THE BABA BULLETIN The Bay Area Bluegrass Association 5820 Misty Meadow, League City, TX 77573 November 2013 27 Years of Bluegrass Volume 27, Issue 5 PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE: Howdy Bluegrass Fans! Well, 2013 is all but gone. I hope it's been a good year for you. We've had a lot to be thankful for and we are planning a better year for 2014. Before I get started on next year let's thank Robertson County Line , The Bluegrass Solution & White Dove for a show to remember on the last show of the year. Now for what's coming in 2014. In January we have a show you really won't want to miss. Kenny & Amanda Smith will kick off the year for us at the January 18, 2014 show. February brings us Austin Colony, Hard Road Trio and The Laughing Lizards String Band. Don't forget to make plans for Picking in the Park, workshops and the festival. There will be banjo and guitar contest, workshops, a Friday and Saturday of round the clock jamming, and 2 days of bands. I can't wait! Remember we need 2 days of help & volunteers!!!! Thanks to our BABA family for supporting bluegrass music over the last year. You're the reason we're here. We wouldn't be able to bring the entertainment, workshops, jam sessions, and free monthly shows if it weren't for your membership, your donations, and our volunteers. continued on page 3.... INSIDE: **Articles are opinions of the writers alone and Anne’s Notes do not imply agreement LastInside: Month’s show on the part of the Board Upcoming shows of Directors or the Membership Members.** Pick Your News Websites The bands for the November Bluegrass Gospel show are as follows: “Receipts” notice Remember we are ‘cash or check’ for 7:00 Bluegrass Solution donations, food, & merchandise. Hey, Stringing You Along 8:00 Robertson County Line 9:00 White Dove we don’t even plug in our instruments, Jam Etiquette much less credit cards! Thanks..... B-grass Venues Bluegrass Solution – Richard Henry on Mandolin, Mike Fuller on Monthly Jams Guitar, Gary Carter on Bass, Mike Casey on Banjo Festival Flyers Robertson County Line – Jeff Robertson on Guitar, Rodney Shuffler Bluegrass Radio on Bass, Jonathan Thrift on Banjo, David Hallmark on Mandolin Thinkin’ & Grinnin’ More cool stuff White Dove – Angela Beaubouef on Mandolin, Glen Beaubouef on Advertise here!! Guitar, Ben Sims on Bass, Bill Gravet on Banjo and Jim Glenn on Guitar BABA Bulletin November 2013 ANNE’S NOTES Gospel Bluegrass Each summer at Camp Bluegrass, one afternoon's session is dedicated to “Harmony Group Singing,” but we campers know it's really a couple of hours of Gospel Bluegrass. The first summer I attended the camp, 2011, I was sitting next to a vivacious woman who, about half-way through learning “I'm on My Way to Canaan's Land,” leaned over to me and whispered, “I'm Jewish, but I sure love these gospel songs!” I had to stifle a laugh, but we thoroughly enjoyed the rest of the session – and the rest of the week – and have become good friends. (Paddy is from Carmel, California, so when I said I was with the Bay Area Bluegrass Association, she naturally thought I meant the San Francisco Bay Area.) And so, I'm dedicating this month's Gospel Bluegrass show to my friend Paddy Grinstein and wish her a Happy Thanksgivukkah, since Thanksgiving Day and Hanukkah actually fall on the same day this year. [I have linked the songs to YouTube, opting as much as possible for the less professional recordings that are not preceded by ads.] As I pondered Gospel Bluegrass, I saw several sub-themes emerge. The most prevalent theme seems to be Getting to Heaven.With so much real-world, daily strife (coal mines, poverty, death), songs about the happiness and peace (not to mention a few mansions and gold crowns) were a perfect release from those ongoing woes, combined with the promise of a better life than the one they were living. Uncloudy Day (Doyle Lawson), I'll Fly Away (Gillian Welch), Over in the Glory Land (Stanley Brothers, ad), Wayfaring Stranger (Bill Monroe), Will the Circle Be Unbroken (Carters & Cash), Angel Band (Ralph Stanley), Life's Railway to Heaven (Steven Curtis Chapman) Another prevalent theme involved Songs of Praise. No matter how little one might have, these songs remind singers to be grateful for what they do have and thankful for the love given to them from above. Down to the River to Pray (Alison Kraus), Hallelujah, I'm Ready (Ricky Skaggs), I'm Working on a Building (Bill Monroe), This Little Light of Mine (Randall Franks), Crying Holy (Flatt & Scruggs) Along a similar line, but slightly different, emerge Songs about