Next meeting will be January 20th at the Devonshire Senior Center

2802 E. Devonshire, Phoenix AZ from 12:00 - 3:30

S Open jam from 12:00 to 1:00 (all are welcome!)

Featured Entertainment from 1:00 to 1:30 will be

Fireside Bluegrass

Founded in 2015, Fireside Bluegrass is a traditional, gospel bluegrass band that performs in the Phoenix Metropolitan area. They say “Our goal is to take our music out to the community for the enjoyment of all. Festivals, jams and private events allow us to deliver entertainment to the community at large as well as those who have limited access to the world of Bluegrass Music.”

Not only is their music great, but this is a nice bunch of folks, and it comes across in their performance.

Open Stage following featured entertainers until 3:30

AZ Pickers & Grinners Newsletter

Since 1972, The Longest On-Going Folk/Country Music Organization in Arizona January 2018 Vol 51 Issue 48

We have enjoyed some fun times at the Novem-ber and December meetings. There were more goodies than we could eat, and lots of jamming with a big circle both times. The December meeting was especially fun, with drawings for Sid Hausman’s CDs and books, and pens for all of the members. We can thank Nancy Kimm for helping us get the pens. She got the idea from a circular and or-dered them for us—thanks Nancy! You were there in spirit! The Cowboy Christmas show was a really fun circle of songs. Our own Lon Austin contributed his inimitable style, and our old friend Wally Bornmann was stellar too. Sid Hausman is one of my favorite performers, and was just as wonderful as we knew he would be. Thanks to all who came out to the meeting and partic-ipated in all the fun. Next month we will have Fireside Bluegrass as the featured entertainers, and they are a great band. All of the folks in this band are great people too, I think you’ll enjoy them on both counts. Read what they say about their music in the meeting announcement at right. Enjoy this issue of the P&G news. Happy new year to you all, I wish you the best of everything! Andy

From the Editor

Shelby Lynne and Allison Moorer share new album 'Not Dark Yet'

By Roisin O’Connor for the Independent

Sisters Shelby Lynne and Allison Moorer have 24 albums, a Grammy, Oscar and a cluster of other prestig-ious awards between them. Their latest work, Not Dark Yet - produced by Teddy Thompson - allows fans to look at their individ-ual and collective artistry over their impressive careers, through a collection of songs by some of their favourite singer-songwriters - from Nick Cave to Bob Dylan, Kurt Cobain and The Killers. It's not a duet record, they assert, but a celebration of their two voices "finding home within each other". In a recent New York Times interview Moorer said singing with her sister was like "going home" - Lynne responded: "We're the bodyguards of each other's soul."

Three Legged Dog News Flash! I found a post on Facebook that says that Three-Legged Dog is almost done with a new CD! If you haven’t heard this group, drop everything you’re doing and go find them! They’re REAL-LY good, play all kinds of instruments (see their bio below) and they have so much fun doing it!

Here is Bea’s comment from Facebook: “Three-Legged Dog, is almost done with our new CD. Here's a sneak preview— Fine By Me is free for our fans. Email Three-Legged-Dog@Cox.Net to get your free MP3. You can also find it on our ReverbNation page here:https://www.reverbnation.com/threeleg…/…/28976623-fine-by-me”

Here’s their bio: Three-Legged Dog is today’s version of the string bands that existed all about the country in the Thirties and Forties, groups that played everything – old-time mountain music, blues, ballads, devotional and dance music, jazz, pop tunes of the day – on acoustic instruments. The Dog takes to the stage with anywhere from sixteen to twenty instruments including multiple guitars, banjos, mandolins, accordion, bouzouki, harmonica, stand-up and fretless electric bass, Dobro and Hawaiian guitar, cello, and fid-dle.

Sample their music here: https://www.reverbnation.com/threeleggeddog7/song/28976623-fine-by-me

ACOUSTIC MUSIC IN ARIZONA by Myron and Rachel Lieberman

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WELCOME BACK HANK CRAMER

Historian, storyteller and folksinger Hank Cramer was born in Fort Bragg, North Caroli-na, in 1953 to Green Beret Captain Harry G. Cramer. Hank Cramer was four years old when he lost his father, who was the first American casualty of the Viet Nam war, how-ever he credits his father with giving him the gift of music. Hank Cramer went to the Uni-versity of Arizona (UofA) from 1972-6. He

