Florida Folk Festival - 2003

Subject: Florida Folk Festival - 2003
From: Bee-dubya-ell
Date: 01 May 03 - 12:24 AM

Well, it's officially MAY!!!! And we Floridians know what that means.....

The 51st annual Florida Folk Festival, May 23-25 (Memorial Day weekend) at the Stephen Foster Folk Culture Center State Park in White Springs!!!!

So.... Who's goin'????

I'll be there wearing multiple hats. I'll be selling pottery somewhere in the crafts area and playing guitar with my old band June Apple (which doesn't really exist anymore but which magically reforms once a year just to do the FFF) and, of course, jamming in the campground at night.

Here's a link to the Festival website CLICK HERE. The schedule's not up yet, but should be soon. If you click on the "Photos" link you'll see pickies of last year's festival. If you look closely at the second photo on the page, (the one labelled "Jam Tent") the guy in the red shirt all hunched over his guitar is a Mudcatter well known for his charm, intellect, good looks and having started this thread (if not for his upright posture while playing).

Bruce

Subject: RE: Florida Folk Festival - 2003
From: Joe Offer
Date: 01 May 03 - 12:35 AM

I went a couple of years ago and really enjoyed it. I should do a better job of timing my visits to my folks in Sarasota, so I could attend every year. I met Harpgirl and PaulG and Troll there, and really enjoyed all the music.
-Joe Offer-

Subject: RE: Florida Folk Festival - 2003
From: GUEST,Bill Bordeaux
Date: 01 May 03 - 09:39 PM

My brother and I were on the program in '70 and '71.We were known as "The Bordeaux Brothers" from Ft. Myers.We did country and bluegrass gospel.Thelma Bolton was the Emcee.I played my brand new D-28 Martin wwwhich I still have.That's where we met Red and Murphy Henry from the Gainesville area.The first time I'd ever heard
"Wild Hog In Gulf Hammock"Finding this site really has brought some fond old memories.......Bill now a resident of McEwen, TN. Home of the world's biggest BBQ.Y'all come!!!!!!!!

Subject: RE: Florida Folk Festival - 2003
From: GUEST,Bill
Date: 01 May 03 - 09:49 PM

another thot......I believe a fellow by the name of Gamble Rogers wrote and sang that Wild Hog song.Played his guitar in open G tuning.Anyone remember those days? e-mail ([e-mail])

Subject: RE: Florida Folk Festival - 2003
From: harpgirl
Date: 02 May 03 - 08:51 AM

..whitey and I will be there...camped in the primitive campgrounds...I'm a volunteer and a perfomer but haven't seen the assignments as yet...whitey will be with the swamprooters and he has a new CD out...harpster

Subject: RE: Florida Folk Festival - 2003
From: GUEST,tequilaron
Date: 02 May 03 - 05:10 PM

Yep, I remember those days very well. I remember Gamble doing Wild Hog, but the song was actually written by Florida's black hat troubador, Will McLean. Will recorded it on an album called FLorida Sand with Gamble and Paul Champion playing back-up. If you want to pick it up go to the Will McLean web site. It is available on CD I think. Gamble has a new CD coming out today I believe titled "Good Causes". Bill if you have been out of the loop for a while you might not know that Gamble drowned in the early 90's while trying to rescue a drowning tourist. A foundation has been set up and the Gamble Rogers Festival is held every year in St. Augustine. It is coming up in a few weeks. The foundation has done great work keeping Gamble's music alive. His site is Gamblerogers.com I believe. Gamble, Will, Paul Champion, and Jim Ballew were all friends of mine back in the day and all of them are sorely missed.
Ron

Subject: RE: Florida Folk Festival - 2003
From: Bee-dubya-ell
Date: 03 May 03 - 10:58 PM

Well, I just checked to see if the schedule was up yet and it isn't, but I guess I overlooked the "Performers" link before (click here). This year's headliners are Norman & Nancy Blake, Darol Anger and David Grier. Of course, having Norman and David at the same festival makes us hope that they may do a few tunes together. Probably wishful thinking, but we can wish, can't we?

BTW, Bill (if you're still out there) Red Henry is performing this year (he was also there last year). I understand that he and Murphy don't perform much together anymore. She is the Murphy of the very popular "Murphy Method" bluegrass banjo learning system. I imagine that keeps her pretty busy.

Bruce

Bruce

Subject: RE: Florida Folk Festival - 2003
From: fiddler
Date: 04 May 03 - 06:21 PM

Love to but I'm playing at chippenham UK

Next year (in my dreams) praps

Subject: RE: Florida Folk Festival - 2003
From: Paul G.
Date: 04 May 03 - 07:59 PM

I'll be there with the Ashley Gang again this year -- still waiting for our performance schedule -- looking forward to it as always.

