THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, July 9, 1995 TAG: 9507070053
SECTION: CHESAPEAKE CLIPPER PAGE: 08 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY DAWSON A. MILLS JR., STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Medium: 79 lines
If you've driven past the Hickory Ruritan Club on the fourth Saturday of the month and thought you heard a country fiddle, it wasn't your imagination.
The same is true if you've heard the strains of a dobro, a type of guitar played while held flat on the lap, a mandolin, guitar, bass or bass fiddle, or a vocalist belting out lyrics like ``How Those Mountain Girls Can Love.''
Since last September, the Tidewater Bluegrass Music Association has been hosting its monthly ``Bands & Jam Sessions'' in the Ruritan club on Route 168, five miles south of Great Bridge. The jam draws some of the top bluegrass artists in Hampton Roads, as well as ever-increasing crowds.
June's jam was one of the biggest yet, with more than 220 bluegrass devotees turning out to see and hear the Flatland Cloggers, Dixie Coast Band, Muddy Creek, Herman & Eddie Gill & The Grass Masters and T. Maroney and Roger Gray.
At the recent session, things kicked off more or less on schedule, shortly after 7 p.m. Despite swirling ceiling fans above the rows of enthusiastic fans, the evening heated up as nonstop music rolled on.
The cloggers set the pace with a series of sprightly numbers that set dancers and costumes a-twirling, to the delight of the audience.
Muddy Creek spotlighted its two female band members in several vocal numbers, including Laurie Neitzke's spirited rendition of ``No Mother or Dad.''
Herman Gill's band filled the stage - and the hall - with its presence. T. Maroney's guitar playing and Roger Gray's fiddling had the audience hollering for more; they returned to the stage for an encore.
``Are you havin' fun?'' T. Maroney asked the crowd, evoking a roar in response.
As frequently occurs at such jams, musicians milled about in the parking lot, cooling off after performing, waiting to take the stage or just seeking others of like mind with whom to pick and grin and jam. The sounds of bluegrass filled the night air and drifted across Battlefield Boulevard as pick-up bands struck up their tunes. Vocal harmony mingled with instrumentalists in a musical tradition centuries old.
``It's probably the second-highest attendance we've ever had,'' said Mamie Best, secretary for the 150-member Tidewater Bluegrass Music Association.
``I like the social aspect of it,'' she said. ``It's a family atmosphere. You don't have to worry about anything. My husband's group - Tidewater Bluegrass Boys - plays part-time. It keeps him happy, too.''
A snack bar beside the stage did a thriving business dispensing hot dogs and soft drinks. The informal atmosphere blended elements of a concert, picnic and reunion.
Evelyn White, a regular at bluegrass jams throughout Tidewater, sold raffle tickets at the door. Shirley Dowell won half the proceeds from the ticket sales - $55 on this particular evening - and a gift certificate from Bailey Guitars & Repair of Chesapeake. Betty Hall won a T-shirt furnished by Bailey.
Those who stayed until the end, around 11 p.m., were treated to an unscheduled performance by guitarist and vocalist David Ratcliffe, regarded by many as one of the best bluegrass artists performing today. Ratcliffe has played in 38 states and Japan, on national TV and at the White House; he has six albums to his credit.
To the rapt approval of those remaining in the audience, he demonstrated his style and versatility by performing with a pick-up band of veteran bluegrass musicians Garland Abbott, bass; Travis Holloway, mandolin; and Harlan Baumgardner, banjo.
The next jam in Hickory will be Aug. 26. No jam will be held in July because of a bluegrass benefit for SHARE, a program of the Foodbank of Southeastern Virginia, scheduled for July 21-23 at Camp Pendleton in Virginia Beach. But bluegrass fans can hear their favorite music almost every weekend at other jams in Isle of Wight County and on the Peninsula.
For information about the Tidewater Bluegrass Music Association and bluegrass music in Hampton Roads, call Calvin Strickland at 853-1608 or Leon Best at 465-5419. ILLUSTRATION: Photo by DAWSON MILLS
The Flatland Cloggers, with the Dixie Coast Band, perform at the
Tidewater Bluegrass Music Association's jam.
by CNB