Bluegrass Beat

By Berk Bryant

Sun gonna shine in my back door someday, March winds gonna blow my blues all away. Well, I guess part of it will happen – the sun’s going to shine and the March winds will blow.

Looking back, if we must, that icing we got last month, plus the wind, was something! Maybe it was a good lesson in some ways. The electricity was off for seven days in my area, TV longer, and of course there was no heat.

I have some exceptional neighbors. A couple across the street cook with gas and were able to provide a little heat in that area of their home. Also provided coffee every morning, along with breakfast and other meals.>

I stayed at my house every night. I put all the cover on my bed that I could turn over under and did just fine. I decided to grunge it on through to the end, and by that time I had such a good start I thought about growing a beard. I quickly got over that thought and did some serious dulling to a razor. Everything seems to be pretty much back to normal, if there is any such thing here.

I think there is a lesson in here somewhere. It probably gave a lot of folks a first-hand understanding or exposure to what many of us old-timers experienced in some of our younger days. No electricity, TV, computers and heat other than a fireplace. It may have also led many to find out what you could do or do without when you really had to.

Okay, looking the other way now, I’m sure going to be glad when those wonderful buttercups start poking up in bloom shouting “Spring! Spring!”

Congrats!

First off, congratulations to Mr. Moffett – Paul Moffett – for 20 years of Louisville Music News. Paul, that’s a lot of editing, cutting and pasting. I don’t really remember how long it’s been since you took a courageous step to let me become a part of this. Thank you for that. Continue on Paul, continue on.

Thanks!

With the end of the cold season drawing to a spring/summer conclusion, the Vine Grove Friday-night Jams will be preparing to move back to Optimist Park. I don’t have a date for that now, as that will depend on weather conditions at the time. Now is a good time, however, to thank Vine Grove folks for supporting bluegrass over the past few months by allowing the jammers to be inside City Hall during the winter months. This meant shelter, warm location and lights. These sessions were successful. Several nights, winter nights, attendance exceeded expectations from both visitors, listeners and pickers. Some nights there were several jam circles going at one time.

Bluegrassers, by nature being the kind of folks we are, felt the need to show their appreciation to Vine Grove. A donation jar was set up and in time a $500 dollar check was presented to the city to help defray the electric bill.

Everybody is welcome, if you pick or if you don’t, if you want to get help in learning all the while making and meeting new friends. Can’t get a better deal than that.>

Birthday Wishes

I need to make up for an oversight in last month’s column and extend belated birthday wishes to our good friend Dr. Ralph Stanley. His birthday was the 25th of February. Ralph, we hope you will have many more and that your music will be heard as long as there’s music here.

A Little Space

Our esteemed editor, mentioned above, asked that we leave a little space for him this time and that’s a good idea, at least for me. Not much more I can make up this time.

Coming Events

• Jams: Colesburg Baptist Church, every Friday night, 6:30. Ray’s Monkey House, 1578 Bardstown Road, Tuesdays, 8 p.m. – midnight. The New Silver Heights Bingo Hall, 9206 Blue Lick Road, 5:30 p.m. - ??. Vine Grove City Hall, Friday nights, 6 p.m.

• Shepherdsville, March 6, Dean Osborne Band. March 13, Moron Bros. March 20, Blue River. March 27, Melvin Goins & Tommy Brown. APRIL 3, Wildwood Valley Boys.

Stay Tuned

Sunday nights, WFPK, 91.9, Sunday Bluegrass.