began singing professionally while at the UofA and graduated with a history degree. After graduation he began a 28 year career as an army officer (both active and reserve). Details at can be found on Wikipedia and other sources. He moved to Winthrop, WA, where he combined his skills to build a remarkable career in touring and teaching history through music. He met his future wife Kit McLean there in 1998 when performing cowboy songs for covered wagon rides. Both she and her father, folk singer, poet and teacher Ron McLean, encouraged him to make music his life. A comprehensive resource for more information is Marcy Stamper's article in the Fall, 2017 issue of the Fall Art Magazine at http://www.methowarts.org/featuredartist/featured-artisthank-cramer/. Thanks to Methowarts for that article. It notes that Kit McLean told Hank Cramer “Your future is in that guitar case.” and describes Hank Cramer as “a natu-ral storyteller with a casual disarming sense of humor. When he sings that conversational intimacy comes through loud and clear.” Probably best known nationally for his Oregon Trail presenta-tions and Lady Washington tours he is equally accomplished in Celtic, Maritime, Military, Mining, Railroad, Cowboy and other folk genres. Furthermore he has personal experience in those areas. Per his website at http://www.hankcramer.com/welcome “He is widely known for his booming bass voice, smooth picking on a vintage flat-top guitar, and his wry sense of humor. He has a reper-toire of over a thousand modern and traditional songs, spanning the genres of Celtic, Appalachian, maritime, cowboy, and plain old folk music. He is more than simply a performer, however. He is a histo-rian and educator who weaves music and history into presentations which bring to life the rich story of America’s westward movement, and give his audiences insight into the 'folk process' by which tradi-tional songs evolve and change to describe new events. … After graduation, Hank pursued a unique life journey involving adven-ture, hardship, travel, and public service. He has been an under-ground miner, an Army officer and paratrooper, a 9-1-1 emergency communicator, a deep-water sailor, and a wrangler for a high-country outfitter. These life experiences make Hank’s songs ring with the special authenticity of someone who has 'been there and done that.' A full time touring musician for over ten years, Hank now has nineteen CD’s and several movie soundtracks and music videos to his credit. While he performs a regular concert series like most musicians, Hank is strongly drawn to performances in educa-tional settings which enable him to delve into his dual loves of his-tory and music.” Hank Cramer has often performed at Folk Festivals in Arizona. He announced at the recent Prescott Folk Festival that he will be returning to live in Arizona. WHY TOUR? A 2014 article in the Sequim (WA) Gazette quot-ed Hank Cramer as saying “I look at the happiness that good music and good stories bring to people. To be able to travel around and entertain people I’ve never met, make new friends and tell them a story and sing them songs, and see how much they enjoy it, to see their smiles and, in some cases, their tears … to touch someone and make new friends every weekend somewhere … there’s a lot of power in that."

HUMANITIES WASHINGTON AWARD– Hank Cramer won the 2011 Humanities Washington Award for his presentations that showed what life was like on the Oregon Trail. Jefferson Robbins' 2013 interview at https://www.humanities.org/blog/one-trail-many-voices-songs-of-the-oregon-trail/ quotes Hank Cramer as explaining that since there was no room on the wagons for a piano or organ “The mandolin, the fiddle, the banjo, the concertina and the har-monica became the instruments of the westward migrations — and the basis for modern American folk music.” Hank Cramer has do-nated his award to the Grays Harbor Historical Seaport Authority, where he serves as Shantyman on a replica of the historic tall ship Lady Washington. Please note that in the 1700s there was no air travel and no Panama Canal. East to West travel across the US had to be either by land by covered wagon or by sea around Cape Horn. Hank Cramer brings both to our attention through story and song. LADY WASHINGTON - The Grays Harbor Seaport Authori-ty's site at http://www.historicalseaport.org/ships/lady-washington/ documents the replica, which has appeared in a number of movies and TV shows and has an active tour and sailing schedule. The first Lady Washington was built in 1787 and sank in the Philippines in 1797. Its replacement was built in PA in 1798 and was found as a shipwreck in Lake Ontario in 1803. Karen West's article at http://www.methownet.com/grist/features/hankcramer.html provides an overview of the award and points out that the original Lady Washington (in 1788) was the first American ship to make landfall on the west coast of North America. Lady Washington was also the first American vessel to visit Honolulu, Hong Kong and Japan. USS CONSTELLATION – Hank Cramer has recorded two albums with the crew of the USS Constellation. Dan Gilman in his review of Songs of the USS Constellation in Sing Out magazine called it “One of the most beautiful and accomplished albums of sea songs I’ve ever heard. Cramer’s voice is a rich, mellifluous bass of superlative beauty – this guy was born to sing folk music.” The detailed history of the USS Constellation can be found at http://www.historicships.org/constellation.html. SILVER SCREEN COWBOY PROJECT – Most recently Marvin O'Dell's Silver Screen Cowboy Project has been mentioned in this column in the April, 2017, issue. Hank Cramer performed The Lone Ranger Way on that exceptional recording.

WELCOME BACK TONI TENNILLE

This is an update to our article (Part 21) about The Captain and Tennille that appeared in the Septem-ber, 2014, issue of this newsletter. Much has hap-pened with Toni Tennille since then including her leaving her beloved Prescott for family reasons in 2015 and returning in 2017, a divorce, the death of her therapy dog Smoky, and the publication of her

memoir. Our 2014 article provided a detailed overview of the Cap-tain and Tennille's life and music that will not be repeated here ex-cept for Toni Tennille's New Year’s wish. Toni Tennille moved to Lake Mary, FL, to be with her sister Jane and niece Caroline where they could help each other as they aged. Toni Tennille's blog indicated she really enjoyed her time in Lake Mary and the people there but she felt that something was missing. She concluded it was Prescott.

