Next meeting will be May 20th At the Devonshire Senior Center

2802 E. Devonshire, Phoenix AZ from 12:00 - 3:30 S

Open jam from 12:00 to 1:00

At 1:00 our Featured Performers will be

Good ‘n’ Plenty Glenn Torrico & Gayle Borter

These two will delight listeners with their music, their stage presence and their amazing talent. Gayle’s daddy was a jazz drummer, so her unique style of using brushes on a hat box to get an acoustic sound comes honestly. She is a dancer and a singer and she is a joy to watch on stage. Glenn Torrico is simply the best acoustic guitar player I’ve met. He has a feel for the music that makes his stylings speak to you as he plays. Together they make magic, and play all genres of music, from jazz standards to country. Glenn dabbles in songwriting too. This duo is one not to miss, because you usually have to pay to hear them. Come down and be delighted by their show put on for us at the May meeting. Bring your friends!

Open Stage to follow from 1:30 to 3:30

AZ Pickers & Grinners Newsletter

Since 1972, The Longest On-Going Folk/Country Music Organization in Arizona May 2017 Vol 44 Issue 41

Hello Everyone!

We had our April meeting on the Saturday of Easter weekend and it was so great to hear Bob Gibney. His set was full of old favorites and originals, played in his in-imitable style. A great time was had by all! The jam was quite lively, and we were glad to have Charlie and Yvette there, two of the Cimarron Sidekicks (Paul and Lefty), who had never come before, Jim Marchbanks and Jackie Thomas. I hope they will all come back and join us again, it was so much fun. We welcomed our new secretary/treasurer, Priscilla McKown. Derrick sat her husband, Howard, at the controls for the sound system so he can learn to do sound. Priscilla even made the lemonade this time! We sure miss Bob and Nancy Kimm, and send them our gratitude for years of service to the Pickers and Grinners and prayers that they get better soon. Next month we will have one of my favorite groups playing our performer spot - Good ‘n’ Plenty are Glenn Torrico and Gayle Borter. Come down and hear them, and bring your friends and join the jam! This issue of the newsletter has another great article by the Liebermans, and an interesting look at “The Crooked Road,” Virginia’s heritage music trail that runs from the Blue Ridge into Appalachia. Remember the article about Wayne Henderson? He lives in that area. The Carter Family came from there— a long list of greats. Happy Trails! See you at the May meeting! Andy

shape the definition of the Great American Songbook. Alec Wilder's American Popular Song: The Great Innovators, 1900–1950, lists and ranks the artists he believes belong to the Great American Songbook canon. Wilder suggests that the Great American Songbook era ended in 1950; others maintain that its end coincided with the dramatic increase in the popularity of rock & roll music in the late 1950s and early 1960s. Over the past several decades, the music of the Great Ameri-can Songbook has enjoyed a renaissance as a wide variety of singers have taken up these songs and breathed new life into them. Ringo Starr’s 1970 album “Sentimental Journey”, Willie Nelson’s “Stardust” in 1978, Linda Ronstadt’s “What’s New” in 1983 and Natalie Cole’s 1991 “Unforgettable… With Love” have introduced the beautiful melodies and thoughtful lyrics to new generations. Singers including Harry Connick, Jr., Michael Bublé and Diana Krall have been noted as prominent interpreters of the Songbook throughout their careers. Michael Feinstein in particu-lar has been a dedicated proponent of the music of the Great American Songbook since he began working as Ira Gershwin’s archivist the late 1970s. The music of the Great American Songbook continues to find new audiences; over the past twenty years, a diverse array of art-ists have released popular albums of Songbook standards. The highly celebrated crooner Tony Bennett recently partnered with Lady Gaga for “Cheek To Cheek” and earned a Grammy Award for Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album. While the historical era in which the Great American Song-book was born has definitely ended, there are still songs being written today which demonstrate the quintessential characteristics of “America’s classical music” and are therefore considered part of the Songbook canon.

What is the Great American Songbook ? (from thecenterfortheperformingarts.org)

The “Great American Songbook” is the canon of the most impor-tant and influential American popular songs and jazz standards from the early 20th century. It includes the most popular and en-during songs from the 1920s to the 1950s that were created for Broadway theatre, musical theatre, and Hollywood musical film. The music of this genre is also often referred to as “American standards”. The times in which much of this music was written were tu-multuous ones for a rapidly growing and changing America. The music of the Great American Songbook offered hope of better days during the Great Depression, built morale during two world wars, helped build social bridges within our culture, and whistled beside us during unprecedented economic growth. We defended our country, raised families, and built a nation while singing these songs. There are a number of recognizable singers who are noted as prominent contributors to the Songbook genre. Ella Fitzgerald, Fred Astaire, Rosemary Clooney, Nat King Cole, Sammy Davis Jr., Judy Garland, Billy Holiday, Lena Horne, Al Jolson, Dean Martin, Frank Sinatra, Mel Tormé, Margaret Whiting, and Andy Williams are widely recognized for their performances and re-cordings which defined the genre. This is by no means an exhaus-tive list; there are countless others who are widely recognized for their performances of music from the Great American Songbook. The Great American Songbook genre has emerged within the last hundred years, so there is not yet widespread consensus on exactly what falls under its heading. Several scholars have com-pleted significant research into the genre, and have helped to

