DESERT BLUEGRASS ASSOCIATION GRASS CLIPPINGS Volume 22 Issue 3 August/September2016 PICKIN' TO THE TUNE OF AN EARLY AUTUMN By Daniel Stolte Each September, when the monsoon rains have passed and no longer give us Sonoran Desert dwellers the occasional reprieve from the oppressive Southern Arizona heat, there is one place that offers a sweet taste of fall a- coming; a place where tall pine trees grow, mesquite smoke flavors the chilly autumn air, and stringband sounds echo through the woods: Fort Tuthill County Fairgrounds just south of Flagstaff, home of the Pickin' in the Pines Bluegrass and Acoustic Music Festival. I discovered the festival in 2011 and have gone back each year. This event has become the highlight, the "solstice" in my bluegrass calendar year. The combination of performing bands, the relaxed, family-friendly atmosphere and abundance of jams for any level and musical preference are one-of-a-kind. Now in its 11th year, Pickin' in the Pines draws several thousand visitors from Arizona and the Four Corners region for a long weekend of top- shelf stage performances and the best camping ambience I've experienced at any bluegrass festival. True to the mission of the organizers, Flagstaff Friends of Traditional Music (FFOTM), the festival honors the interests of FFOTM's diverse membership: "traditional" and "progressive" bluegrass coexist side by side here and find themselves complemented by other styles of acoustic music, including old-time, Celtic, gypsy jazz and more. A special treat for me—as someone who never had the privilege of seeing Flatt and Scruggs in person—was Jerry Douglas' headlining band, "The Earls of Leicester." Featuring Shawn Camp, Johnny Warren, Charlie Cushman and Barry Bales, the group took the audience back in time to the Foggy Mountain Boys of the 1950s and 1960s, complete with vintage-style stage microphones and black Western style string ties. Playing tunes from Flatt and Scruggs' repertoire, it was the closest thing to seeing the old masters themselves. Continued on Page 5 PAGE 2 GRASS CLIPPINGS VOLUME 22 ISSUE 3 OFFICERS President:: John David (520) 400-8853 [email protected] Vice President: Bonnie Lohman (520) 349-4812 [email protected] Secretary: Mike Headrick (520) 760-0745 [email protected] Treasurer: John Camm (520) 408-8092 [email protected] TRUSTEES Geoff Fox (520) 731-3601 [email protected] Carole Wothe (520)760-0993 [email protected] Andy MacLeod (520) 237-9832 [email protected] Dave Polston (520)744-9391 [email protected] Scott Warren (520)419-7556 [email protected] Paul “Doc” Simpson (520) 298-9746 [email protected] How to Contact the DBA Newsletter Editor--John David: For information concerning letters to the editor, reviews, contributing newsletter articles, submitting Concert & Band Listing information, Contact John via phone at (520) 400-8853, e-mail, [email protected], or snail mail, 8205 E. Crooked Tree Trail, Tucson, AZ 85715 Webmaster--Andy MacLeod: For information concerning the DBA website www.desertbluegrass.org contact the webmaster at [email protected] Membership Secretary--Mike Headrick: To join the DBA, renew a membership or submit an address change, contact Mike via phone at (520) 760-0745, email, [email protected] or snail mail, 13308 Placita el Algodon Tucson, AZ 85749 Publicity--Mike Headrick: Contact Mike at (520) 760-0745 or [email protected] Booking Bands--Bonnie Lohman: To book a DBA band for an event, phone (520) 349-4812 or email, [email protected] Advertising-- John David: To purchase advertising in our newsletter, contact by phone or email NEWSLETTER ADVERTIZING PRICES 1/4 PAGE--$25 PER ISSUE, $100 ANNUAL 1/2 PAGE--$40 PER ISSUE, $160 ANNUAL FULL PAGE--$60 PER ISSUE $240 ANNUAL CLASSIFIED ADS--$5 FOR 5 LINES OR LESS* *DBA Members Free, Space Permitting The opinions expressed in the DBA newsletter are those of the writers and do not necessarily represent the views of the Desert Bluegrass Association, its staff or members. Reviews, concert listings, band announcements and advertising are for informational purposes only and do not constitute an endorsement by the Desert Bluegrass Association. In the event of an error, our liability is limited to printing a correction. Copyright 2013,. All Rights Reserved. VOLUME 22 ISSUE 3 GRASS CLIPPINGS PAGE 3 GREAT WEBSITES Desert Bluegrass Association Fiddle: www.desertbluegrass.org www.fiddlehangout.com Arizona Bluegrass Association Banjo: www.arizonabluegrass.com www.banjohangout.org Bluegrass Arizona Blog Bass: www.bluegrassarizona.blogspot.com www.bluegrassbassplace.com Daily Dose of Bluegrass; Mandolin: www.bluegrassonthetube.com www.mandohangout.com/ Bluegrass Lyrics http://www.mandolincafe.com/ http://bluegrasslyrics.com/ Dobro: Bluegrass Tablature www.reso-nation.org http://www.alltabs.com/bluegrass_tabs.php www.resohangout.com Guitar: www.bluegrassguitar.com/ PAGE 4 GRASS CLIPPINGS VOLUME 22 ISSUE 3 VOLUME 22 ISSUE 3 GRASS CLIPPINGS PAGE 5 PICKIN' TO THE TUNE OF AN EARLY AUTUMN (Continued) For the evening shows on Friday and Saturday, the organizers remove the chairs in front of the stage to make room for the—let's just say, more outgoing crowd (like me, haha) —and allow folks to dance and groove their hearts out. This year's headliners, the SteelDrivers and the Sam Bush Band, tore it up and pumped festival-goers into just the right state of mind to hit the campfire jams afterwards, but not before joining a hootin,' hollerin,' square-dancin' crowd that poured into the workshop building, where the Hogslop Stringband was ripping through old-time and fiddle tunes and very successfully warmed everybody up to brace the chilly nighttime air for jamming. Something that always strikes me at Pickin' in the Pines is the colorful crowd, representing all walks of life, and gaggles of children running around between the lines of lawn chairs and picnic blankets. The festival seems to be just as much fun for kids as for adults, and FFOTM does a great job offering entertainment for any age. This year, kids could paint their own festival shirts, make instruments from recycled objects or learn to pick bluegrass tunes with the Jam Pak Blues 'N' Grass Neighborhood Band and FFOTM Young Jammers. One of the festival's highlights is the band contest. After a round of preliminary performances, the emerging three contestants get to perform on the main stage on Sunday. I was thrilled to see that among this year's winners are the Dust Devils, one of DBA's very own, homegrown bands. Hearing their vocal harmonies on "Seven Bridges Road" soar through the morning air across the amphitheater was wonderful. Congratulations! If you like the idea of escaping Tucson's late summer swelter to crisp mountain air for a long weekend of superb music and jamming surrounded by ravens, bluebirds and squirrels, join us for next year's Pickin' in the Pines from Sept. 15-17, 2017. Early bird discounted tickets usually go on sale in March or April. By the way, FFOTM members get an additional discount! I have found that the money I save through my membership discount almost pays for my one-year membership, so I'm always happy to support this great association whose volunteers are working so hard to bring us what arguably is the best bluegrass festival in the state. Learn more at PickinInThePines.org. PAGE 6 GRASS CLIPPINGS VOLUME 22 ISSUE 3 A THANK YOU FROM BRICE Editor’s Note: In keeping with our goal of promoting Bluegrass Music and exposing more young people to the fun and satisfaction gained from playing Bluegrass, the DBA has provided deserving young folks with scholarships to Camp Bluegrass held at Leveland College each summer. This summer, Brice Kiel was the lucky teen who was awarded a scholarship. His Thank You letter is reproduced below. VOLUME 22 ISSUE 3 GRASS CLIPPINGS PAGE 7 PAGE 8 GRASS CLIPPINGS VOLUME 22 ISSUE 3 BANDS The 2 Lazy 2 Ranch Band Dusty River Boys The Real Deal Band John Hall 520-647-1234 Rich Errico 520 818 0358 Fransisco Briseno 520-251-7183 [email protected] Www.facebook.com/realdealband Bear Canyon Ramblers [email protected] Marilyn 520-760-0479 Greg Morton [email protected] 520-682-2558 Rusty Strings www.bearcanyonramblers.com Klyle Stall 520-709-1279 Greenwood Sidee [email protected] The Bost Family Tradition [email protected] Jeff Bost 520-432-5053 www.facebook.com/thegreenwoodsidee Saguaro Sunset Trio [email protected] www.greenwoodsidee.com Jim Sanchez 520-869-8468 [email protected] Buffelgrass Jam Pak Blues 'N' Grass Neighborhood Tim Barrett 520-235-3518 Band The Sonoran Dogs [email protected] www.jampak.com Peter McLaughlin 520-247-1027 www.buffelgrassband.com Anni Beach - 480-963-6811 Brian Davies 520-349-9497 www.thesonorandogs.com Cabin John James Reams & The Barnstormers Howard Anderson--480-897-7425 James Reams 718-374-1086 Sonoran Sun Anni Beach--480-963-6811 http://ww.jamesreams.com Robert Holcombe 520-981-6225 www.cabinjohnbluegrass.com [email protected] Paul Christiansen 520-336-7755 [email protected] Cadillac Mountain Linda Lou & the Desert Drifters Corrine 520-235-3199 www.lindaloureed.com Superstition Ridge Bluegrass Band [email protected] Larry Martell 480-588-5552 Cinder Mountain 520-444-9897 [email protected] John Bragg (623)251-0613 [email protected] Los Hombres Titan Valley Warheads www.facebook.com/CinderMountain Kenny Erickson 520-235-7473 Ed Davenport 520-904-6050 www.facebook.com/?ref=home#!/pages/The- Cisco & The Racecars Old Pueblo Bluegrass Titan-Valley-Warheads/161939573828277 Francisco Briseno--520-251-7183 Reid Griffin 520-349-4321 www.facebook.com/ciscoandtheracecars http://www.maranafestival.com/old-pueblo- Way Out West www.ciscoandtheracecars.com bluegrass.html Emmy Creigh 520-323-0704 [email protected] Peter McLaughlin Whistle Stop Crucial County 520-247-1027 Carol Pearse 970-375-9428 Corrine 520-235-3199 [email protected] INSTRUCTION Bill Breen Bluegrass Guitar lessons 520-682-2558 520-850-9802 Scruggs style banjo by ear 520-544- Andy McCune J.P.