December’s here…then it is January 2018! Preparations for the Great 48-Hour Jam 2018 are moving along and nearly complete. The Great 48-Hour Jam is January 12-14th 2018.
Thursday, January 11
Start the 48-hour bluegrass festivities early by attending the traditional Thursday evening opener in the main jamming room (Presidential Suite), enjoying food, drink, camaraderie, and the opportunity to hear two showcase bluegrass bands. Admission is free! This year’s showcase bands will feature The Get Down Boys and The Hossettes. Please check out their website bios at http://www.thegetdownboys.com and http://www.thehossettes.com What a way to start the bluegrass 48-hour weekend!
Friday, January 12,
The CBA will host the Friday night concert featuring David Parmley and Cardinal Tradition with The Roustabouts providing the opening act. David grew up playing bluegrass with the Southern California favorite – Don Parmley & the Bluegrass Cardinals. Cardinal Tradition signals a direction that encompasses the sound of the Bluegrass Cardinals but also new songs that re-imagine that heritage. Cardinal Tradition features David on guitar, Doug Bartlett on mandolin, Steve Day on fiddle, Dale Perry on banjo, and Ron Spears on bass. This Nashville group plays hard driving bluegrass, soulful country and heartfelt gospel —— Need we say more? Tickets are available through cbaweb.tix.com or you can order tickets directly from Jack Pierce at lylebanjo@gmail.com See Great 48-Hour Jam schedule for details.
Opening on stage is Bakersfield’s own, The Roustabouts, and the California Bluegrass Association invites you to listen. The Roustabouts are a hard driving bluegrass band from the Southern San Joaquin Valley of California. Hailing from Bakersfield, California and the surrounding areas, the Roustabouts play in the traditional style and honor the pioneers of bluegrass music. They also pay homage to the creators of the Bakersfield Sound, and their “grassed up” renditions of classics from that era are crowd favorites. See you there!, You don’t want to miss this Friday night bluegrass extravaganza.
Saturday, January 13th,
The Great 48-Hour Jam will host various workshops where folks get the opportunity to hone their musical skills. Workshops will be conducted by experts in the bluegrass world. This year‘s workshops will be held in various assigned suites and presented by the best of the best! On banjo, Shawn Criswell from the Roustabouts will demonstrate the real way to play a banjo. After this workshop, banjo players will no longer be the butt of bluegrass jokes. You will have real banjo confidence! How about a bass workshop? This year Evan Winsor returns and is considered one of the best bass players in our genre. Learn from Evan’s bass workshop as he shows folks what that 4-string overgrown violin can do. Fiddling around — Yes, Paul Lee from the Roustabouts will host the fiddle workshop focusing on bluegrass fiddling. Leave the cat and bring the fiddle. Paul Lee’s musicianship even compels the fiddler on the roof to leave his perch and join the bluegrass jam. Visit LeRoy “Mack” McNees as he returns to lead and guide folks on the Dobro. Meet with Tina Louise Barr in her assigned suite for the autoharp workshop, the one, four, five chords; it’s automatic. Guitar and mandolin workshops with instructors are pending. It’s guaranteed that the best of the best for these instruments will shortly be announced. Featured this year, the CBA will host two organized slow jams. Scheduled slow jams take place Friday and Saturday afternoons. Please see the Great 48 schedule for slow jam times. The CBA is proud to have Julio Boysenberry host both slow jams. We invite all novice bluegrass players as well as folks from the Bakersfield community to grab their bluegrass instruments and join the playing.
Participate in the Saturday night fun and experience the annual Great 48-Hour Saturday night festivities. This year the CBA presents the CBA Youth Program Performance, Jam band scramble and open mike performances in the Marriott Grand Ballroom.
The CBA Youth Program, organized by Ida Winfree and Darby Brandli, will feature 3 youth bands performing a 60-minute set. Support the bluegrass youth! These kids are our bluegrass future. Play in the Band Scramble by submitting your name in the appropriate instrument container, located in the Concierge Lounge. Names with instruments are assigned to a band at 5:00 p.m. Your band will get three hours to practice three songs, determine a band name, and a bluegrass joke. By 8:00 p.m., the scramble begins. Your band is finally called on stage, and you’re as nervous as a person jamming with Earl Scruggs. Who knows? Your band may win first place! First place in the band scramble gives you bragging rights and a hardy pat on the back. Good luck and savor the experience!
Many folks attend the Great 48-Hour Jam having played with fellow bluegrass musicians in the past and, therefore, will have the opportunity to share their talents and entertain the crowd during the open mic activity. This is your chance! Participating in the open mic, playing the music you love, and receiving accolades from the crowd is the icing on the cake for the bluegrass weekend.
