January/February 2013

The Southern Nevada Bluegrass Music SocietyP.O. Box 363584 North Las Vegas, NV 89030 Bluegrass Hotline (702) 834-5872

A Non-Profit Organization

BLUEGRASS NEWS is a publication of the SOUTHERN NEVADA BLUEGRASS MUSIC SOCIETY, a non-profit organization chartered in 1975 for the preservation and furtherance of Bluegrass and Old-Time Music. BLUEGRASS NEWS is published monthly, and is free to members of SNBMS. Any correspondence concerning BLUEGRASS NEWS, its contents, the SNBMS, or the officers elected therin may be sent to BLUEGRASS NEWS, c/o SOUTHERN NEVADA BLUEGRASS MUSIC SOCIETY, P.O. Box 363584, North Las Vegas, NV 89030.

The Board of Directors for SNBMS for 2013 is:

PresidentLeon Evans 463-3710

Vice PresidentVera Vann-Wilson 875-3579

SecretaryBetty Williams 873-5251

TreasurerVeria Cripps 655-6201

Board Members

Al Bess 566-9372

Newsletter EditorGlenn Nelson 702-274-1889

Hotline Telephone Number702-834-5872

LUEGRASSNEWS

THE RHONDA VINCENT SHOW IN LAS VEGAS!Bluegrass music in southern Nevada hit the new year a-runnin' with the concert Wednesday evening by Rhonda Vincent and The Rage. Along with opening act, Stuck In Reverse, Rhonda drew a full house to the Sun City McDonald Ranch auditorium. Rhonda lived up to her title "Queen of Bluegrass" as she performed with her band, The Rage.

Members include Josh Williams ("Guitar Player of the Year" and now famous as the "bird man" guitarist), Hunter Berry ("Fiddle Player of the Year"), Mickey Harris on bass, Aaron McDaris on banjo and Brent Burke on Dobro. The Rage is the most awarded group in bluegrass with over 80 awards to their name.

Opening for Rhonda was the local band, "Stuck In Reverse" with Peggy Ruesch on guitar and vocals, Jan Ruesch on bass, Vera Vann-Wilson on banjo, guitar and vocals, and Leon Evans with vocals, mandolin and guitar. All are members of SNBMS.

Master of Ceremonies was Lynn Baldwin of the Nevada Old-Time Fiddlers and long-time friend of Rhonda and her family. Rhonda received a standing ovation at the close of her show and many folks are now asking about the possibility of other bluegrass events in the Las Vegas area. The success of this concert was due largely to the wonderful support of the local fans, the Southern Nevada Bluegrass Music Society, and the Nevada Old-Time Fiddlers.We think we are on the verge of some new and exciting times for bluegrass fans in Southern Nevada. Keep tuned for more news in the months to come!

HOW TO FIND QUARTZSITE AND THE ALL ASSOCIATION JAM

Take Boulder Highway (US 93/95) to the US 95 cutoff towards Searchlight. Continue south to Interstate 40 then follow Interstate 40 east for 13 miles, picking up US 95 again and following it south to Vidal Junction, California. Turning on State Route 62 at Vidal Junction, travel east again to Parker, Arizona, picking up State Route 95 to Quartzsite on Bureau of Land Management property on the left as you head south on State Route 95.

ALL ASSOCIATION JAM

The All Association Jam will take place March 8-10 about three miles north of Quartzsite, Arizona. There will be open jamming the entire weekend. Dry camping is available (and preferred).

If you have questions or need more information, please contact a board member.

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The President’s Cornerby Leon Evans

I hope this issue finds all our members doing well in the new year. We’ve had some changes on the board with our recent elections. Al Bess is now a board member and Vera Vann-Wilson is now the Vice President. Our other board members have remained the same with Betty Williams as Secretary, Verla Cripps as Treasurer, Glenn Nelson as News Letter Editor, and Ron Williams and Sy Nielson as our other board members.

For those of you who don’t know me, I’m Leon Evans and I’m the new President of SNBMS. I’ve been a member of the board and vice president over the last four years. I was also on the board during the late 90’s prior to moving to Florida for work. I was on the board of the South Florida Bluegrass Association for over five years as well.

Something happened recently that should give us a renewed interest in bluegrass. The visit and performance by Rhonda Vincent and the Rage on January 2nd was a great success. I’d like to recognize Jan and Peggy Reusch who helped get everything in place with very little notice and made the performance happen. Peggy got a call from Rhonda just three weeks before the show asking if there was a way to get it to happen and happen it did. We filled the MacDonald Ranch Community Center with almost 300 people to see the show. Most of them were members of SNBMS, Nevada Old Time Fiddlers Association and a lot of their friends. The word was spread by email, phone calls and visits. Thanks to everyone that came out. Our own Stuck In Reverse opened the show and then Rhonda and her band did almost 75 minutes of great music.

