Giok,

This is from the Ludgate Farms email list (Pamela mentioned their website above):

Tom managed to convince a bunch of area jam organizers to write articles about their jams ... scroll to the end for that.
Contact info for all the jams can be found here: http://www.ludgatefarms.com/mus_jamoth.html
Also note the Fiddlins Fun Jam in Binghamton area is this Friday!
http://www.ludgatefarms.com/mus_jamoth.html#fiddlinfun
(sorry if you get this twice!)
-Mike


The Square Deal – Wild Rose Newsletter
November 2005

Introduction:

Welcome to the Square Deal – Wild Rose Newsletter, which contains information about the bands 'Square Deal', 'Wild Rose (and the Thorns)', and 'Tom & Marie', as well as other musical activities involving the band members. This newsletter is sent out on a monthly basis, outlining what's happening with the bands during the upcoming month.

I hope you will like to continue to receive this newsletter and will tell your friends and neighbors, even your relatives, about it. If you do not wish to remain on the newsletter's mailing list, or if you are receiving multiple mailings, please e-mail me, Tom Quigley, at gemini704@juno.com.

This month's Featured Articles (see below) are about Jam Sessions. I think us folks living in the Binghamton – Ithaca – Elmira area are very fortunate to have numerous jam session opportunities. Jam sessions come in all flavors and styles, so I've asked the organizers of several jam sessions to write an article about their jams. I hope you enjoy reading these articles as much as I did.

Band Information: Square Deal:

'Square Deal' is a group of four musicians from the Southern Tier who perform energetic folk and bluegrass tunes with wonderful vocal harmonies and soaring instrumentals.

Jim Pritchard on guitar and vocals
Tom Quigley on mandolin, guitar, and vocals
Rob Siegers (a.k.a. Banjo Boris) on banjo and vocals
Marie Shaver on bass


1)      The group will be playing for a wedding reception in Wilmington, Delaware:

·       Saturday, November 12

·       5 – 9pm



2)      'Square Deal' will also be playing at OnQ at Depot, 21 North Depot Street, Binghamton, NY. More information about OnQ at Depot can be found in the featured articles below:

·       Friday, November 16

·       9pm – 12am



More information about 'Square Deal' can be found at their website at http://home.stny.rr.com/squaredeal/square_deal.htm.





Wild Rose (and the Thorns):



'Wild Rose' plays an assortment of fiddle tunes from ancient Celtic and Scottish origins to early American Jigs and Reels, to Eastern European Klezmer, and to modern waltzes of mystical influence. The group consists of four musicians:



Amy Shapiro on fiddle



Beth Hogan on guitar



allen lutins on clarinet, whistle, guitar, & percussions



Tom Quigley on keyboard



The band has the month off after playing a busy October schedule. Please look for us at our next gig playing for the contra dance in Syracuse in December.



More information about 'Wild Rose (and the Thorns)' can be found at their website at http://home.stny.rr.com/squaredeal/wildrose.htm.





Tom & Marie:



With Marie Shaver on acoustic bass guitar and Tom Quigley on acoustic guitar and vocals, this duet plays a selection of rock, country, bluegrass, folk, and blues.




1)      'Tom & Marie', with special guest musician Robert Weinberger, will be appearing at OnQ at Depot, 21 North Depot Street, Binghamton, NY.

·       Thursday, November 3

·       8 – 10:30pm



2)      The duet, with special guest musician R. J. Siegers (a.k.a. Banjo Boris), will be playing at La Tazza Coffeehouse, located at 39 South Washington Street, Binghamton.

·       Saturday, November 5

·       8 – 10:30pm



3)      'Tom & Marie' will host another open bluegrass jam at OnQ at Depot, 21 North Depot Street, Binghamton, NY. Those interested in playing bluegrass or folk music, either singing and/or playing an acoustic instrument, are welcome to join the jam. More information about Tom & Marie's Open Bluegrass Jam can be found in the Featured Articles below.

·       Wednesday, November 9

·       7 – 10pm



More information about 'Tom & Marie' can be found at http://home.stny.rr.com/thebluezone/index.html.





Featured Articles:





The Canaan Road Jams (submitted by Mike Ludgate):



Mike Ludgate started hosted jams at his heated workshop in the hills of Caroline about 6 months after starting his venture into traditional fiddling. He has a website and email list for his jams http://www.ludgatefarms.com/musicnt.htm



"I started hosting jams in the autumn of 2002 because I didn't really know where to go myself. I didn't know of any jams .. at least none that I dared attend as such a total beginner ... so I sent an email out to the exercise list that I had and ... that was the beginning of the jams and the music list.



We have two distinct formats -- week night learning jams and occasional Saturday night party jams; the weekly Wednesday night jams are fairly structured .. this keeps the usual complaints I hear through the grapevine in check. Some of the typical complaints at other jams are:



"One or two musicians took over" or "they played everything too fast" or "they did all New England and no Southern" or "I didn't know what key it was in" and so on.



