Jamming

Several decades ago when our Thursday evening jam sessions were convened in the basement of a local hardware store, a tradition was established regarding the arrival of brand new musical instruments. Whenever a picker introduced a new stringed instrument to the get-together, it was required that the proud owner provide a celebratory ice cream treat for the group. Recently, our banjo picker had a fancy new pot and resonator applied to his 5-stringer. This was deemed sufficient to warrant an ice cream break in the evening assembly which had gathered despite a wintry snow storm outside.

Surrounded by smiling faces, our banjo picker showcases his newly upgraded instrument after a pause in the evening`s music and song for an ice cream treat.

From the BRC: In the traditional spirit of Gobbler`s  Knob, Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, have a happy Groundhog Day. Springtime cannot be far away.

On a clear day during the deep winter months, the lakeside BRC domicile not infrequently bears witness to stunning sunrises at daybreak in which shafts of golden light pierce the wintry horizon.

From our breakfast table on a cloud-covered morning, the blazing solar globe can be observed (below) creeping over the rooftops on the opposite shoreline sometimes spilling an array of textures and colors across the skyline above and still waters below. When the quilted clouds slowly boil away, an unexpectedly clear day will often follow. We call these morning spectacles  “Giverny in the Sky” alluding to the pastoral paintings of French Impressionist Claude Monet.

For other daybreak photographs taken from the BRC upper deck, enter sunrise in the website home page search engine and enjoy.

During the recent Holidays, the co-host of our Thursday evening jams took the occasion at his home to pause the music session and invite us to sit down in the dining room for tea time and bakery-fresh pastries. In a busy Holiday Season, it was a warmly festive interlude for camaraderie that was enjoyed by all as 2024 drew near.

From the BRC: May your New Year be filled with fellowship and sunlight.

.

A few years ago, several of the ladies in our mid week jam session in a Lake of the Ozarks township formed a splinter group  called “Out On A Limb.” These musicians perform regularly at nearby retirement homes and church functions, and they regale their audiences with lilting three-part harmony singing. In addition, one band member is a veteran clogger and a burgeoning harmonica player. Recently, the band was scheduled to perform at a local church luncheon for handicapped citizens, but at the last minute one of the musicians was unable to attend the gig. The BRC banjoist was hurriedly recruited to round-out the quintet.

The church staff provided a splendid sound system, and the banjo picker filled-in baritone harmony vocals for the missing voice. During the performance, the BRC craftsman also played a novel harmonica duet with the clogger in a nostalgic rendition of “Red River Valley” as seen above. The delighted throng of luncheon guests, their care providers, and church staff applauded approvingly.

After the gig, the banjo guy was presented with  a marvelous jar of peach preserves freshly canned by the guitarist. He gratefully thanked  “Out On A Limb” for inviting him to share in their music before such an appreciative audience.

From the BRC:  Ladies, please call upon him again, soon.