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Author Archives: Phyllis Erck
MRBA Calendar on Website
We finally have a MRBA Calendar on the website.  Check it out by clicking on the MRBA Calendar tab.
There’s also a handy feature for Adding your events to the Calendar by clicking the Add Event below the calendar.
I just loaded a bunch of the usual bluegrass festivals and events for the summer. What a bunch of great opportunities to see some great bluegrass music.
Conroy’s Memorial Day Campout – 2010
All Bluegrass Lovers Welcome
Mike & Tari Conroy host an annual Memorial Day bluegrass campout at West Fork Campground near Darby, MT
Date: May 28-31, 2010
Location: West Fork Campground
Bring food for potluck dinners and breakfast on Sunday. Tari cooks gravy for the bisquits in the worlds largest skillet on Sunday morning. Bring warm clothes, it is COLD up there this time of year. It often rains and sometimes snows. There are heated wall-tents for jamming and a big campfire to huddle around.
Pictures from West Fork ’08
Click for Google Maps and Directions
Greensky tonight at TopHat
Greensky Bluegrass will be playing tonight at the Top Hat
Band Bio
Winners of the 2006 Telluride Bluegrass Festival Band Competition, Michigan’s own Greensky Bluegrass is earning recognition nationwide as a growing force in acoustic roots music…
Performing at festivals, theaters, clubs and listening rooms all over the US, their rare traditional sound is piquing the interests of not only bluegrass enthusiasts, but lovers of music of all genres. It is their unique “fusion of tradition and enthusiasm for improvisation” that has come to define the band’s creative and tangible compositional style.
Formed in the fall of 2000 by Michael Arlen Bont (banjo), Dave Bruzza (guitar), and Paul Hoffman (mandolin), Greensky has undergone a musical evolution as unique as the music it has produced. As newcomers to the bluegrass scene, the three sought to define themselves within the framework of their bluegrass favorites while establishing a voice of their own, drawing upon an array of influences and varied musical backgrounds. This voice first became evident in their May 2004 release of Less than Supper, recorded with bassist Chris Carr and dobro player Al Bates. Both Bates and Carr left the band shortly thereafter, and in the fall of the same year, Greensky Bluegrass welcomed bassist Michael Devol. In the summer of 2006 the band released their second studio album, Tuesday Letter. This album, produced by Tim Carbone of Railroad Earth, has proven a milestone in the quartet’s growth as musicians and increasing exposure to a thriving national community.b
In November of 2007 the band released it’s first live CD Live at Bell’s, recorded at Bell’s Brewery in their hometown of Kalamazoo, Michigan. Just over a month later Greensky Bluegrass added Anders Beck to the line up, replacing Al Bates on dobro. His playing is adding great depth to their existing material and opening many doors to new songs.The new quintet will be recording a studio album in the late spring of 2008.
Live performance is central to Greensky Bluegrass’ presence in today’s eclectic acoustic scene. Touring extensively since 2005, Greensky has developed great versatility in the performance arena, earning audiences nationwide. The mixing of original compositions with traditional bluegrass numbers gives the band a broad spectrum in which to display their driving technical chops, vocal abilities, and lyrical insight. A spirit of improvisation remains evident in live shows, which contributes to an ever-growing population of returning fans and avid show traders.
On-stage collaborations have paired the boys with Railroad Earth, The Hackensaw Boys, Larry Keel and Natural Bridge and Steppin’ in It. The band has also shared bills with influential acts including Ralph Stanley, Peter Rowan and Tony Rice Quartet, Yonder Mountain String Band, Sam Bush, New Monsoon, Bela Fleck and the Flecktones, Keller Williams, Hot Buttered Rum, Vince Herman, The Mammals, The Avett Brothers, Darrell Scott, King Wilkie, David Grisman Quintet and more.
Alex Ruiz & Jody Miller show in Great Falls
This just in from Pastor Tim
Hi everyone —
While we had hoped we could’ve done this one at the church, the date snuck up a little faster than expected so the guys have decided to do this one down at Machinery Row, but I’m still excited about this and wanted to share it with the friends of Stone Soup Productions.
ALEX RUIZ & JODY MILLER
Friday, March 19, 2010 from 6:30 – 9:30 PM
Machinery Row (below The Breaks)
202 – 2nd Avenue South
NO COVER!Anyone who’s been around the bluegrass pick on Thursday night’s at Bert & Ernie’s knows who Alex Ruiz is. He’s a very talented fiddler and vocalist, and unfortunately his Air Force assignment is going to have him leaving our community so that he can work in a little place called The Pentagon. While he assures me he’ll be back one day, I’d advice everyone who loves his fiddle strides to get out and see him while you can. Plus he’s just one of the nicest guys you’d ever want to meet.