The Lady Washington

Continued next column Continued on page 3

Acoustic Music in Arizona continued from page 2

SMOKY, BEBOP AND LULA – The Prescott Daily Courier of Nov. 1, 2009, includes an excellent article on Toni Tennille's visits to the Yavapai Regional Medical Center (YRMC) with her therapy dog Smoky, the YRMC's Pets Are Warm Support (PAWS) pro-gram, and their therapy visits to Sedona. It can be found at http://www.dcourier.com/Main.asp?SectionID=1&SubSectionID=1&ArticleID=74139. Our 2014 arti-cle provides further information. Toni Tennille's blog on 9/24/2014 noted “I now also have Smoky’s two nieces, Bebop and Lula, and I

run them in agility trials and show them in conformation shows. I also do agility with Smoky. All three are now Australian Shepherd Club of America (ASCA) Champions. I have happily gone to the dogs!” A review of Toni Tennille's memoir in New Orleans Living magazine quot-ed Toni Tennille as saying about Smoky “He was beloved at the hos-

pital, and he did so much good, and I was going to do work in Flor-ida, but Smoky passed away. Bebop and Lula aren’t quite as mel-low!” and said “If Tennille finds a dog with Smoky’s temperament, she’ll consider bringing joy to hospital patients again through her therapy work, just like the joy she’s spread all her life through her wondrous music.” TONI TENNILLE: A MEMOIR - Written by Toni Tennille and her niece Caroline Tennille St. Clair, it was published in April, 2016. The release of her memoir in 2016 created a “feeding fren-zy” in the entertainment media. Much of what can be found today is offered by entertainment publications that are slanted to their own viewpoints aimed to build controversy. Basic information can be found in Randy Cordova's review of the book in the Arizona Re-public at https://www.azcentral.com/story/entertainment/arts/2016/04/05/toni-tennille-interview-autobiography-book/82532494/. A preview of the book is available at https://books.google.com/ HOMECOMING - Randy Cordova, in his June 27, 2017, arti-cle in the Arizona Republic at https://www.azcentral.com/story/entertainment/people/2017/06/27/toni-tennille-captain-moving-to-arizona/431411001/ quotes Toni Tennille as saying “I have already bought a house in Prescott, and will be making the move back there at the end of July. My youngest sister, Melissa, will fly out here to be my copilot on the 2,500-mile drive back to Prescott.” NEW YEARS WISH – Toni Tennille said “One of my fondest hopes ... is that we will all try to be more civil and courteous with each other. When you go out today, try to greet people along the way with a smile....it can be a tiny one...just try at least to have a pleasant look on your face ... The cashier at the supermarket.... the lady you meet pushing her cart in the grocery aisle...the teller at the bank...the kids walking their dog. Try looking them straight in the eyes and say, “Good morning” or just “Hi” as you pass by. I find that even people who seem to be total grumps will light up just a bit if you do that.” Songwriter Jonathan Byrd might express that thought as “Say 'hey' to them.” ♥

Ms. Tennille with Bebop and Lula

This is an excerpt from an interview with Ms. Newcomer. I’ve been in love with her music for years. Check out her music, her voice is gorgeous! ah

Contemporary Folk Artist Carrie Newcomer

Indiana-born and based, Carrie Newcomer has been called a “prairie mystic.” She’s best known for her story-songs that get at raw and redemptive edges of human reality. She’s also an interesting collaborator in writing and per-formance with author and educator Parker Palmer, novelist Barbara Kingsolver, and neu-roscientist Jill Bolte Taylor. She is known as a something of a celebrity in Quaker circles although she wasn’t raised Quaker. Carrie says her mom was raised Catholic. “She’s a first generation American from an Italian family. And my father was raised Methodist, but his family background was Mennonite, Amish. So, I think I’m the only Italian-Amish person on the planet! But I was kind of raised, in a basic Protestant-Methodist church later on. Eventually I was doing a service semester for the college I was going to in Costa Rica, and I encountered the silent — unpro-grammed Quakers there in Monteverde. But it felt like home. And people ask me often ‘you’re a musician, you make your life in sound, and you go to a silent Quaker meeting. What’s with that?’ But it makes all the sense in the world that my best language has always come out of the silence.” She says “Music approaches the sacred through the wordless avenues of the heart.” “I do sit with the silent Quakers, but I think my most consistent and deep spiritual practice has been songwriting. And when I became a teenager I fell in love with the singing poets. Those people who were … Joni Mitchell, Dylan, Leonard Cohen. All these people who were combining beautiful poetry and music. And I fell in love with that. So, I picked up the guitar. But that idea of music being a spiritual practice, that kind of evolved. Because to be a songwriter I had to develop and practice some of the things that I think belong to the idea of spiritual practice. I had to really start to practice pres-ence. You have to be present. You have to show up. To whatever you’re writing, and to your whole life. Human story. We’re so amazing. People, we’re interesting, and we’re inspiring, and we’re bewildering, there’s something about that… I’ve always had a spiritual current to my work. Some people come to spiritual music and creating spiritual music through the church and some of us come through the bars. It’s a different way of getting there, but that idea that there is something shining in the world, there’s something shimmering just below the surface of things. Light in the world as being an artist, as being creative, curi-ous. That idea of curiosity, of question, and asking questions again, and sensing that there’s something shimmering just below the sur-face of things and going, wow, what is that?”

Here’s a link to “Betty’s Diner” a lovely song about the human race and kindness, it’s brilliant . . . https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R8tF70BscaE

Here’s a link to “I Believe” another beautiful song about simple, good things - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ylS2MgsogwA

This is a beautiful song Bob wrote for his daughter . . . Here is a link if you’d like to hear him sing it: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AQYIKqTXrWQ

Nobody’s Got It Easy by Bob Frank

Nobody’s got it easy, nobody’s got it made Don’t let your heart be troubled, don’t let it be afraid

Remember Milarepa, the trials he went through, Before he reached enlightenment, he was just like you

Remember Rumi and Hariz they wrote those beautiful songs, But there were times in both their lives when everything went wrong.

Remember sweetest Jesus, the night before he died, He went out in the garden and sat down and cried.

