Murphy Henry

[Editor's note: Last night when I posted this I missed the last three paragraphs that Murphy wrote. Sorry!! It's all here now!]

Just wanted to let you know that while I was away last week teaching at Augusta Heritage, the Misfits put together their own Wednesday night jam session. Here is a report from Mark:

We had a great jam session tonight. We played for over two hours, and had quite a group: Bob Van on bass; Josh Phelps, Bob Mc, and me on banjo; Logan on banjo and guitar; Ellen and our friend Ric Leobold on guitar; and Gaven Largent on dobro, banjo and guitar (direct from the Grand Ole Opry, where he played last week with Rhonda Vincent and her band, again!). A lot of noise in our kitchen, but an absolute hoot. It was great meeting and playing with Josh, and hopefully we'll be able to coax him back for more.

We did all the "regular" selections, plus Lonesome Road Blues as a singin' song (and as an instrumental), Circle, Little Cabin Home on the Hill, and we ended with Amazing Grace. We tried to talk Logan into singing Wagon Wheel with Ellen, but he was being shy and wouldn't do it, and no one else fessed up to knowing the words. I think everyone enjoyed doing Amazing Grace, which Bob V sang beautifully -- maybe we can add that to the Misfits’ jam sometimes? And Logan, Josh and Gaven showed off on Earl's Breakdown, really fast, while Bob Mc and I tried to keep up with vamping.

This is EXACTLY what I wanted to be able to do when I started banjo -- thanks for suggesting that we get together despite the absence of our Bluegrass Master.

PS from Josh to Mark after the jam: “After hearing those young guys pick, I hooked my banjo to my trailer hitch on the way home and burned whatever was left."

Note #1: Gaven is a young teen from around Winchester who has caught the eye of Rhonda Vincent. I saw him do a guest spot with her at last year’s Apple Blossom Bluegrass Festival. He is truly amazing.

Note #2: I started Josh on banjo about 15 years ago when he was a teenager. He stopped taking lessons when he went off to college, but he didn’t stop playing banjo. I’m happy to report that he’s recently returned for lessons. I was also surprised to find that he is now president of the Winchester Kiwanis Club. Red and I are playing a party for them this month and Josh will be sitting in for a tune or two!

Moral of this story: There are people out there to pick with! It’s just that somebody has to take the bull by the horns and do the organizing and the coordinating and the calling and the emailing. Oh yes, and the leading of the jam session. Somebody has to make it happen! What are you waiting for?