Jamming at the Festival
What's a folk festival without the opportunity to play with your fellow folk? At the Albuuqerque Folk Festival, we provide two "formal" jamming venues plus as many informal venues as there are shady benches. It's easy to bring your instrument to the festival; you can check your instrument for free from 4:30 to 10 p.m. on Friday and from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Saturday, so there's no excuse not to come ready to jam all day.
Jam with the Band
There's a lot of local talent here in Albuquerque and New Mexico, and we're offering Jam with the Band as an avenue where musicians can play or sing along with a few of our great local bands, plus Main Stage bands like the Blue Canyon Boys. It's ok just to listen too. Come on out and meet the up-and-coming folk and traditional music bands on the local music scene. Don't forget to bring your instruments.
Friday
| Time | Name | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 6:00 PM | Carl and Sandra Allen | Folk mix hosted jam |
| 7:00 PM | Open Jam | Jam until closing |
Saturday
Saturday
| Time | Name | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 11:00 AM | Mad Robin | "Mad Robin" is the current name for a group of talented and experienced musicians who have been playing together in different bands and types of music for over 20 years. Musical tunes are selected from English Country, Old Timey Fiddle, waltzes of all ethnicities, swing, classical and folk/pop songs of Latin, Irish, German and Scandanavian origins. "Mad Robin" is the name of a particular move in English Country Dancing, the name of a specific tune, and a particularly good name for a group of slightly crazy mature musicians who are always weaving new harmonies around each other and old tunes while in their heads imagining how they would be dancing it if they weren't sitting there playing for you! The members include: Tom Hunter, mandolin/guitar/vocals, has played for Megaband, and danced with Folkmads and International Folk dancing for decades. (Sometimes he'd rather dance than play.) He has also been a member of "Ketulka's Retreat", focusing on jazz, swing, and Latin tunes. By day he uses lightning electricity to fix things at UNM. Doc Litchman, clarinet, who is also a notorious caller of English Country Dance in our community. He was an originator of the group "Boxwood Consort." He was an outstanding instructor of chemistry at UNM, noted one of the members who took one of his courses. Gary Mayhem, guitar, who shines in English Country and classical styles, was a member of "Boxwood Consort." He also plays with "Megaband." He is a retired-NOT tired- math teacher. Julie Paladino, viola and violin, was a member of "Half Gypsy" and "Baillywick". She has also played with "String Song" and "Tersetto Trio." By day, Julie teaches orchestra in Albuquerque Public Schools (God bless her!), and on certain nights, she moonlights as a player or folk dancer. Sherilyn Welton, cello/piano/harp/violin/vocals, has been a member of "Boxwood Consort," "Tersetto Trio", "Megaband," and an originator of "Distant Cousins," "Ketulka's Retreat" and "String Song." She has also played with the Santa Fe Symphony and Musical Theater Southwest, and sung with "Opera Southwest" and "Opera Unlimited." She owns and runs a music store in Los Lunas, (come see it!) teaches high school English, private music lessons, and dances in her not-spare time. |
| 12:00 PM | Cheap Shots | Formed in 2004, Cheap Shots is an award-winning band that has played a number of venues over the years, including the Albuquerque Folk Festival, the Santa Fe Bluegrass Festival, UNM Faculty Club, HerbFest at the Rio Grande Nature Center, the Piano Source, St. Patrick's Day Emerald Ball, Old Town Plaza, "Front Porch Radio" at the Walnut Valley Festival, and numerous weddings, dances, parties, and other festive events. Later this year the band will be performing at the Wildlife West Folk Festival. Cheap Shots won the 2006 Old Time Band Contest at the Santa Fe Bluegrass Festival and was runners-up at last year's AFF band contest. Band members include three present or past presidents of the Albuquerque Folk Festival: Jimmy Abraham, Peter Esherick, and Erika Gerety. The other three members of the group, John Brinduse, Pat Aruffo, and Bill