The seventh annual Riverside Jam was held this past weekend in and around Minneapolis / Saint Paul, Minnesota. For those of you wondering about it, Riverside Jam is a formal informal gathering of musicians that usually takes place the first weekend of August. Dan Lasley hosted the first one and you can read about it here:
https://www.guitarnoise.com/article.php?id=179
and here:
https://www.guitarnoise.com/article.php?id=92
This year's jam was a little on the small side with eleven musicians in all. In no particular order, with "*" signifying first timer:
Jose Velez - host, guitar, vocals
Kathryn Velez* - vocals, percussion
Karen Berger - keyboards and poltergeist control
Amelia Peacock* - vocals
Kathy Reichert - guitar, vocals, songwriting
Mike Roberto - guitar, vocals not often enough
Mark John* - electric and acoustic fiddle
Jeff* (I've already forgotten the last name! It's not easy getting old... :wink: ) - real bass
Anne O'Neil - percussion, bass, dictator (I mean director) of percussion playing
Greg Nease - electric guitar and seven-time winner of the Riverside Jam AWA (Acerbic Wit Award)
And Chuck Yoder and John Reichert provided much invaluable assistance, comraderie and support.
Saturday night we played at the A Fine Grind Coffeehouse in Saint Paul for about three hours. Some inspired moments were a segue from a very slow and bluesy Summertime to a perky Moondance and a wild two guitar and violin trade off of soloing on The Thrill Is Gone. There was also a very funny take on Istanbul (not Constantinople)
Sunday afternoon the venue was the Central Park Amphitheater on Lake Bennett in Roseville. It was hot and we pared down things to a little over two hours. Little Wing kicked things off and we played a lot of new songs as well as things from the previous performance.
After that we set up shop at Jose's home for a barbecue and acoustic jam in the yard.
Without a doubt the musical high point of the jam was every single time we played Kathy's song (which she wrote as an SSG assignment earlier this year) called No Reflection On You. Absolutely fun and everyone managed to come up with some wonderfully tasteful bit to add to the basic arrangement.
Another highlight had nothing to do with the actual jam itself. After dropping equipment off at the hotel on Saturday, Anne, Mike and Chuck went to check out some music in downtown Minneapolis and ended up at a small club where Ronnie Thomson (I think - no one can agree on who the main act was) was playing. Anyway, shortly after they arrived, Ronnie called up "a friend of his" to share the stage and it turned out to be Chris Isaak (complete with his band). From all reports it was a sublime set.
I'm sure more people will be adding their impressions to this and I'm hoping to actually spend a little time writing about it in more detail. Maybe I can get Dennis to give me lessons in writing gig reports! :wink:
Peace
Sounds like a great time! Sorry we missed it.
An odd coincidence that I played a similar Summertime/Moondance medley with Peter Muller last month - Peter being a performer in the very first Riverside Jam.
-Laz
I echo Laz's regrets at our absence. Sounds like a marvelous time was had by all! Good to hear about new takes on old favorites. It's amazing how you can find different nuances to songs you've played over and over again.
I really missed the AWA winner's wit. Ah well, there's always next year.
Laura
Highlights:
Practicing in the hotel -- we were told we had some dancers and air guitar players out in the hall for that "performance."
David's Saturday night solo arrangement/performance of Whiter Shade of Pale -- cool.
Watching the girls (Kathryn and Amelia) do various tunes from Hard Day's Night to Wild World to Carol King (where did they learn these?)
Going from liquor store to liquor store with Chuck in search of limes for tequila shots. In the end, we had to use Real-lime with our Patron.
Having Anne repeatedly take away my rhythm instruments and reassign me to something "easier." Never realized congas are easier than egg shakers.
Coaxing solos out of Mike R.
Trading lines with Mark (violin) and Mike.
Playing "Tele Lap-steel" to back Kathy on No Reflection on You. She was great. I am starting to get the slide thing.
Using my Beater-caster the whole weekend: that's my Saga Tele kit guitar -- not the usual Taylor T5 or G&L I normally bang on. Carried the neck on the 'plane in an art tube (TSA guy was surprised "it's just a neck? where's the rest?"); checked the body. Told Anne it was a $3000 vintage pawnshop find -- as usual, she bought it until the laughter.
Great Mexican food at "La Cucaracha" with Anne. (Thx for the recommendation, Jose -- the Ole Mole was superb!)
Doing Brain Damage and David's Johnny Cash tribute tune on Sunday in the park.
Hanging out at Jose's on Sunday
Great to see eveyone again. Big thanks to Jose and his family for hosting. We enjoyed Minneapolis!