We’re all broken, that’s how the light gets in. Ernest Hemmingway

"Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which have the potential to turn a life around." Leo Buscaglia

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It’s hard to imagine the turbulent '60s without such folk songs as “Blowin’ in the Wind,” “Eve of De-struction” or “The Times They Are A-Changin’” serving as musical markers of protest. And when Lady Gaga opened her Super Bowl halftime show earlier this month with Woody Guthrie’s iconic folk song “This Land Is Your Land,” the 77-year-old patriotic anthem got introduced to a new generation. As America enters its most fractious political time in decades, can folk regain the social relevance it once had as the musical voice of resilience and re-sistance? The very people you would expect to say yes -- some of the biggest artists in the folk genre -- said no during the 29th annual Folk Alliance International confer-ence held Feb. 15-19 in Kansas City, Missouri. But they passionate-ly believe that folk music and its heritage will have a moral and guiding role in shaping the conversation, no matter what it sounds like. “White boys with guitars is a bit outdated,” FAI keynote speak-er Billy Bragg told Billboard. However, he added, “This is one of those fertile times when folk music can come along and feed the resistance. What’s different is that music no longer has a vanguard role in youth culture because of the internet. There are so many dif-ferent ways to express your anger now, whereas before the only real medium that made sense was music. If you’re 19 and angry, you can make a film on your phone.” Guthrie’s daughter, Nora, looks to artists like Beyonce to contin-ue the work of her father and other politically-oriented folk pio-neers. She stresses that just because the music isn’t based in acous-tic guitar doesn’t mean it isn’t drawing from the same ideals. “When Beyonce came out with ‘Formation,’ that could be a Lead Belly tune as far as I’m concerned,” she said, citing the legendary folk/blues artist. “Folk music has roots. I always think of [my father] as the trunk of the tree, and as the decades go by, it just keeps growing different branches. What Lady Gaga did at the Super Bowl, that’s a branch. Joni Mitchell changed the world, but so did The Clash.” To Nora Guthrie’s point, Katy Perry’s pop smash “Roar” was a rallying cry for the Jan. 21’s Women’s March, while Kendrick La-mar’s “Alright” provided an anthem for the Black Lives Matter movement. “You don’t need an acoustic guitar to make a song that challenges the status quo,” said Ani DiFranco. Texas Music Hall of Fame inductee Eliza Gilkyson, no stranger to political-themed folk songs herself, references Animal House when asked if traditional folk music can reclaim the main-stream voice it had in the ‘60s. “That feels a little like that scene when the folk singer’s on the stairs [in the fraternity house] singing ‘I Gave My Love A Cherry,’ and John Belushi smashes his acoustic guitar,” she said. “We can’t go back to the stereotype of folk music from that time. We’re all writing in a way that feels more current.

Grammy nominated singer-songwriter Tift Merritt agreed that the message may look different than it has in the past: “Folk music is built by design to carry a message,” she said, “but I’m sure there will be messages dressed in more modern dresses that are just as effec-tive.” And relevant. Some folk musicians have abdicated their role as historical chroniclers and moral compasses as a survival tactic, said FAI executive director Aengus Finnan -- hence this year’s conference theme of For-bidden Folk (a topic chosen well in advance

of November’s election results). “Folk music once had a higher pro-file on the frontline of these issues -- whether it was on picket lines, in civil rights marches, demonstrations -- that were the issues of the day, and there was a bit of a shift within [folk] to become more in-dustry oriented around personal career success,” he says. “There’s nothing wrong with that, that’s about self- preservation of the artist, but it brought with it, ‘oh, I don’t want to upset my audience’.” FAI’s theme and this year’s programming were designed “to really create that bold, proud and confident ability of the artist to not shirk from the issues,” he said. It is a tough line to walk, said upcoming folk singer Caitlin Canty, especially when so many artists make their living playing in red states before paying customers who want to be entertained, not necessarily preached to. “I feel sympathetic to those audience mem-bers,” she said, adding that she kept most of her political opinions and activism separate from her music -- until recently. “We need our Guthries right now,” she said. “That’s not how I’d stereotype myself or my friends, but I think everyone is adding that piece to their personality right now.” What folk artists may lack in arena-sized audiences, Finnan be-lieves they can make up for in a more personal outreach. “The acti-vation that is happening now is at a grassroots level,” he said. “There is an intimacy to the presentation of acoustic-based folk mu-sic that is in the coffee houses, in the community halls, in the church basements, in the high school gymnasiums that has a very disarming quality and that has a proximity to people’s hearts and lives that is different from commercial music. There may be a few crossover acts that bump up into that world from ours, but I think it’s a differ-ent track that folk music can take.” For legendary folk rocker Bruce Cockburn, getting the message out is all that matters, regardless of the form. “The more voices and the louder the voices the better,” he told Billboard. “If you have someone like [Katy Perry,] who reaches the ears of many many peo-ple, it’s all to the good.” And, as he said, invoking a quote made famous by Louis Armstrong, “All music is folk music. I ain’t never heard a horse sing a song.”