Balassi, are long-time AFF volunteers as performers, stage managers, and jam leaders. Jimmy Abraham is a talented multi-instrumentalist and a first-rate singer/songwriter. On guitar, he lays down solid rhythms and leads and is a master of country-blues finger picking. On fiddle, he produces sweet, bring-a-smile-to-your-face harmonies with Pat. And on the harmonica, Jimmy is an absolute whiz, playing jigs, reels, and old-time tunes that leave you wanting more. Jimmy has two solo CDs of original music, ""Songwriter's Notebook, Volume 1"" and ""Songwriter's Notebook, Volume 2,"" as well as a CD as a member of the popular local band, The Adobe Brothers. A four-time winner of the prestigious Walnut Valley Festival for his songs, Jimmy has been featured on NBC and NPR and his music has been recorded by at least three other groups that he knows of. Peter Esherick is an accomplished hammered dulcimer and mandolin player, who has won the Santa Fe Bluegrass Festival contest on each instrument. He also plays bass on occasion, even some banjo, but hasn't won anything for it yet. He, along with Erika and John, is a member of one of the New Mexico's and Colorado's favorite contra-dance bands, Hands Five, which recently released the CD ""From the Top."" Peter is also a member of the Placitas Mountain Band. Erika Gerety is the glue that holds the group together, the den mother and list-maker who tempers our "Ooh, shiny" distractions. She is our bass player who lays down the rhythm that keeps us playing the same tune at more-or-less the same time. In addition, she has an amazing voice that can range from lilting to lusty, equally at home with soulful ballads and roof-raising gospel. She also plays mandolin and guitar. Erika keeps herself busy as a member of three other bands: Hands Five, LadyFingers, and The Placitas Mountain Band. John Brinduse is the band member who focuses on rhythm, whether Celtic-style rhythm guitar, contra-dance-style keyboard, bodrhan (Irish drum), standard drum, cymbals, and anything else he can get his hands on, including rain-sticks. In addition to his work with Cheap Shots and Hands Five, John is a member of two Celtic bands, Soda Bread & Salmon and Saoirse (pronounced "SEER-shuh"); with one CD already to their credit, ""Celtic Eclectic,"" and another on the way. Pat Aruffo is our energetic, crowd-pleasing lead fiddle player, who abandoned her classical training to play with Cheap Shots. Her fiddle work nicely complements Peter on dulcimer and mandolin and Jimmy on fiddle and harmonica. But our favorite is her twin fiddle playing with Jimmy. Like Erika, Pat is a member of the all-women's band LadyFingers. Bill Balassi is our lead guitarist, at home with both flatpicking and fingerpicking, but he enjoys playing rhythm guitar even more, as his forceful style adds drive to this high-energy group. Bill also plays mandolin, including mandolin duets with Peter that range from sweet to outrageous, as in their unclassical version of "The William Tell Overture." Like everyone else in the group, Bill is not satisfied to belong to one band. Like Peter, he is a member of The Placitas Mountain Band. |
| 1:00 PM | Blue Canyon Boys | The Blue Canyon Boys are one of the premier bluegrass bands of the Rocky Mountain region. Blending incredible brother-duet-style vocals and award winning instrumental proficiency, this energetic band drives audiences to their feet and leaves them with a smile. |
| 2:00 PM | Lost Howlin' Coyotes | The Lost Howlin' Coyotes are a New Mexico based Bluegrass band. Steeped in traditional Bluegrass and gospel music, the Coyotes deliver a unique blend of original tunes, bluegrass standards, gospel favorites and plenty of surprises at every performance. Band founders Tony Mora and Gordon West teamed up in 2005 as an acoustic duo winning several awards in local competitions and festivals. They have since added the talents of Randy Dupuy on banjo and vocals and Cat Rose Mora on bass and vocals. |
