ARMUCHEE BLUEGRASS FESTIVAL

 
Saturday May 24, 1997...a special day for 'bluegrassers' in the Southeast. The Armuchee festival has been going strong for many years and in some ways resembles a family reunion more that a festival. Stage performances are important, but a major interest is always the jamming that goes on in the camping areas. This day was overcast and at times had a bit of rain, but for most that little discomfort was a small price to pay to get to socialize and play music with old friends. Come along on a bit of a visual tour of some of the events of the day. Care was taken to get permission (whenever possible) to post these pictures. This is my tribute to many bluegrass friends who have played such an important role for me, lo, these some twenty-odd years.



 

The Armuchee festival is located only a short distance from Rome, GA and a few miles up I-75 from Atlanta.

Your ticket to one of the great "picker's festivals."


The many bands participating in the festival this year. ('Georgia Bound' was inadvertently left off the flyer.)

Heartstrings: Bill Everette - mandolin, Candy Bramlett - guitar, Debbie Farley - bass, Mark Bramlett - banjo, John Farley - guitar

Mandolinist Hughie Wylie

Tut Taylor flatpicking the resophonic guitar and being accompanied by J.N. Baxter.

A great jam session with Tut Taylor, J.N. Baxter, Roger Robinson (banjo), and Hughie Wylie (mandolin).

Georgia Bound: John Farley - guitar, Debbie Farley - bass, Connie Morris - banjo, Murray Freeman - Guitar, Mike Patton - guitar

Lee Taylor is pulled into the jam session to play bass.

"Let's play 'Clinch Mountain Backstep.' You know...Ralph Stanley??"

 
My apologies for the many omissions in this effort, especially to being woefully unprepared photographically speaking, to get strong pictures of the stage shows ('Heartstrings' and 'Georgia Bound' are two of my long time favorite groups and I hope that I am not doing them a disservice...)...Mike Warga and the SEBA table, Carl Queen (of Atteiram) and his table of cds and tapes, J.N. and Onie Baxter and the Bluegrass Five - somehow missed their stage show which is always great, James Watson - legendary clawhammer banjo player who arrived late in the evening and I was unable to get pictures, Merrill and Pinyan family jam sessions - always a pleasure to attend...and the list goes on. However, I will do my best to correct those omissions as I build my 'archives' of Georgia festivals.


I did hear some great new stories...two from completely irrefutable sources(?) - Gene Daniell and Hughie Wylie (Hughie, I can now spell both of your names about a dozen ways...shows either I am very creative, or very slow - take your pick!) One dealt with singing the 'Prisoner's Song' to a group of inmates and the other dealt with putting rocks in the late 'Doodle' Thrower's shoes...But, those are best related by those folks and I am sure they will be glad to recount if you but ask...

Late this evening as I made my way down I-75 back to Marietta the lightning danced in the sky and rain began to pour down in sheets. The thunder rolled and somehow this seemed to be an appropriate ending to a day made more special by the many friends and the music. I hope you enjoyed the short tour and please keep in mind the next festival at Armuchee will be held Labor Day weekend. Hope to see you there.

 

 

 
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Thanks for visiting.
Bill Brown, Ed.D