IT WAS A "TON" OF GREAT BLUEGRASS MUSIC AT KCABMC TONITE
Every second Friday of the month, during the season, the Kansas City Area Bluegrass Music Club meets at St. Paul's United Methodist Church, 3601 Sterling in Independence (MO) and always features a great stage show highlighting area bluegrass bands and individual performances. President Byron Jones opened the festivities a little early tonight after Secretary Kay Jeffries read the minutes of the last meeting and Jim Long read the treasurer's report, due to the abundance of great talent due to be showcased here tonight.
Copper Creek, tonight's first band are a very talented group of eight youngsters, all high school age from the Odessa, MO area. Josh Musick, who will soon be leaving the group for college and plays lead guitar, introduced Ellie Asher on fiddle, Bethany Musick on mandolin, Nathan Hawkins on banjo, Rachel Musick on guitar, Leo Asher on bass, Daniel Hawkins on mandolin and Sara Musick on fiddle. Beginning with "Cotton-Eyed Joe" and "Red Wing," Josh and others sang "Black Eyed Susie" and a medley of "Give Me That Old Time Religion/Do Lord." "Temperance Reel" was followed by "Foggy Mountain Breakdown" featuring Nathan Hawkins' banjo and Bethany's vocal of "Are You Washed In The Blood." The beautiful "Ashokan Farewell," "Y'all Come," "Old Joe Clark" and "Down Yonder" all got a big audience response. This terrific group closed their set with "Banjo In The Holler," a medley of "Will The Circle Be Unbroken/I'll Fly Away," "Orange Blossom Special" and "Faded Love."
Tonight's second band, Sugar Ridge is one that is familiar to most bluegrass enthusists in this area, participating in most local shows and festivals and having played with many a nationally acclaimed group or performer. They also host the Thursday Night Opry held at the Bannister Ridge Community of Christ Church, 9801 Blue Ridge Blvd., KCMO from 6 to 10 each week. Tonight, with Tess Stephens, the group's fiddler away tending to high school duties, it was Gary Russell (lead guitar, vocals and the group's founder), David Russell (mandolin, vocals), Keith Russell (banjo) and Bud Carey (guitar & vocals). Beginning their set with the "Clinch Mountain Backstep," Gary picked and sang "My Blue Ridge Mountain Home" and "I Washed My Hands In Muddy Water" with David. After Gary and Bud sang the great old bluegrass tune, "Head Over Heels In Love With You" Gary sang a tune he wrote about one of our nation's saddest times which occurred around the turn of the century entitled "Orphan Train." David, who has been playing mandolin since age 9 and boasts 33 years of stage experience was up next and played what has become his "signature song" - "Walkin' The Dog" and Gary's "Old Train Carry Me" followed. Bud got a big hand as he sang "If I Lose" which was followed by "My Home In Louisiana" and "Blackberry Blossoms." They closed with "The Little White Church."
The middle portion of tonight's program consisted of individual acts and were backed by a band consisting of Kevin Jones on lead guitar, Byron Jones on guitar, Rick Dakon, mandolin, John Quigley, guitar, Roy Cook, bass, Jim McGreevy on banjo and Chuck Dunson, guitar. After the band opened with "A Little White Washed Chimney" it was John Quigley with "Little Mountain Church House" and "High On The Hill Top" followed by Abe Reddekopp, who's a real cowboy, originally hailing from the plains of western Canada singing a Johnny Western tune "Palladin" (the theme song from the old TV western "Have Gun Will Travel), Hank Thompson's "Oklahoma Hills" and "Sons Of The Wesern Soil." It was a real pleasure to see and hear Nini Blackburn sing "Those Memories Of You Still Haunt Me" and Emmy Lou Harris' "Beneath Still Waters" and ditto for her husband Chuck Dunson who picked and sang "I'll Never Be A Free Man" and "I'll Be Gone In The Mornin'." After Daniel Cline of Independence, MO sang "Keep On The Sunny Side" and "Lonesome Whippoorwill," Mary Eddings, who is president of HABOT, another KC based bluegrass club which meets every third Friday in the Northland, sang "Wild Flowers" and Jim McGreevy closed the set with some great banjo licks on "Going Down The Road Feeling Bad."
Although I-35 Express is technically a new group, it is comprised of seasoned bluegrass pickers and singers and tastefully combines songs of our treasured past with brand new material with a old timey flavor. With O.J. McNew on guitar, Jean Bartee on vocals, Jeremy Peiter on banjo, Don Christenson, mandolin and Jacob Babbitt, bass, they began with "old Joe Clark," "I'm Sittin' On Top Of The World," "Take This Hammer" and "Tennessee 1949." "Mother's Grave" was followed by "Loggin' Man" a tune written by O.J. and "I-35 Express," the group's signature song written by Jean Bartee. This talented group finished their set with "If I Lose," "Love Please Come Home," "Dark Hollow," "Mississippi River" and "Foggy Mountain Breakdown."
We throughly enjoyed this fun-packed evening and are looking forward to the next meeting December 11th, 2009. (Below) top - Copper Creek bottom - Nini Blackburn & husband Chuck Dunson harmonize
Posted by hawkshaw5
at 12:01 AM CST
Updated: Saturday, 14 November 2009 12:54 PM CST