Letter Down Under, Or Ghost Train on Freak Mountain

My Friends,
I kept wondering, if Hudson and Dawn might surprise us at the Jamboree? Your Spirits often make Cameos in Bellingham and Environs.[They live in New Zealand since last Fall.] So several months back, I asked Robert Sarazin Blake if Baby Gramps had ever been to the Stringband Jamboree? He hadn’t. I knew he had worked with the Crow Quill Night Owls, and the Gallus Brothers. Lucus was able to play this year (and Call for the Square Dancing!), he is finished with Chemo and Surgury for the foreseeable future (!).
Robert asked if he thought Baby Gramps would work with him, and I said I thought he would. A Little Time Trip… It was Mother’s Day 2006, Hudson called me on the phone, trying to get me to come hear Baby Gramps at the Wild Buffalo. I was waffling, tempted, though had been camping at Deception Pass with Family and friends, a couple days… Well next thing I know Caryn Simmons was on the line, asking me to come to the show. How did Brautigan put it,” I have a weakness for intelligent (and beautiful) women, and it is too late to do anything about it now.” On a lark, I grabbed my Digital Recorder, which I had mostly used to record voice and birds, and a couple concerts(including Yogoman’s first Earth Day), well I am glad I went. My recording of Baby Gramps had many technical limitations, and yet the Gist came through! Maybe the imperfections made me try harder. I began a renewed passion with Audio, that had never been far since I was a child, listening to stacks of vinyl records going to bed, my Mom’s Hank Williams was my fav in the 3rd grade. My dad had a big record collection, and we liked Spike Jones records, he saw him a couple times, along with many of the Big Band Acts. He has mentioned Paul and Mary Ford (aka Les Paul) more than anyone else. I made informal recording like crazy ever since Baby Gramps. I started working with a Band (Bob Paltrow and the Patriots of Tomorrow) in the Fall of 2006. I knew Bill Sterling since moving to the RiverFarm in 1988 from Santa Cruz. I was a Fan of the Clay People since 1991 too. Recording lead to Mixing, and I found I enjoyed both together best. I often need to focus on one more than the other. I focused on Recording at the Jamboree this year, as Robert asked me to do. I provided most of the Equipment (Mikes, Monitors, EQ and Board) for the Slanted Stage, which is the auxilary to the Flat Stage (Main). I recorded the Board of the Slanted Stage, as well as the SPDIF from the Main Outs. Brent of KMER and the Radio Museum, ran Sound for the Slanted Stage FOH. He is an Accomplished Audio Engineer, as well as Sound Person, a Gentleman too. My Thanks to both Marks, and Mike and Rob (aka StoneCloud)for thier skills with Sound.
Details, well after a few years of going to the Jamboree, I started asking if I could help out. I have helped build the Stages the last couple of years, helped with Sound, and recorded as much as possible. I write a Blog once a month for the last couple years, assundry topics, though the Local Scence is prominant.) I paid for some Cyber Space from WordPress, a few months ago; Backup-Experience.com. It is a Work in Progress. I can hear limits to this recording of Baby Gramps. And yet I hear clear progress from that Mother’s Day, when my friend Hudson called. Caryn and I have become much closer too. I not only have recorded her, I recorded her Students a couple years back, which my daughter was, some years back. This letter like much that I am involved with, has some life of its own. So there is a Tradition in Bluegrass Circles that Gospel or Traditional Music being played on Sunday Mornings. Last year there was a sing along near the covered Kitchen. I heard it was good, and Laura and Reeb sang. I asked Robert if we could expand it somewhat, with a simple PA; The Production Manager (also the Singer, Guitarist for Smoke Wagon, and also my friend) asked if we could bring it closer to the Main Stages so that we could hear while we diassembled the Stages. I got approval as long as it wasn’t too ellaborate. Bingo!
So I set up early Sunday Morning. I slept in the back of my truck wondering if I should get up. Around 7 AM sharp, the Sun was streaming in glorious except I was wondering if I should get up yet. I heard something on top of my truck. Looking through my skylite, less than a foot from my head, a crow walked over. So I got up. I set up my 2 Powered Speakers, 12″ Mackie Thumps, and My MOTU Traveler (does it have to be so complicted? = less than 20minutes; just saying). A Cascade Microphone made in Olympia, and a SM57 by Shure. The later have been used by US President’s since before Watergate. Oh and my SONY MS Stereo Mic to record. My friend Misty Flowers (who I have worked with several times) and her partner Nate (of the Green Frog) showed up bright eyed and bushy tailed. Misty sang Children of the Wilderness from Young Man in America by Anais Mitchell (her Hadestown Album is the Best American Concept Album). I have the recordings, and the Memories! Seems like around 10 Glorious Minutes, Misty playing acustic guitar, singing under a giant Cedar Tree, with many Tall Trees near, the Powerful Sun in All Her Glory and… the Gospel Leader showed up (Misty Annouced it was about to begin) well, she was none to happy clearly to see the Microphones and (gasp) Speakers! I tried to be polite, though I felt like CR Avery at his first Jamboree. I was screaming praise for his Potty Mouth Beat Box, though many were clearly shocked! Anyways, the Sing Along went well. I didn’t even mention I was recording. Maybe 40 people joined. And it was a good Gathering. It wasn’t the first time I ruffled Feathers at the Jamboree this year, I was trying to do my best. We all have our gifts. All the Best to you and yours, Roger

PSS Caryn called on the phone, while I am listening to Baby Gramps, about to press Send on this Letter to Hudson and Dawn, which seems like it might be the Foundation of August’s Blog too. She wants to toast Ted tonight in Edison, (he is moving to Whidbey Island for a teaching job btw) and I asked to ride along with her and Ted’s Cousin. Too late to do anything about it now! Love to my Friends Down Under. Ya are missed! OK SEND!!!!! “Get you a Hitch in your get along.” Baby Gramps sings an amazing song Ghost Train on Freak Mountain, which is West of Portland.
With Thanks to Robert Sarazin Blake, and All the Souls who make the Stringband Jamboree the Oasis in the Soul Desert. After MidNight of the Amplified Portion of the Jamboree (Almost) I had a chance meeting with a friend of Sparrow’s, Heather of Internation Peace Day. An impromptu talk with her friends ensued, and my idea of ParaNet( in my Short Story , When the Web Froze). was mentioned. They said it has begun, under the name Dark Net! We all agreed, Free Association, is coming!
I am working in REAPER with the audio from more than 35 Acts. Jan called me from Davis last week, wondering if I recorded his Trio, Blackbird. I told him it was a lot of work, and a great honor. I am giving Audio to James Bauchman and his assistant Ben Owens to synch with thier Video. I will also be giving Robert another thumb drive or 2, to use as he sees fit, in the near future. He assures me he will listen at some point. Finding the Artists I record,and getting Audio to them, is somewhat non linear. I am commited to Music, and building relationships in Bellingham and Environs with Artists, it is the Gist of what and who, Backup Experience is about. Peace