The May 17, 2010 Jam

Hi All:

This week's jam seemed like a Thursday night in NYC during the summer - we caught everybody still in town, but getting ready to come or go!

It took me a couple songs to realize that that was Leslie playing right next to me, leading "Mr Engineer" - she's back for the summer - and meaner than ever (on the mando, that is)!

It couldn't be Cinco de Mayo, she missed that (plus we all know that she celebrates that holiday in October) - it must be the upcoming 2nd Ave. Mountain Boys summer season...

Bassist Dan shocked everyone, except himself, by leading "Don't This Road Look Rough & Rocky" - and then announcing that he's outta here for the summer, along with Cynthia for better times in Asbury Park - thanking all of you jammers and promising to be back for Grey Fox and then at B & B in the fall.

Before leaving though, he invited a Princeton, N.J. bluegrasser (and beyonder, it turns out) up for a look at what we're doing. Bill (who mysteriously went by the name of Jim throughout the evening) proved his Bluegrass & Beyond mettle by leading both Hank William's "Jambalaya" and "Friend Of The Devil".

If you want to hear some good bluegrass & beyond (...like, maybe you're home sick one Monday night), check out his Riverside band's website, with the unambiguous url: www.BluegrassBand.com - check out their cool arrangements of "Have You Ever Seen The Rain?" and "Cumberland Blues".

Kim continues to prove himself a great addition - this week exciting co-host Bill with Ricky Nelson's "Goodbye Heart" and an obscure Elvis song - which I'm sure Elvis doesn't even remember doing.

Bill immediately followed that up with his own Elvis - "Too Much"; and earlier, had led a rousing version of the Band's "Up On Cripple Creek", complete with some poor yokel's local yodelling!

Liz, getting ready for Grey Fox, I guess, pulled out Crooked Still's version of "Shady Grove" (who needs minor chords for a mountain song?).

Banjo Mike, after an early successful "John Henry", had the misfortune of leading "Newton Grove" during the Yankee's 9th inning heroics over the Red Sox - completely flummoxing me, at least (my break coming right after the walk-off homer). Note to self: don't get distracted during that song again!

Bob was back, leading Hank's "Lonesome Homesick Blues", Lester Flatt's "Why Don't You Tell Me So" - and comparing the loudness of his Martin with Princeton Jim's (darn, did it again... Bill's). Unfortunately for me, I was in between them at the time. I felt like Russell Crowe in "Master And Commander".

Speaking of Bob (one of my favorite targets, I know, but for all the right reasons): I don't get why he's always cracking up (along with my wife, or Karen, or anyone else he happens to be standing next to) whenever I'm singing or playing - it's like he's never heard a New Hampshire yodeler, "skinning the cat" on his dobro before, all the while telling a joke (usually about Bob - unless Scotty's there, too)!


(Poor Scottie, he's not even there this week and he still gets it...)

All right, so maybe my version of the Delmore Bros. "Weary Lonesome Blues" was a little over the top, but Carl Perkin's "Gone, Gone, Gone" was pretty good I thought - Sam Phillips would like it!

Sarah did a little B & B with Iris Dement's "I've That Old Time Religion In My Heart" and Merle's "Sing Me Back Home". 

Co-host A.J., after recovering at the bar from his early evening leadership role, came back to lead the Stone's "Sympathy For The Devil".

Soon after this, the "Mystery Woman" appeared (name unknown) to lead Kris Kristofferson's "Me And Bobby Magee" - pretty much sounding like Janis! (and bringing out the dart players from the back for a rare appearance). I hope you averted your eyes when she modulated in public - I know I did. She took a B & B card, so we may see her again, and catch her name...  

Non-Mystery Sound Man, Craig, followed that with the Dead's " Monkey And The Engineer".

By then, I was spent (my ears still ringing from the earlier Martin cannon broadsides) - so who knows what happened after midnight... Scottie had just arrived, Mike was coming back in...