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ACOUSTIC JAMS & DANCES IN NORTHERN CA
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Updated June 5, 2009 Regarding
the use of the information on this website. While I don't mind the info
to be used for publicity purposes, please use the following guidelines: CONTRA & SQUARE DANCES IN NORTHERN
CA: SECOND SATURDAY:
CHICO - CONTRA DANCES at Chico Grange (2775 Nord Avenue, Old Nord Highway) 7-10pm. FINGERFOOD POTLUCK SOCIAL at 6:30pm. Always
live music. All dances are taught and called. No need to bring a
partner.
Admission is $7/members (cost $12/year to join), $8/adults, half
price/teens, and free/children 12 & under with a supervising adult. More info: call Mark or Grace
at 707-877-2930. No dances during summer! FOOTHILL COUNTRY DANCERS: Contra dances in GRASS VALLEY/NEVADA CITY area (YOLO COUNTY). MENDOCINO ENGLISH COUNTRY DANCES: Dances at Caspar Community Center in MENDOCINO.
NORTH BAY COUNTRY DANCE
SOCIETY: Dances in SONOMA and MARIN COUNTY, in SANTA ROSA,
SONOMA, SAN RAFAEL, SEBASTOPOL, CALISTOGA, and UKIAH. BLUEGRASS MUSIC: Love Bluegrass?? Find concerts, festivals, instructors, jam sessions, and more at California Bluegrass
Association website. FOLK MUSIC: DATABASE OF FOLK JAM SESSIONS connected to Google maps. REALLY OLD MUSIC: Cylinder recordings, the first commercially produced sound recordings,
are a snapshot of musical and popular culture in the decades around the
turn of the 20th century.
With funding from the Institute of Museum and Library Services, UC
Santa Barbara Libraries have created a
digital collection of over 6,000 cylinder recordings
held by
Dep't of Special Collections. In an effort to bring these recordings to
a wider audience, they can be freely downloaded or streamed online. On
this
website you can find out more about the cylinder format, listen to
thousands of musical and spoken selections from
late 19th and early 20th centuries, and discover a little-known era of
recorded sound. Click
search button to begin, or sample some of their favorite selections in
the featured cylinder section or by listening to online streaming radio. Open invitation to folk musicians of Butte County:
Augie's Fine Coffee & Tea
has an excellent place for you to get your chops down. Write them via
email, or come by and see
manager, Wayne Humbert, who can set you up. They offer a free place to
play to the public, and if you're good,
they will set up concerts for later in year. In the meantime, pay your
dues at Augie's. Summer hours until 6pm, in the Fall, back to evenings.
Submitted by Peter Hansen, President of Augie's Inc., 230 Salem Street,
Chico, CA
95928. More info: call 530-894-7409 or 530-894-3764. PUBLIC JAMS, OPEN MIKES, & SONG CIRCLES IN NORTHERN CA: These are events that are roughly 3 or less hours driving distance from Trinity County. Trinity County events are in bold. Please email me or call 628-4579, if you want to know about any planned (or help to plan) upcoming open jams in public (or private) locations. WEEKLY EVENTS: WEEKLY
ON THURSDAYS: PARADISE - UPPER RIDGE BLUES SOCIETY BLUES JAM SESSION /
OPEN MIC every Thursday at Lynn's Optimo 8-11pm. MONTHLY EVENTS: FIRST THURSDAY: FRESHWATER - BLUEGRASS JAM at Freshwater Grange (49 Grange Road) at 7pm. First hour, from 7-8 pm, is open to any level of bluegrass player.
After 8pm, jam progresses to an advanced player's circle. People who
are still developing their playing and singing skills will be welcome
to stay and listen (instead of participating) during later set. Freshwater Grange is located at 49 Grange Road, near
Garfield School, just a few miles up Freshwater Road from 3 Corners.
More info: call Judy at 707-443-4258. FIRST THURSDAY:
CHICO - RISE UP SINGING CIRCLE at Chico Friends Meeting House (corner
of 16th Street and Hemlock) 7-9pm. Like to sing for fun? Rise Up
Singing is a compilation by Annie Patterson and Peter Blood of great
songs for group singing - words only, tunes will be taught. They will
have some books to lend. If you have one, please bring it. More info or
for directions: call Leslie Howard at 530-891-0750. FIRST THURSDAY: ARCATA - SONG CIRCLE at Arcata Community Center at 7:30pm. Hosted by Joel Sonenshein.
Humboldt Folklife Society event.
