Central Texas Bluegrass Association Bluegrass Bulletin Volume 32, No. 3 March, 2010 RiceGrass March 27-28 BY RIXI ROSENBERG fire jamming is encouraged. Other Cabin 10 Inc. and Central Texas nearby lodging and camping are Bluegrass Association will host also available. the first ever RiceGrass Festival. All festival proceeds will further Inaugural festivalgoer's will enjoy the scholarship awards given by an eclectic mash-up of Old Cabin 10 Inc. and Central Texas Timey and Bluegrass perform- Bluegrass Association, which are ances. both cultural non-profit organiza- The festival will run Saturday, tions. March 27 and Sunday, March 28, For more information on ticket 2010 in Fischer, TX on the rustic sales/pricing, accommodations and grounds of the Fischer Haus B&B a complete lineup, which is about 60 miles Southeast please visit h t t p : / / of Austin and about 50 miles www.cabin10.com/riceGrass.htm North of San Antonio. Saturday acts include Two High String Band, Caroline Herring and Danny Barnes and Sunday‘s lineup promises Lonestar Blue- grass and dueling legends Byron Berline & Alan Munde. Primitive camping is available on Saturday night and acoustic camp- Alan Munde & Byron Berline BY SARAH HAGERMAN group Country Gazette. But back took him over to jam with some On a Friday afternoon at the then they were still college kids, of The Stone Mountain Boys who University of Oklahoma, fiddle living in the folk scene of the mid were in town. They were mainly player Byron Berline walked into -1960‘s with a hunger to learn in Dallas, Texas and had come up a folk music jam. He was particu- and play as much as they could. to Norman to visit me and some larly impressed by one young Berline recalls when he intro- other people. We went in there to banjo player, a fellow student he duced Munde to Ed Shelton, who get some strings or something recognized from the campus. would become Munde‘s banjo and Alan was there, so I said, That student was Alan Munde, teacher: „Alan why don‘t you come with and he and Berline would form a “Slim Richey had a music shop us and just jam,' so he came and musical bond that now spans there on Campus Corner. I‘d go jammed with us the rest of the nearly half a century, and helped there every once in awhile and afternoon. That‘s how he met Ed spawn the influential 1970‘s see Alan in there. [One Day] I Shelton.‖ (continued on next page) Copyright © Central Texas Bluegrass Association Alan Munde & Byron Berline (continued from page 1) Brothers, he joined Berline in in Country Gazette, rather than Munde also remembers many Country Gazette. A seminal having to follow other people‘s of Berline‘s live bluegrass tapes group, whose line-up at that point models all the time.‖ as being crucial to his musical also included Roger Bush (bass, As Munde says, ―There was a development. The Kentucky Colonels) and real interest in the younger “[Shelton] also had access to Kenny Wurtz (guitar, The Flying players playing other kinds of recordings - Burrito Brothers), they bridged music than just songs that like the bluegrass sensibilities with an appealed only to the rural country O s b o r n e easy-going country rock attitude. music fans. The younger crowd Brothers or It was a west coast approach to was interested in what their peers Bill Monroe eastern roots that gave the musi- were interested in, the same kinds or Flatt and cians a great deal of freedom. As of songs and musical influences. Scruggs – all Munde describes in this example: Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, these things ―When you're with Jimmy Mar- The Burrito Brothers, The that I would tin and you did, ―You Don‘t Byrds.” Accordingly, Country [ norm al l y] Know My Mind,‖ there is a banjo Gazette opened up for acts like have no way of hearing, he had solo that goes a certain way and Steve Miller Band, Crosby & those. And a lot of those he got you were asked to do that. But Nash and Don McLean. The from Byron Berline. So Byron with Country Gazette it was like, group was also very popular in had those same tapes, it would be ‗Here‘s this song we're going to Europe, playing television shows reel to reel back in those days. do that nobody has ever thought that featured acts as diverse as We would listen to those and try Donna Summers, The Rolling to decipher the licks and the solos “It’s always great to play Stones and English progressive and the backup, so it was a real with him, he’s such a rock pioneers The Soft Machine. wonderful time just to get really Berline left the group in 1975, into it.