From the Editor

ACOUSTIC MUSIC IN ARIZONA—Part 53 by Myron and Rachel Lieberman ARIZONA MUSIC SUFFERS TWO UNEXPECTED LOSSES

LOREN RUSSELL was a very active member of the National Storytelling Network, the Arizona Flute Circle and the Westside

Storytellers, often appearing in concert with Eric Laubach. He has performed at the Casa Grande Ruins National Monument and various Arizona venues for many years and at International sto-rytelling festivals outside of Arizona. Memorial Fundraiser – As his death was unex-pected, a memorial concert, which will serve as a fundraiser for his family to help with the ex-

penses, is planned for April 22 at 2 PM at the North Mountain Visitor Center, where he has often performed. A native of the Akimel O'Odham (Pima) Gila River Indian Community, he was well connected with the history, tradition and culture of many other Native American communities as well as many of the people who shared his advocacy. In memory of Loren Russell we dedicate this mention of two earlier Gila River Pimas who are known for successfully pursuing similar goals in the past. One used words, the other used music. Loren Russell used both and will be missed.

ANNA MOORE SHAW (aka Chehia) was Loren Russell's Grandmother. She noted in her autobiography A Pima Past “Education in the white man’s world is en-riching and essential to economic success, but it need not mean the giving up of our proud Pima heritage.” She was inducted into the Arizona Women's Hall of Fame (AWHOF) in 1981. The AWHOF noted in its induction biog-raphy at https://www.azwhf.org/inductions/inducted-women/anna-moore-shaw-1898-1976/ that Anna Moore Shaw told her chil-dren many legends and stories that she learned from tribal elders, however she started writing them down so that “They wouldn't be lost in the modern world.” Her first book, Pima Indian Legends, was published in 1968 and she became the editor of Pima Letters, the tribal newspaper. Her autobiography was published in 1974. She became an ordained elder in the Presbyterian Church and aided in fundraising for the Cook Christian Training School in Tempe. Encyclopedia.com notes “Her work lacks the bitterness of many Native American autobiographies, focusing more on the possibilities for intercultural understanding and less on the trau-mas often experienced by those attempting to reach this goal in a prejudiced society.”

RUSSELL “BIG CHIEF” MOORE (Editor’s note: Loren Rus-sell’s Uncle) (Update - See Part 2) was known mostly for his

trombone playing in big bands (notably with Louis Armstrong and Lionel Hampton) and for leading his own big bands. The Arizona Experi-ence site at http://arizonaexperience.org/people/big-chief-russell-moore notes that he was born in the Gila River Indian Community and moved to Chicago where he studied classical music, learned to play many instruments, and developed

a passion for Dixieland Jazz. They quote him as saying “Almost all Indians have a natural musical talent. Every Indian schoolboy and schoolgirl should think about the study of music. It is a way-of-life and a useful and productive one. Music is a source of

and a means of understanding one’s self and a means of understanding one’s fellow man.” A 02/12/2012 article in The Arizona Republic noted “Moore’ s initial run paired a Na-tive American with an African-American bandleader in a group that also included Whites. This was two decades before the Civil Rights Act of 1964 was passed.”

*********

PATRICIA MYERS did for Arizona music, especially jazz, what the late Maxine Jewett and other pioneers did for Arizona's acoustic music community. A journalist, music promoter, and co-founder of Jazz in AZ, Patricia Myers was a major supporter of AMEHOF, the Kerr Cultural Center and most music venues (Please note: AMEHOF inducted Ray Odom, The Riverside Ball-room and Bill Heywood on March 24). Her website at www.musicsceneaz.com is a worthwhile resource which includes a calendar of events and list of venues that includes many music genres. Patricia Myers' half century of dedication to music in AZ is best described by Ed Masley's detailed Arizona Republic obitu-ary at http://www.azcentral.com/story/entertainment/music/2017/02/07/patricia-myers-obituary-phoenix-jazz-scene/97602430/. Per that article she had a key role in saving the Kerr Cultural Center (See Part 5) by advocating preservation of the Kerr as a historic landmark. A celebration of life for Patricia Myers, which will include a concert by the top names in Arizona jazz, will be held on April 1 at the Kerr Cultural Center.

A CHICAGO CONNECTION FOR ARIZONA JAZZ - While Russell Moore left Arizona to start his musical career in Chicago and many Chicago musicians moved to Arizona, others have found they could maintain the cultures and lifestyles of both by leaving cold Chicago for “cool” Arizona in the winter and return in the summer each year. The promotion, success and rapid growth of spring training baseball games as a major attraction in Arizona has increased this trend. We have already mentioned (See Part 28) vocalists Lou Rawls (who moved to AZ) and Wayne Messmer (who is in AZ in the winter during Spring Train-ing for the Chicago Cubs), but there are many more that have become successful internationally and continue to be “home town stars” in both Chicago and AZ.

