Wednesday, September 15, 2004
Old-School Country
From the Howard County Times
Except for a few chickens clucking next door, most days it's quiet at 80-year-old Frank Gosman's barn in Clarksville.
But come Sunday, the structure, which sits down a gravel drive off Brighton Dam Road, rocks to life.
People come from Maryland, Virginia and even Tennessee. Some carry guitars. Others wear jeans and boots and cowboy hats. They slap backs, catch up on the week's news, then take their seats in folding chairs.
Then, the music — what patrons like to call "real country music" — begins.
Five musicians, one for each of the five instruments that makes up a traditional country band: drums, bass, lead guitar, steel guitar and fiddle, harmonize their way through the show's theme song.
Welcome to the boot-stomping, hand-clapping, head-rocking, Country Showcase America jamboree.
The jamboree's fans come in part for the camaraderie. But they also come out for a sense of nostalgia and to hear the music of such legends as Hank Williams, Merle Haggard, Loretta Lynn and Patsy Cline.
"This is the Grand Ole Opry of Baltimore," said musician Doug Lester of Essex, comparing the show to the well-known, long-running radio show out of Nashville, Tenn.
"Unless I'm very ill, I wouldn't miss a Sunday," added 78-year-old Bob Loveless of Ellicott City. "I started listening to the Grand Ole Opry many years ago and it can't hold a light to this show. The Grand Ole Opry should take lessons from this place."
Read the article
Howard County Times
Except for a few chickens clucking next door, most days it's quiet at 80-year-old Frank Gosman's barn in Clarksville.
But come Sunday, the structure, which sits down a gravel drive off Brighton Dam Road, rocks to life.
People come from Maryland, Virginia and even Tennessee. Some carry guitars. Others wear jeans and boots and cowboy hats. They slap backs, catch up on the week's news, then take their seats in folding chairs.
Then, the music — what patrons like to call "real country music" — begins.
Five musicians, one for each of the five instruments that makes up a traditional country band: drums, bass, lead guitar, steel guitar and fiddle, harmonize their way through the show's theme song.
Welcome to the boot-stomping, hand-clapping, head-rocking, Country Showcase America jamboree.
The jamboree's fans come in part for the camaraderie. But they also come out for a sense of nostalgia and to hear the music of such legends as Hank Williams, Merle Haggard, Loretta Lynn and Patsy Cline.
"This is the Grand Ole Opry of Baltimore," said musician Doug Lester of Essex, comparing the show to the well-known, long-running radio show out of Nashville, Tenn.
"Unless I'm very ill, I wouldn't miss a Sunday," added 78-year-old Bob Loveless of Ellicott City. "I started listening to the Grand Ole Opry many years ago and it can't hold a light to this show. The Grand Ole Opry should take lessons from this place."
Read the article
Howard County Times
# posted by Dave Sichak @ 1:57 PM 
