Coushatte Ranch Festival, October 29-31

Volume 31, No. 10
Copyright © Central Texas Bluegrass Association
October, 2009
Coushatte Ranch Festival, October 29-31
S
ometime after 1780, the Koasati and Alabama Indians migrated west and entered Texas,
settling chiefly in San Jacinto County and Tyler County. And somehow, the Coushatta,
now living mostly in and around the Alabama-Coushatta reservation near Livingston, have lent
their name to Coushatte Ranch, a bluegrass-friendly campground resort area tucked away five
miles southeast of Bellville, the county seat of Austin County. Coushatte Ranch is the site of
the Spring Creek Bluegrass Club’s annual fall festival, sponsored by Buddy and Carolyn
Brockett, and it’s been taking place here since 1994. This year’s festival features the Alaska
String Band (Juneau), the Bluegrass Brothers (Virginia), Glen Bonham and Southern Tradition
(Oklahoma), the Franz Family (Arkansas), plus local favorites Saltgrass, Lonestar, White Dove,
and several others. The music starts on Thursday at 6 PM and runs through Saturday.
Coushatte Ranch is spread out over several acres of scattered post oak woodland (or maybe it’s
post oak and blackjack oak, who knows?) with lots of space for RVs between radiating and meandering gravel roads. There is a community center with a kitchen, showers and restrooms, and
a couple of other buildings that are open to pickers in case the weather is nippy or otherwise
inclement. The main utility building is large enough that the stage shows have occasionally
been moved inside in the past when bad weather threatened. There is usually a good variety of
food and crafts vendors arrayed in an arc facing the stage. This is one of my favorite Texas festivals for a couple of reasons: it occurs at a time of year when the weather is usually cool and
very comfortable for outdoor picking, and because of its location, it draws lots of good pickers
from the Houston area. You’ll see some CTBA members there, too.
While you’re at the festival, take time to walk down to the west end of the campground and
look at the mind-boggling array of dusty old cars, tractors, farm machinery and other vintage
gear stored in the barns and sheds here. There are some prime candidates for restoration here.
Coushatte Ranch is located at 2812 Nelius Road. You can get to it (continued on page 3)
From the historical photo archive: Buck White and the Down Home Folks at 1977 Kerrville Bluegrass
Festival, Quiet Valley Ranch. Left to right, Cheryl White, Sharon White, Buck White, Bob Black and
holding fiddle bow but hidden, Doc Hamilton. Photo September 4, 1977, by Ken Brown.
Q: How many bluegrass pickers does it take to screw in a light bulb?
A: it doesn’t matter as long as they all get a turn.
Q: How many bass players does it take to change a light bulb?
A: One. Five. One. Five. One….
The Central Texas Bluegrass Bulletin is published by the Central Texas Bluegrass Association, a 501(c)(3) taxexempt Texas nonprofit corporation. Contributions are deductible as charitable and educational donations. Work
published in this Bulletin is used by permission of the writers, artists, and photographers, who retain all copyrights.
Tom Duplissey, President
Mike Montgomery, Vice-President
Billy Bright, board member
Ben Buchanan, board member
San Dunn, board member/Treasurer
Roy Glover, board member
Jami Hampton, board member
Carrie Thielemann, board member
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Central Texas Bluegrass Association
Box 9816
Austin, Texas 78766
(512) 261-9440
www.centraltexasbluegrass.org/
Ken Brown, Bulletin editor/board member
(continued from page 1) by taking Highway 36 south from Brenham, loop around the Bellville
courthouse square, go down the hill to the Y intersection, continue south on 36. Then you can
either go towards Sealy on 36, turning left on either Gindorf Road or Miller Road. Or you can
take the route I like − while still in Brenham, cross over the railroad tracks on 3rd Street or E.
Hacienda, and follow Coushatte Road as it gradually curves around and heads east. Turn right
on Nelius Road after 5 miles, and that leads you straight to the festival. And if you get hungry
while passing through Brenham, I recommend Purcell’s Country Buffet.
