 By Derek & Jean Brandon
Friday Concerts | Sat night private party | Sunday Concerts | Hardly Strictly Bluegrass 2006 Saturday 7th October. Fridays ghostly eucalyptus of last night seemed to have disappeared, to be replaced by blue skies and sunshine. No complaints there! But where yesterday we were buzzed by the Blue Angels, today it was dragonflies which seemed just as big because they were nearer. Derek, the hero [I want to change that to 'mega hero': Ed.], was up at 7 a.m. and staked us a great claim before going back home for breakfast. It was a great spot near the friends and family enclosure (which we were entitled to enter but preferred the better view closer to the stage). Even so, we were late and just caught the end of the Nashville Bluegrass Band, who were well on form.
We had seen this band (along with others, and at some expense!) at the Barbican Bluegrass Day in London many years ago. They knocked us out then and did the same again today, sounding tight, exciting and very professional. Pat Enright's voice would still melt a stone angel's heart! Next came Warren's banjo teacher Alison Brown, who has played all the later festivals. She had San Francisco's own, wonderful Joe Craven guesting on fiddle. She's a great banjo player and performer; what she plays just doesn't ring our bells. Having said that, the first tune really got our joint 25% Celtic corpuscles jumping with its very Irish flavour. It was followed by a slip jig with piano (or 88 string guitar, as Tom Lehrer fans will remember... The Folk Song Army and all that) and fiddle. Her material is very varied and her performance seems effortless. She can play formidable bluegrass style banjo, but that probably isn't where the money is. Can't blame her for that. See Sat night party photos
Warren tells his grandchildren,
Off to the Arrow stage next to catch our firm favourite, Dry Branch Fire Squad. Ron Thomason was in good voice and did an amazing 'Ham Bone' to Hot Corn, Cold Corn, singing at the same time. In case you didn't know, that's an performance where one's body is the instrument, struck rhythmically in various places by the hands and includes clapping. He then told an amusing story about War before singing an anti-war song; of which there are many scattered down the ages.
Back to the Banjo Stage for a Banjo Extravaganza with Bill Evans, Alan Munde and Tony Trishka; three banjo's on stage at the same time. Oh lordy! There was also Jim Nunally (guitar), Chad Manning (fiddle) and Andy on bass. Other NWBN articles covering Chad include: David Grisman concert | Concert w/ Pam Brandon, Peter Rowan & Tony Rice | CD Review: Old Gnarly Oak | CD Review In The Midst | Annie Staninec is covered in: | Hotel Utah article | Gilroy Bluegrass Festival 2005 | HSB2004 Can you tell that the photo below is heavily doctored? Derek has moved them all closer together because they were spread out so much that they would have been really tiny otherwise.
The Bill Evans Banjo Extravaganza. Alan Munde
plays. Alan Munde opened with Peaches and Cream; very appropriate because the weather was just 'peachy' too). Bill Evans followed with Dakota and Jim Nunally gave us Kobe Blues on guitar. Tony Trishka and Bill Evans played a medley of tunes with Irish influences (there go my Celtic corpuscles again) Alison Brown guested on Dixie Hoe-down with Cindy Browne on Bass.
To close the set came the Barbary Coast Cloggers, named for the San Francisco area Pacific coast known as the Barbary Coast. They are an all guy ensemble and danced out of their skins, looking very slick in white shirts, navy trousers and braces (as we say in the UK) y'all in the US call them suspenders)!
You may have noticed that most of our report is concentrated on the Banjo and Arrow stages due to the various mobility problems Jean was experiencing this year and which haven't been helped by the very tight security; this latter made it difficult to circulate freely and made for a lot of unnecessary walking for Jean. But Ritchie was very understanding and gave all the help he could with that and photo access too; we're very greatful.
We went to see the Pine Leaf Boys on the Arrow Stage expecting
them to be a Bluegrass outfit, but the name would have fallen foul of the
Trades Descrition Act in the UK. As soon as we saw the drum kit and the accordion
we realised we were way off track... we were treated to a feast of Cajun,
Creole and Zydeco music - excellent . . . The up-side was that it was definitely dance music with great energy and drive played by twenty-something-year-olds with great style and enthusiasm! They gathered quite a crowd and lots of dancers, too, enjoying the great afternoon weather. This festival certainly has a taste of everything!