Judy Roberts – Named “Chicago's Favorite Jazz Woman” by The Chicago Tribune, Judy Roberts moved to Scottsdale in 2007. She had been spending winters in the Phoenix area and appearing at major music venues in AZ since the 70s prior to that. Howard Reich's article in the 05/21/15 Chicago Tribune quotes Judy Rob-erts as saying “People look at Arizona like it's this funky Western thing, which it's not. People here have a great taste in music...and when I get home (to Chicago) I get to play with my original guys.” The Los Angeles Times noted that “...at the piano she smiles and her joy is obvious. The smile isn't forced and it isn't faked. Roberts isn't faking it. She is simply a woman in love with her work.” She is also in love with and married to author, teacher and saxophonist Greg Fishman, so he is now also an Arizonan. Judy Roberts often appears with popular Arizona vocalist Renee Grant Patrick at local venues, sometimes with Greg Fishman. Greg Fishman is primarily known as a saxophonist, but he is also an acclaimed author of music books who plays clarinet, saxophone, flute and other instruments in concert. He teaches music theory and practice at his own Greg Fishman Jazz Studios and gives online lessons through Skype. Greg Fishman wrote the

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Acoustic Music in Arizona continued from page 2

liner notes for a re-release of Stan Getz' The Steamer and is con-sidered to be one of the foremost authorities on the music of Stan Getz. He has toured and performed internationally (including Bangkok, China, Hong Kong, Israel, Japan, Netherlands, Singa-pore and others) with many iconic artists such as Conte Candoli, Jackie Cain and Roy Kral, and Woody Herman as well as with his wife Judy Roberts (See above).

We 3 - George “Pepe” Grant and Renee Grant Patrick - George “Pepe” Grant moved to Arizona in 1984 to be near his family. He is best known as the lead tenor with The Ink Spots in the 80s and 90s and the leader of some of their successor groups including The Castelles, an inductee of the United In Group Harmony Association Hall of Fame. Pepe Grant lived in Queen Creek and is buried nearby. His daughter Renee Patrick is an excellent vocalist who has been an Arizonan for 31 years. Per Patricia Myers in music-sceneaz.com, after Pepe Grant died last year Judy Roberts was among the performers at a post-service gather-ing held at Renee Patrick's Queen Creek home. Myers noted that “Grant toured for decades, charming audiences with his captivat-ing sound, gentlemanly style and mellow demeanor. He contin-ued performing into his late 70s despite medical issues, gaining more fans and pleasing new generations. In recent months, when he sat in at performances by his daughter, vocal stylist Renee Patrick, he enthralled audiences...” Renee Patrick continues to keep Ink Spots music alive in her concerts. She, pianist Nicole Pesce and violinist Suzanne Lansford recently formed a new group named We 3 and released an Ink Spots Tribute CD last month. More details can be found at www.we3music.com.

Nicole Pesce is a well respected Arizona songwriter and pianist. Her concerts can include many genres and she is equally at ease with an electronic keyboard or a Grand Piano. Often she uses humor and special enhancements to augment her performance. Her background is both interesting and exceptional. We have seen her use her keyboard as a bass as well as perform high speed classical and jazz standards. Some may remember Victor Borge's Happy Birthday routine from 1960. Nicole Pesce has recorded an updated version which went viral on You Tube at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S75gYhODS0M. She is well con-nected with and well liked by the Chicago jazz community and has performed regularly for decades at top Phoenix area resorts and major venues. Specifics can be found at www.nicolepesce.com. Suzanne Lansford is an accomplished classical and jazz violinist who won the Yee Haw Junction Bluegrass Fiddle Championship in Florida. She was a member of the 3rd Coast String Quartet in Chicago. She has been in the Phoenix area since 2011 where she plays a variety of genres. Wayne Messmer (See Part 28) – Update - Wayne Messmer was one month old in 1945 (the last time that the Chicago Cubs were in the World Series) so singing at game 5 in the 2016 World Se-ries was very special to him as is his current involvement with the 2017 Cubs Spring Training in Mesa. He compares the Cubs re-surgence to his miraculous recovery from being shot in the throat. While his dedication to musicians everywhere can be found in part 28 (March, 2015) it remains a fitting close to this article. “For every singer who has ever worked their butt off to get a break by working in joints where your feet stick to the floor, or you get stiffed when it's time to get paid, or where the crowd views you as an inconvenient background noise interrupting with their conversation..., I salute you, my troubadour col-leagues...This night's for you. Never stop believing in your music.”

George Grant

Look who’s at the MIM! The Musical Instrument Museum 4725 E. Mayo Blvd, Phoenix 85050 Marcia Ball Wednesday May 10th at 7:00 pm The Texas-born, Louisiana-raised pianist-vocalist-songwriter is famed worldwide for igniting a full-scale roadhouse rhythm-and-blues party every time she strolls on stage. Ball’s groove-laden New Orleans boogie and rollicking Gulf Coast blues have made her a one-of-a-kind favorite with music fans all over the world. On her newest album, the GRAMMY-nominated Roadside Attractions (her fifteenth solo recording), Ball’s songwriting is at the forefront, with topics ranging from tales of wild parties to declarations of the enduring power of love and family.