The Times They Are A-Changin': Is Folk Music Still Relevant for the Resistance? by Melinda Newman for Billboard

Billy Bragg delivering the keynote speech at the Folk Alliance International in Kan-sas City on February 18, 2017

January 9th at 7:00 pm Ramblin’ Jack Elliott and Peter Rowan January 14th at 7:00 pm Carmela y Más present “Salsology” I remember dancing to Carmela’s band years ago, and it is compelling and wonderful music! Ah January 17th at 7:00 pm Singer-Songwriter Chris Mann January 19th at 7:30 pm Marty Stuart and His Fabulous Superlatives: the Way Out West Tour

January 22nd at 7:00 pm Keola Beamer and Henry Kapono January 27th at 7:30 pm Melanie, Friends and Family: An evening of songs and stories January 28th at 7:30 pm Beausoleil avec Michael Doucet January 31st at 7:00 pm George Winston on piano

A Sampling of Concerts at the Musical Instrument Museum in January 4725 E. Mayo Blvd., Phoenix 85050 480.478.6000

Music is a moral law. It gives soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination, and charm and gaiety to life and to everything. Plato

Music Notes From the Arizona Back-roads by Andy Hurlbut

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Winter Beauty

It was cold and wintery when my best friend and I went back to visit my sister in Vermont. Enough snow had fallen that some friends of theirs brought out a sleigh drawn by their horse. We got our first and only sleigh ride on that cold, snowy evening, and what I remember is the quiet . . . The horse’s breath was steamy and you could hear the clops of his feet, but the sleigh gliding along on the snow was so quiet. That’s how I think of January. After all of the things we rush to do in December, January seems like a breath of fresh air and peace. I’m hoping for cloudy skies, and days of sipping coffee and looking out the window, maybe bringing out the knitting bag and creating something quietly with my hands. I’ll certainly be reading good books! One of our old friends is a stellar songwriter that plays music in places all around south central Arizona where he lives. In December he got married to a lovely woman from Canada. Their wedding was held in the VFW hall in downtown Casa Grande. It was a reminder of my childhood days in Arizona because my uncle had a ranch near Coolidge, and we spent quite a bit of time in that area. The ways and feel of old Arizona have a special place in my heart because it was different than it is now, and especially in the cities. This wedding brought that all back. It was simple and poignant, with a small-town feel. It was such a personal ceremony that it was touching. He sang the Norah Jones song Come Away With Me as she walked down the aisle. (here is a link to Norah’s version: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lbjZPFBD6JU). He did a beautiful version for her, and his voice is so rich and full, and he can hit the high notes just perfectly. He sang Keeper of the Stars as they danced their first dance while his band played. What an incredible and romantic thing! His whole family made it special, and even his ex-wife made fried bread as the meal for all the guests. My trio, The Artichoke Sisters, put on their annual Christmas show and fundraiser on December 2nd. We started out doing these shows to raise mon-ey to support the folk festival held every spring. We still host it as a fundrais-er, but the show has become a tradition each year and we look forward to hav-ing our friends come out and play with us. The girls had Tom Whitlock, Ron Wright, and Harry Zona wear grass skirts and coconut bras while we sang a couple of Christmas hula songs. It was a hit, and they were so funny, it was great. We had new and old friends join us and sing an amazing bunch of songs in a program that rang in the season in style. Midori Hall’s granddaugh-ter joined Barbara Herber and Anne James in singing while she and Ruth played Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer. Barbara noted that she is an Arti-choke in Training! We set our fundraising goal at $1000 this year, and largely due to Bob Gibney’s contribution of CDs for sale, we reached the lofty amount of $1275 that night. Just last week Jackie Allen brought some CDs to the coffeehouse and raised nearly $100 as another contribution to the cause. Thanks go out to Bob, Jackie and all of the people who helped us put on this show—all of the folks who baked cookies, the players, and the audience who came to listen and put money in the jar. Lon and I attended a songwriting seminar by Steve Seskin at Barbara’s Place this month. Here is a quote from his web page: “Steve Seskin is a suc-cessful songwriter who has written seven number one songs, includ-ing Grammy-nominated “Grown Men Don’t Cry,” recorded by Tim McGraw, and “Don’t Laugh at Me,” winner of NSAI Song of the Year and Music Row Magazine Song of the Year in 1999 as recorded by Mark Wills. His other #1 hits are “No Doubt About It” and “For a Change,” both recorded by Neal McCoy, “No Man’s Land” and “If You’ve Got Love,” both recorded by John Michael Montgomery, and “Daddy’s Money,” recorded by Ricochet. Other chart toppers include “I Think About You,” recorded by Collin Raye, and “All I Need To Know,” recorded by Kenny Chesney. The video for Raye’s “I Think About You” single was named the Academy of Country Music’s Video of the Year in 1997, and the song and video were also given an award by the Tennessee Task Force Against Domestic Violence. “ With credentials like that, you know he had some great things to talk about, and some writing chops that are undeniable. I thought he was brilliant, and that he was one of the nicest, most approachable people I’ve met. It was a valuable experience for sure, and the concert was stellar. He is an amazing performer, and his songs cross many genres. A song he co-wrote with Allen Shamblin titled “Don’t Laugh at Me” became the impetus for a school curricu-lum that teaches tolerance in schools after it was recorded by Peter, Paul &

