Sunday, February 1, 2009

Sunday Gospel Jam at Pine Hall

Stopped by Pine Hall this afternoon to see what goes on at the Gospel Jam. It was a beautiful Sunday that also happened to be Super Bowl Sunday, so I wasn't sure what to expect. Turns out, it didn't seem to matter too much. I saw many familiar faces from the Tuesday night jam, as well as a familiar face from another place. Kathy Kapinus, who plays upright bass for the Brush Mountain Band was there. A real pleasure to see her there and to get a chance to chat with her. She reinforced my positive thoughts about the Elk Creek Cafe & Aleworks, so apparently it's not just me who thinks of it as a little bit of SoHo in the middle of nowhere.

The First Sunday Gospel Jam at Pine Hall is very much like the Tuesday Jam but a smaller circle, more intimate, and an audience. A handful, maybe two handfuls, of folks line the walls just to listen. I was traveling that day, so I wasn’t prepared. I had no guitar or songbook, so I thought I’d just listen. I did end up playing a song after much pestering, but I think I chose poorly – a song in the key of E with an out of place chord (f#) in the chorus. After I finished I felt bad for the banjo players, E may not be a very good key for them.

Anyway, the hour or so I got to hang out made me want to come back again to learn more. I realized how little I know of the type of gospel that was being played. I like to think I know bluegrass, and southern gospel, but clearly I have a gap in there. I listen to a lot of The Golden Gate Jubilee Singers & The Five Blind Boys from Alabama, but I think I need more knowledge of the gospel out of Appalachia and people with the last name of Carter. I think I’ll forget my guitar again next time and take a notebook instead.

In the end, I just don’t think you can go wrong at Pine Hall.
... I literally drove off into the sunset.

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