THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, December 25, 1994 TAG: 9412220164
SECTION: CAROLINA COAST PAGE: 12 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: John Harper
LENGTH: Medium: 77 lines
Jamie Jamison tells a typical tale about becoming a musician. His mother buys him a guitar for his 14th birthday. Growing up in the mid-'60s, Jamison learns the rock 'n' roll of the day: Beatles, Rolling Stones, Ventures, Manfred Mann and tons of other radio hits.
Then Jamison's tale turns strange: He discovers Glen Campbell, and things are not the same.
``He had this big old Ovation guitar,'' says Jamison, 44. ``He made the guitar sound so good.''
Campbell's vocals also influenced Jamison. At the time, Campbell was all over the radio and TV with songs written by Jimmy Webb. Jamison learned the Webb/Campbell hits such as ``By the Time I Get to Phoenix,'' ``Wichita Lineman'' and ``Galveston.'' One of Campbell's biggest hits was John Hartford's ``Gentle on My Mind.''
``Once I learned that song, I realized that my voice was best suited to country,'' he says. ``There are not too many rock 'n' roll bass singers.''
Jamison spent the next couple of years playing the bar circuit in his hometown of Charleston, S.C. In l968, Jamison put aside his music and joined the Marines.
There, Jamison learned photojournalism. After training in Denver, Jamison spent eight years traveling the world as a combat photographer in such places as Cuba, South America and Southeast Asia.
In l976 and fresh out of the Marines, Jamison resumed his musical career in Fort Myers, Fla. His first gig was in a group called Moonshine. The band's regular gig was in a bar called ``Big Still.'' (Is there a theme here?)
The band had a good bass player - so good, in fact, that Jamison married her. The Jamisons worked the Fort Myers area as a duo for a couple of years.
The Jamisons left Florida in l978 and moved to his wife's hometown of Martinsville, Va. His wife left the duo and Jamison worked as a single. For a while, he worked part-time as a photographer.
When the marriage broke up in l986, Jamison moved to the Outer Banks to work for the now-defunct magazine Surfside News. When the magazine folded, Jamison jumped back into his first love - music.
Jamison's first gig out of retirement was at the 16 Milepost Restaurant. He then became part of a band called ``The Country Cadillacs.'' The group was the house band at the Nightflight Lounge in Nags Head for 18 months.
In l991, Jamison landed a regular gig at the Jolly Roger in Kill Devil Hills. Jamison was now singing songs by Willie Nelson, Waylon Jennings and Merle Haggard. On one of his first nights at the Jolly Roger, a funny thing happened. A guy in the audience asked if he could sit in with Jamison. He obliged, and an event was born: Jammin' with Jamie.
Now four years into the jam session, hundreds of musicians have brought drums, guitars, basses, harmonicas, fiddles and assorted instruments to ``jam with Jamie.''
One of Jamison's favorite jammers is fiddle player Lenny Ski.
``There's some kind of magic there,'' Jamison says. ``A fiddle and a guitar just sort of go together.''
Why are the jam sessions popular?
``Everybody gets a chance to play. It's also good for me. You meet musicians, share ideas. I have also been able to form a pool of musicians. Now if someone calls and needs a four-piece band, I have lots of choices.''
Jamison plays mostly traditional country. His hero is Willie Nelson. Nearly a third of his live act is Nelson's music. Why Willie?
``Listen to him. He knows how to tell the truth.''
Jammin' with Jamie is a regular Thursday night gig. It's also year-round.
Jamison encourages musicians to come into the Jolly Roger's Jammin' with Jamie sessions. And don't be nervous.
``It's real informal. I call it my Thursday night living room.''
How does Jolly Roger's management feel about Jammin' with Jamie?
``They told me I could work Thursday night for the rest of my life.'' ILLUSTRATION: Photo
Jamie Jamison
Switched to country.
by CNB