Mary. Here is a link to this powerful song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vQ_EjOsLizE Steve Seskin has many talks available on Youtube that contain a smattering of what his seminars are about –search for Steve Seskin, and look for “Using Chords,” “writing melody,” writing lyrics,” etc. He is truly amaz-ing, and anyone writing songs can benefit from even a little bit of his knowledge. We attended the Arizona Songwriting Association’s Christmas party this year. We usually go to this party, but we have had conflicts in the past with other things happening the same night. This time we were able to stay longer and enjoy the people and the camaraderie, and it was a lot of fun. I always meet creative people at this party, and so many different kinds of songwriters and musicians attend that it is always inspiring. The Cowboy Christmas show at the P&G December meeting was so much fun to do! Sid Hausman is one of my favorite cowboy singers, and he was in great form that day. He gave a great performance, ending with the most amazing instrumental version of “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” on the banjo! The voicings he found and the way he played it were masterful to behold. Our old friend Wally Bornmann (the campfire cow-boy) played many of our favorites, and of course, I love to hear Lon Austin (the Woody Guthrie of Arizona) who is an Arizona treasure, sing his Christmas songs about old Arizona and Sonora. The drawings for Sid’s CDs and books were lots of fun too. Priscilla had the pens to give out to members too, and goodies galore graced the table. It was a fun Christmas party and with all the gifts and goodies it felt like Santa had come down the chimney to leave us some treas-ures. Lon’s granddaughter is in a dance group that put on a Christmas show at the Desert Rose. Barbara Barnett was a god-send in getting that show and fundraiser organized for them, and it was combined with an open mic, so that a lot of family and friends were there. We got there ear-ly enough to snag a table close to the dance floor and it was so nice to see the dancers up close. I love the tiny dancers (the little kids three to five years old) because they are so cute. The Dancing Dads (yes, the ones that dance at the Suns games!) are part of this group, and were great! But, of course, we love to see Abigail dance, and she is quite the dancer now. She is the ballerina at left in the pic. Look for the magic, my friends, it’s out there . . . Continued next column

Highlights of the December Meeting

Cowboy Christmas: Andy Hurlbut, Wally Bornmann, Sid Hausman, Lon Austin

Andy

Wally & Sid

Wally

Sid playing bones

Lon

Sid

Bill Marlene & goodies!

Derrick, Sunshine Patsy, Virgil

Marlene & Virgil Cole -Marlene got a hippopotamus for Christmas!

Scotty & Eddy

Ted Allison

Lefty

Billy Miller Cowboy tête-à-tête. Lefty & Sid

Charlie & Yvette Klenner

Scotty B

Jammers

Eddy Detroit

Bennie Torrez

Virgil Cole

Linda Bedore & Jim Lowe Jammers

Derrick & Patsy

Events Page!

BEADED LIZARD GATHERING

At the Beatitudes Campus. 1610 W. Glendale

Jam starts at 5:45 PM - Sets start at 7:15 PM

For information or to schedule call Barbara at 602-307-0067 or e-mail her at oldtimemusic@cox.net

January 3 Eric Douglas—singer/songwriter. Folk, rock and Texas Country

January 10 Harry & Jenny O’Neill—from Ireland, performing traditional Irish music

January 17 Lee Lee Robert—award winning singer, songwriter, and media personality performs in her unique cow boy jazz style. Winner of the Western Artists Rising Star award, and her album, Jewel of the West won best western album of the year.

January 24 Barry Ward—fourth generation farmer and rancher who has won western music awards. Masterful gui tar playing.

January 31 Bob Frank—”Best songwriter you never heard.” Jim Dickson: an outlaw songwriter’s outlaw songwriter.

Glendale Main Library 5959 W. Brown St. Glendale, AZ Free admission

Songs In Progress Workshop Saturday January 20th -1:00 to 4:00 pm - Free

(large Meeting Room) Arizona Songwriters Association’s Jon Iger & Randy Brown give constructive feedback on your song, Both have had TV

and movie placements of their songs. Perform it live or bring a CD or work tape.

Glendale Coffeehouse Thursday, January 11th 6:30 to 7:30 Cowboy Wrecks—Arizona Originals

Lee Lee Robert—Cowgirl Jazz

22nd Annual Arizona Songwriters Gathering 10:00 am to 4:30 pm. FREE

70 songwriters performing on 2 stages throughout the day Workshops & Lectures on crafting songs, critique sessions, Q&A with

music & entertainment attorneys, and more! Spotlight performance by the Pistoleros!

Food & Beverages for purchase at Lacy & Wendy’s Pizza oven

Acoustic Jam Session 6:00 to 8:00 pm - Large Meeting Room

Bring your acoustic instrument and play round-robin style. Audi-ence welcome. For more information, please call 623-930-3573.

For more information, please call Ivy 623.930.3573

Ongoing Jams & Open Mics Mondays 2nd Monday Gospel Jam at the First Country Baptist Church 12844 W. Santa Fe Dr., Surprise 85378 Music 6:00 to 8:00 Free Coffee, soft drinks and snacks. Hosted by Bob Delaney Tuesdays 1st & 3rd Tuesdays – Jam session at the Peoria Library. Hosted by Bill Francis - Music 6:00 till 8:00 pm. Last Tuesday & 2nd Saturday - Paul’s Jamboree 6:30 - 9:00 at First Christian Church (Sun City) 14001 Thunderbird Blvd. Sing-along, comic fun, parody, local bands perform 8:00 to 9:00 Dancing encouraged. Contact Paul Wilson for info: 623.939.2406

Wednesdays Pyle Adult Center (655 E. Southern Ave), Tempe 12:00—2:30 pm contact Dave Bernstein @ Dnberstein@gmail.com for info Last Wednesday Acoustic Jam. Glendale Library 5959 W. Brown. Call 623.930.3573 for info

