Armuchee Memorial Day Weekend Bluegrass Festival

How many of us remember when we were first 'smitten' with the bluegrass bug? Remember that anticipation of just traveling to the event? And when you got there you would take a stroll around "just to see if anything is goin' on..." knowing fully well that people would already be picking and singing up a storm....And then you see your friends and they ask, "Did you bring your xxxxx(fill in the instrument)?" And someone is taking a particularly hot break...you stop and listen as the music reaches into the depths of your being and suddenly the sun is a bit brighter and all seems well with the world!

That is my feeling as I anticipate the Armuchee festival near Rome, GA during Memorial Day and Labor Day weekends. It is truly a family gathering with some of the best jamming and campground picking you will hear anywhere. You never know who may show up. Tut Taylor and Hughie Wylie's campsite has long been a center including at one time or another J.N. and Onie Baxter, Curtiss Burch, Jr. and Sr., Ricky Burch, Norman Blake and many, many others. Ed Wade has a great site with 'gumby' as the special guest along with many Armuchee stalwarts from Georgia, Alabama, Tennessee, and South Carolina - among other places. And I can't foget John and Luther Deever's area....and of course, Tom and Aina Barnwell - the 'jam-collections' go on.

So what I am saying is that Armuchee is much like it was as I remember when I first discovered this amazing music. If you are in the North Georgia area during these weekends you owe it to yourself to bring your instrument and "pick a few." You'll be glad you did - and you may learn a little local folklore from the (bluegrass) residents as well.

The Armuchee festival lived up to the usual high expectations. I arrived on Friday to find the camping area filled with many friends and acquaintances - first person I got to talk to was Tut Taylor and got to hear a first-hand account of Merlefest and jammin' with 'Hootie and the Blowfish.' Wish I coulda been there!

I took along a banjo neck for Ed Wade to refret. Ever see 5 or 6 grown men standing around looking at a banjo neck - grist for some unusual conversation - especially among good friends!

Mr. Mack and Ms. Evelyn Farley and the Langleys as always made us feel like royalty. My most special moments of this festival were getting to visit with this really neat family and all its extended members..which informally includes Billy and Faye Johnson and L.W. and Annetta Rakestraw - also promoters of bluegrass festivals in the North GA area.

Getting to meet and socialize with folks such as Curtis Burch, Sr., Ricky Burch, Hughie Wylie, Tut Taylor and families is always an important part of the festival for me. This year in particular, I had the pleasure of hearing some great information from Mr. Burch, Sr. as to son Curtis, Jr. and his work with the New Grass Revival. Also got to see both perform with Tut later on in the day.

Harl Baggett - what can one say? A Georgia original...did a couple of stage shows with the Tut Taylor trio. A gifted songwriter. You have to hear the one about hunting snakes and also the one about Digger the dog...and many more.

One group that is certainly making a name in the Georgia area is Fontanna Sunset. Frances Mooney, Mindy Rakestraw, Brenda Nation Patterson, and Gary Looper. Did a great stage show and also attracted quite a following in the jamming area. Catch them at LaGrange, GA at Hoofers on the August show along with groups like IIIrd Tyme Out and John Hartford.

Of course the jamming areas went almost non-stop. One popular place was the Barnwell's (Tom and Aina). By the way, don't miss Tom's excellent article in Bluegrass Unlimited this month. Unfortunately, I had not received my copy before attending the festival. I would like to have heard more from Tom about the early influences on our music.

I arrived back in Knoxville Sunday morning at about 3:00 a.m. What a great two days! Wish all of you could have been there.

Bill Brown, Ed.D.
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