Jam at Clear Run

Posted by Jennifer

Clear Run is probably my favorite place to jam. Once a hub of commerce on the Black River, Clear Run is historic site where bluegrass musicians gather on the last Saturday night of every month to jam and have good, clean, family fun. The jam takes place in the general store and owner Amos McLamb or his son Josh McLamb will be more than happy to tell you the history of the store and their family connection to it, as well as the sunken steamship the A. J. Johnson a short way down river.

Above: A barrel of sap excavated from the A.J Johnson had turned to a massive block of rosin. Here's just a chip off that old block. Since I'm a fiddler, Amos let me take a chunk.

Filled with antique tools, assorted glass bottles and advertisements from days gone by, the general store comes to life with the people who share their talents with friends and strangers. Mind you, if you come as a stranger, you’ll leave as a friend.

Above: A few historical odds and ends.

Above: That's a snazzy old fashioned register.

We had the pleasure of going to Clear Run over the weekend, which is a rare treat for us now that we live a couple counties away. We don’t get to go as often was we like since it’s quite a drive, but when we do go it’s always worth the trip. Amos and Josh were at MerleFest this weekend so we didn’t have the pleasure of their company, but we did get to see old friend Bill Norris who we hadn’t seen in a while and good friend David Merritt was there picking banjo.

One guitar picker who I had jammed with only once before at Clear Run about 6 years ago was there again that night and was delighted to see I was there. Alec Bryan of Jacksonville, if I got that right, is quite the picker. He brought out a lot of good tunes I hadn’t played in a while, like Texas Swing Fiddler Bob Wills’ song San Antonio Rose (performed here by mellow Jim Reeves) and Under the Double Eagle, just to name a couple. It was a good mental exercise remembering tunes that had fallen out of my repertoire.

Above: Jennifer isn't afraid of this modernized outhouse complete with running water and electricity.
She's just swatting away the moths attracted to the light.

Jammin' at Dale Merritt's Hunting Lodge

Posted by Jennifer

We decided to spend our first Valentine's Day as a married couple out in the middle of nowhere. But we weren't alone. Nope. That's because it was time for the Jam at Dale Merritt's Hunting lodge somewhere in the pine thickets of Sampson County. (Jennifer's parents drove... their GPS said we had left the road and showed us plowing through a forest).

You can always expect to find good food, good friends, and good music at this event which takes place as often as Dale feels up to hosting it. The menu usually includes barbecue chicken and pork, chili made with bear meat, all sorts of salads and slaws, and a slew of delicious home-baked goods brought by the ladies.

After a filling meal and lively conversation, it's time to jam. The group varies each time, but the regulars include David Merritt on the banjo, Wallace Jones sining and picking the guitar and mandolin, Huey Ezzell on guitar and vocals, Jennifer on the fiddle, and Josh McLamb on bass, guitar, and vocals.

Everyone plays until they're tired and ready to go home... which unfortunately we all must be getting old because we tend to knock off around 10:00pm nowadays. But that doesn't matter as we always have a good time playing traditional tunes.

Fortunately, Dale has installed indoor plumbing in the hunting lodge. One of Jennifer's first visits to the hunting lodge involved a rather unpleasant incident with the outhouse. Being a bluegrass musician, she was no stranger to the little house out back with the half-moon window. No, it was the lack of a latch on the door which troubled her. Well, the lack of a latch on the INSIDE of the door to be particular. She entered the humble hut to do her duty and much to her chagrin she had no way to lock it to keep others from entering in. She jerked the door shut hard only to realize that a latch on the OUTSIDE of the door had fallen across- trapping her in the outhouse! "Well, I'm here. I may as well do what I came to do before I worry about getting out," she thought. Fortunately, by the time she finished her "business" she heard someone outside the door- her mother, in fact- and convinced her to set her free from the outhouse.

So why is there a latch on the OUTSIDE of the door, you ask? Well Jennifer definately wanted to know the answer to that most vexing question! It turns out that with only all men lodging there for hunting trips, they weren't embarassed at all by the lack of a lock on the door. But what did trouble them was the flapping of the door during they night as they tried to sleep. Hence, they added a latch on the outside so as not to disturb their slumber.

Some other points of interest to mention about Dale's hunting lodge is that he's got his own clay pigeon shooting range as well as a wild bore kept in a pen as a pet. Only in Sampson County...

-Jennifer

Carolina Yellowhammers

Posted by David
On Saturday Jennifer and I, along with our friends Larry and Emily took another friend Karen out to celebrate her birthday. What better place to take a music lover in this area than to R.A. Fountain.

R.A. Fountain is a little general store out in the small town of Fountain, NC. It has just what any music lover needs. It is a small intimate setting where musicians and the audience can interact. The acts range from big name folk and bluegrass musicians to local musicians. Last year we met the Carolina Chocolate drops there a few weeks before they played Merlefest.