Thursdays 1st Thursdays Bring your voice and/or acoustic instrument for a Round robin style jam/open mic. 6:00 pm at the Velma Teague Branch Library (7010 N. 58th Ave, Glendale) 2nd and Last Thursday Jam Session - Youngtown Country, Gos pel and Humor Club meet at the Clubhouse (12030 Clubhouse Square) 6:30 to 9:00. Call Bob Burns for info: 623.245.0548 3rd Thursday Bluegrass Jam - Acoustic jam, not open mic. 6:30 to 8:30, all levels of players invited. Faith Presbyterian Church, 16000 N. Del Webb Blvd., Sun City. Info contact John Harris 602.448.4341 or Karen Harris 602.448.0409

Fridays Scottsdale Strummers Ukulele Group meet from 10:00 am to noon on odd numbered weeks at the Scottsdale Senior Center (1700 N. Granite Reef - just east of the 101 and north of McDowell) Call Pat for more info: 480.720.9190 Pyle Adult Center (655 E. Southern Ave.), Tempe 9:30—11:45 am contact Dave Bernstein @ Dnbernstein@gmail.com for info 3rd Friday (Sept - May) Gilbert Jam, 7 pm First Methodist Church, 331 S. Cooper Rd. Room 142, Gilbert. (Park in east park ing lot behind church). All instruments ok, mainly acoustic. All levels & types of songs ok. Contact Marty: Music@gilbertumc.org 2nd Fridays - Knights of Columbus Jam 8066 N. 49th Ave., Glendale. Fish fry begins at 5:00 or order off the menu. Acoustic Instruments. Contact Dave:davelawrence5555@gmail.com Desert Rose Steakhouse Open Mic 4:30—8:00 pm weekly 6729 N. 57th Dr., Glendale Contact Gene Burkhart (geneburkhart@gmail.com 817.223.8526) or Jackie Allen-Thomas (jjallen3@cox.net 623.815.2308)

Saturdays 1st Saturday West Valley CMA open mic at Desert Rose (6729 N. 57th Dr., Glendale) from 2:30—5:30 2nd Saturday - Arizona Autoharp Club meets Barbara’s Place 9003 W. Lillian Ln, Tolleson from 1:00 to 5:00 pm (not in summer) Call June for info 602.740.8113 2nd Saturday - Paul Wilson’s Jamboree in church located at 4001 N. Thunderbird in Sun City 6:30 pm Contact Paul Wilson 623.939.2406 *3rd Saturdays - Arizona Pickers & Grinners Society At the Devonshire Senior Center see details on front page. Call Andy for info. 602.437.0811 4th Saturday - Phoenix Mountain Dulcimer Group and Jam 9:00 am at North Mountain Visitor Center (12950 N. 7th St., Phoenix) Beginner to advanced, all instruments welcome - year round. Contact Mike McClure 602.739.4577 mcclurem@earthlink.net 4th Saturday—Acoustic Jam at Glendale’s Velma Teague Branch Library 3:00 to 4:45 pm. VTL meeting room. Round Robin. Stephanie 623.930.3440 7010 N. 58th Ave. Glendale Every Saturday - Milano’s Music Store 2:00 pm 38 W. Main St., Mesa - open jam in the middle of the store. Bluegrass and Ameri can roots music. Contact Linton Milano 480.833.2323

Sundays 2nd Sunday - Desert Dulcimers Jam, 2 - 4 pm at the Pointe Tapatio Club House - 10655 N. 9th St., Phoenix 85020 Last Sunday West Valley CMA open mic at Waddell’s Longhorn Restaurant (1625 N. 195th Ave., Buckeye) from 2:00-5:00

Glendale Foothills Library 19055 N. 57th Ave., Glendale

Foothills Coffeehouse January 3rd 6:30 to 8:00 pm - Roadrunner Room

Flashback—50s and 60s Corn Smut—Folk

Bluegrass Jam, Country, Folk, Gospel & More 1st and 3rd Fridays - January 5th & January 19th

1:00—3:00 pm, Roadrunner Room Acoustic round robin style jam. All levels of players welcome, audience

and singers encouraged to attend.

Acoustic Jam, Second Tuesday of the month - January 9th 6:00 to 8:00 pm, Roadrunner Room

Bring your acoustic instrument and play round-robin style. Audience welcome!

For information: 623.930.3844 or sherlache@glendaleaz.com Sarah Herlache, Foothills Library—Glendale Public Libraries

Monday Night Melodies - Peoria Main Library 8463 W. Monroe St., Peoria, AZ. 85345

7:00 - 8:30 pm Every Monday Three sets: 7:00, 7:30 & 8:00

For Info, Call Sandra 623.330.1772 or E-Mail AZFOLK@AOL.COM

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Local Music Organizations Arizona Accordion Club (602) 266-9622 Arizona Old Time Fiddlers Assn. (602) 840-0116 Arizona Songwriters Assn. (Jon@igermusic.com) Phoenix Friends of Old-Time Music (480) 893-3328 Southwest Folk Music Assn. (shadowcat1953@q.com) Desert Bluegrass Assn. in Tucson - Bonnie (520) 269-1231 Arizona Bluegrass Association (connect@arizonabluegrass.com) Arizona Autoharp Club (602) 765-2832 Arizona Bluegrass & Old-time Music Assn. (602) 678-0041 Ragtyme Jazztyme Society (480) 348-3702

