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Welcome
Welcome to the information page for the Rambling Bluegrass
Jam Session. A bunch of us got together back in November of 1998
and started a Bluegrass jam session on the West side of Portland Oregon
because:
- there wasn't any Bluegrass jam accessible to Portland's West side
and suburban pickers without driving through life-threatening traffic,
- we had lost our venues for a couple of historic jams and were
hungry for another.
We've been going on pretty much continuously every Monday night all
year 'round ever since.
We Ramble around a bit:
We've had to ramble a couple of times over the years. Situations
change at venues, and eventually they become no longer suitable for a
Bluegrass jam session. Some people were dismayed when they showed
up at an old jam venue after a long drive to find no one there.
We completely lost track of others who attended only occasionally
and didn't hear when we moved. It got so that we came up with the
name "Rambling Bluegrass" in jest and put together this web site to
allow pickers to
know where we are. Our current location is as follows:
Current
Location (confirmed 3-31-2006)
Papa's Pizza Parlor
15700 N.W. Blueridge Drive
Beaverton, OR 97006
Time: 6:00 PM - 10:00 PM Every Monday night all rear 'round.
Papa's Pizza Parlor has a couple of separate rooms. Most of the
time we play in the room that's straight ahead and slightly to the
right as you enter. The room has windows to the rest of the
place, so you'll see us. On very rare occasions we are in a
different room (usually
the "Wizard" room to the right as you go in the doors) due to some
other
large group being scheduled.. If in doubt, look for the
"Bluegrass Jam" sign that the restaurant puts up or ask at the counter.
Papa's serves pizza by the pie (including a "personal" size),
sandwiches, salad bar, soft drinks, and a couple of varieties of beer
on tap. The place is clean, well-lit, and suitable for families
(they even have
a large separate play-room for the kids). The place is entirely
non-smoking (hooray!).
We encourage jammers to buy the restaurant's food and drink since we
hope to have them continue to reserve a room for us at no charge.
The restaurant does not solicit tips, since the format is "order
at the counter". However, they will accept tips and divide them
among the workers. You can leave a tip with one of the clerks or
managers behind the
counter.
Here's a map and some directions .
What to expect
We're more or less "intermediate" skill level. We try to make all
skill levels welcome. Everyone is
encouraged to lead songs or choose songs, but no one is required to
do so. To make sure everyone gets a chance, we usually take turns
around the circle. Some people always pass when it's their turn,
but most people will lead a song at least some of the time. We
get beginners who have only been playing for a few months. They
usually find the music challenging at first, but the other pickers are
supportive and the beginners usually don't stay beginners very long.
We
also get seasoned experts that have been playing for years. They
usually have a fun time once they figure out what speed to play so that
people can keep up.
Everyone is encouraged to "take a break" (play a solo), but some people
very rarely do and that's fine, too.
We try to keep the jam centered around a strong bluegrass emphasis, but
we enjoy the occasional excursion around the fringes.
Our favorites are singing tunes with good opportunities for harmony
singing. We do mostly singing tunes with a smattering of
instrumentals
thrown in. People who will lead tunes and take breaks on anything
are very much appreciated. People who just want to play along are
quite welcome as well. However at times when the jam gets big we
appreciate if the play-along people sit or stand in an outer circle to
let the harmony singers get close together for a better voice blend.
There aren't any hard and fast rules other than perhaps "be nice to
other people". If you want more suggestions on etiquette that
makes a jam go smoothly, check out The
Rambling Bluegrass Jam Etiquette page .
Contact Information
This web site is put together and maintained by Paul . If you need
to contact me about this jam session or the web site, the preferred
method is by electronic mail to "rambling {at} ramblingbluegrass {dot}
org". If it's a dire emergency,
you may be able to reach
me during weekdays at (503) 264-8488.
Occasionally we need to send out e-mail to announce an unexpected
closing of the venue due to weather or some such thing. If you're
a " regular " and you want to get such
announcements by e-mail, please
send me e-mail requesting to be put on the list. I don't
necessarily recognize e-mail names or even know people's last names, so
please make sure you remind me who you are in the body of your e-mail
address. I'm careful to send out any multiple e-mails by "blind
carbon copy" so that your e-mail address is not visible to others.
I don't give out
e-mail addresses, however, if someone can convince me they have a
reason
to contact you by e-mail I may forward their e-mail message to you so
that you may decide whether or not you want to contact them.
How did we get here
Brief Summary:
- November 1998 to about September 2001: McMenamin's Cornelius Pass
Roadhouse.
- September 2001 to about January 2002: Eddie's Restaurant at
Hillsboro Airport.
- January 2002 on: The Rogue Pub in North Plains. The jam at
this location is still very active and popular as of 6-8-2002.
Unfortunately some of can't jam there because it tends to be
somewhat smoky and we get sore throats and can't sing.