FREE. FIRST SATURDAY: WEED - ROCK CREEK JAMS at Weed Mercantile (on Main Street) 2-5pm. FIRST SATURDAY: CHICO - FOLK & AMERICANA ACOUSTIC JAM at Upper Crust Bakery (130 Main Street) 2-5pm. Sponsored by Butte Folk Music Society. Everyone welcome (including children) to come play music, share songs, sing-along and get acquainted with others who love folk music and Americana. Everyone has fun, even the listeners! FIRST SUNDAY: RED BLUFF - BLACKTOP BLUES SOCIETY JAM at West Side Grange Hall. More info: call 530-384-1109. Note: Event is suspended, while they look for a new venue to continue event! FIRST SUNDAY (October - June; NO jams July - September): (OLD) SHASTA (NEAR REDDING) - DISTRICT 6 CA STATE OLD TIME FIDDLER'S ASSOCIATION WORKSHOP & ACOUSTIC JAM SESSION at St. James Lutheran Church (2500 Shasta View Drive, just south of Highway 44). CSOFTA board meeting at 12noon. Workshop at 1pm. Jamming 2-5pm. First Sunday each month. Monthly jam sessions are all about fiddling (and picking) around with Old-time jigs, reels, hoedowns, waltzes and tunes of choice. Beginner, intermediate and advanced players of all ages are welcome to come and learn new songs, have fun with old friends and make new friends. Acoustic non-fiddlers also welcome. More info: call Lee Brushett: 243-4772. DIRECTIONS: Take Hwy 44 East; Shasta View is 2nd or 3rd exit; turn right and church is just ahead on right. FIRST SUNDAY: CHICO - NORTHERN CA HARP RING meets at various homes in Chico. Anyone who plays any kind of harp, or is interested in learning to play the harp, is welcome. More info: call Janice at 530-893-8026. SECOND THURSDAY: CHICO - OPEN MIKE BLUEGRASS JAM (sponsored by
California Bluegrass
Association) at Augie's
Cafe (230 Salem, 530-894-7409) at 6:30pm. Come play or come listen. More info: call John Senior
at 530-877-1768 or Sid Lewis at 530-894-2526. SECOND THURSDAY: PARADISE - UKULELES OF PARADISE MEETING
at Craig Memorial Congregational Church (5665 Scottwood) 6:30-8:15pm.
Join local ukulele players (and wannabe ukulele players) at monthly
meeting. A free 30-minute beginner's lesson starts the meeting and
newbies will be able to play 3-chord songs (not necessarily right on
tempo!) by the time the regular meeting and playing starts at 7pm.
Ukuleles play any kind of music and ukulele players always have fun! SECOND
FRIDAY: CHICO - CHICO RAGTIME & TIN PAN ALLEY OPEN MIC at The
Terraces (2750 Sierra Sunrise Terrace, off Bruce Road) at 6:30pm. No
charge for event. Fans and performers are invited to enjoy music of
mid-1800 to 1950 and acoustic music that fits in with the sound of this
era. This is a special place for showcasing talent. They have had
piano, guitar, mandolin, banjo, organ, harmonica, accordion, clarinet
and lots of singing. Fiddle Tunes! Country! Bluegrass! Folk! Blues!
Cajun! Boogie-Woogie! Jazz! Gypsy Jazz! Classical! Performances are
held to 10-minute rule. Brief historical presentations about the era's
music and/or composers are encouraged. More info: call Bernie or Bob
LoFaso at 530-894-6854. SECOND & FOURTH FRIDAYS: REDDING - FRIDAY NIGHT FIDDLE JAMS at Leatherby's Creamery in downtown mall 7-9:30pm. Join fiddlers, guitar players, mandolin players and others to play old time jigs, reels, hoedowns, waltzes and tunes of choice. Beginners, intermediate and advanced players of all ages are welcome to come and learn new songs, have fun with old friends and make new ones. Public is invited to watch, listen, tap their toes and dance, if so inclined. More info: call Bill Covert at 530-221-5325 or Tom Spence: 530-722-0570. Hosted by District 6 CA State Old Time Fiddler's Association. SECOND SATURDAY: CHICO - MUSIC CIRCLE at Augie's
Cafe
(230 Salem Street, 530-894-3764) 2-5pm. Bring your instruments and
musical energy to acoustic music circle. Folk, bluegrass, old timey -
all is welcome. Meet local musicians to play, sing or just enjoy. More
info: call David at 530-872-2084. SECOND SATURDAY: COHASSET - OPEN MIKE & JAM at Cohasset Community Building 7-10:30pm. All welcome to come participate and/or listen. Food & beverages for sale on site. UPDATED!
