The heat was on last night at The Rosine Barn Jamboree’s 33rd season opener. In more ways than one!
The air outside was a bit nippy, so we had the furnace running. The biggest source of heat was coming from the stage, though.
Dennis Cook, Chairman of The Rosine Association (we lease the barn and manage The Rosine Barn Jamboree), stepped up to a hot mic and welcomed the crowd, and away we went!
It took just a short while to get back in the swing of things after being closed for the winter, and it wasn’t long before everyone was warmed up with love for bluegrass.
Open mic started right on time at 6:00. I was a little concerned at first because it looked like no one was going to participate. You never know from one week to the next. Stage full of folks one week—me all by lonesome the following week.
My worry was premature, though, because Ed Edwards stepped out with his mandolin ready to pick. Ed has been here at the barn from the beginning in 1992. I consider him one of the founders.
After Ed, here came Gloria Jackson. She chipped in singing harmony. Then wouldn’t you know it old “Flip Flop” Floyd Stewart jumped on the bass.
“Floyd and Friends” play from 6:30 to 7:00 each Friday. Floyd, who also is foundational, wasn’t able to sing this week due to a sore throat, but he came on stage to pick with us during open mic and stayed through his 30-minute set.
It works that way some times. We all do what we can to make every Friday as entertaining as possible.
The Rosine Barn has established itself as an international travel destination. One year the New York Times designated us as one of the top fifty places to visit in the USA. Now that was pretty cool!
For opening night, I chose mostly Monroe tunes to play and sing for open mic. If it wasn’t for the Monroe family, mainly Bill and Charlie, we wouldn’t have even been gathered together last night.
After a few of their tunes, we played and sang a few sacred numbers. One was “Swing Low, Sweet Chariot,” a favorite of mine. Bill Monroe recorded it and released it in June, 1951.
In case you’re wondering—no, he didn’t write it. That song pre-dates Mr. Monroe by several decades.
Just as we were finishing up that song, Jasper Beatty arrived. Boy, was I glad. I had sung about seven straight, and my voice was dragging.
Jasper can probably sing from sunup ‘til sundown. I sure am proud of that boy; he’s making a name for himself on the road playing the music we love.
Darrell “Bigfoot” Madison came out next, and everyone was tickled to see him. He’s one of the foundational pieces of The Rosine Barn Jamboree, but he’s been bravely battling cancer for more than a few years now. Any Friday Bigfoot can muster the energy to make it out for some pickin’ is a doggone good one.
From your left to your right, Ed Edwards, Yours Truly, Darrell “Bigfoot” Madison, Jasper Beatty, and Floyd Stewart.
You can’t tell it in the photo, but I kept my word—I’m wearing a blue guitar! I said I was playing blue guitars for open mic this season. This first one is an Applause by Ovation. It’s called the Jump model (AAS-69).
Before long it was time for the first band of the night, Brand New Box of Matches. Actually, they’re a duo! From Knoxville,Tn!
Elizabeth Sherman and Ryan Hardison are not new to The Rosine Barn Jamboree. They played two dates here last season.
Sherman plays bass, and Hardison plays just about everything else. They both handle singing duties. And very well, I might add.
Like I said earlier, the furnace was already on. Add in the heat from a burning box of matches and you got a heatwave.
Check ‘em out on Instagram: @brandnewboxofmatchesband. Or visit their website at www.brandnewboxofmatches.com. You can catch their show at a number of the venues they play all over the south, especially when they visit us again in the fall.
The last band of the night were newcomers, and they kept the heat on. The Grassy Creek Bluegrass Band hail from Gatlinburg, Tn.
The band is led by Brian Eversole on mandolin and lead vocals. Interestingly two of the other members are his children: thirteen-year-old David Eversole on guitar and fourteen-year-old Julia Eversole on bass and harmony vocals. Last, but certainly not least is young Aston Murray on banjo.
Together they made some mighty fine bluegrass and made the whole place even hotter from their fiery pickin’.
Check ‘em out on Instagram: @grassycreekbluegrassband.
A great big “thanks” to these two Tennessee bands for coming all this way. Words can’t express our gratitude enough, but we’ll try anyway.
Also, a quick shoutout to Jenny Edward’s, Ed’s daughter. She was home from Tennessee and gave me a helpful, social media lesson.
Folks, I will be needing a great many lessons before progressing very far with this venture into the world of technology and social media.
I do have a Notes of Blue YouTube channel set up, but I haven’t begun posting videos yet. Never fear, though, for they are coming soon.
That is, if the Good Lord’s willin’ and the creeks don’t rise…
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