Long Branch Acoustic Jam 7/28/17- If You Show Up I Will Show Up

Songs:

Mystery Girl
Logic And Lies
First Cut Is The Deepest  (Mike Nickles-Mandolin)
All Along The Watchtower
The Life We Lead
Fever (Belinda James: Vocals)*
Come Together (Belinda James: Vocals)
Knocking On Heaven's Door (Dave: Lead Vocals, Belinda, Jeff, Rose, Tim: Backing Vocals)
Wagon Wheel (Dave: Lead Vocals)
Ain't No Sunshine (Belinda James: Vocals)
Hot Rod Lincoln (Jeff Overly Vocals and Bass)*

Encore:

Simple Man (Jeff Overly: Vocals, Tim Nemec-Bass)*
Ring Of Fire (Jeff Overly: Sax and Backing Vocals, Tim Nemec-Bass)

With

Jeff Overly-Vocals and alto saxophone
Belinda James-Vocals
Dave-Guitar
Mike Nickles-Percussion and Mandolin
Tim Nemec-Acoustic guitar, bass and vocals
Rose Slaymaker-Vocals

Going to jams this past couple weeks it seems to be that people would rather be doing something else.  I mean the weather is nice and such but the turnout have been disappointing.  That didn't the very few who showed up make the best of it and had a good time.  Even the bartender took a break and did some funky bass riffs for a while.

I had to stop down to New Bo to catch The Fez, a Steely Dan Tribute Band play there and they were quite tight and to the point,  Jeff Overly was in town helping out Karl Hudson at The Shack and when I told him about the Long Branch jam he decided to show up.   He lives in Fort Madison and it's a two and half hour trip up here but he found a Motel 6 to spend the night.  Since he was going to be at the Long Branch I decided that the acoustic jam would be the first priority.  Belinda was up in Waterloo helping out Julie and Ryan Paul's Dreams Of Arcadia this afternoon, and after that gig, they would hurry down to The Frog to do the second show.  Kind of a long haul but it seems that they pulled that off without any problems.  Steve Black Wolf was videotaping their show so he couldn't make it to the jam. I probably will do my best to catch up on Dreams Of Arcadia this weekend, if they play Aces And Eights in the afternoon or at Solon tomorrow night.  Problem remains the 319 Festival is in Czech Village and that will be an all day affair.  I'll do my best to support the Dreams Of Arcadia if and when I can.  And I did stop by to support them and play a bit of percussion in the process with Steve Black Wolf, Abigail Bunker and Belinda James singing songs as well.

As I mentioned before, like the Julie Jules and Ryan Matthew Paul Checker's Jam, the turnout could be counted on one hand but amazingly everybody did a fine job.  While things are up in the air about any future practice sessions with The Modern Rock and Folk AARP Group, Belinda, Tim and Rose were there.  Julie and I continue to drift apart with other projects and happenings.   We still have a good working relationship on stage, that's all that matters right?  To be honest, I don't forsee the recording project become nothing more than talking about it but can't decide if and when to do this. Perhaps it's not in the cards.  She's fun to be on stage with, music is her best friend and I still love her to pieces.   If nothing else, Mark Randolph did managed to get a complete version of Gold Dust Woman but as of the moment that song remains in the archives for another time. If Ever

So if Julie is not around, what to do?  Belinda has stepped in and done a fine job with the songs that we do play.  Certainly my version of Fever differs from Mark's, mine is more moody and a bit more rocking than the light pop jazz swing and there's a contrast of styles.  In terms of songs Julie still owns Gold Dust Woman but when it comes to Fever, Belinda has her own  way of making the song hers.  On tonight's jam, for the first time her voice and my guitar came together to do Fever.  And just like a true professional, she nailed it against my primitive guitar work. Then I basically teased her with a few riffs of Gold Dust Woman before going into Come Together.  I think she prefers to do that song anyway.

For my set, I started things off with two songs from Logic And Lies, Mystery Girl and the title track. And then First Cut Is The Deepest and made a couple of attempted jokes it was not the Sheryl Crow version, nor the Rod Stewart version. After The Life We Lead, Belinda joined up to do Fever and Come Together, to which Jeff Overly, fresh from helping out Karl Hudson at The Shack joined in on the fun. For the encore, Me and Tim helped Jeff play Simple Man (first time I played guitar to it and threw a couple EGAD chords in the process) and then the jam ended with Ring Of Fire, which was one part Johnny Cash and one part Social Distortion but in essence had more to do with the Man In Black this time around.  With no Mike Roc and his comedy routine, things ended at 11, the shortest jam at the Longbranch we had since I've been there.  But still a good 4 hour jam if Mike started it at 7 PM. I didn't show up till around 8:30.

A few surprises and 100 percent fun.   That's all that matters.