SECOND SUNDAY: EUREKA - CELTIC MUSIC SESSION at Gallagher's Irish
Restaurant & Pub (Old Town area) 7-9:30pm. Musicians are
invited to play. There are various monthly hosts: Sam McNeill from Good
Company; Seabury Gould with Scatter the Mud as the core group, etc.
It's an open session so people are invited to bring instruments and
voices (or just come and listen) for the sharing of "mostly
Irish/Celtic tunes and some songs". Admission is free. Extra folding
chairs are always appreciated if you have one to bring. A Humboldt
Folklife Society event. More info: 707-845-8167. FREE THIRD WEDNESDAY: ARCATA - SONG CIRCLE WITH SEABURY GOULD at Arcata Library Conference Room (500 7th Street) at 7:30pm. Bring your voices and songs to this monthly gathering for singing together! Many of you know Seabury from his work with children - but this circle, while for people of all ages, is geared for adults. More info: call Seabury at 707-845-8167. More info or to confirm location: 707-845-8167 FREE THIRD FRIDAY: CHICO - EDUCATIONAL ACOUSTIC JAM & SHOWCASE at 2750 Sierra Sunrise Terrace (off of Bruce Road) 10:30am-12noon. Play, sing, listen and learn about the music of our life. A short presentation about music history or information would be welcomed. Showcase performances are asked to be kept to 10 minutes. Open to residents of The Terraces, seniors, Butte Folk Music Society members and guests. More info: call Bernie or Bob at 530-894-6854. THIRD SATURDAY:
CHICO - OLD TIME MUSIC JAM at Augie's
Cafe
(230 Salem, 530-894-7409) 2pm-5m. Hosted by Michael Springer, old time
fiddler. Encouraging those who play clawhammer banjo, fiddle, or guitar
to come participate. Of course listeners are always welcome.
FREE THIRD SUNDAY: MT. SHASTA - PANTHER CREEK JAMS at Stage Door (on Main Street) 2-4pm. FOURTH SATURDAY: CHICO - BLUEGRASS JAM at Augie's
Cafe
(230 Salem, 530-894-7409)
2-5:30pm. People who play mandolin, banjo, guitar, fiddle, dobro, bass,
and bluegrass harmonica are encouraged to come and jam. People who like
to sing bluegrass songs, or listen to bluegrass, or simply want to know
what the heck bluegrass IS are encouraged to come. While the jam will
be from 2 - 5:30pm, the first hour is a SLOW JAM (for those who like to
hear and/or play ALL the notes). Songs will be played at a slow to
moderate tempo, and jam etiquette will be discussed. Regular jam starts
at 3pm. They encourage folks to bring songs and tunes of "founding
fathers" of bluegrass-- Bill Monroe, Flatt & Scruggs, Stanley
Brothers, Osborne Brothers, Jim & Jesse - as well as "second
generation" bands. Hosted by Lucy, California Bluegrass
Association Northern CA Area Activities Vice President. FOURTH SUNDAY: OROVILLE - DISTRICT
1 OLD TIME FIDDLERS ASSOCIATION
OPEN MIKE & JAM at Thermalito Grange Hall
(479 Plumas Avenue) 1-4:30pm. Membership encouraged but you don't have
to be a member to join in or come listen. More info: call 530-589-5841
or
Bob Hedrick at 530-589-4844. In regards to musical learning, I try to follow the Three P's: I do all of the above and they all help in different ways. Practicing at home gives you time to slowly work out the correct way to play something, with no one there to make you nervous. You can play a sticky spot over and over until it get smooth, practice scales, etc. Playing with others teaches you to do more than one thing at once: play your part, listen to the other musicians, and learn the basics of performing without the pressure of the stage. It is a supportive place to improvise and try new licks and songs, yet you still have to keep playing if you mess up, so you learn to "think on your feet". Performing on stage has different functions for different people. For some it is the "gravy", finally being on stage. For others, like me, it is something I do to give back to the community. Plus, by scaring myself on stage, I am no longer nervous in most jam sessions, which is truly my favorite place to be! - Rachel THE TEN JAMMANDMENTS: II. Thou Shalt Keep Steady Rhythm. III. Thou Shalt Take Turns Choosing Songs. IV. Thou Shalt Not Speed. V. Thou Shalt Signal Who Has The Solo. VI. Thou Shalt Listen To Others. VII. Thou Shalt Welcome Others. VIII. Thou Shalt Not Steal Other Musicians From An Active Jam. IX. Thou Shalt Try New Material. X. Thou Shalt Be Considerate Of Pickers. |
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