| 3:00 PM | Holy Water and Whiskey | Holy Water and Whiskey is an Albuquerque vocal trio that plays acoustic traditional, folk, bluegrass, gospel, cowboy, etc. and some select "whiskey" tunes. The group bases its arrangements on solid and straightforward instrumental playing with a special focus on the vocal harmonies found in the songs that they play. They also enjoy having fun interacting with their audience in the genuine belief that music and laughter are universally healing. The group consists of Maggie Washburne on bass, Scott Altenbach on guitar, and Bruce Washburne on guitar and banjo. The group was formed in 2003 and since that time, they have played at over 200 private and public events in New Mexico, California, Arizona and Iowa. They all got their start playing and performing during the folk movement of the 60's, and their musical tastes have evolved since then to include many other acoustic styles. Their first CD "Better Late than Never" reflects these varied interests. Their second CD "Spirits of All Kinds" was released in July 2008 and it continues their tradition of fine harmony singing and an eclectic and interesting selection of songs. Audiences say that they particularly appreciate the close and sweet harmonies in their songs as well as the interesting variety of songs and the human stories that those songs tell. They also enjoy their delightful jokes and their friendly rapport with the audience. Their beautifully rendered bluegrass gospel tunes and other tunes with spiritual themes sometimes earn them invitations to perform at church events, but they are just as much at home playing those and their other tunes at pubs, festivals, parties, fund raisers and other concert settings. |
| 4:00 PM | Forked Road |
Hosted Jams
At the hosted jam tent, there's a new host every hour. Hosts are mostly there to encourage musicians to pick a song or start a song and to make sure that everyone gets an opportunity to participate. In addition, hosts bring their own unique flare to the jam.
Friday
| Time | Session | Name | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6:00 PM | Irish/Celtic | Tom Tunney | |
| 7:00 PM | The Pjudys Folk-N-Blues Review | The Pjudys | The Pjudys are an acoustic string duo from Albuquerque, New Mexico. The group includes Peter Nathanson on lap slide, mandolin, guitar and vocals, and Judith L'Heureux on vocals, guitar, mandolin, harmonica and slide. Their repertoire consists of blues from the early 1900s to the present, contemporary folk and originals that explore the human condition, the environment and social & political issues. They love a good story, whether prose or musical, and use those stories to connect with their audiences. Minor keys & modulation not only allowed, but encouraged! |
Saturday
| Time | Session | Name | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| 11:00 AM | Folk Singalong | Jerry Grayson | This will be an old-fashioned sing along with song sheets, similar to the type done at Shakey's pizza many years ago. Songs will be well known folk-type with simple chord progressions for those who choose to bring along instruments (guitar, banjo, autoharp, etc). However, instruments are optional. Just be sure to bring your voices and enthusiasm. Song suggestions from the audience will also be entertained. Come and have fun! |
| 12:00 PM | Mom's Swing | Tom Hunter | My Mom, born in 1917, enjoyed and shared the songs with which she grew up, in the 20s and 30s, when much of popular music was infused with jazz. From the big bands to the Beatles in the 60s, she enjoyed a variety of songs. Some may be like Jerry's selections, from the previous hour, and my focus will be to play with whoever comes. Please bring some old songs that someone who has inspired you musically might have shared with you! If they swing, then that will be like icing! If there's schmaltz, then some may waltz! Challenging fun, huh? |
| 1:00 PM | Bluegrass | Steve Morgan | Bring your instruments and voice for this bluegrass jam. Everyone participates. |
| 2:00 PM | Bluegrass | Steve Morgan | Bring your instruments and voice for this bluegrass jam. Everyone participates. |
| 3:00 PM | Irish/Celtic | Tom Tunney | No rules for this jam. All instruments are welcome (sheet music too). We'll have a tune list if we run out of suggestions. Everyone's encouraged to play. |
| 4:00 PM | Folk/Pop | Bruce Davis | Sing and play along with Bruce Davis on contemporary folk and popular songs. Bruce grew up in Albuquerque playing the guitar. He taught guitar classes in New Mexico and Colorado in the 70's, and gigs as a singer guitarist in the Albuquerque area. |