We played at the Gamble Rogers Folk Festival in St. Augustine this weekend (speaking of Gamble). Good crowd, good lineup, but HOT (near 90 already). Hopefully this year's Florida Folk Fest won't be another of those White Springs scorchers...

See y'all on the banks of the Suwanee!

Paul G.

Subject: RE: Florida Folk Festival - 2003
From: harpgirl
Date: 08 May 03 - 09:44 PM

Here is the artisans page with B-dubya-ell's listing:
http://www.dep.state.fl.us/parks/folkfest/artisans.asp

Subject: RE: Florida Folk Festival - 2003
From: harpgirl
Date: 08 May 03 - 09:49 PM

Headliners are here:http://www.dep.state.fl.us/parks/folkfest/performers.asp

And there is a banjo contest this year! Yippee, I just ordered a new banjo because Nathan stepped on my old harmony and broke the neck. Whitey fixed it but .... It will be hot this year! harpy

Subject: RE: Florida Folk Festival - 2003
From: Blackcatter
Date: 08 May 03 - 11:58 PM

Can't make it this year - which means I haven't been in three years. Yeesh.

I gave up trying to perform there years before that - most of my friends have too - don't know why it's so hard to get on the list, sure is plenty of people performing. there's arguments of "politics" or trying to direct the types of performances (and styles of music) instead of picking who is the best performers.

But it's a great ffestival and few others can compete for longevity.

pax yall

Subject: RE: Florida Folk Festival - 2003
From: harpgirl
Date: 19 May 03 - 06:20 PM

...I was over the White Springs yesterday to visit with the tie dye guy, and to listen to Jon Kay and whitey on the Kathy Dewitt's radio show, Across The Prairie.

If the rain keeps up, it may be in the eighties this year but the dadgum humidity is 96% anyway so I predict HOT!!! Bruce has at least two performances with June Apple, and I see Paul G on the main stage and the River Gazebo...

I'm at the song and story tent at 5:30pm on Friday, hosting autoharp workshop, sea chantey jam tent, and mc'ing at the Seminole Camp on Friday and the Tower on Saturday...hope to see everyone there! harpy

Subject: RE: Florida Folk Festival - 2003
From: Bee-dubya-ell
Date: 19 May 03 - 10:58 PM

Troll has not checked in on this thread, but I see from the schedule that he and his son Martin are playing at least one set and the 24th Street Klezmer Band, which he also plays in, is playing for the last dance on Sunday night.

And don't forget "Singin' in the Bath-house" sometime after midnight Sunday (aka real early Monday morning). Last year we crammed exactly 100 people into one of the women's bath-houses and sang "Amazing Grace" and some other hymns and goofy stuff. This year we need to shoot for at least 125.

By the way, my pottery booth will be in the Old Marble Stage crafts area, right across the path from where the blacksmith usually sets up.

Subject: RE: Florida Folk Festival - 2003
From: Paul G.
Date: 20 May 03 - 09:46 PM

BWL -- We'll be performing on the Old Marble Stage Sunday afternoon (3:25). I'll make a point of looking you up while in the neighborhood. We're on the main stage Saturday afternoon - 2:30 - and at the Gazebo at 1:20 Sunday...all subject to change, of course.
Harp -- hot it will likely be, indeed. We're headed out Thursday, probably in the rain...Should be a great weekend though! See y'all in the ladies room....

pg

Subject: RE: Florida Folk Festival - 2003
From: Paul G.
Date: 27 May 03 - 09:08 PM

Well, we had a pretty fine weekend of it in White Springs on the Suwanee...with Norman and Nancy Blake, David Grier and Darol Anger...but the best part for me was stopping to visit the pottery guy tucked in across from the blacksmith. Kay g. and I had a fine time getting to know this fine Mudcat artisan and the lovely Mrs. ell. Even brought a piece home with us that is now serving its function in fine fashion on our kitchen stove. 'Twas a pleasure, Bee. Hope to see you and your lovlier portion again soon!

pg

Subject: RE: Florida Folk Festival - 2003
From: Bee-dubya-ell
Date: 28 May 03 - 12:08 AM

Yes, it was a pleasure to meet Paul G., Harpgirl (aka Springhopper) and Troll. I'll admit that manning the pottery booth took a bite out of the daytime activities (like I didn't get to do Norman Blake's guitar workshop) but if you've gotta work for a living there are certainly worse ways of doing it. I mainly go to festivals for the evening jams anyway and the evenings were ours to do what we wanted. Unfortunately, I conked out at about one AM Monday and the singing in the bath-house didn't get started till two. I heard that there were right at 100 people crammed in there again.

Paul, hope you're pleased with your new Mermer guitar when it arrives. Let us know how the love affair progresses.

Bruce