Blues, for beginners I can highly recommend the Jerry Silverman songbooks, for campfire and well-known folk songs, from Mel Bay. One of the things I love about them is that they tend to include the chord names not only in the first verse, where the melody line is also laid out, but they put the chord names in each verse, too, so that as a new player you can really enjoy the song and not get lost on what the chords are.... it helps you grasp the pattern of changes.

Past the beginner level, I would wait on RUS till you have people agreeing they like it, and the cost of a boxful is pretty steep. A lot of people do not like the format for showing the chords. But then a lot of groups do use it... you may make more mileage just getting permission to leave the copier up and running during your jams-- if people have brought stuff to share, let them run off a copy for every 3 people to share, and you can collect at least one copy post-jam and make a house songbook.

I would also suggest, following the pattern I have seen work really well elsewhere, that you have more than one area you can use. People often tend to want to break off into subgroups by playing level, or by type of music, or by instrument, or by who they know-- so a couple of smaller areas that are OK to use, lights on and doors open, can help. I would say start everyone off together, let them know at the beginning that there is additional space if it's wanted, and then see if people wander into different areas at the break. But call them all back together for a last song or two if you can corral them, so you can make any announcements about "next time."

Alternatively, move here, take one of our lovely guest rooms on a semi-permanent basis, and play with us, for free room and board, at OUR church! *G* Where are you?

Oh, and harmonica, eh? Yes, I can relate-- an autoharper leading guitar players is kinda weird too. They just can't seem to GET it that I can't capo up with them!

~Susan