-=tension & release=-
I wish I could have been there! It sounds like a fantastic weekend. I'm sorry I had to miss getting together with everyone this year.
Tim
Well we all shine on--like the moon and the stars and the sun.
-- John Lennon
yes, riverside jam 2006 was a great time. what a great excuse to get together with friends! So much talent. Chicago people, we REALLY do need to play more. just because david isn't here is no reason to hibernate.
thank you, again, david for keeping the musical fire alive in me. since you have re-entered my life 10 years ago, i've gotten back on the set, learned to play bass (a little), created a portable package of percussive pieces, and have a lovely pair of congas [yes, greg, that one's for you]. perhaps i'll get off my ass and practice a little more before next year, eh?
By the way, all y'all that keep thinking "gee, i really ought to go" need to go next year. stop pondering and do it. (especially drummers -- we need drummers.)
Also, if you can't keep a steady beat, i WILL take the percussion instruments away from you. :x grrrrrrr. and yes, drumming is physically demanding. You two have to play through the WHOLE song.
looking forward to next year. i see a banjo/fiddle/mandolin medley. i'd like to see some memphis horns, too....
P.S. bootie shakin' for chris isaac while he was on stage was fun. :D
live free, love much, think deep
First off, kudos to Jose for putting this years jam together. The Twin Cities have a very cool vibe. If it wasn't for those winters.....Anyone visiting St Paul has to stop in at Legacy Chocolate. Mmmmm truffles......where was I..Oh yeah, the jam!
Having a violin in the mix sure did class things up. I am forever in debt to all the jammers for immortalizing my tune "No Reflection on You". I never want to play that song solo again!
Having a smaller group meant a lot more singing for me. Anyone who knew me five years ago would have a hard time believng it! I used to suffer from numbing stage fright. So all of you that have posted questions about being nervous playing and singing in front of people take heart. Just keep doing it, believe me, it gets easier and easier!
Mike and Greg added solos behind everything I did (always play with people that are better than you). Anne kept a steady beat as always. I will forever have a picture in my mind of Anne runnning back and forth between the congas and the shakers during that one tune! David did his best to see we all ended at the same time,(no small feat! ) Karen, I apologize for the demonic keyboard, but you did a fantastic job. And Jose, thanks for the compliments, and I really enjoy your singing as well. David, I always enjoy doing The Man in Black Blues. I'm already counting down to next year. We'll all celebrate a great 50th birthday!
(and I still think that Chris Isaak sighting was a fabrication....on par with driving by Prince's house! )
Falling in love is like learning to play the guitar; first you learn to follow the rules, then you learn to play with your heart.
Also, if you can't keep a steady beat, i WILL take the percussion instruments away from you. :x grrrrrrr. and yes, drumming is physically demanding. You two have to play through the WHOLE song.
... and to think, I fixed your bass! :wink:
-=tension & release=-
Yea, it is kinda funny I put in more detail than most would care...
Good to see you guys here at GN. Sounds like everyone had a great time up there in Minnesota. :D If I remember right, it was pretty hot that weekend down here in Chicago.
Yea, for our Chicago buddies, we ought to get together again. I can't even remember the last time we did?
"Nothing...can take the place of persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts."
Kathy, I am so jazzed that you did all that singing! Hooray for you! You have come a long way, and that is just fantastic. It does get easier, as you've seen, and then it becomes even more fun. Wish I was there to see it, or cheer you on, or sing with you! Next time. I know John took pix, so am looking forward to seeing some. And you know I would have been right there with you on the chocolates.... I'm trying to convince Lee to make those amazing Ghirardelli brownies for the next Jam!
Jose, sounds like you did the Twin Cities proud. One of these days, I'll be visiting my brother there and will come say hi.
John's been busy putting photos together and Paul has been kind enough to post some up already here:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/guitarnoise/
This is a small selection, and there seems to be some photos taken at the Guitar Noise Mini-Camp (courtesy of Glen Polson and Karen Schwarz) as well. Enjoy.
Peace
Do I observe some younglings? Part of the tradition...
By the way, all y'all that keep thinking "gee, i really ought to go" need to go next year. stop pondering and do it. (especially drummers -- we need drummers.)
Also, if you can't keep a steady beat, i WILL take the percussion instruments away from you. :x grrrrrrr. and yes, drumming is physically demanding. You two have to play through the WHOLE song.
Heck, I could do that. Count me in if I'm still around. I'll even bring drums if it's within driving distance for me. :)
Bish
"I play live as playing dead is harder than it sounds!"