- Somewhere around April 2002: An old schoolhouse in the Jackson
School neighborhood. Nice building, but too far for many of our " regulars " to travel to.
- A couple of sessions in the recreation room of Glen Brook
Apartments. Did the people on the stationary bikes get more
exercise or less?
- Three weeks in April-May 2002: O'Brien's Pub in Hillsboro.
Unfortunately the pub was having some conflicts with its
neighborhood regarding noise, so we had to quit meeting there.
- Now: Papa's Pizza Parlor on Blueridge Drive. We're hoping
to have some more stability at this new location and keep the jam going.
For some more detailed history probably of little interest
except to "regulars", check out the Rambling
Bluegrass History page .
Who's Who
For information about The Regulars (at
least the ones who are willing to admit who they are)
check the Who's Who page .
Latest News 12-01-2005
We held a memorial jam for Jim
Rooks on Saturday
November 19 at the Frog Pond Grange Hall. Follow
this link for
more details.
News 10-23-2005
On Friday October 21, 2005,
we were shocked and saddened to learn that Jim Rooks died suddenly of an
Aortal Aneurism earlier that same morning. Jim was a long-time
steady attendee at the Rambling Bluegrass jam session. We will
miss him very much. Over the next few weeks we will accept text
and pictures for a page dedicated to
the memory of Jim Rooks. Jim is also the one in the center in
the photo at the top of this page.
News 3-13-2005
Happy Birthday to Bruce Guitar!
Try playing some breaks on the Happy Birthday song someday. Some
ways it's harder than you might think.
News 6-21-2004
In what could have been the immortal words of Bob Dylan:
We played some tunes, we had no fights,
this week I had a pen that writes
We snarfed our pizza in a couple of bites, you ain't goin' no where.
This week it was much easier to keep track of who led what song,
because my pen actually had ink in it. I didn't have to press
real hard to dent the paper enough to decipher it later on. Now
if only I could learn to write legibly while wearing banjo picks...
And this week we have Keys, too:
PaulBanjo: (A) Little cablin home on the hill (always a good
starter-upper for me. so what if the jam is getting tired of it.
HowardGuitar: (G) Wildwood flower (as an instrumental)
JaneBanjo: (A) Cripple Creek. (Gotta learn the rest of the words
to this one so I can sing it. How come nobody sings this.
It's actually a fun song.)
JimGuitar: (G) Someday we'll sweat again meatheart (Hey, I'm just
reporting this stuff, and that's what he called it. During the
song it sounded more like Someday we'll meet again sweetheart.
RichGuitar: (G) Wabash
cannonball. (Ok, one more comment and then I'll shut up:
One of the verses goes "Here's to Daddy Claxton, may his name forever
stand" and so forth. So, who the heck is Daddy Claxton? I
don't think his name managed to stand forever.)
KathleenMando: (A) Little Annie
JaneBanjo: (A) Clinch mountain backstep
BruceGuitar: (A) Charlie on the
MTA (this key might have been a bit low)
BryanMando: (C) Billy in the lowground
RickBanjo: (G) John Hardy (as an instrumental)
RichGuitar: (C) Waltz across Texas
Ok, another comment from the peanut gallery: I still want
somebody to learn the extra verse that talks about how the singer's
ex-friend Walter ran off with with the singer's girlfriend and moved to
the other side of the state and now "Walt's across Texas with you in
his arms...". We now return you to your regularly scheduled jam
blog.
PaulBanjo: (D) Dim lights, thick smoke and LOUD LOUD MUSIC. The
key of D is too low for me on this song. Hmmm, should we raise it
all the way up past the no-man's land of E and F to (gasp) G?
JimGuitar: (G) A hundred years from now
KathleenMando: (D) Going to the west
JaneBanjo: (D) I saw the light
BruceGuitar: (G) Bury me beneath the willow
LouieHarmonica: (G) Midnight Special (with Bruce as designated singer)
RickBanjo: (C) Home sweet home (with full drop-C tuning, and stuff like
that, and other phenomenon)
RichGuitar: (B) Dark as a dungeon
PaulBanjo: (D) Blue birds are singing for me (I still want to have the
Bass intro by Hans)
JimGuitar: (A) Who will sing for me (just about everybody, as it turns
out. This tune is one of the RamblingBluegrass hits)
KathleenMando: (C) Blue ridge mountain blues
HowardGuitar: (C) You are my sunshine
JaneBanjo: (C) Aragon mill (complete with train whistle. Hey, I
just report this stuff, I don't endorse it.)
LouieHarmonica: (G) When the saints go marching in (eventually
transitioning to "when the saints go warp-speed in")
RickBanjo: (G) Ground speed
Ok, why is this song called "Ground Speed"? Does it have anything
to do with Earl Scruggs flying airplanes? Or crashing them?
Will we find out next week? Will the rest of us play it better
next time?