Sunday, January 14th
January 14th – Sunday morning. The bluegrass Great 48-Hour Jam is winding down; folks are beginning to check out of rooms, and you hear the sound of bluegrass music fading away. But wait, it’s the Lord’s Day, and you realize this is a time to visit the roots of bluegrass music and join Rich Ferguson to worship our Lord with the annual gospel bluegrass jam held in the Concierge Lounge. The gospel jam starts at 9:00 a.m. What a perfect end to a bluegrass weekend and a perfect start to a great week and bluegrass festivals in the coming months! Pick on.
The Great 48-Hour Bluegrass Jam 2018 is held for the third time in the last nine years at the Marriott Convention Center in downtown Bakersfield. This year’s attendance is at an all-time high, surpassing 2017— we keep growing. In fact, it’s anticipated that over 350 folks will bring their bluegrass talents and instruments and participate in keeping our bluegrass music alive. There will be 342 banjos with a few guitars — just kidding. At the end, you are exhausted as you walk through the Marriott double doors on your way to the parking lot or train station. But you recall the weekend with a smile and a renewed passion for our genre of music. Thank your rolling fingers and picks for Bill Monroe, Flatt & Scruggs and all who have made this weekend possible. See you next year in January 2019!
The Marriott is FULL-No rooms left (We have the run of the house)
The Bakersfield Marriott Convention Center is currently filled to capacity with bluegrassers! It’s sold out or as the hotel big wigs say, “We have the run of the house.” It’s anticipated that no more rooms will be added! For those who still wish to attend the 48-Hour Jam, there are various lodging options.
Option 1:
Rooms are currently available at the Best Western Hill House located a little over one block east of the Marriott and directly across the street from the Amtrak train station. Room rates are $104/night with a complimentary breakfast. Contact information for the Best Western Hill House is 700 Truxtun Avenue, Bakersfield, California 93301. Make reservations by calling 661-327-4064. Please reserve in a timely manner.
Option 2:
Rooms are currently available at the Padre Hotel approximately 1 mile from the Marriott. The room rate for the 48-hour weekend is $139.00/night. Contact information for the Padre Hotel is 1702 18th Street, Bakersfield, California 93301. Make reservations by calling 661-427-4900.
Option 3:
For the folks who wish to travel to Bakersfield using their RV and desire full hookups, space is available at the Kern County Fairgrounds at the rate of $25/night. Contact information for the Kern County Fairgrounds is 1142 South P Street, Bakersfield California 93307. Make RV reservations with Jeannie Burton at 661-833-4917.
For those traveling from areas around Bakersfield to the Marriott, Blue Star Taxi represents the official bluegrass transportation service. Call the Blue Star Taxi service at 661-345-1125.
Although the Marriott has sold out, lodging options are still available. It’s anticipated the January weekend will boast full attendance of Bluegrass jammers from all over the state as well as folks attending from out of state. Non-stop jamming, Thursday night showcase bands, instrument workshops, band scrambles, and the traditional Friday night concert with David Parmley and Cardinal Tradition is a great way to kick off the 2018 bluegrass year! And meet pickers from all parts of California and beyond. Did I say jamming? — How about lots and lots and lots of jamming?!! Please see the Schedule of Events below. Thanks, and see you there! Jack
Schedule of Events at The Great 48-Hour Jam
Thursday, January 11
¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬Free Concert
9:00 p.m. & 10: 00 p.m. in the Presidential Suite
Friday, January 12
Slow Jam for beginners
1:30- 3:00 pm – Little Switzerland Room
Concert: “David Parmley & Cardinal Tradition” with opening act “The Roustabouts” in the Hotel Ballroom
6:00 p.m. Doors Open
7:00 p.m. Concert
Admission: $25.00 prior to January 5, 2018
$30.00 after January 5, 2018 and at the door
Midnight Showcases
Saturday, January 13
CBA Board of Directors Meeting
11:00 a.m. – Hotel Board Room
Workshops for: Banjo, Bass, Fiddle, Guitar, Mandolin, Dobro and Autoharp
1:30 – 3:00 p.m.
Slow Jam for beginners
3:00 – 4:30 – Little Switzerland Room
Afternoon Showcases
Band Scramble Drawing
5:00 p.m. – Presidential Suite
CBA Youth Program Performance
6:50 p.m. – Hotel Ballroom
Band Scramble/Open Mic
8:00 – 11:00 p.m. – Hotel Ballroom
Midnight Showcases
Sunday, January 14
Gospel Jam
9:00 a.m. – Concierge Room