Lately I’ve been reading and hearing the laments of hard-core bluegrass people that their plans to attend the eigth annual GREAT 48 Jam in Bakersfield have been scrubbed because they waited too long to book a room at the Marriott Hotel. Thought I’d better speak up now to allay the concerns of these folks–Bakersfield in a BIG town with a very long list of hotels and motels at which to stay. Since the third 48 five years ago we’ve been spilling over into other hostelries, and in recent years we’ve been filling some of these places up. But there are ALWAYS more rooms available.
If you’ve attended a 48 Jam I won’t bother trying to sell you on it, but if you haven’t…friends, you’re missing something very unique. Three days of roaming the hallways finding big jams, little jams, bluegrass jams and old time jams, swing jams, jam jams and just about any kind of other jams you can imagine. And this year our Friday night concert act will be the Cardinal Tradition, with David Parmley singing some of the songs that made he and his dad’s band the most popular new bluegrass band back in their day. And of course there’ll be the Reception and Showcases Thursday night, Band Scramble Saturday and, during it all continual picking. Oh, and don’t forget that the 48 is the one time each year that we get to meet and jam with our Southern California counterparts.
So don’t worry about not having a room at Jam headquarters. Just find a bed to flop in, get a little rest and jump back in the next morning.