Most of these problems we prevent on Wednesdays by sitting in a fairly tight circle so we can hear each other and going around the circle and each in turn choosing a tune. The person who calls the tune is asked to announce the name of the tune and what key it is in ..[hmm .. then we wait for the banjos to re-tune ] ... The speed is picked by the person who picks the tune. We play it 3 to 6 times depending on requests, in a two hour period this gives us time to go around the typical 6 or 8 person circle 2 or 3 times.



We have a set of printed sheet music that contains the standards for our group (which is traditional American "squared off" for dancing) ... we welcome additions at any jam, but the person bringing the new tune should have copies made ahead of time with chords ... sometimes we learn new tunes by ear ... if you learn tunes that way I have a bunch of mp3s recorded from jam sessions I can give out ... and I encourage you to bring a recorder and record jam sessions.



The other format is the Saturday night potluck and "big jam" .. since they are held on the weekend only occasionally, they attract a big crowd (usually about 50) and often split into 2 or 3 jams around the property. This gives friends neighbors and family a chance to hear the music and offers a chance for musicians to intermix different styles .. we get old-time southern and northern, Canadian, Irish, Cajun, blues, bluegrass etc. .. at this kind of gathering .. but it is difficult to maintain structure in each jam .. so I don't try. This is more of a party atmosphere, but attracts a pretty clean crowd .. drinking is discouraged the emphasis is on the music. Next big jam is Nov. 5th"





The Library Jam (submitted by Dannielle Swart)



The first Library Jam Session will be on Sunday, October 30, 2005, 1-5pm at the Vestal Public Library. This will be the only jam in 2005 scheduled, see below for the 2006 schedule.

We're not hard to find: get onto Route 434 and drive to Vestal!
-- From Route 17: Vestal has its own exit from Route 17, which puts you onto 26 South, and from that take the exit for Vestal/434 and head west until you can make a U-turn at the Clayton Avenue light. (There is a light at the bottom of the exit ramp; the next light west of that is where you make your U-turn.)
-- From Binghamton and points east on 434: you will need to do a U-turn at the Clayton Avenue light (there's a car wash and a couple of food joints at that corner.) Get into the right-hand lane, and just past the Skylark Diner (on your right), turn right into the parking lot for the Library.
-- From Owego on 434 : continue eastward, past the gazebo, and watch for the Skylark Diner, and you, too, can take that right turn into the Library parking lot.

Enter through the front doors, and go through the doors to your right. (If you go through the doors to your left in the entryway, you'll be in the actual library, which is handy if you wanted to borrow a songbook or two, but you still have to be quiet on that side of the building. I'm sure folks in there will tell you where to go...) SO, make sure you go through the *right-hand* glass doors, and follow the hallway to the end, turn right, and our room is on the left. I'll post signs and see if we can prop the door open, to make it easier on folks with instruments to haul around.



My philosophy for the Library jam is to keep it accessible and friendly for all ages and stages. Ultimately, it should be a place and time where everyone feels welcome to become a part of the music in whatever way they wish. It's not a performance opportunity – an effort should be made to choose songs that are either familiar or easily learned, so all can join in. Like a bluegrass jam, I'd also like folks to leave "break" opportunities for those who don't sing so much as play their instrumental leads. Finally, the approach would also be "round robin" so that everyone has the opportunity to choose a song -- or pass to the next person. Listeners are also welcome. We need more "back porch" experiences -- "come and sit and listen, join in where you feel moved to do so." I'd hope some little folks might come to hear and see the music happening, and perhaps I'd keep a little stash of percussion instruments on hand for them.



For contact/questions, please use my hotmail addy danniellerae@hotmail.com

The dates for 2006 are:

Jan 29

Feb 26

Mar 26

Apr 30

May 28 -- I don' t know about this one, it might be Memorial Day weekend is the one before it?? Scott put me in for that date, but I can certainly cancel it.

Sep 24

Oct 29

Nov 26

Dec 17

All the Jams for 2006 will be held in their spacious "Meeting Room", which includes an upright piano!





The Valley Folk and Home Jams (submitted by Debra Chesman)



I have two jams sessions going on monthly. The first is after the Valley Folk concerts in Horseheads, NY, after the monthly concert. More info can be found at www.valleyfolk.org, or by the contact info below. Valley Folk runs on the 2nd Saturday of the October through June. The concerts are usually over by 10 or a bit earlier so we figure why not stay after the show for an hour or two, once you are already out for the night.



The second jam is a monthly folk jam session at our home in Painted Post, NY (close to exit 44 of Interstate 86/ Route 17) beginning at 7:30 on the 4th Friday of the month. It is an eclectic mix of musicians who attend so you might hear traditional or modern American and English folk, or folk rock from the 60's and '70's with good choruses to sing along on and lots of harmony, and also some bluegrass and other Appalachian music-depending on who shows up.



I love to sing and harmonize and I play washtub bass, some folk guitar and very little banjo. I'm happy to share the instruments I am not playing. We also have a house fiddle and mandolin to share. Sometimes, we even use the piano. The music room floor is wooden and the acoustics are great for jamming. In winter, we recommend you bring some indoor slippers or warm socks and get real cozy. We usually make some warm drinks. Sometimes people bring a few snacks to share, but we keep the focus mostly on the music with time in between songs for a bit of chatting.