Music Stores with Discounts: Be Sure to Show Membership Card

Bronson Guitar Works 6830 E. 5th Ave #101 Scottsdale 85251 480-941-2636 Harmony House Music 15229 N. Cave Creek Rd. Phoenix 85032 602-493-1234 Milano Music 38 W. Main, Mesa 85201 480-834-6581 Stages Music 7131 E Mercer Lane Scottsdale 85254 480-948-4720 Ziggies Music 3309 N. Third St. Phoenix 85012 602-266-9622

Newsletter: Andy Hurlbut 602.437.0811or 602.377.7183 Send news items, suggestions, complaints etc. to:

Andy at ahurlbut@cox.net

Arizona Pickers & Grinners Society Membership Application (A non–profit organization) (Note: you need not be a musician or vocalist — Grinners are welcome)

Membership entitles you to receive a monthly newsletter and discounts at participating music stores. Annual Membership dues are $20 per household.* (Please list each member’s name).

Make checks out to: Priscilla McKown. Mail to: Priscilla McKown, 1642 E. Mitchell Dr., Phoenix, AZ. 85016 . Any questions call Priscilla at: 602.234.1224 or Andy at 602.437.0811

Name (s) _______________________________________________________e-mail___________________________________

Street Address or PO Box _________________________________________________________________________________

City, State and Zip_______________________________________________________________________________________

Phone: ________________ Birthdates (not year) of above members________________________________________________

Instruments you play or indicate Vocalist or Grinner ____________________________________________________________

*The City of Phoenix allows the Pickers and Grinners use of the Devonshire facility for our monthly meetings. In lieu of a rental fee they require a $2.00 per person payment at the door or purchase of a Parks and Recreation pass ($20 annually for Phoenix residents, and $40 for non-residents)

which allows use of amenities at all centers. More information at phoenix.gov

Pickers & Grinners Bands or Groups This is a list of bands or groups that have Pickers as members.

Caught In The Act Continues Bill Francis 602.421.5306 Corn Smut Richard Bogen 480.294.5838 Jim Marchbanks Band or solo Jim Marchbanks 480.699.7608 Half Way Home David Baumann 602.307.0067 The Honey Dews Virgil Cole 623-334-0702 The Improbable Quartet Andy Hurlbut 602-437-0811 Jam Pak Anni Beach 480.963.6811 Mark Fogelson solo Mark Fogelson 480.734.4754 Mexican Beaded Lizard Band Lon Austin 623-628-9710 Red Rock Crossing Rochelle Tinstman 623-229-5986 Scottsdale Strummers Pat McInnis 480-946-3936

Pickers & Grinners Officers

President: Andy Hurlbut 602-437-0811 Vice President: Derrick Beracy 480-429-5107

Secretary-Treasurer: Priscilla McKown 602.234.1224

Board of Directors: Freda Dilley 602-268-8438 Lavona Manguso 602.478.9990 Kristin Schmidt 623.465.2793 Pat McInnis 480-946-3936

Guitar Repairs: Ziggies 3309 N. Third St. Phoenix 602-266-9622 Lessons: Nancy Hall Private or group at The Music Hall (11001 N. 99th Ave, #120 Peoria 85345) 623-583-6266 Bruce Wurst Fiddle, Mandolin, Banjo, Guitar, Bass Guitar 602-971-3355

The 22nd Annual Arizona Songwriters Gathering January 27th at the Glendale Public Library

5959 W. Brown St, Glendale

10:00 am to 4:30 pm This is a FREE event, open to the public.

70 songwriters performing on 2 stages throughout the day Song circles throughout the day on the lawn for song sharing

Workshops & Lectures on crafting songs, critique sessions, Q&A with music & entertainment attorneys, and more!

Spotlight performance by the Pistoleros! Food & Beverages for purchase at Lacy & Wendy’s Pizza oven

Spend the day with other songwriters and get inspired!

This is a song about the winter cold . . .

Urge For Going Joni Mitchell (1968) An early song of Mitchell’s that’s already stunningly sophisticated. As winter comes – a frost perching on the town, hovering in the sky, then gobbling summer down – a man gets the urge to migrate. A woman lets him, but then gets stuck herself. “All that stays is dying,” she sings, “and all that lives is gettin’ out.” Mitchell spent the winter of 1964/1965 in freezing Toronto, her old boyfriend having gone to California; in February, she had their baby, who she later gave up for adoption. That history gives lines like this a sad shiver: “I’ll pull the blankets up to my chin… and I’ll bolt my wanderings in.”

Here's a link to Joni Mitchell performing this song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZvSvTRhAJxg

Perhaps my favorite version of this song is by Tom Rush, here’s a link to his version: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vk9QFRvVQQ0

I found this notice on the Mandolin Café web page:

From Collings Guitars—Part of the proceeds from the sale of this hat will be donated to The Bili Project, in memory of our founder Bill Collings who passed away from bile duct cancer in July of 2017. The Bili Project is a Helpatobiliary Cancer awareness and re-search program; for more information visit http://thebiliproject.org/ . Adams khaki hat with black bill, "etched" Collings Gui-tars embroidered logo, and Bile Duct Cancer Awareness Ribbon. In-cludes Comfort Crown interior mesh lining w/leather adjustment band.

Visit the Collings web site to purchase this hat. https://store.collingsguitars.com/products/collings-khaki-black-hat-with-bile-duct-cancer-awareness-ribbon