along even if only one person knows the song.
The jam exists to encourage beginning bluegrass players and to help each other learn. The goal is to enjoy playing music together.
This year we’re unveiling the first ever SWBMAI’s Got Talent! talent show competition at the big Holiday Party at the Goodman Center December 5. The competition kicks off at 6:30. Participants have a chance at winning cash prizes: $150 for 1st, $100 for 2nd, $50 for 3rd or one of our $25 Honorable Mentions. All main prize winners will be determined by audience applause using the iPhone’s Applausometer.
But there’s one more prize left. A hat will be passed all day for the winner of the Audience Favorite award which will be decided by paper ballot. You’ll receive it at the door.
If you want to participate in the talent show, be sure to register early. There is a limited number of slots available on a first come, first served basis. You can register by calling board member Sharon Manion at (608) 424-3408 or by e-mailing SWBMAItalentshow@gmail.com.
Hey everybody! It’s me again, bringing you a reminder:
The 3rd Tuesday Beginner’s Bluegrass Jam, sponsored by SWBMAI (Southern Wisconsin Bluegrass Music Association), and hosted by yours truly, Dave Nance, will be held this Tuesday evening, October 20, 2009, at the Up North Bar at 514 E. Wilson St.
I’ll be there by 7:30 P.M.; we’ll start the jam by 8.
I recently picked up a new bluegrass “fake book” (i.e., a songbook with handy chords and lyrics for lots of common songs), and I really am enjoying having it – so I thought I’d pull some tunes out of it and suggest them for this month. Some I have in mind are:
Banks of the Ohio (4/4 time, key of D with chords: D, G and A7)
Bury Me Beneath The Willow (4/4 time, key of D with chords D, G and A)
Columbus Stockade Blues (4/4 time, key of G, with chords G, C and D7)
The Cuckoo (4/4 time, key of Dm, with chords Dm, C, and Am)
Don’t This Road Look Rough And Rocky (4/4 time, key of D, with chords D, D7, G, and A7)
Shady Grove (4/4 time, an “old-timey” version in key of Em with chords Em and D)
I’ll find some more before tomorrow night, to get us out of 4/4 and the key of D … I hope you will bring some song ideas too.
We’ve got four pairs of tickets to the fabulous Bluegrass Caravan this coming Friday and Saturday, and we’re going to give them away to SWBMAI members. But to claim your pair, you need to email me right now!
The Bluegrass Caravan is a fast-paced show featuring The Henhouse Prowlers, Liberty Bluegrass Band and The High 48s.We have one pair of tickets for the Friday, Oct. 9 show in Milwaukee, and three pairs of deluxe box seats for the Saturday, October 10 show in Baraboo. To claim a pair, you need to email me right away at swbmai@gmail.com and let me know you want one! The first one to respond gets their pick of performances, and the next three to respond get their pick of what’s left! See the article below for more information on the Bluegrass Caravan!
When three of the Midwest’s hottest bluegrass bands team up, it’s something you’ve got to hear. And you can, because The Bluegrass Caravan is coming to a town near you!
The Bluegrass Caravan is a fast-paced show featuring the best pickers from three states — all SWBMAI Member Bands, of course:
The Henhouse Prowlers: With a PBS series soundtrack already to its credit and a sophomore recording in the works, The Henhouse Prowlers have been barnstorming on to the red hot bluegrass scene since 2004. The Henhouse Prowlers perform bluegrass in suit-and-tie and work in a tightly choreographed, one-mic stage setting. Combining passion, confidence and flair with instrumental and vocal prowess, The Prowlers deliver bluegrass with an edge.
Liberty Bluegrass Band: This popular Milwaukee band was recently named WAMI Bluegrass Band of the Year, and their razor-sharp debut CD won them a headliner slot at the Wisconsin State Fair. Liberty Bluegrass Band performs traditional bluegrass with powerful, soaring vocals and driving instrumentals.
High 48s: Steaming out of Minneapolis, the High 48s have grabbed the attention of festival audiences in the Upper Midwest and beyond, toured steadily, released two critically acclaimed CDs and won first place in the 2008 RockyGrass Band Competition. They perform original compositionsand old favorites in a style that combines close three-part harmonies and the harder-edged sound of alternative country and roots rock.
In the Bluegrass Caravan, these three stellar acts perform non-stop, circulating on and off stage without a pause. The result is more bluegrass than you’ve ever seen packed into a single show. You’re sure to be entertained!
February’s first-Tuesday facilitated Beginner Bluegrass Jam will meet Tuesday, 2/2/10 from 7:30-9:00pm at the Germania parlor area (youth friendly) of The Up North Bar, 514 E Wilson St. Madison, near the Essen Haus at the corner of Blair and Wilson streets. There’s plenty of free parking behind the Essen Haus. Formal instruction and facilitation will run from approximately 7:30-8:30pm (as soon as I get there after my lessons at Spruce Tree Music)
By Jon Peik
When three of the Midwest’s hottest bluegrass bands team up, it’s something you’ve got to hear. And you can, because The Bluegrass Caravan is coming to a town near you!