Way back in '02, Ben J, Keith U, and Bob M, the three of us would get together once a week on a Wed nite and play a tune or two, mostly they were new songs and tunes that Ben was learning on the banjo, and since none of us knew anything about bluegrass, it was always something new, wow! another new tune to learn, and we'd play em all night, cause that's all we knew, a couple tunes and we really enjoyed those times. Keith plays lead guitar and Bob rythym, and Ben's a learning the 5-string.....
We did this every week for about a year, then we figured if we could get hold of someone to play a bass, that'd be the ticket, timing, tempo, and all that. But we didn't know anyone who knew bluegrass let alone a bass player.....
So a flyer was hung on a wall in the Bucks County Folk Music Store with permission from Karl Dietrich, the store owner, fine luthier, and good friend. We started to get responses from other area bluegrass pickers, students from the music store, our banjo instructor Bob S began to tell his students to join the group and they did, from just gettin started to folks with tons of talent who were eager to play and show us a different lick or something to add to our own playing.... Wow, all this stuff was starting to click.......
A week or so after the flyer went up in the music store, we had a mandolin... enter Nate who was taking lessons and figured our group would be ok for a newby himself, just learnin. Then soon after, Judy with her guitar and Ted with his resonator guitar, Rich F and Keith F.....
We could hardly wait for Wed nite's to get together and pick and Judy would sing a tune or two.....
Wasn't too long before we needed to start going to each other's house and host those terrific Wed nite jams. As the year went on, we had us about a dozen folks and houses were starting to overflow... that's good stuff!....
One evening, late summer, early fall of 2003, we were at Bob M's house in Doylestown and the living room was packed, had to be bout 15 people all trying to squeeze real close so's there'd be room for everyone. That was a fun nite as I recall, there was a knock on the door and when we opened it, there was a stand-up bass walking towards us, couldn't see anyone behind it though.... we finally had us a bass player. As Vince walked up the steps, he asked "What's the name of this Jam", and Fred our "Mayor" asked someone what town we were in, and the reply was "Doylestown". Since we didn't really have a name for the jam, Fred yells out "It's The Doylestown Jam" and that was it, from then on, we had us a name. Most of the pickers back then were banjo students and we'd learn a tune and share it, then an other and another, and at jam nite's we'd pick them. Nate was gettin pretty good on his mandolin, and we actually began to play some decent bluegrass.....
We have some folks who stayed in the area for work and joined so's there'd be bluegrass pickin during the week. Cliff E is one of those who shared his talents on banjo, guitar and fiddle, we really looked forward to seeing everyone, and greeting new faces and stime went on, ever eager to pick up something new.....
Pickin in living rooms, dens, back yards and basements and hosting jams everyone could attend was fun but we had us a 'not enuf room' situation, so we decided to find a home, someplace where we could all meet, that was pretty much central located and convenient. And we found the perfect place right here in Hilltown, PA at the German Hungarian Sportsman's Club.. Our first jam there was held on February 18, 2004. One evening , we were pickin in the bar cause the upstairs meeting room was being occupied and a fella showed up with a banjo and just started to pick along with us. Someone asked him to kick off a tune and he sang a real bluegrass song, something like Blueridge Cabin Home. After the song was over, we all introduced ourselves and that evening Steve Ru joined up with us. Then in January 05, a fella from Virginia joined us one evening with his guitar, started singing and picking, wow, now we had us two fellas who knew how to sing and pick, things were looking up. Between Judy, Steve Ru and Ole Roanoke Chuck, we were getting in the groove. As word got out that the original "bad news boys of bluegrass" were getting better, other talented musicians joined as well. There's just so many, all we can say is thanks for believing in ourselves. Our Holiday Jam in 07 was the turning point for our ever-growing little group, and we appreciate all the guys and gals that have come to be known as The Doylestown Jam.....
We have use of the entire upstairs banquet room. In the winter months, we pick upstairs, and when the weather is cooperating, we all gather out back behind the club on the huge back porch, enough room for 30 or so pickers.....
Most of the folks who joined our group early on are still with us, there's been some who've moved away but still keep in touch, and we have an annual mini-festival held on the 4th of july weekend.....
During the festival season in the Northeast, we get to attend as many festivals as possible, eager to meet new friends, learn new tunes and just plain have lots of fun.....
More to follow.......
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