Jody Miller is a
singer/songwriter based out of Missoula, MT. Â He started as a junior in
college writing songs in his dorm room, then entered into the Music City
Madness Song & Video competition and placed top 16 in the nation with
the first song that he wrote called “The Other
Side of the World.” Â The song was about a prisoner of war wishing
that he could get home to his wife. Â He has written a lot of songs since
then ranging from country to alternative and you can expect a lot of diversity in what he and Alex play as a duo.Here’s hoping to see you at the show on Friday night!
+ Tim Christensen
======================================================
Stone Soup Productions: A not-for-profit community arts organization
dedicated to bringing great music to Great Falls!Tim Christensen ~ Stone Soup Productions (406) 771-1544
517 – 4th Avenue North
Great Falls, Montana 59401-2312MySpace URL:
http://www.myspace.com/PastorTim_TheMusicFreak
Gary McKnight health update from Linda
just in from Linda – keep your positive thoughts flowing for her and Gary:
Hi all– Gary is still in ICU-going on 9 days now, but with great hope that he will transfered to the regular floor, hopefully in the next 2 days. He’s been having a rough time breathing, but finally able to get some air in him now. Each day a touch better.Had a bunch of hurdles to jump but he seems to be nailing them one at a time. Thank all of you for your thoughts and prayers. It makes all of this survivable, thanks again to all of you OUR “First Family.” Love’s, Linda
Ten Jammandments
Great tips for jamming from Folkjam.org
Ten Jammandments
by Charlie Hall and Robert Rosenburg, as printed in the January/February 2002 Folknik newsletter of the San Francisco Folk Music Club
THOU SHALT TUNE THY INSTRUMENT. There are too many good, cheap tuners around not to do this.
THOU SHALT LISTEN. If you can’t hear the lead instrument or vocalist, then consider yourself too loud.
THOU SHALT PASS. When handing off an instrumental solo, try to follow a pattern either clockwise or counter clockwise. If you want to skip the next solo or pass it on to the next picker, be sure that the next person is aware of the handoff. No one wants to start his or her solo in the middle of the song.
THOU SHALT WELCOME OTHERS. Open up the circle if others want to join. The jam can’t be too big if people are polite.
THOU SHALT SHARE IN THE SELECTION. Open the choice of songs to the pickers around the circle. Don’t monopolize the jam.
THOU SHALT TRY NEW STUFF. Once in a while a participant may suggest original material or one that is out of character with the jam. This is A-OK (refer to Jammandments #2 and #4).
THOU SHALT LET OTHERS KNOW WHEN YOU ARE NOT JAMMING.
Bands may sometimes be rehearsing and may need to exclude non-band members from jamming. If so, an explanation would be nice for the would be jammers.
THOU SHALT NOT RAID. Don’t interrupt an active jam by calling musicians away to begin another jam. (Bob’s note: Also don’t raid and take over a jam, by having your full band suddenly decide to sit in on a jam and end up playing all your own songs.)
THOU SHALT KEEPTH THY RHYTHM STEADYTH. Errors in rhythm are most difficult to overcome. Avoid adding or dropping beats. Play quietly if you can’t keep up and pay attention (refer to Jammandment #2).
THOU SHALT NOT SPEED. Do not start a song too fast for the others to play. Once everyone has had a turn at the lead, then one may announce that the temp is about to increase.
Preparing for next weeks Jam at Ruby’s
As you practice for next week’s jam at Ruby’s you might find it fun to check out our Playlists on the MRBA YouTube Channel. These include a lot o the standards performed by the guys who made ’em standards.
Current Playlists:
- Rank Beginner Jamming
- Bluegrass Instrumental
- Bluegrass Jam Standards
- Bluegrass Jam Standards – Gospel
To see the Playlists:
- Go to http://www.youtube.com/mtbluegrass
- Click on Playlists
March 20 – Baba Ganoush & Bluegrass Coalition
March 20 Show - Baba Ganoush & Bluegrass Coalition
The Montana Rockies Bluegrass Association is presenting an evening of bluegrass music on Saturday, March 20th, at the Downtown Dance Collective, 121 West Main Street, Missoula, MT. Two bluegrass bands will play the show. Baba Ganoush, a band with diverse members that find common ground in a love of homegrown music and a wish to share it with a broader audience, will open the show at 8 p.m.. The Bluegrass Coalition, a newly formed group featuring the up-the-creek traditional style of Mike and Tari Conroy and the driving more modern style of Fred and Emily Frank, will play at 9 p.m. Tickets which are available at the door are $10 for the general public, $8 for association members and $6 for students. For more information visit www.mtbluegrass.com or call 777-7028.
Flop Eared Mule – Jimmy Widner & Vivian Williams
Here’s a great video with “our very own” Gary Moore on mando. Gary’s brother Steve is the banjo in the background (not shown).
Jam session in the Moore’s camp at the National Oldtime Fiddler’s Contest, Weiser, ID, 1991, featuring Jimmy Widner, a great fiddler from Darby, MT, with Vivian William on harmony fiddle, Gary Moore on mandolin.