Summer August Edition 2015 Jerry Schrepfer Editor Summer August Edition Northern Kentucky Bluegrass Music Association 2015 Keeping Bluegrass Music Alive in the Northern Kentucky Area In This Edition “RC Vance, The Fiddle and the Jamboree” Ron Simmons and Jerry Schrepfer When the “Thompson/Chastain/Lovett’ jam Burlington, which now houses the Boone sessions proved to be such a success, it was Co. Water Rescue equipment. The Jamboree rather inevitable that somebody would ramp lasted for 8 years until RC became too ill up the fun and turn it into a real show. That with diabetes to carry on. It takes a strong person was RC Vance. Although I never personality and good management for heard him play a lick, I understand from anything like this to go on that long. It also Page 1 - 5 - Second of many of You whom I spoke to that he was took a lot of good folks who were bent on A Series of articles a man who could “get it done”! having a good time every Friday night. It About the history of seemed at that time the dancers, the Bluegrass jams in It was an era of good Bluegrass Music that performers and the beloved patrons,who just Northern Kentucky was really still considered part of Country loved the music, were a part of the show.It Including photos! Music, so the two genres of music clung to all worked around the lights of the stage and each other on stage and off. It was a time the sound made on a wood dance floor. I am Page 6-7 - Bill Keith when hats were worn by many of the musi- Banjo Summit told the floor wound up in the basement of cians and audience alike. It was a time when the home the Vance family owns on Page 8 - Ads & Info cowboy shirts and string ties were the dress Burlington Pike. I find it particularly of the time……or if you were part of the interesting that the Buick Dealership just Page 9 - 13 - Concert s “outlaw fringe”, you wore the funniest beat down the road held quite a jam session years Festivals and up head cover you could find. (See the later run by Gene Thompson and the elusive Special Events photos with this article and find a picture of Ron Cornett. We will be doing an article the great banjo player Dennis Hensley.) If soon about that and the move to Willis Page 14 - Meetings Dennis still has that “lid”, it should be part Music that has kept the music alive. Please And Open Jams of the N. KY Bluegrass/Country Hall of Around Town look in your albums and computers for Fame. [Speaking of that, when are we going pictures of jams at the dealership and if you Page 15 - Important to recognize some of the greats from our have some from Willis, we need them too. Info, What’s New area who have contributed so much and For 2015 need to be remembered for the legacy they Please take a special look at the photos on have created? Hmmm. I digress, but that’s the next couple pages as many of the how ideas get turned into actions.] participants are not around anymore. If you know them, let’s get them identified for The resulting Jamboree was held in a block future reference. Some of the pictures are building in Boone Co., 4 miles south of 1 from events other than the Jamboree, but Summer August Edition 2015 were happening simultaneously. A lot of people making a music with Tom and learning to produce TV shows with lot of music! I thank two gentlemen that have contributed his brother Ted dominated my hobbies for the next 25 so much to this article. Tom Bushelman Senior and years. “Trooper Bob Williams. Their photos and memories have made this a great fun trip through memory lane. There is Tom Bushelman was the mentor for many of us in the more to this story and Jerry Schrepfer is providing the late 80s and early 90s. He shared his experiences play- anecdotes that follow. In case you don’t know who he is, ing with some of the local bands and his love for the please know, Jerry took over for Pam Messer who did a music of Monroe and Scruggs. But he was never satis- great job, until time constraints got to her, in publishing the fied with the conventional. He dabbled in lutherie and News for NKBMA. Jerry and I spoke in his office very his creations were not your standard items. His basement candidly at how much we are both learning about the people is full of instruments with a twist. A guitar with a 5 string of our area who have contributed to the music. At this time banjo neck, a banjo made from a stainless steel bedpan, I will let him share from that meeting and invite all who a guitar with a toilet seat around the sound hole (his sitar) read this article to chime in to either of us. That way we’ll a 12 string ‘dobro’….you get the point…. have even more to share in the future. Please email me at Tom was never in agreement with the so-called experts [email protected] if you have a story to tell about the regarding the resonator guitar and their claims regarding Bluegrass Music and events in our area……..Jerry…… the importance of wood and sound holes and such. To Thanks Ron. I moved into the N. KY area in 1980, heard prove them wrong, he bought a bag of popsicle sticks Bluegrass Music for the first time at the Ground Round and from the local craft store, made a concave cut in one end was hooked on the sound of the banjo and the beat of the of some of them and laid them out like a miniature wood bass. Through our children I met Tom Bushelman, Sr. and floor gluing them together to form a sheet of wood quickly realized this man would become a friend for life. sufficient to create a guitar top. Using a planer he His love for all things music, in particular Country and achieved the correct thickness for the standard resonator Bluegrass was the bond between us. top. Using this for the top, creating good framing and constructing sides of vertical pieces of popsicle stick, he If you remember the Florence Y’All Festivals on Main St., connected a maple neck, cut the hole and attached a you remember some all volunteer live TV coverage of the spruce bottom. event. Now Tom was a real believer in stage etiquette, but it seems that every time the banjo or mandolin took a break His contention was that the sound depended upon the the amateur camera crew would cut to the woman in the resonator and spider assembly that transmit sound to the front row eating a hot dog! This upset Tom who wanted to sound board bottom from the neck and strings. The top see close-ups of hands and fingers, and headstocks and and sides make such. It just so happened that the TV broadcast was little difference. produced by his brother, Ted Bushelman (of CVG airport The final creation fame). So after throwing a shoe at the TV he called his is pictured here. brother and gave him an earful……. It is the greatest sounding ‘dobro’ That’s when I really stepped into something that changed you will ever my life forever. It seems Ted told Tom something to the hear. Rich tones effect that if you know so much get your rear end down and loud. Proved here! Tom immediately called me and asked if I knew how his point. to run a TV camera. Even though I said no, Tom came by in a couple of minutes and we were off to the Festival. Not Today this special instrument bears the signatures of only did I learn the camera but Tom soon taught me how many of the genres greatest names and is displayed in to read the body language of the band, anticipate the next a glass case in his living room. instrument to take a break and switch to that in time with Now for more photos………. the music, get close up shoots of the skill of the musician and fully understand the genre called Bluegrass. Playing 2 Summer August Edition 2015 The Popsicle Resophonic Guitar Jamboree Wall Decoration Bushelman Collection 3 Summer August Edition 2015 Guitar-Don Mason Bass-Ronnie Cole Mando-Roy Conner Banjo-Dennis Hensley Bass-Tom Bushelman Sr Banjo-Dennis Hensley(check out the hat) anyone know the others? RC Vance -Ground Round Fiddle Contest Dwight McCall on guitar Tommy Bushelman Jr on fiddle March 1981 Jamboree Cloggers Jamboree - One Year Anniversary Sign on an Electrician’s Truck: Sign in a Car Dealership Window: LET US REMOVE YOUR SHORTS THE BEST WAY TO GET BACK ON YOUR FEET- MISS A CAR PAYMENT 4 Summer August Edition 2015 Can you identify these musicians from the Jamboree era? Cloggin’ Fun !! Stage Performers Can You name any of them? Sign in a Restaurant Window: Sign in the Vet’s Office: Don’t Stand There and be Hungry; come on Be Back in 5 minutes.. SIT! STAY! in and get fed up ! 5 Summer August Edition 2015 BILL KEITH BANJO SUMMIT Bela Fleck and Tony Trischka The ‘Keith Style’ of playing was born when Bill join Bill Keith on Stage as reported recorded ‘Devil’s Dream’.