Now we need to keep the momentum going and get even more interest in bluegrass going. We have some new members that are working on a one day event in early April that will feature some of our local bands. We’ll have more information to you as this develops. There is now a Thursday night jam for bluegrass and old time music on the north west part of the valley. The Tuesday night jam is still going on in Henderson as well. While not strictly bluegrass, it is acoustic and the Tuesday Night Jammer’s have performed out at the Veteran’s Home on various holidays.

If you have any information or ideas, let us know so we can keep the music we love alive and kicking here in southern Nevada.

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UPCOMING EVENTS

FEBRUARyFebruary 5th-March 26th - Bluegrass Jamming Class, 7-9 pm. For further information and exact locations: register at Bluegrassjamming.com, click “Jam classes” or contact Vera Vann-Wilson: veravann@centurylink.net, (702) 875-3579.

MARcHMarch 8,9,10 - All Association Jam, about three miles north of Quartzsite, Arizona. There will be open jamming the entire weekend. Dry camping is available (and preferred).

March 16 - Pick Out located at Morrell Park near Lorna j. Kesterson Community Park, 500 Harris Street in Henderson, NV near Boulder Highway and Basic Road. The music starts at 12 noon with a potluck lunch scheduled around 2 p.m.

APRiLApril 21- 28 - 15th Annual Pahrump weekend dry campout hosted by

Norm & Karen Neismonger, at 3290 Winchester Ave, Pahrump, NV

89048. Potluck Sat 27th at 5pm. Also on Saturday come celebrate Betty Williams retirement. Bring a dish and chairs, for more info call (775) 751-3871.

CLASSIFIED ADS

• Gold Tone open back 5 string banjo gig bag, 5th string capo mint condition $850 invested asking $650. Regal Dobro, hard case, upgraded spider and cone, excellent condition (one mark where I dropped the bar) $1000 invested asking $750. If interested phone 775-513-8089 Pahrump. (5/17/13)

• 1977 Martin D 28 $2200. Call Al Bess 566-9372 (5/17/13)

• Bass for Sale: 4/4 copy of Stradivatus Varussus by KisoSusuki Violin Company $600. Call Darla Sorensen at (702) 205-0035 (9/17/13)

Uncle PenOh, the people would come from far away

They’d dance all night till the break of day

When the caller hollered “Do-se-do”

I knew Uncle Pen was ready to go.

Chorus:

Late in the evenin’ about sundown

High on the hill and above the town

Uncle Pen played the fiddle, oh how it would ring

You can hear it talk, you can hear it sing.

He played an old piece he called “Soldier’s Joy”

And the one called “The Boston Boy”

But the greatest of all was “Jenny Lynn”

To me that’s where the fiddle begins.

I’ll never forget that mournful day

When Uncle Pen was called away

He hung up his fiddle, hung up his bow

He knew it was time for him to go.

HA-HA‘I could dance with you until the cows come home – on second thoughts, I’d rather dance with the cows until you come home.’ Groucho Marx

‘I grew up with six brothers. That’s how I learned to dance – waiting for the bathroom.’ Bob Hope

Did you hear about the Irishman who went to the country to see a barn dance?

Darla Sorensen and Betty Sisco are the Society Sunshine Girls. Call Darla (205-0035) or Betty (564-5806) if you know of anyone needing a little sunshine for any reason. They also offer an ear to bend if you need someone to talk to about a family illness, injury or other tragedy in your life. Betty and Darla also act on happenings of a congratulatory manner. We wish to extend our condolences to Darla for the loss of her sister Aris White. Aris and her husband Roy were past members of SNBMS.

SUNSHINE GIRLS REPORT

NEWSLETTERDEADLINE

March/April Issue is issue will be March 15, 2013

To avoid any delay in your material reaching SNBMS Newsletter, please send all submissions for the newsletter and any correspondence to:

Glenn E. Nelson

7409 Enchanted Hills Ct.

Las Vegas, NV 89129

Phone: (702) 274-1889

E-mail: gnelson651@aim.com

NEWSLETTER STAFFEditor: Glenn Nelson

Circulation: Betty Williams

Sunshine Girls Report:

Darla Sorenson & Betty Sisco

Photographer: Glenn Nelson

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Note from the EditorBill Monroe “The Father of Bluegrass” started his formative music career playing barn dances for his Uncle Penn. Bill’s experience playing for his Uncle Penn was one element that was influential for Bill Monroe as he later developed his style of music referred to as Bluegrass. Bill wrote a song about this experience in remembrance of his “Uncle Penn.” Part II of “Where Fiddle Tunes are Put to Work” describes the techniques of a barn dance

Dear Editor,

Recently, the Southern Nevada Bluegrass Music Society’s annual club meeting/pickout was held on the afternoon of Saturday, January 4th, and elections of the club’s board members were held.