Dom Flemons, Rhiannon Giddens, Justin Robinson (CCD) with David & Jennifer (1/19/07)

We performed a celtic show the next month at R.A Fountain with Jennifer Licko. Playing at Fountain is always a blast. The hardwood plank floors, high celing and intimate atmosphere adds a richness and natural tone to any acoustic set. Rather than feeling seperated or cut off from the audience, performers at Fountain can feel at one with the audience and everyone is able to interact with one another, something that is not a possibility at many venues. Another bonus is that everything in the store is for sale. Do you like the seat you are sitting on while watching a show? Then take it home, it is most likely for sale. An interesting note: each of the musicians gets to sign a part of a musical instrument hanging on the wall behind where the bands play. Next time you're there, check for our signatures! :)

David and Jennifer Vinciguerra and Jennifer Shelton Licko (2/16/07)

This blog entry isn't actually suppose to be about R.A. Fountain however, it is about the group of pickers we saw that night. The group calls themselves the Carolina Yellowhammers. The group was inspired to call themselves this after the 1920's band the Georgia Yellow Hammers and also as a nod to the train that used to run through these parts.

Performing as the Carolina Yellowhammers on Saturday was Frankie Harrison on mandolin, John Booker on bass, and Lightnin' Wells on guitar. Joining them on Banjo and Dobro was Clyde Maddux.

Frankie Harrison, Lightnin' Wells, John Booker and Clyde Maddux.

Karen, Emily and Larry had been to see the Yellowhammers in the past a few times, and seeing as though they were playing at Fountain around Karen's birthday, it was obvious how we would be celebrating the evening.

Lightnin' Wells is known for his bluesy sound and Frankie Harrison is known to burn it up on the mandolin. With the solid backing of on bass by John Booker this group has all the dynamics it takes to facinate audiences all night. With Clyde Maddux joining them for the evening, there was nobody going home early that night.

The evening was chock-full of tradtinal folk songs telling stories of days gone by, blues tunes that will bring a tear to any eye, and fast picking bluegrass numbers to rev you back up at full speed. One of the most memorable moments of the evening was when Wells told the humorious story about the first time he and Maddux met many years ago, a meeting that Maddux doesn't even remember--or at least claims not to.

Should you be searching the show times at R.A. Fountain at this address www.rafountain.com and run across a date in which the Carolina Yellowhammers are playing, pay for those reserved seats and gear up for a amazing show. Plus, you never know who else might be jamming with them that evening.

Snow Day

Posted by David

10:00pm Monday night ---nothing
11:00pm---still clear

Midnight with not a snowflake in the air, the possibility of us having a snowstorm was looking grim. We had already had Monday off from work in celebration of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. day, so a very rare snow-day would give us a four-day-weekend. But heading for bed with a clear sky we resigned ourselves to the fact that Tuesday would see us working and set our alarm for an early morning.

When I awoke at six am, what did my eyes happen to see outside—not much. There were snowflakes, but nothing to get too excited about. Nothing seemed to be accumulating yet, so I hopped in the shower and mentally began preparing for a day at the office.

As is naturally the case, now that I was completely awake and dressed and ready to go, our alert went off informing us that they had cancelled work for the day. Jennifer was giddy---especially since she hadn’t yet gotten out of the warm cozy bed. She finally got her snow day. In fact, as the day went on, the snow got thicker and the next day at work was cancelled as well. A five day weekend!

Free from work and our hour commute we slept in, played in the snow, and spent some time recording in the studio. We decided to work on an unusual song that allowed us to test out some interesting vocal recording techniques. Jennifer sang a variety of different ways until we got the right sound. Now it’s just a matter of recording some backwards violins for a bizarre interlude. We might release this song online in the future if people are curious enough to hear it. We actually recorded it just to test out some equipment and have fun.

Jennifer singing in the studio

After the recording session we enjoyed the cool air and snow. I must say though, Jennifer is a much better singer than she is snow ball thrower.

Jennifer and David enjoying the snow

Eastern North Carolina Bluegrass Association

On the second Saturday of each month, the Eastern North Carolina Bluegrass Association (ENCBA) has a concert at Lenoir Community College in Kinston, North Carolina. On Saturday January 10th, Sourwood Mountain performed, followed by Samantha Casey and the Bluegrass Jammers. Concluding the evening was the Harmony Boys.

The Harmony Boys Performing at ENCBA 01/10/09

During the shows, other musicians gather throughout the hallways to “jam”. Below is a photograph of Jennifer performing with good friend Bobby Herring from the Harmony Boys. The ENCBA is a great place for musicians to gather together to jam and watch regional acts perform. Guests are free to walk the halls to listen to the many jams that occur simultaneously, as well as watch the concerts on the main stage.

Jennifer Vinciguerra and Bobby Herring with friends Jamming at ENCBA 1/10/09

Mæander

Mæander:

A winding, crooked, or involved course; as, the meanders of an old river.
A tortuous or intricate movement.
To wind, turn, or twist; to make flexuous; to wander

What better way to describe our music---music that drifts in and out of different genres and classifications. In our blog we will be keeping a music journal to keep readers updated on what we are doing musically. These entries won't just be about us, but also about other bands we watch perform, music venues we go to, jams we partake in, and anything else music related. We hope you enjoy hearing about us and we would love to hear from you as well.

-David & Jennifer Vinciguerra