Archeological digs on many continents suggest that rhythm bones are the second oldest musical instrument after the human voice.  These percussive instruments came to  America with Irish and English settlers. In Celtic music, bones are played with only one hand, whereas  in the US , the minstrel show tradition established a two-handed technique of performance still used today.  

Most every Sunday afternoon, a former street busker named `Mr. Bones` (above second from the right), joins our weekly Bluegrass jam session benefitting the Children`s Hospital.  In the clatter of a busy family restaurant, our songs are usually followed by a wave of silent gratitude from the audience. But, when Mr. Bones arrives, patrons at the brewpub always turn their heads to watch and applaud his energetic and syncopated rhythm tones. After complimenting our waltz tunes with juggling in 3/4 time, he entertains the kids with train whistles,  a little soft shoe, and a stick-held dancing limberjack wooden doll.  Several times a year, he performs children`s shows with his band “Mr. Bones and the Skeleton Crew” made up of volunteers from the jam band as pictured above at local church fest. For his showmanship, he was inducted into the BRC Hall of Fame three years ago.

Check-out the below link and witness Mr. Bones` kinetic solo on the classic train song “The Texas Eagle”. Too cool or what?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cvmkwn7HBXU

In the spring months when the Missouri River not infrequently crests its banks, schoolchildren are introduced to the Regionalist artwork of Thomas Hart Benton (1889-1975) who graced the cover of Time magazine in 1934. Benton painted the classic “Spring on the Missouri” in 1945 which depicted a farm family fleeing the Big Muddy`s flood waters under angry skies.

In the last couple of decades, our Sunday jam session venue has been shut-down twice by these surging seasonal waters. About 20 years ago, the spring flood tide gushed through the township of Hartsburg towards our Hitchin` Post saloon jam site. National Guardsmen, prison gangs, farm families, and bluegrass jammers worked side by side to build a 10 foot leeve that spared half the town and the Hitchin` Post where the parking lot was submerged under 9 feet of water. When the brackish torrent finally subsided, jovial musicians helped re-open the the bar.

About 10 years ago, we were convening our Sunday jam sessions at “Lucy`s” burger restaurant in the village of McBaine, when the eatery went under 5 feet of spring overflow despite being miles from the banks of mighty river. The turbid floodwaters left a permanent bathtub ring on the window by the pool table that we would point-out to customers resting from the nearby jogging trail who wanted to know how high the Missouri River had spilled-over.

Click on the below link to hear Ron, our mandolinist/bassman, describe the Big Muddy`s rogue wanderings, and then listen to us sing “Waterbound”. Enjoy the Spring!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VCwjXocuVlk