How do I explain Armuchee? A question
that seemed to be ever-present as I planned for the production of this
web site to commemorate the Memorial Day Festival 2000 edition of Armuchee.
In the final analysis, the one thing that I wanted to especially highlight
is the unique aspect of the many musicians coming together for a great
weekend of jamming. Yes, there are also great stage performances, but if
one asks any long-time visitor to the Armuchee festivals just what it is
specifically that brings one back again and again, the inevitable answer
is the great jam sessions in the camping area.
With that in mind, I left Columbia,
Ky early Friday morning on my way to North Georgia. I knew this year was
going to be special in several ways because a good friend and picking buddy
from Lindsey Wilson College had agreed to come down with me and participate
in a stage show invitation that Mr. Mack
and Ms. Evelyn had extended to me a while ago.
Barry Pritts is a very knowledgeable bluegrasser (having run his own festival
at his farm in West Virginia for fifteen years) and an accomplished performer
- I was honored to be able to perform on stage with him.
We arrived in Armuchee mid-afternoon
on Friday and after checking into a small motel headed to the festival.
In the grand tradition of the festival, Friday evenings seem to be very
relaxed and people do a lot of socializing...getting in touch with friends
to see who is going to be at the festival, when they are going to perform
on stage, and when and where they are going to be jammin'. I introduced
Barry to Mr. and Ms. Farley, the Langleys, and other special friends such
as Billy and Faye Johnson - promoters of the Marietta festival.
After a tour of the grounds and
getting a taste of the jam sessions, we settled in to hear some great stage
shows from several Armuchee stalwarts. This was
also a time to catch up with many old friends on all fronts, but especially
bluegrass. A tour of the camping area produced some great jam sessions...Tom
and Aina and friends, including daughter Tracy,
Jim Lasseter - who does a great version of 'Far Side Banks of Jordon,'
Ed Wade - playing and singing fine as ever...then members of Fontana Sunset
- what harmonies...J.N. and Onie Baxter and many special friends this year...Curtis
Sr, and Ricky Burch, special guest Rual Yarborough, and one of my long-time
favorite songwriters and banjo pickers, Louisa
Branscomb. And then the Deevers campsite - great
flatpicking with John, Georgia fiddlin' with Luther and backed up on banjo
by Harold Cowart...I know I will miss a lot of folks, but I will be documenting
as many of these as possible with photos accompanying this article.
It had been a long day so Barry
and I left to get back to the motel at the relatively early hour of 12:00
midnight. After a good night's rest (and breakfast at the Waffle House!)
we arrived back at about 9:30 a.m. to get together with Mr. Mack and Ms.
Evelyn to see when we would go on for our stage show. It was determined
that we would open the festival and of course we wanted Mr. Mack and Ms.
Evelyn to join us at the end for a couple of vocals and a fiddle tune.
What a thrill for me to get to perform
on this stage where so many of my good friends
had entertained me and others so many times!! And to be joined by two of
my long-time friends in addition to a new picking buddy made this special
indeed...
The afternoon was warm as usual
for Armuchee, but the weather didn't interfere with the many spontaneous
jam sessions that seemed to emerge. Over the course of the afternoon, I
made at least three tours of the camping area sandwiched between visits
to the stage and the concession stand for my 'fix' of bananna pudding.
On these tours of the jamming area, I attempted to capture with photos
the magical feeling of the many participants and I was especially looking
for those facial expressions that mirror the inner feelings much better
than words will ever be able to do. I hope you will enjoy...
For supper, I had a long standing
invitation to join the Johnsons and took full advantage. Great food and
great company.
The late afternoon continued a tradition
that I look forward to each year. Members of Georgia
Bound bluegrass band usually congregate for a
jam session that produces an eclectic mixture of a lot of types of music...bluegrass
and otherwise. This evening, Murray (Freeman) did a Jimmy Martin song or
two and Connie (Morris) seems to have a limitless supply of bluegrass and
early country classics. With John Farley on guitar, Tracy Burdette on mandolin,
and Mike Patton on bass, they are a powerful group - but I guess many of
you reading this already know that.
We pulled out a bit earlier than
usual, but the trip back to Kentucky takes a while and we made it back
to the bluegrass country early on Sunday morning. An excellent adventure!
My thanks also go to Lisa (Barry's wife) and Taylor and Casey (daughters)
for sharing him with the bluegrass community during the holiday weekend.
As always, the Farleys and Langleys made us feel like royalty....I can't
wait till Armuchee Labor Day Weekend!
Note: a large group of these
photos (in the full 640 X 480 resolution in many cases) is available in
a special 'INDEX' accessible from the 'CANDIDS'
page.
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