Three-day tickets are $30, daily tickets range from $8-15. There are no instrumental or band
contests here, but there’s an open stage on Saturday morning, and somebody always shows up
for that. And by the way, this may be the only festival in Texas that has its own resident pickers. Dick Joiner and several other regular performers actually live here at Coushatte Ranch. For
details on the festival, see the display ad on page 8 of this issue, or go to the Spring Creek
club’s web site at: www.springcreekbluegrass.com/main.htm
Alaska String Band: www.alaskastringband.net/index.html
Bluegrass Brothers: www.thebluegrassbrothers.com/
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Mexican Hill Ranch Bluegrass Festival,
October 3
T
his is a brand-new festival at Richards, Texas. If you’re familiar with the Fire on the
Strings festival at Montgomery, well, Richards is about 18 miles northwest of Montgomery, right on the Grimes-Walker County line. The festival is located a short distance northwest
of Richards, at 7774 FM 1486. Take FM 1486 north from Highway 149 just outside of town.
This is a one-day Saturday festival with rough camping only, and three bands: Tayhoss, Saltgrass, and the Lone Star Bluegrass Band.
A word about the first band − it’s a new one from Houston, and I can tell already that it’s going
to be a powerhouse, because all four of these guys are superpickers. It consists of Bobby Nichols, the monster Tony Rice-styled flatpicker and baritone singer from Bellaire; Randy Powell,
expert fiddler; the irrepressible and insouciant Kelly Lancaster on mandolin (second-place
mando winner at Winfield in 1990 and 1998), and George Hanson on bass. Based on what I
heard at Grapeland and from knowing all these guys, this is going to be a monster band.
Tayhoss: http://tayhoss.com/index.php
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CTBA Awards Flatpicking Scholarships
by Jami Hampton
CTBA is proud to announce two youth scholarships that were awarded for Steve Kaufman's
Flatpicking Guitar Workshop, held at Fiddler's Green music store on September 11-12. Both
Austinites − Josh Upham and Amy Collins − applied for the scholarships and submitted strong
recommendation references for their interest and dedication to furthering their musical goals.
Josh is a 14-year-old guitar player and singer who has been playing for two years. He said he
appreciated the scholarship and was particularly interested in the cross-picking techniques he
learned at the eight-hour workshop. Josh is from a musical family with a strong interest in
bluegrass music − his mother plays mandolin, one brother plays fiddle, and another brother
plays the bass. Amy Collins is a 16-year-old who plays the guitar, banjo, flute, and piano and
plays in a band called the Rainbirds. Amy's goal is to learn to play as many instruments as possible and wants to understand various forms of music such as bluegrass, jazz, Latin, and Indian.
Amy said she learned more in one day at the workshop than she had in the previous year.
CTBA congratulates these
up-and-coming young musicians on their selection
and we hope to hear more
about them in the future.
Left to right: Amy, Steve,
Josh. Photo by Jami Hampton.
Miscellaneous news
Congratulations to Dr. Gary Hartman, director of the Center for Texas Music History at Texas
State, author of History of Texas Music, co-editor of the Journal of Texas Music History, member of the Texas Swing Kings and Lone Star Swing, CTBA member, master flatpicker and vocalist, frequent ArtZ jammer, and nonpareil good guy, who has been elected to the board of directors of the Old Settler’s Music Festival. All of us here among the massive and highly paid
editorial staff at the Bluegrass Bulletin offer a tip of the old Blue Highway ballcap to Gary, and
add, ―Well done, dude! You’re buyin’ the next round!‖
Congratulations to Josh Bailey of Victoria, second-place mandolin contest winner at Winfield
this year (and last year, too). Congratulations also to Gary Mortensen, alternate showcaser in
the instrumental category, for Squealer’s Dream (OK, Gary, we need to hear that one at the
next jam, I think).
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Events calendar: October, 2009
Thursday-Saturday, October 1-3: Melody Ranch Bluegrass Festival, Melody Ranch, 1977 White Mound
Rd., off Hwy 902, southeast of Sherman in Grayson County; for information: (903) 271-4260 or (903)
752-5223.
Thursday, October 1, 8 PM: Greencards at Sengelmann Hall, Schulenberg; www.sengelmannhall.com/
Friday, October 2, 7 PM: Blacktop Bend at Waterloo Ice House (Slaughter/Escarpment), 9600 Escarpment Blvd.; 301-1007.