Leon Evans and Vera Vann were elected as the new President and Vice President of our club giving Al Bess a well deserved (and asked for) rest. Although Al will continue to serve the club on the board and lend his knowledge and advice to the new President and Vice President, he will no longer be the President.

The purpose of this letter is to thank Al Bess for his long dedication and service to SNBMS as President. He has served this club in some capacity or another since the early 80’s (maybe even longer) and I personally, and on behalf of the club’s board members and SNBMS members, would like to express my sincere thanks for that dedication and service.

If any of you have ever been involved in putting on a bluegrass festival, you know and realize the work that is involved in coordinating such a task, and Al always did a great job hiring bands and delegating jobs so that the festival would come off smoothly.

Hopefully things will turn around in the economy, and we can resume our festival activities in the future.

I would also like to welcome and congratulate Leon and Vera to their new positions and look forward to working with them in the future.

Once again, thank you Al Bess for a “job well done” over the past 30 years.

Ron Williams

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Where Fiddle Tunes are Put to Work, Part 2

The goal of the caller is to drop out after the dancers have memorized the sequence, and let the dancers dance to the music. The music is played at tempos in the vicinity of 108 to 120, and an individual dance may last from 5 to 10 minutes. The musicians commonly medley tunes together and add variations to make the dance interesting to both them and the dancers. The musicians can “control” the energy and mood on the dance floor with their presentation of the tunes, key changes, rhythm, and chords. This symbiotic relationship is appreciated by all.

Thus the musicians play a vital role in the contra dance evening. The Las Vegas contra dancers have been blessed with the enthusiasm and willingness of a group of musicians who have ensured that there has been live music for every contra dance since dancing began in Las Vegas. When the dance schedule expanded in 2007 to two dances a month, the musicians organized into two different bands, who share the monthly schedules. The Sagebrush and Shamrock String Band is a traditional string band, under the direction of Dave Carroll, known for his collection of stringed instruments that are within easy reach during the evening. Dave’s melody line is backed up by guitars and bass. The second band, “112, And Then Some” , referring to the music tempo, is overseen by Kay Sanderson, and features fiddles, guitars, bass, and sometimes banjo and/or percussion.

The overall goal of a contra dance is to provide a venue for folks to enjoy the evening and laugh together, even if it’s because of the variety of ways that a dance can crash, which sometimes happens; to enjoy the camaraderie of the others present; and to listen to and dance to great music that just compels folks to get up and dance.

Both the bands and the callers are available to play / call at contra dances sponsored by other organizations. Overall information about contra dancing is available by e-mailing lvcontra@gmail.com, or by accessing the website www.lasvegascountrydance.org. Contact Dave Carroll at 373-1926 regarding The Sagebrush and Shamrock String Band, and Kay Sanderson at 373-9378 regarding the band 112, And Then Some.

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ACOUSTIC MUSIC JAMS OPEN TO ALLAll Society members and guests, whether pickersor grinners, are welcome to attend any or all of the regularmonthly acoustic music jam sessions that are now being held.

Tuesday night Bluegrass & Old Time Music Jams from 6:00 pm-8:30 pm at the City of Henderson’sLorna J. Kesterson Valley View Recreation Center, 500 Harris Street, near Morrell Park, one block east of Boulder Highway and Basic Road. For details call Society member Betty Bess at 564-1630.

Thursday night Bluegrass Jam from 6:30pm to 9:00 pm.at the Northwest Mountain Crest Park Community Center 4701 N. Durango,Las Vegas, NV 89129, Durango & Red Coach. For details call Society member Vera Vann-Wilson (702)875-3579.

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Annual Meeting

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Annual Meeting

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Southern nevada BluegraSS MuSic SocietyP.o. BoX 363584north laS vegaS, nv 89030

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BLUEGRASS NEWS

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JUST FOR LAUGHS

ACOUSTIC MUSIC JAMS OPEN TO ALL

All Society members and guests, whether pickers or grinners, are welcome to attend any or all of the regular monthly acoustic music jam sessions that are now being held.

Tuesday night Bluegrass & Old Time Music Jams continue from 6:00 pm - 8:30 pm at the City of Henderson’s Lorna J. Kesterson Valley View Recreation Center, 500 Harris Street, near Morrell Park, one block east of Boulder Highway and Basic Road. For details call Society member Betty Bess at 564-1630.

blue diamondseptember Pick-out

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