Narrative
I arrived in Marietta late Friday and after checking in at the motel headed for Jim Miller Park. Upon arriving, I immediately ran into a problem...all the immediate parking was taken up! Great news! Knowing about all the effort and hard work that Jack and Jan Masters put into promoting, I was especially pleased to see the strong response and excellent turnout.
I made my way into the performing stage area and what a crowd...practically all chairs were filled and my good friends of Brush Fire were performing., I had not seen this configuration with Jeff Partridge on vocals and mandolin, but this is one strong performing group. Vocals are pure and instrumentals are as strong as always. After getting a bite to eat, I socialized a bit with many friends and heard some great music. The SEBA (SouthEastern Bluegrass Association) congregation was out in force (all weekend) and I wish that I could have gotten around to talking with all of them more..Lonetta and Chris, Tommy Parham(who also MC'd a great deal of the weekend), Estill Nicholson, Bob Saturn ..I know I am going to leave a lot of folks out -
And special congratulations to Frank and Annette MeGee who are going to be honored for their long-time dedication to the music and WRFG by being inducted into the Atlanta Country Music Hall of Honor on the 30th of November! I should also mention some long time, dear friends who are also being elevated from the Atlanta Country Music Hall of Honor to the Hall of Fame. Mr. Mack and Ms. Evelyn Farley and Murray Freeman - I couldn't be more proud of these deserving folks and I hope to be in attendance. Congratulations also go to Scott Woody - great banjoist and leader of Steelblue and promoter for the Red Light Cafe who is also being honored for his contributions to the Atlanta and North Georgia bluegrass scene by being inducted into the Atlanta Country Music Hall of Honor...I know I am bound to leave out some folks, but I will try to correct those omissions as I am made aware. In the same vein, it is always good to see Mr. Carl Queen - member of the ACMHOF - of Atteiram records with his cds and tapes - I picked up Dolly's latest effort - 'Halos and Horns.'
One person very much in evidence the entire weekend to show her support was Ms. Faye Johnson. For someone not in the know, Faye and late husband, Billy served as the promoters for the past several years until Billy's untimely death in January of this year. Her support and gracious presence were greatly appreciated by Jack and Jan as they mentioned on many occasions.
A great Friday evening crowd and several jam sessions along with the great stage performances capped off the evening. Early Saturday morning I was back and treated to an hour-long jam that I enjoyed immensely...Jim "Duck" Adkins, David Ellis, and Kerry Warbington...three great banjoists, vocalist, etc. David is a multi-instrumentalist who swapped off on guitar. Really got the day off to just the right start.
The music began about noon on stage and the afternoon and evening crowds were strong...by late in the afternoon all the available chairs were up and basically it was standing room only. James King brought the house down with two outstanding performances and all performers seemed to be energized by the appreciative crowd. I was particularly happy to see the really nice mix of 'demographics' in the audience.
Special guests Johnny Carson and Phyllis Cole of the Atlanta Country Music Hall of Fame were warmly welcomed during the Brush Fire performance and the blue grass audience made sure they understood how much they are appreciated for the recognition they have brought to several bluegrass pioneers.Johnny Carson is the grandson of "Fiddlin' John Carson" of early Atlanta and Georgia Country Music fame in addition to (along with spouse Phyllis) being a co-founder of the Atlanta Country Music Hall of Fame.
Saturday afternoon also brought a special treat of getting to check out the end result of a project of Murray Freeman of Georgia Bound...a 1966 Mustang that he has brought back to original (or very close) specs for daughter Connie Morris. Not only was the auto in beautiful shape, but it contained a poster from an early Marietta "Georgia's Best" festival in the back seat and an old 'turn of the century' Dobson open-back banjo in the trunk. Needless to say, this was one of the centers of attention for the afternoon....truly a work of love on Murray's part!
One of the really special moments for me at the festival was the opportunity to get to play upright bass with J.N. and Onie Baxter. They have been two of my heros for many years and Jane was gracious enough to loan me the bass for a tune. I probably did not do them justice, but I can now claim to have "jammed with J.N. and Onie" - a badge of accomplishment for any aspiring North Georgia bluegrass musician. I also had the pleasure of receiving a cd from Onie that is of great interest..."Everybody's Turning on the Radio: Rural Music Traditions in West Georgia, 1947- 1979." This is a compilation of musical history produced by the Center for Public History, State University of West Georgia in Carrollton, GA. Onie and J.N. are featured prominently along with many other early musicians of the area. This is a 'must-have' if you are from the area, or know the people. The web site for information is: www.westga.edu/~history/centerEVERYBODYSTUNED.htm.
The Baxters, along with Murray Freeman and James Watson were subjects of a research paper presented by Mike Fleming and myself at the International Country Music Conference at Belmont University this past June, "North Georgia Bluegrass Pioneers - Fifty Years of Music 1950-2000." In addition, the Baxters along with several other bluegrass stalwarts are the subject of a fine article in the November 2002 issue of Bluegrass Unlimited. "Passing the Torch...and Keeping it Lit - The Story of J.N. And Onie Baxter." This was written by S. R. Daugherty and is a "must-read" by anyone involved in the North Georgia bluegrass scene.( Onie also did a bit of reminiscing at the festival!)
By late afternoon on Saturday, there were so many good jam sessions that it was difficult to stick in any one spot for long...all the usual supspects - Suggins Brothers band members, Ramblin' Grass, Harl Baggett and the boys, J.N. and Onie Baxter, Brush Fire, Georgia Bound, Rocky Top band members...countless others...but, what a great 'problem' to have! And all the while, great stage shows from groups such as Fontanna Sunset were being presented...
The stage performances were especially memorable Saturday evening. Cedar Hill has long been one of my favorite groups and "Duck", Brad, Bob, and Fred are long-time friends...unfortunately, I haven't had a chance to visit with them much in the last few years and to see them perform again on the Marietta stage was especially gratifying...."Duckwave Rules"...these guys know how to entertain and they have polished their stage presence over many years.
Both the Suggins Brothers and Cedar Hill did outstanding programs to bring the festival to a close. I don't think I have heard either group in better form! Unfortunately, I had packed away my camera by this time and did not do photos, but perhaps that is a fitting finale to a great event...don't try to capture the moment...simply savor and look forward to the next gathering.
I know many North Georgia Bluegrassers are already looking forward to the festival season of 2003 - Marietta promises to be a highlight!