“A sensational, saucy singer and superb pianist . . . where Texas stomp-rock and Louisiana blues-swamp meet”—USA Today

“Rollicking, playful, good time blues and intimate, reflective balladry . . . her songs ring with emotional depth.” —Rolling Stone

“An irresistible, celebratory blend of rollicking, two-fisted New Orleans piano, Louisiana Swamp rock and smoldering Texas blues from a compelling storyteller” —Boston Globe

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Chris Hillman & Herb Pedersen At the MIM Friday, June 2 7:30 p.m. Tickets: $38.50–$43.50

A pioneer of the “country rock” genre, Chris Hillman has carved a permanent niche in the history of contemporary American mu-sic through his work with such notable bands as the Byrds, the Flying Burrito Brothers, Manassas, and the Desert Rose Band. A member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Hillman was an Americana Music Association Lifetime Achievement Award winner, a four-time GRAMMY nominee, and recipient of numer-ous awards from the Country Music Association and the Acad-emy of Country Music.

Herb Pedersen is a legendary vocalist and all-star multi-instrumentalist who, for over the past forty years, fronted his own band, the Laurel Canyon Ramblers. Pederson was also the num-ber-one session singer and instrumentalist in the Los Angeles area for decades and has been a collaborator with the who’s who of music legends, including Emmylou Harris, Earl Scruggs, the Dillards, Dan Fogelberg, Stephen Stills, Linda Ronstadt, Kris Kristofferson, John Prine, Jackson Browne, John Denver, and the Desert Rose Band. In recent years, Hillman and Pedersen have recorded and toured in support of several acclaimed albums of Americana, bluegrass, acoustic, and country selections, as well as the occa-sional performances with their musical mistress, the Desert Rose Band. “Watching these two living legends perform was akin to seeing history being made.”—AXS

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Marcia Ball

Chris Hillman & Herb Pedersen

Music Notes From the Arizona Backroads by Andy Hurlbut

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At the coffee house last Wednesday night a friend told me he had attended an acoustic guitar camp in Alaska the last two summers. It’s called Acoustic Alaska, and when I got home I looked it up. I was amazed to see that it looked like even more fun that he described. Staying in cabins, or camping, and attending classes led by world-class musicians. My friend said some people don’t do any classes at all, but just jam and play the whole time. Sometimes when you think about doing things like that, so many “reasons” pop up for why you can’t do them, but Lon has just told me about an author he is reading who says “why not go to Paris?” Just get a ticket and go. It’s not that hard really, you just do it. We put our dreams on hold, or on some list, and somehow the list becomes the goal instead of the actual doing. I’m glad I took so many trips and did so many things when I did. I wouldn’t be able to do as much now, and it makes me happy to remember all the fun and the experiences we had. I think I could be happy now on a much mellower vacation. One where there were lawn chairs involved, good views of something—trees or an ocean—and lots of coffee drinking. Don’t get me wrong, I treasure the wild stories of us traipsing around Europe with a goal of drinking a café in every city we visited. Buying tea towels as souvenirs because they are flat and many, many towels could fit in the suitcase. In Paris, my sister and I went to a flea market her husband had found in his travel books, and I bought Battenberg lace tablecloth and napkins for the same reason. And my memories are jogged by the photo of us standing outside the Dom Perignon champagne house in our brightly colored ponchos because it was raining, and we didn’t even care. We stood on the very spot at the palace of Versailles where Benjamin Franklin went to solicit funds from the king to help the fledgling America fund its Revolutionary War. We vis-ited the place where Marie Antoinette went to get away from palace life—her playhouse. On our European cruise we visited a marketplace in Turkey and it was just like a scene from Aladdin, with narrow stalls jammed with colorful silks, slippers, beautiful dishes, their amazing carpets, and the list goes on. I treasure the lovely scenes of America that Lon and I saw when we drove over 7200 miles one summer. We crossed the entire country to get to my sister’s place in Vermont, and drove back across the southern route. We visited friends and family along the way and reveled in the history and beauty of places we’d never seen. It will al-ways fill me up with the wonder of what our country really is—a vast and beautiful place filled with kind and gentle people who live their lives in places as different from Arizona as could ever be. April was a month of winding down after all the crazy activity during March, and we were grateful for some peaceful times. At the follow-up meeting for the festival it was decided that next year's festival would be held at the end of February in hopes that we will get some better weather. It was so very hot this year and there was nothing for it. Even though the orange blossoms smelled as good as ever and the roses were in bloom and the pea-cocks were in full form, the heat was oppressive and we were

afraid that some of our most fragile musi-cians would be affected. Everyone seemed to be ok, although we know that the Queen of the Blues left after one jam because of the heat. We had fun at the information table with a gift from one of the musicians—a water bottle with a battery operated fan on the top. The guys came by to have their hats sprayed and we kept spraying each other. In the end I resorted to dumping water on my shirt so I would be cooler. Anyway, save the 24th and 25th of February in 2018 for the next festival and look for it to be on the