Jesus. These songs focus on the sacrifice made and the importance of His life and presence. Are You Washed in the Blood of the Lamb (King's Highway), By the Mark (Daily & Vincent) , He Will Set Your Fields on Fire (Flatt & Scruggs), Three Men on a Mountain (Bluegrass Gentlemen). Continued on page 3.... About BABA The Bay Area Bluegrass Association (BABA) was organized in 1986 and incorporated in 1987 under the Texas Non-Profit Corporation Act. The primary purpose of BABA is to preserve, encourage, and promote Bluegrass and Bluegrass gospel music as an American art form. BABA promotes Bluegrass through being active in community events, fund raisers, festivals, and monthly shows. BABA is a 501(c)(3) tax deductible organization; see any Director for information. The monthly show is free to the public and features Bluegrass from the local and national scene. The stage show begins at 7:00 PM, but pickers are welcome to bring their instruments and come earlier to jam. Tasty, inexpensive food is available at the show, and there are raffles, door prizes, and Bluegrass merchandise for sale. This is a ‘no alcohol’ event, but there’s plenty of music and great family fun! Proceeds from donations, sponsors, memberships, sales, and raffles are used to keep the doors open and the regular shows free to the public. They also maintain and replace sound equipment, storage, security, and expense of keeping the music playing. We thank you for your attendance, your generosity, and your love of the music. 2 BABA Bulletin November 2013 continued from page 1 To all my bluegrass family and friends: May the holidays bring you joy and happiness; may your family and friends all be safe. Thank all of you for being part of my life. Happy Thanksgiving, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!!!!!!!!!! Keep on bluegrassing. Rick Continued from page 2 Finally, there are songs about Bible Stories. What better way to tell them than through music? Paul & Silas (Doc Watson), Daniel Prayed (Patty Loveless & Ricky Skaggs), Children Go Where I Send Thee (Hagar's Mountain Boys), Take Your Shoes Off, Moses (Greg Cahill), Jonah and the Whale (Old Man Luedecke) Be on the lookout for some of these songs at this weekend's show, as well as other songs you may be familiar with and some original songs by our bands. Hallelujah! L'chaim! And, of course, Happy Thanksgivukkah to All! Contributed by Anne Hayden Stringing You Along...... To write with a broken pencil is pointless. NO MORE RECEIPTS! BABA will no longer be taking League City receipts, When fish are in schools they sometimes take and we will no longer have a debate. door prize drawing for them each month. They have not been as useful A thief who stole a calendar got twelve months. as we had hoped, so starting in January we will be focusing on the door prize When the smog lifts in Los Angeles, U.C.L.A. for BABA MEMBERS. Be sure to stop at the BABA table, and get a MEMBER The professor discovered that her theory of door prize ticket. THANKS! earthquakes was on shaky ground. P.S. You can join there, too. The batteries were given out free of charge. A dentist and a manicurist married. They fought tooth and nail. (Thanks to Sandy Jones) 3 BABA Bulletin November 2013 GOT KIDS? GRANDKIDS? Electrified pals? Come by the shop and see our fine electric instruments and amps, too. Starter kits to professional grade. Check us out! 4 BABA Bulletin November 2013 An Appeal from Ted Miller, founder of CTBA, to TX Bluegrass Clubs: I contacted most if not all of you around the end of October to tell you about the Hot Rize effort to help the folks flooded out in the Boulder CO area. The effort eventually evolved into a benefit called the “Hot Rize Uplift” concert. Their intent was, as Pete stated, “To raise spirits and dough!” On November 7th The Hot Rize Uplift Concert at the Macky Auditorium raised $50,000 to benefit the Boulder CO residents that were hit by unprecedented floods. Even Pete Wernick was impacted as he describes in an article at http://marqueemag.com/2013/11/01/hot-rize-raises-spirits-and-raises-dough-with-pickin%E2%80%99-up-the-pieces-flood-benefit/. However, $50,000 will not meet all the needs as many folks lost everything. Thanksgiving and Christmas are going to be very slim for these Boulder area folks so donations are still needed and I have started this personal mission to try and get TX BG Clubs to support Hot Rize in their effort as they have supported us by playing our venues in the past. Below is the contact info that Pete suggested when I talked to him for those interested in sending donations.