It's always a good idea to phone before setting out if you are not on Debra's e-mailing list, just in case. We occasionally take the jam "on the road" to Ten West Espresso in Mansfield, PA like we are this Friday, October 28. Sometimes we cancel for a holiday weekend like Thanksgiving, but not always- it depends on who can make it. Phone (607) 962-4461 for more info and directions or e-mail yodelady@stny.rr.com





Tom & Marie's Open Bluegrass Jam (submitted by Tom Quigley)



I advertise this jam as an open "bluegrass jam", but I'm not very strict about it being solely bluegrass. All sorts of music styles are played at the jam; bluegrass, folk, blues, rock, and country. I do wish it to be a jam using only acoustic instruments without the use of a PA or amplification (the exception being using a small amplifier for Marie's acoustic bass-guitar). Singing songs are greatly encouraged, with lots of harmony. I like to keep the momentum of the jam going, so as soon as one song stops I'm ready for another. But I don't want this to discourage others from leading the group with a song they would like to do. I'm all in favor in others taking the lead. I am guilty of starting a song without saying what it is, or what key it's in, or what chords are used in the song. I'm trying to break that habit, so please, if you want to know a little more details about the song before getting into it, speak up and stop me and I would be glad to review the song. Everyone, of all skill levels, is welcomed to the jam. I think its great that people just getting started make the effort to attend jam sessions, and there is no better way to learn about music than doing so.



The Open Bluegrass Jam is held at OnQ at Depot, 21 North Depot Street, Binghamton, NY. Two more jams there are scheduled, November 9th and December 7th, both being Wednesdays starting at 7pm and going to about 10pm. I plan to talk the owner of OnQ about scheduling dates for the jam in 2006.





The Candor Jam (submitted by Trish Engelhard)



The intention for the Candor Jam session is to provide a safe place for musicians and singers of all abilities to come together to share, learn and enjoy each other's music. The styles can vary greatly, from traditional folk, Beatles favorites, Grateful Dead, to jazzy originals. We take turns going around our circle of participants, who either lead a song, or request one they would like to do with someone else leading. Leaving breaks between chorus or verses gives space for instrumentalists to try a break. Sometimes the music comes together in a very magical way, and other times there are 'foggy mountain breakdowns' that are learning experiences in their own way.



    Most folks who show up to play at the Candor Jam have big hearts and are encouraging to new players, and closet players who have fears of playing in public. This jam is one of those steps performers can take to gain confidence before playing in front of an audience. And again, having an audience may not be a goal. Just playing music and singing with other people has a happy, healing affect, especially if it's got some moments of laughter blended into the evening. On the other hand, there's nothing like a good old sad song to help us get through life's more difficult emotions and circumstances; helping us let go and move on and heal. This is some of my personal philosophy, and the reason I've been leading this jam; as well as playing out at nursing homes. The jams are bi-weekly on Thursday evenings, 7:30 at 90 Main Street in Candor, the house of Bob and Cheryll Berg. The next few jams will be Oct. 27, Nov. 10, and then we will skip Thanksgiving Thursday and pick up our bi-weekly pattern on Dec. 1. If anyone has any questions they can email me, or call 659-4070. Hope to see you at a jam in the near future!





The Ithaca Bluegrass Jam (submitted by Rick Cicciarelli)



I had been talking about wanting to start a bluegrass jam here in Ithaca for about a year now. I was really quite surprised that there wasn't one organized all ready here in Ithaca...I mean, really...it's Ithaca!!! There were jams for just about every other style of music you could want, but nothing for strictly bluegrass. I finally managed to get something organized with the help of Mike Ludgate and his all ready organized list of old timey players. We started off having jams every friday at Stewart Park on the lake from 6pm until dark. We have since moved into the Ithaca Coffee Company shop and our jam is every other friday (we are trying to find a location to have it on the alternate fridays). I started this jam as a tool to allow closet pickers and beginners to get out and have fun, so I wanted to make sure that it was understood up front that it is an open jam for beginners and advanced players combined. I also wanted to make it strictly "unplugged" and strictly "bluegrass." I will admit that a few crossover tunes get mixed in, but on a whole, most people who show up for this have been looking for a jam that is just that...strictly bluegrass. Typically we go around and ask everyone to suggest tunes. During the last couple of jams we have actually gone around in the circle and everyone takes a turn naming a tune they want to play, and then THEY kick it off. That way the beginners can name a tune they know and can start it off at the pace that they want to play it at. We also get quite a few very talented players that show up and they have quite a bit to add to our jams. Generally, we play tunes at a medium pace, at which the advanced players can experiment with, while at the same time allowing the beginner players to keep up with. Our email list continues to grow as more and more people find out about our bluegrass jam. Everyone has a great time, so come on out and join in the fun. For directions and additional information contact Rick Cicciarelli 607-898-4725.



--
Michael J. Ludgate - Ludgate Farms
1552 Hanshaw Rd., Ithaca, NY 14850
http://www.ludgatefarms.com/
OPEN 9 am - 9 pm; 7 days per week
Telephone 607-257-1765