first weekend in March going forward in the years after that. Herb Graham had his jam this month, and that was such fun. There are always lots of different kinds of music, and there were a couple of circles going during the afternoon. The weather was perfect and we enjoyed being out on the patio. They had a big coffee urn set up out there and a potluck laid out in the dining room. The Resident cat came around to rub against the legs of the jammers and then moved on. I love happenings where there are kids running around and it was fun to see them running wild out in all that open space. Tom and I decided to host a songwriting circle in April, and it’s scheduled for the 29th. The challenge is issued to write a song with the title “Desert Rose” and we will gather at the North Mountain Visitor Center to play them for each other on that day. I can’t wait to see how the songs turn out. Some friends from here and from across the country are going on a cruise from Florida to northern Europe next week, and we wish them all Bon Voyage on a new adventure. I hope you have wonderful adventures planned for this summer. Look for the magic my friends, it’s out there . . .

Chevy truck in a garage on a Jerome hillside

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Within an hour of Anchorage, Acoustic Alaska Guitar Camp's facility is

Alaska- quiet but not too re-mote with the nearest town of

Wasilla, Alaska ten minutes away. Moose frequent the area (as well as the occasional bear) and there are many species of ducks and loons nesting in and living around the lake. Our facilities include a large modern kitchen, dining hall, large meeting rooms, cabins, a central modern bath house, and a private lake with canoes and paddleboats. Also available is a campfire area, volleyball and basketball areas. There are count-less miles of trails for hiking and mountain-biking. It really is a beautiful, picturesque area nestled under some of the most beautiful mountains in the state of Alaska. For those preferring indoor accommodations, shared cabins (heated) are available for an additional $99 for the entire camp while supplies last. Please indicate on the enrollment form if you would prefer to stay in a cabin rather than "camp." A central, heated shower house is available to all attendees. Check-in will take place late Sunday afternoon & evening, August 27th, and camp will break the following Saturday morn-ing with all campers required to vacate the premises by 11 a.m. on Saturday, September 2nd.

Visit acousticalaska.com for details

Virginia’s Blue Ridge Mountains are known for their speed demons. The moonshiners of old tore over country roads in 1940 Ford coupes, executing 180-degree “bootleg turns” and using bright lights to blind the revenue officers shooting at their tires. Legend has it that many of Nascar’s original driv-ers cut their teeth here, and modern stock car de-sign is almost certainly indebted to the “liquor cars” dreamed up in local garages, modified for

speed and for hauling brimful loads of “that good old mountain dew,” as the country song goes. Even now, it is tempting to barrel down Shooting Creek Road, near Floyd, Virginia, the most treacherous racing stretch of all, where the remains of old stills decay beside a rushing stream. But instead I proceed at a snail’s pace, windows down, listening to the burble of the creek, the gossip of cicadas in the dense summer woods, and the slosh of a Mason jar full of bona fide moonshine in the back seat—a gift from one of the new friends I met along the road. Slow is almost always better in this part of the world, I was learning. A traveler should be sure to leave time to savor another ready-to-levitate biscuit or a melting sunset or a stranger’s drawl-ing tale—and especially, to linger at the mountain banjo-and-fiddle jams that the region is known for. This music cannot be heard with half an ear—it has 400 years of history behind it, and listening to it properly takes time. The Crooked Road, Virginia’s heritage music trail, winds for some 300 miles through the southwest corner of the state, from the Blue Ridge into deeper Appalachia, home to some of the rawest and most arresting sounds around. Most of the trail runs along U.S. 58, a straightforward multilane highway in some spots and a harrowing slalom course in others. But the Crooked Road—a state designation originally conceived in 2003—is shaped by several much older routes. Woodland buffalo and the Indians who hunted them wore the first paths in this part of the world. Then, in the 1700s, settlers came in search of new homes in the South, follow-ing the Great Wagon Road from Germantown, Pennsylvania, to Augusta, Georgia. Other pioneers headed west on the Wilderness Road that Daniel Boone hacked through the mountains of Ken-tucky. Some rode on wagons, but many walked—one woman told me the story of her great-grandfather, who as a child hiked with his parents into western Virginia with the family pewter tied in a sack around his waist and his chair on his back. And, of course, some fled into the mountains, long a refuge for escaped slaves. The diversity of settlers funneled into the region gave rise to its unique musical style. Today the “old-time” Virginia music—the forerunner of American country—is still performed not just at legendary venues such as the Carter Family Fold near Hiltons, Virginia, but at Dairy Queens, community centers, coon hunting clubs, barber shops, local rescue squads and VFW halls. A fiddle tune may be played three different ways in one county; the sound is markedly modified as you travel deeper into the mountains to-ward the coalfields. Some of the oldest, loveliest songs are known as “crooked tunes,” for their irregular measures; they lead the lis-tener in unexpected directions, and give the music trail its name. Except for a few sites, including a park near the town of Rocky