2-40 p.m. and it's back to the Banjo Stage for Earl Scruggs. Derek thinks he's in heaven. "The sun is shining, the sky is blue, and so is the music too! I've a beer in my glass and Earl Scruggs on stage; what more can I ask?" It was marvellously magical! Earl had a great band of elite musicians backing him once more this year. Rob Ikes (dobro - he was IBMA player of the year), the electrifying Bryan Sutton (lead guitar), Brad Davies (electric guitar and mandolin), John Randall (guitar), John Gardner (drums) (what??); Hoot Hester (fiddle) and Randy Scruggs (guitar and vocals).
He played all his great tunes and other numbers, including Earl's Breakdown, Salty Dog, Foggy Mountain Breakdown, The Ballad of Jed Clampett and many more. We all sang Happy Birthday to Earl, who would be 83 years old in a few days time. A really colourful crowd had gathered to see Earl, a real patchwork of people. As for Earl Scruggs, the old magic is still there. Just to see how he smiled at the end of a great break when he knew he'd done well was a delight. I hope I'm doing as well at 83!
Back to the Arrow Stage for Doyle Lawson and Quicksilver, a band we have never seen live before. We've heard them many times of course and love their treatment of gospel songs. They were well up to our expectations both in appearance and sound. Their presentation was absolutely fabulous and their well-crafted and spine-tingling harmonies were a delight! It's Doyle's 43rd year in Bluegrass this year, celebrated with a national Heritage Award. They started off with an a capella rendition of Since Jesus Came Into My Heart. Unaccompanied sunging is an art that they are past masters of. They followed on with To See You Face To Face, I'm Glad Somebody Obeyed, I'm Happy on My Way and You've Got To Dig A Little Deeper. All in all it was a truly commanding performance from Doyle Lawson and Quicksilver.
Back at the (main) Banjo Stage at last! We've never had to run the gauntlet like that before. There were people as far as one can see and the huge area in front of the stage was divided by barriers, making it very difficult to cross to the far side. It was a good job we decided to leave the Arrow stage early. It took twenty minutes to get back to our spot place as you could only go in the direction indicated by strict security people; it was, of course, the long way round!
We arrived back just in time to see Gillian Welch take the stage solo for one of her latest songs, Gotta Be A Song Left To Sing, followed by The Mark Where The Wheels Have Been, the Jerry Garcia number China Doll, Go To Sleep Little Baby (from Oh Brother Where Art Thou), I'll Fly Away and Jackson as an encore.
To finish what has been a feast of music by any standards, performed by
some of the most talented artists, plus a great day weather-wise, we had
Steve Earl and the Blue Grass Dukes with the awesome Casey Driesen
(fiddle), Tim O'Brien (mandolin), Darrell Scott (banjo) and Dennis Crouch
While single mics might be good, they make it hard to get a photo with everyone on view. Steve was as irreverent and hard to photograph as ever, God bless him! But he and his gang provided a perfect and great finish to Saturday's H.S.B. Derek & Jean Brandon Write to us Visit www.g4uxd.talktalk.net Chester, England . Any brits who visit please say "Hi!" to us
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The scene in Speedway Meadow,
Golden Gate Park
Ron Thomason
Bill and Alan look serious...
Photo right: Ritchie, our Security Chief
Earl Scruggs
Doyle Lawson &
Quicksilver
Gilliam Welch and David Rowlins
Steve Earl and The Bluegrass
Dukes
(bass). It wouldn't be Steve Earl without several anti-war
songs but he did kick off with a Bluegrass number: I'll Love You 'Til
The Day I Die. Following on were Forever Blue, Texas Eagle,
Grave Yard Shift, Harlem Man, The Mountain, Ben Mc
Cullough, Just Another Poor Man Out To Fight A Rich Man's War,
I'll Be Willing (Weed, Whites and Wine) and a great version of The
Home Town Blues, finishing with Jerusalem.