Friday, October 2, 7 PM: The Siekers at Walburg Restaurant Oktoberfest, Walburg.
Saturday, October 3, 7 and 9:30 PM: The Greencards at McGonigel’s Mucky Duck, Houston; $20.
Sunday, October 4, 10 AM: The Siekers at Maria's Taco Xpress, 2529 S Lamar Blvd; 444-0261.
Sunday, October 4, 6 PM: The Grass Onions at Freddie’s Place, 1703 South 1st Street
Sunday, October 4, 4-8 PM: Two High String Band at Cheatham Street Warehouse, 119 Cheatham St.,
San Marcos; http://www.cheathamstreet.com/directions.html
Thursday, October 8, 6:30-8:30 PM: Bluegrass open mike at the New World Deli, 4101 Guadalupe;
451-7170; www.newworlddeli.com
Friday, October 9, 7 PM: The Siekers at Walburg Restaurant Oktoberfest, Walburg.
Friday, October 9, 8 PM: Two High String Band plus Charles Thibodeaux and the Cajun Aces at
Jovita’s, 1619 S. 1st St.; $7 at the door.
Friday, October 9, 8 PM: Robertson County Line at the Lumberyard Music Hall, 1109 Main St., Bastrop; (512) 321-PLAY.
Saturday, October 10, 7:30 PM: The Sieker Band at ArtZ Rib House, 2330 S. Lamar; 442-8283.
Saturday, October 10, 7 PM: Two High String Band at Grand Re-opening Celebration, Wheatsville Coop, 3101 Guadalupe.
Wednesday, October 14, 6-7:30 PM: Brian Byrne & Borrowed Time, Austin Farmers Market at Triangle
Friday, October 16, 7:30 PM: Blacktop Bend at Manchaca Fire Hall.
Friday, October 16, 8 PM: Cherryholmes at Grand 1894 Opera House, 2020 Post Office St., Galveston.
Friday-Saturday, October 16-17: Austin String Band Festival at Camp Ben McCulloch, sponsored by
Austin Friends of Traditional Music; with the Seiker Band, Lost Pines, Hays County Burn Band, others;
starts at 6 PM Friday and 1 PM Saturday; www.aftm.us/
Saturday, October 17, 10 AM: Banjo workshop with Rolf Sieker at Austin String Band Festival
Saturday, October 17, 7 PM: Tayhoss and Southern Style at BABA monthly show, Johnny Arolfo Civic
Center, League City; jamming before the show.
Saturday, October 17, 8 PM: Cherryholmes at Centrum Hall, 6823 Cypresswoods Dr., Spring, Texas.
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More events: October, 2009
Sunday, October 18, 10 AM: The Siekers at Maria's Taco Xpress, 2529 S Lamar Blvd; 444-0261.
Friday, October 23, 7 PM: The Siekers at Walburg Restaurant Oktoberfest, Walburg.
Saturday, October 24, 5 PM: The Sieker Band at German-Texan Heritage Society Oktoberfest, German
Free School, 507 E. 10th; http://germantexans.org/wp-content/uploads/2009/09/Oktoberfest-Flyer.pdf
Friday-Saturday, October 23-24: Mitchell Resort and RV Park, Perrin, Texas; fall bluegrass festival with
Alaska String Band, Triple L Band, Star Canyon, Lonesome Prairie, others; www.mitchellrvpark.com
Sunday, October 25, 6-8:30 PM: Eddie Collins at ArtZ Rib House, 2330 S. Lamar; 442-8283.
Thursday-Saturday, October 29-31: Spring Creek Bluegrass Club’s fall festival at Coushatte Ranch,
Bellville; Alaska String Band, Bluegrass Brothers, Glen Bonham, Saltgrass, and more.
Friday, October 30, 7 PM: The Siekers at Walburg Restaurant Oktoberfest, Walburg.
Friday, October 30, 6:30-9 PM: Lost Pines at Central Market Westgate, 4477 S. Lamar, 899-4300
The Toy Hearts at Flipnotics, September 23, 2009. Left to right: Stewart Johnson, dobro; Ray Cargo
(yes, our Ray Cargo helping out on bass); Hannah Johnson, mandolin; Rafael Maillet, fiddle; Sophia
Johnson, guitar. Photo by Ken Brown.
