More Music!

We just got home from hearing some great bluegrass, and it was, oh-so-good to hear it again!

It's been awhile since we've been able to get anywhere to hear (or for the kids to participate in) some good pickin'. But at 15yo's fiddle lesson this week, her teacher, the awesome Tom Brantley, told us about a fundraiser tonight at the community center (for the center) near his home, where dinner would be served, and he and some of his friends would be playing. So we actually managed to get there this time. (He often tells us about events that we just don't seem to be able to get to!)

Dinner was typical (burgers, dogs, or chicken sandwiches; baked beans; potato salad or chips; various desserts made by the local folks). The music that followed was fantastic, as we've come to expect from Tom and his friends.

Tom had his wife sing a number with him and a couple of others, and even had our 15yo daughter come up and play "Going Up Big Sandy" and "Harvest Hornpipe" with them, and, like old times at the Pickin' Parlor, sing "Blue Moon of Kentucky." These were great, as were the rest of the numbers--and the finale was phenomenal: "Orange Blossom Special," with Tom on fiddle, Jackie Miller (a Gibson rep who also plays fiddle with the Reno Brothers) on mandolin; Tyler Anderson on banjo (one of the many instruments he plays; he's a member of the Soul Pickers, but if you follow the link and go to the bios on the website, the picture of him doesn't look at all like him; I passed it up looking for him!); Richard Starkey (a Martin rep; the link is one of many when you search for him; this one is a youtube video of him performing a song in a shop, it looks like) on guitar; and Cindy Miller (Jackie's wife) on bass. It was incredible.

We've got to get out to these events more often!!

Mary Susan