RichGuitar: (G) Long black veil (and the night winds did indeed wail)
PaulBanjo: (A) Catfish john
JaneBanjo: (E) High atmosphere
LouieHarmonica: (G) Desperado
As it turns out, one of our "background pickers" this week, Mike, knew
some of the words, sang it, and turned out to have a good singing
voice. So we coaxed him into sifting through Rich's songbook and
singing another one later on. You just never know what will
happen at the Rambling Bluegrass jam.
KathleenMando: (A) Hard times come again no more
MikeGuitar: (D) Bobbie McGee
RichGuitar: (A) Engineers don't wave from the trains any more
PaulBanjo: (D) Jambalaya
JimGuitar: (G) Journey's end
BruceGuitar: (E) Abolene (There are two mystery chords: A 3 chord
(B-flat in the key of E) and a 2 chord (F-sharp in the key of E))
LouieHarmonica: (G) Roll in my sweet baby's arms
KathleenMando: (C) Are you missing me (complete with double-time chorus
on the last verse)
PaulBanjo: (G) The rose
RichGuitar: (D) November rain
Oh, and in non-musical news: KathleenMando brought a Tiramisu
cake, and served it about mid-way through the jam. It was
delicious, and everybody picked faster after their big sugar hit.
A good time was had by all.
News 6-14-2004
Ok, if you have been patient enough to watch this web
site over the course of the last year, you have noticed that it has not
been updated much. The web-master has been spending all his time
picking and not updating the web site. I also did a computer
switchover, and I've had trouble facing up to the task of setting up
the new one to manage the web site. But, we're baaaaaaack!
We've had lots of new people come into the jam over the last
year. I need to update the Who's Who
page with the new set of regulars. You'll see a couple
of news one there: Rich Guitar.
Actually, Rich is an old friend from the Roadhouse days who has been
traveling abroad for a while and is now back where he belongs, picking
bluegrass. Rick Banjo has
also been attending fairly often over the last few months, and is
keeping the rest of us banjo players interested with all those nifty
up-the-neck licks he keeps throwing in. There are some other new
regulars as well. I'm trying to collect some good photos over the
next few weeks to put up on the web site. So show up and look
photogenic.
I'm trying a new experiment this week. I took notes on who led
which song, to give readers an idea of what kind of music we do.
I arrived a few minutes late and the music had already started, so I
missed a couple at the beginning. Also, much to the amusement of
Rich Bass, my pen ran out of ink right at the beginning of the evening,
so I had to press real hard to try to dent the paper enough so I could
read it later.
Rich: Every time it snows
Jane: Red Wing (any faster and I won't be able to keep up any more)
Rick: Home Sweet Home (see? not all banjo tunes are weird)
Paul: I'll Fly Away
Rich: Catfish John (and Jane nailed the harmony this time)
Debbie: If I Lose
Debbie Bass and Paul Mando have been taking a break from stargazing to
come to our jam for the last couple of weeks. We hope to see lots
more of them.
Paul: Whiskey Before Breakfast (I met an eight-year-old mando player at
a festival who called this Root Beer Before Breakfast)
Paul: Ninety-Nine Years (and one dark day) (any higher and we'll need a
taller ceiling)
Rich: Pass Me Not (a new hit. a couple more weeks and we'll get
the harmony down)
Howard: Will the circle be unbroken
Jane: Till the answer comes
Rick: John Hardy (with one of the great lines in all of bluegrass:
"they're gonna let John Hardy swing now")
Debbie: I hope you have learned
Louie: This Land Is Your Land
Louie has been coming for the last couple of weeks and playing an
extremely lively harmonica, and is turning into a great song
leader. He'll also take a break on most songs, but if you want
him to take a break you have to cue him verbally, because he's blind.
Paul: Bluegrass Stomp (Bill Monroe gets down and funky)
Paul: A little further in the hole (financial-themed song)
Rich: When my blue moon turns to gold again
Jane: Santa Claus (named after a town in Texas? An extra 5 chord
to the person who supplies the answer)
Louie: Roll in my sweet baby's arms
Debbie: Forever ain't no trouble now
Rick: Flint hill special (yep, with tuners and all)
Liz: Soldier's Joy
Paul: Steel rails
Wendel: I am a pilgrim
Rich: Paradise
Rick: Old joe clark
Howard: You are my sunshine
Jane: I saw the light
Louie: Cotton fields
Debbie: Somehow tonight
Rick: Boil them cabbage down
Liz: Red haired boy
Paul: Sweet little miss blue eyes
Kathleen: I wonder where you are tonight (Paul snuck in and stole the
"laundry" verse)
Wendel: Sitting alone in the moonlight (for some reason half of the jam
started playing Dobro on this number, whether they had a Dobro or not)
Rich: Pack up your sorrows
Rick: John Hardy (wait a minute, didn't he do this same song earlier?)
Louie: When the saints go marching in
Paul: Clinch mountain backstep
Liz: Liberty
Rich: Cottonwood waltz
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