‖ great banjo player, and a and the band maintained a few Berline and Munde would play funny guy...” - Berline line-up changes until winding frequently together while in down in 1988. By this time college, until Berline graduated in Munde was living in Texas, January 1967. He would about playing a banjo on it and where he was teaching in the play with Bill Monroe for about how do you want to do it?‘ We country and six months, until he was called up recorded an Elton John song b l u e g r a s s to serve in the Army. Graduating called ‗Honky Cat,‘ [on 1973‘s m u s i c a couple years later, Munde Don’t Quit Your Day Job], and p r o g r a m would go on to play with Jimmy our producer at the time was a (now the Martin for two years. gentlemen named Jim Dixon who commercial Five years after parting ways, was really, really good. It was his m u s i c Berline called Munde, suggesting idea to do that song and he came program) at he move out to Los Angeles to to me and said, ‗If you can make South Plains join him on some projects. the banjo work on this, then it can College in Berline had moved to L.A. a cou- be done. If you can‘t, we‘re not Levelland. ple years earlier, where he played going to do it.‘ So I took the He retired with The Dillard and Clark Expe- Elton John record home and from this post a couple years ago. dition, as well as did session worked on it and came in with Meanwhile, in 1995, after 26 year work and scored films. Munde something that he thought worked in Los Angeles, Berline moved to accepted Berline‘s offer, and after just fine. So we did it. I got to be Guthrie, Oklahoma, the (continued a stint together in Flying Burrito the creative source on the banjo on page 3) Copyright © Central Texas Bluegrass Association 2 Alan Munde & Byron Berline (continued from page 2) he‘d pick it right up on the banjo amazing. He‘s just that strong. Hometown of his wife (and col- and play it note for note. He‘s Anybody that plays with Byron is lege sweetheart) Betty. exceptional at that. He‘s a very gonna sound as good as they've Nowadays, Munde lives in inventive player. He‘s just a joy Wimberly, Texas and plays in to play with.‖ “He’s one of the strongest, Two High String Band, Ranch Similarly, Munde says of Ber- if not the strongest, fiddle Road 12, with Elliott and Janice line: Rodgers, and his own Alan "He‘s one of the strongest, if not player I’ve ever played Munde Gazette. Berline runs the the strongest, fiddle player I‘ve with...” - Munde Double Stop Fiddle Shop and ever played with. He's a real ath- Music Hall in Guthrie, where he letic player and his timing is im- often plays with his own Byron peccable. It makes it really easy ever sounded just by being drug Berline Band. Since 1997 has put and fun to play with somebody as along by his playing." on the Oklahoma International precise and as strong as he is. I Besides a couple of gigs at Bluegrass Festival there, always used to marvel at him. OIBF, and a workshop and con- The two remain close. Of When we were both in L.A., cert event last year in France, Munde, Berline says, ―It‘s always sometimes I‘d go out with him these two old friends often don‘t great to play with him, he‘s such when he would go see a band get to play together. So those at- a great banjo player, and a funny play locally. Everybody that tending RiceGrass will get to wit- guy … He plays fiddle tunes would play with him inevitably ness a rare and special treat, as really well, probably as good as wanted to do ‗Orange Blossom they take the stage to cap off anybody out there. He can take Special.‘ And he literally could what‘s going to be a wonderful fiddle tunes, like I‘d show him drag a band through that with his weekend of music in Fischer. this Texas-style fiddle tune and fiddle playing, which is really Payback Time: A Demonstration of Appreciation BY JAMI HAMPTON for their award-winning barbe- of appreciation with your volun- For those of you familiar with que, ArtZ is equally famous for tary donation to help ArtZ con- the bluegrass scene in Austin, its unparalleled commitment to tinue its ongoing effort keep live Texas, you know there has been making sure that musicians and music alive in Austin, Texas.