Bluff Country Gathering

Lynn and I are just back from the Bluff Country Gathering in Lanesboro, MN. "The Bluff Country Gathering is a four-day event presenting traditional American music, dance and singing styles. Workshops conducted by a staff of nationally acclaimed musicians, singers, dancers and folklorists, are designed to pass along the traditions of old-time music to participants at all levels of experience."

This is our 2nd year there and it is probably on our annual list of things to do. We had to miss Saturday's workshops to attend a memorial service for my sister's father-in-law in Prior Lake, but we did drive back in time for the dance on Saturday night.

We did attend workshops on Friday and I ended up going to both of the harmonica workshops led by Dave Rice. Since I've started to listen to more 'original' old-time music on 78's I have noticed that a lot of music features harmonica. Dave's showcase on Thursday demonstrated that you can produce a lot of music from 20 reeds and the 'beginning' workshop led me to take the second one. Not sure if I'll have the time that will be needed to become proficient but it helped to learn things like 'tongue blocking' and other techniques.

At the end of the dance on Saturday, Lynn and I went to the Sons of Norway Hall and joined Sherri Minnick in a 'singing jam'. Most of the jams at an old time gathering are 'tune' jams - I have a 'desire' to learn the repertoire but haven't really gotten into the old-time jam scene so I a singing jam was more up my alley. Early on, we were playing with the cooks from Kansas City - after they went to bed (they had to be up early to cook the sunday brunch), some of the teaching staff joined in, including Alice Gerrard, Steve Rosen and Mac Traynham: definitely a treat to hear them harmonize on some Country Western Standards and to hear Alice do 'Ain't no ash can burn'. Steve taught a guitar workshop I attended and played banjo at the dance. At the jam, he played mandolin - one of the highlights of the weekend and definitely made the drive back for Saturday night worth it!