Mount, where a surviving fragment of the Great Wagon Road wan-ders off into shadow, the older pathways have virtually disappeared. But the music’s journey continues, slowly. Cheick Hamala Diabate smiled angelically at the small, bewil-dered crowd gathered in a breezeway at the Blue Ridge Music Cen-ter near Galax, Virginia. They had come expecting to hear Mid-Day Mountain Music with local guitar players, but here instead was a beaming African musician in pointy-toed boots and dark sun-glasses, cradling an alien string instrument called a ngoni. Small and oblong, it is made of goatskin stretched over hollowed wood. “Old in form but very sophisticated,” whispered folklorist Joe Wil-son, a co-founder of the center, a partnership between the National Park Service and the National Council for the Traditional Arts. “Looks like it wouldn’t have much music in it, but the music’s in his hands.” Wilson is one of the Crooked Road’s creators and the author of the indispensable Guide to the Crooked Road. He had invited Dia-bate for a recording session, not only because the musician is a vir-tuoso performer nominated for a Grammy, but because the ngoni is an ancient ancestor of the banjo, often described as the most Ameri-can of instruments. The ngoni’s shortened drone string, tied off with a piece of rawhide, is the giveaway—it’s a predecessor of the modern banjo’s signature abbreviated fifth string. “This is a tune to bless people—very, very important,” Diabate told the audience as he strummed the ngoni. Later he would per-form a tune on the banjo, an instrument he’d never heard of before immigrating to this country from Mali 15 years ago but has since embraced like a long-lost relative. Captured Africans were being shipped to coastal Virginia as early as 1619; by 1710, slaves constituted one-quarter of the col-ony’s population. They brought sophisticated musical and instru-ment-building skills across the Atlantic and, in some cases, actual instruments—one banjo-like device from a slave ship still survives in a Dutch museum. Slaves performed for themselves (a late 1700s American folk painting, The Old Plantation, depicts a black musi-cian plucking a gourd banjo) and also at dances for whites, where, it was quickly discovered, “the banjar”—as Thomas Jefferson called his slaves’ version—was much more fun to groove to than the tabor or the harp. Constantly altered in shape and construction, banjos were frequently paired with a European import, the fiddle, and the unlikely duo became country music’s bedrock.

A Musical Tour Along the Crooked Road Grab a partner. Bluegrass and country tunes that tell America’s story are all the rage in hilly southern Virginia by Abigail Tucker for Smithsonian Magazine

Impromptu jam sessions, including a gathering at Floyd, Virginia's Country Store, attract musicians and dancers raised on the raw and keening power of mountain music. (Susana Raab)

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Highlights of the April Meeting

Above jammers left to right, Jackie Thomas, Lefty, Paul, Lon, Mark, and Ted

Jammers (l to r), Ted Allison, Carolyn, Sunshine Patsy and Jim Marchbanks

Charlie & Yvette Kris Schmidt

Talking turkey at the reception table—Lavona, Priscilla, Virgil and Howard

Lavona (on the phone), and our new secretary, Priscilla!

Bob G. and Marlene Cole

Bob

Featured performer Bob Gibney playing his soft and beautiful guitar licks. His banjo has a voice just as soft and lovely!

Charlie & Yvette Klenner

Lon Austin

Jackie Thomas

Mark Scherr

Ted Allison

Carolyn, Master of Ceremonies

Lefty (Bob) & Paul

Kris, Jim & Sunshine Patsy

Jammers

Rachel Lieberman

Events Page!

BEADED LIZARD GATHERING

At the Beatitudes Campus. 1610 W. Glendale Jam starts at 5:45 PM - Sets start at 7:15 PM

Call Barbara at 602-307-0067 or e-mail her at e-mail oldtimemusic@cox.net for information or to schedule

May 3rd String Theory—Trio performs Americana Dave—vocals, guitar, harmonica; Laird-banjo, resona tor; Susan-vocals, bass, guitar

May 10th Richard Bogan—Chuck Berry banjo tribute Doug Barnett—Originals and folk

May 17th Rick Christian-Longtime friend of the Beaded Lizard Gathering is from England—Originals & Folk Big Myrtle— Glenn Torrico, Gayle Borter, Dave Baumann, Barbara Herber blend the music of Good ‘n’ Plenty with Half Way Home

May 24th Folka Polka—Polka with a folk twist! May 31st TBA

Glendale Main Library 5959 W. Brown St. Glendale, AZ Free admission

Glendale Coffeehouse Live acoustic music by local musicians

Thursday, May 11th at 6:30 to 7:30 pm—Library Auditorium Rick Christian (from England, folk) and Mike Greenleaf (Originals)

Songs In Progress Workshop Saturday May 20th at 1:00 pm (large meeting room) Arizona Songwrit-ers Association’s Jon Iger & Randy Brown give constructive feedback

on your song, FREE Perform it live or bring a CD or work tape.

Live at the Library May 25th 6:00 to 7:30 in the Auditorium

Scottish Heritage through music and costume Glendale Pipes and Drums demonstrate Scottish Bagpipe music

Acoustic Jam Session Wednesday, May 31st 6:00 to 8:00 pm (large Meeting Room)

Audience welcome, Bring your acoustic instruments and play round robin style.

