Well, Christmas time is indeed a-comin’ … and I’m very fortunate to be part of a couple of worthy bluegrass endeavors that warm the heart with the true giving spirit.
First of all, the San Diego Bluegrass Society tried a new kind of jam format last month. Because of how the calendar dates fall this year, our annual 4th Tuesday jam for December lands on December 23rd, so the board cancelled this get together knowing the turnout would be low with folks busy with holiday plans, etc. Since I do the planning for these jams, I suggested we move this year’s festivities up one month to November and we planned a big ol’ Christmas gathering titled Christmas Times A-Comin’. And for even more festiveness, SDBS also wrapped up this whole gathering as a toy drive for Toys 4 Tots where admission to the jam was the donation of one new unwrapped toy. For the evenings entertainment, we kept the open mic and featured band slots, but added a Christmas sing along. So, press releases were created and sent out via Facebook, emails and newsletters. And the excitement built like the proverbial snowball rolling down that holiday hill! Local members really helped spread the word.
At the night of the event, the place was packed! Even past members we had not seen in a long time came out, as well as the club faithfuls. Grinners and pickers abounded! There was much jamming outside, a healthy open mic to open the evening and then Wayne Rice & Co. (which was a stellar cast by themselves with Wayne on guitar, Peter Varhola on bass, Tom Cunningham on fiddle, and the one and only Dennis Caplinger on banjo) led a ½ hour sing along that reveled something out of the ,Christmas Carol movie. Even Capt. Aveeda from the Marines showed up and talked to the crowd about their Toys 4 Tots drive. To cap off the evening, Next Generation (Zach Caplinger on guitar, Sebastian Green on mandolin, Orion Johanning on banjo and Steve Green on bass) really impressed the crowd with their bluegrass prowess at such young ages. And at the end of the evening, we were thrilled to see that not one, but two large boxes of toys had been donated, along with a sizeable amount of cash for the toy drive.
This fresh and new approach to the holidays was invigorating for SDBS members and gave a real feeling of togetherness. Hopefully, SDBS can do this again next year. I think the variety if entertainment and the inclusion of a good cause really got everyone in the holiday spirit. Bluegrass folks are so generous and are “salt of the earth” types when it comes to camaraderie and helping out others.
Another worthy bluegrass event would have to be the upcoming annual Cruise2Jam bluegrass cruise hosted by Jerry Turner. Each January Jerry hosts the bluegrass jam cruise on Carnival Lines that leaves out of Long Beach right near the Queen Mary. In the last couple of years he has expanded this cruise and now includes a jamming night on the Queen Mary the night before the first day of the cruise. This jam benefits disabled veterans (DAV). The money raised on the Queen Mary jam goes toward paying for the cruise expenses for one DAV to cruise. Lots of folks come out for this, even those who are not going on the cruise. This year the goal is to raise enough funds to send two DAVs. These veterans are usually pickers. They enjoy the trip, and really like the jamming onboard. Check out this 2015 cruise coming up in January at www.cruise2jam.com. It’s really affordable and a great little “getaway for a few days” trip.
I’m proud to be a part of the outreach done by San Diego Bluegrass Society partnering this year with the Marines in their Toys 4 Tots 2014 toy drive. Because of Toys 4 Tots, many more children will awaken on Christmas Day to find a toy who otherwise would have received no Christmas gift at all. And I’m equally proud of Jerry Turner for keeping the Cruise2Jam going these many years, and his work with the disabled veterans. The support this cruise provides to those worthy disabled vets is a real blessing indeed. Thanks to SDBS, Cruise2Jam, and the many, many others out there (you know who you are) with that giving spirit. Good on all ya’all! I can just hear Bill singing this now…Can’t you hear them bells ringin’, ringin’; Joy to all, hear them singin’; When it’s snowin’, I’ll be goin; ’back to my country home..
Blessing to ya!
