Austin tx jams?

[seththedude]

I'm going to be around Austin the week after next and was wondering if there are any jams around. A grass jam would be fun. I would love to find some other folks to play some Gypsy Jazz/Django tunes with. My dad might join us down there too and he is a great picker as well.

Seth

[TAD]

I'm going to be around Austin the week after next and was wondering if there are any jams around. A grass jam would be fun. I would love to find some other folks to play some Gypsy Jazz/Django tunes with. My dad might join us down there too and he is a great picker as well.

Seth

Seth,
You can check out the Central Texas Bluegrass Association web page in the jam and show link at
CTBA Seems they have jams every week. Enjoy your stay...

[mandocrucian]

Austin Chronicle

[GVD]

I can vouch for the Sunday jams at Artz Rib House. Good people, good music and good eats.

GVD

[seththedude]

Thanks all. I'll check them out and maybe see some one out somewhere.

[jasona]

My turn to head to Austin next week. I already have tickets to the Tragically Hip show, might there be more on offer?

[lgc]

You should try to see Eric Hokkanen while you are there. He is one of the best musicians I've ever heard on fiddle and mandol. Plus he can play anything. I think he plays two nights a week.

[Walter Newton]

Erik Hokkanen is great...check out what might be happening at the Cactus Cafe, Continental Club, Saxon Pub...there's also the AFTM String Band Festival coming up...the Collings tour is a lot of fun, it's on Friday afternoons.

[jasona]

Thanks guys. The Collings tour is definitely something I'd like to do.

[pglasse]

Greetings!

Good suggestions all the way around. Of note at the AFTM Austin String Band Festival: on Saturday make sure catch mandolin prodigy Sarah Jarosz and also the Gray Sky Boys. The latter features primo mandolin luthier Tom Ellis on bass.

I'll miss Saturday's events, as I'm playing western swing with the Floyd Domino Band at The Woodlands, closer to Houston (if you're in that area.)

Paul Glasse
Austin, Texas

[jasona]

Paul, you were one I was hoping to catch while in Austin. No gigs during the week I guess? Still, loads to see while in Austin. And I hear there is a decent restaurant or two.

[Mike Bunting]

Clubs in Austin--Continental Club, The Broken Spoke, The saxon, Threadgills, Antone's, Jovita's, Flipnotic Coffeespace (Erik Hokkanen plays regularly), Stubbs and so many more! Take a drive down 35 to Helotes, just outside San Antonio to check out Floore's Country store and the Gruene hall at New Braunfels. Music heaven!

[seththedude]

Here is a funny story about my trip down there.

My dad and I both play mandolin and were looking forward to doing some jamming. We met up and picked for a while and decided to go downtown and catch the Backporch Vipers (great '30s swing stuff) which featured our friend Slim Ritchey on guitar and his lovley wife Meaux Jeaux on bass. I had to go back to the hotel and get some things together befor eour big evening on the town. As a side not I bought my first mandolin from Slim years ago and had seen him in a while, even longer since I'd seen Meaux Jeaux.

I ended up getting to the restaurant much later than anticipated, about 20 minutes till the gig was over. I took a seat at a table with my dad and ordered a tasty beverage while the band starts a new song. We start chatting and I think I hear someone calling my name. I look around and see nobody looking for me. After a few sipsI think I hear it again. This time I can place it coming from the stage, but assume I am hearing things and shake it off. Then we all hear it again. Louder than before coming strait from the stage, Meaux Jeaux to be specific. My dad, step-mother, and I all agree that someone is calling my name from the stage. Just the the guy sitting next to us starts responding to the calls. We figure his name is Seth as well and they were talking to him.

The band finishes the song and Meaux Jeaux looks strait at me and says "Seth, get your mandolin and get up here." I was quite confused. The Slim asked if I had my mando and told me to hurry and get is so we could do some jamming before the gig was over. I happily ran to my car and brought out the mando and joined them onstage for the rest of the set.

I didn't know any of the songs but am very good at picking them up on the fly. We ended up playing past set time and picking about 4 or 5 songs together. I love getting thrown into situations that really test my abilities and this was a fun one. I held my own quite well and enjoyed hanging with Slim, Meaux Jeaux, and my folks the rest of the evening.

Slim's drummer and I were chatting afterwards and he plays with Eric H. South Austin Jug Band and many others around town. Wish I could remember his name.

[fiddlersgreen]

Does anyone know of any celtic jams in the Austin area?