For more information, please call 623.930.3573

Ongoing Jams & Clubs Tuesdays 1st & 3rd Tuesdays – Jam session at the Peoria Library. Hosted by Bill Francis and Bob Delaney - Music 6:00 till 8:00 pm. Last Tuesday & 2nd Saturday - Paul’s Jamboree 6:30 - 9:00 at First Christian Church (Sun City) 14001 Thunderbird Blvd. Sing-along, comic fun, parody, local bands perform 8:00 to 9:00 Dancing encouraged. Contact Paul Wilson for info: 623.939.2406 Wednesdays Pyle Adult Center (655 E. Southern Ave), Tempe 12:00—2:30 pm contact Dave Bernstein @ Dnberstein@gmail.com for info Last Wednesday Acoustic Jam. Glendale Library 5959 W. Brown. Call 623.930.3573 for info Thursdays 1st Thursdays Bring your voice and/or acoustic instrument for a Round robin style jam/open mic. 6:00 pm at the Velma Teague Branch Library (7010 N. 58th Ave, Glendale) 2nd and Last Thursday Jam Session - Youngtown Country, Gos pel and Humor Club meet at the Clubhouse (12030 Clubhouse Square) 6:30 to 9:00. Call Bob Burns for info: 623.245.0548 3rd Thursday Bluegrass Jam - Acoustic jam, not open mic. 6:30 to 8:30, all levels of players invited. Faith Presbyterian Church, 16000 N. Del Webb Blvd., Sun City. Info contact John Harris 602.448.4341 or Karen Harris 602.448.0409 Fridays Scottsdale Strummers Ukulele Group meet from 10:00 am to noon on odd numbered weeks at the Scottsdale Senior Center (1700 N. Granite Reef - just east of the 101 and north of McDowell) Call Pat for more info: 480.720.9190 Pyle Adult Center (655 E. Southern Ave.), Tempe 9:30—11:45 am contact Dave Bernstein @ Dnbernstein@gmail.com for info 3rd Friday (Sept - May) Gilbert Jam, 7 pm First Methodist Church, 331 S. Cooper Rd. Room 142, Gilbert. (Park in east park ing lot behind church). All instruments ok, mainly acoustic. All levels & types of songs ok. Contact Marty: Music@gilbertumc.org 2nd Fridays - Knights of Columbus Jam 8066 N. 49th Ave., Glendale. Fish fry begins at 5:00 or order off the menu. Acoustic Instruments. Contact Dave:davelawrence5555@gmail.com Desert Rose Steakhouse Open Mic 4:30—8:00 pm weekly 6729 N. 57th Dr., Glendale Contact Gene Burkhart (geneburkhart@gmail.com 817.223.8526) or Jackie Allen-Thomas (jjallen3@cox.net 623.815.2308) Saturdays 2nd Saturday - Arizona Autoharp Club meets Barbara’s Place 9003 W. Lillian Ln, Tolleson from 1:00 to 5:00 pm Call June for info 602.740.8113 2nd Saturday - Paul Wilson’s Jamboree in church located at 4001 N. Thunderbird in Sun City 6:30 pm Contact Paul Wilson 623.939.2406 *3rd Saturdays - Arizona Pickers & Grinners Society At the Devonshire Senior Center (2802 E. Devonshire, Phoenix). Jam at noon, performer at 1:00 pm, round robin open mic from 1:30 to 3:30. Call Andy for info. 602.437.0811 4th Saturday - Phoenix Mountain Dulcimer Group and Jam 9:00 am at Metro Center Mall, 9617 N. Metro Parkway W. Phoe nix in the community room (next to Food Court). Beginner to advance, all instruments welcome - year round. Contact Mike McClure 602.739.4577 mcclurem@earthlink.net 4th Saturday—Acoustic Jam at Glendale’s Velma Teague Branch Library 3:00 to 4:45 pm. VTL meeting room. Round Robin. Stephanie 623.930.3440 7010 N. 58th Ave. Glendale Every Saturday - Milano’s Music Store 2:00 pm 38 W. Main St., Mesa - open jam in the middle of the store. Bluegrass and Ameri can roots music. Contact Linton Milano 480.833.2323 Sundays 2nd Sunday - Desert Dulcimers Jam, 2 - 4 pm at the Pointe Tapatio Club House - 10655 N. 9th St., Phoenix 85020 2nd Sunday (Sept thru May) Black Canyon City Acoustic Jam at Albins Community Center In Black Canyon City (Across from the Post Office. Turn left at the 4Bs and enter through the back door). For info call Wilma Allen 623.302.3791

Glendale Foothills Library 19055 N. 57th Ave., Glendale

Coffeehouse Wednesday, May 3rd 6:30 to 8:00 pm Live acoustic music by local musicians

Ken Harold (Folk & Rock Covers) Mike Krzyston (Fingerstyle guitar)

Bluegrass Jam, Country, Folk, Gospel & More 1st and 3rd Fridays - May 5th & May 19th

1:00—3:00 pm, Roadrunner Room Bring your acoustic instrument and join a round robin style jam. All

levels of players welcome, audience and singers encouraged to attend.

Acoustic Jam, Second Tuesday of the month - May 9th 6:00 to 8:00 pm, Roadrunner Room

Bring your acoustic instrument and play round-robin style. Audience welcome!

Flutasia: A Musical Quartet May 20th 3:00 to 4:00

Roadrunner Room Classical and contemporary music by a flute quartet

For information: 623.930.3844 or sherlache@glendaleaz.com

Monday Night Melodies - Peoria Main Library 8463 W. Monroe St., Peoria, AZ. 85345

7:00 - 8:30 pm Every Monday Three sets: 7:00, 7:30 & 8:00 For Info, Call Sandra 623.330.1772 or E-Mail AZFOLK@AOL.COM

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Local Music Organizations Arizona Accordion Club (602) 266-9622 Arizona Old Time Fiddlers Assn. (602) 840-0116 Arizona Songwriters Assn. (602) 973-1988 Phoenix Friends of Old-Time Music (480) 893-3328 Southwest Folk Music Assn. (shadowcat1953@q.com) Desert Bluegrass Assn. in Tucson - Bonnie (520) 269-1231 Arizona Bluegrass Association - (connect@arizonabluegrass.com) Arizona Autoharp Club (602) 765-2832 Arizona Bluegrass & Old-time Music Assn. (602) 678-0041 Ragtyme Jazztyme Society (480) 348-3702

Music Stores with Discounts: Be Sure to Show Membership Card

Bronson Guitar Works 6830 E. 5th Ave #101 Scottsdale 85251 480-941-2636 Harmony House Music 15229 N. Cave Creek Rd. Phoenix 85032 602-493-1234 Milano Music 38 W. Main, Mesa 85201 480-834-6581 Stages Music 7131 E Mercer Lane Scottsdale 85254 480-948-4720 Ziggies Music 3309 N. Third St. Phoenix 85012 602-266-9622

Newsletter: Andy Hurlbut 602.437.0811or 602.377.7183 Send news items, suggestions, complaints etc. to:

Andy at ahurlbut@cox.net

Arizona Pickers & Grinners Society Membership Application (A non–profit organization) (Note: you need not be a musician or vocalist — Grinners are welcome)

Membership entitles you to receive a monthly newsletter and discounts at participating music stores. Annual Membership dues are $20 per household.* (Please list each member’s name).

Make checks out to: Priscilla McKown. Mail to: Priscilla McKown, 1642 E. Mitchell Dr., Phoenix, AZ. 85016 . Any questions call Priscilla at: 602.234.1224 or Andy at 602.437.0811

Name (s) _______________________________________________________e-mail___________________________________ Street Address or PO Box _________________________________________________________________________________ City, State and Zip_______________________________________________________________________________________ Phone: ________________ Birthdates (not year) of above members________________________________________________ Instruments you play or indicate Vocalist or Grinner ____________________________________________________________

*The City of Phoenix allows the Pickers and Grinners use of the Devonshire facility for our monthly meetings. In lieu of a rental fee they require a $2.00 per person payment at the door or purchase of a Parks and Recreation pass ($20 annually for residents, and $40 for non-residents) which

allows use of amenities at all centers. More information at phoenix.gov

Pickers & Grinners Bands or Groups This is a list of bands or groups that have Pickers as members.

Band Name Contact Person Phone

Artichoke Sisters Andy Hurlbut 602-437-0811 Caught In The Act Continues Bill Francis 602.421.5306 The Honey Dews Virgil Cole 623-334-0702 The Improbable Quartet Andy Hurlbut 602-437-0811 Mexican Beaded Lizard Band Lon Austin 623-628-9710 Red Rock Crossing Rochelle Tinstman 623-229-5986 Scottsdale Strummers Pat McInnis 480-946-3936

Pickers & Grinners Officers

President: Andy Hurlbut 602-437-0811 Vice President: Derrick Beracy 480-429-5107

Secretary-Treasurer: Priscilla McKown 602.234.1224

Board of Directors: Freda Dilley 602-268-8438

Lavona Manguso 623.322.3426 Priscilla McKown 602.234.1224 Kristin Schmidt 623.465.2793

Pat McInnis 480-946-3936

Guitar Repairs: Ziggies 3309 N. Third St. Phoenix 602-266-9622 Lessons: Nancy Hall Private or group at The Music Hall (11001 N. 99th Ave, #120 Peoria 85345) 623-583-6266 Bruce Wurst Fiddle, Mandolin, Banjo, Guitar, Bass Guitar 602-971-3355

Why doesn't constant trampling defeat the dandelion? The key to its strength is its long and sturdy root, which extends deep into the earth. The same principle applies to people. The true victors in life are those who, enduring repeated challenges and setbacks, have sent the roots of their being to such a depth that nothing can shake them. Daisaku Ikeda

The Tucson Folk Fes-tival is scheduled for May 6th and 7th and will feature as headlin-ers The Black Lillies on Saturday night with Billy Jonas as an opener for them, and local Tucson residents Ryanhood on Sunday. Billy Jonas will also do a children’s workshop.

Visit tucsonfolkfest.org to get more informa-tion, view the schedule and more. Due to construction, the venue that was in the Courtyard has changed, see web site for info.