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8
CTBA Artists and Bands
Austin Lounge Lizards Mike Drudge
Cooper’s Uncle
The Ledbetters
The Sieker Band
615-262-6886
www.austinlizards.com
coopersuncle@hotmail.com Spencer Drake
512-736-2664
830-660-2533
kthdrake@wildblue.net
Rolf & Beate Sieker
512-733-2857
www.siekerband.com
Blacktop Bend
David & Barbara
Brown
The Lost Pines
String Beans
361-985-9902
ddbrown@grandecom.net
Talia Sekons
thelostpines@gmail.com
www.lostpinesband.com
Mike Montgomery
512-517-6753
mikemon@astro.as.utexas.edu
Dear Henry Band
Manchaca All-Stars
George Rios
512-619-8536
blacktopbend@yahoo.com
Blazing Bows
Mary Hattersley
512-873-8925
Bluegrass Vatos
B. Buchanan
Chris Brewster
512-282-2756
512-693-4648
www.dearhenrymusic.com manchacaallstars@
email.com
Eddie Collins
Danny Santos
512-218-4141
danny@dannysantosmusic
.com
512-836-8255
www.eddiecollins.biz
tuneman@austin.rr.com
Brian Byrne and
Borrowed Time
Jon Ricketts
<jon_ricketts1@mac.com>
217-6437
Don Inbody
512-295-6977
don@inbody.net
Jamie Stubblefield
512-295-5325
jamie5011@aol.com
Grass Onions Band
www.myspace.com/ brianbyrneandborrowedtime
The Grazmatics
512-699-9251
L. Wayne Ross
jjs@jjshaffer.net
512-303-2188
BuffaloGrass
Out of the Blue
Howard Rains
7704 Peaceful Hill Lane
Austin, Tx 78748
512-577-0851
The Piney Grove
Ramblers
Wayne Brooks
512-699-8282
877-899-8269
www.pgramblers.com
512-563-9821
Geoff@highstring.com
Wayward Pony
Dale Albright
dale-mandolin@austin.
rr.com
www.waywardpony.com
The Wimberley
Bunch
Charlie & Sally Lewis
Box 2077
Canyon Lake, Tx 78133
(830) 899-7511
Randy’s Rangers
Sigi Field 512-869-8076
http://pages. suddenlink.net/jrf/rr/
Randalls Good Neighbor Program
To designate your contribution to the CTBA, go to the address below,
print the form and fill it out, and take to your local store:
http://shop.safeway.com/corporate/randalls/gn_houston_austin.pdf
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Two High String
Band Geoff Union
All bands listed are
members of the CTBA.
See the membership
form on the back cover
for information on
band membership.
CTBA Business Members
P.O. Box 483
Grapeland, Tx 75884
www.salmonlakepark.com
Overton Bluegrass Festival
City of Overton Sponsoring Bluegrass and Gospel Music
www.overtonbluegrass.com
Don Eaves
bluegrass@cl.overton.tx.us
903-834-3171
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Sponsored by City of Early
Drawer D
Overton, Texas 75684
Charlotte Parrack
325-646-8531
300 Early Blvd.
CTBA Area Jams and Events
AUSTIN AREA, CTBA
GEORGETOWN
Beginner/Intermed. Jam 1st. & 3rd Thu. 7-9 Randy’s Rangers Thursday Jam: Duke’s
PM, Steve Mangold 512-345-6155
BBQ Smokehouse, 6-8 PM, 512-869-8076 or
sigi@sigi.us&gt; sigi@sigi.us
CTBA 2nd & 4th Sat , ArtZ Rib House, beginner/Intermediate Jam 4—6 contact: Steve THE GROVE
Mangold 345-6155
Outside Pick General Store, 15 mi. west of
Temple on Hwy 36, Sat, 6pm until ?
Jam Session: Sunday at ArtZ Rib House, 2-6 Contact: Moody Anderson, 512-282-1215
PM
PEARL
Jam & Stage Show, 1st Sat: Jam starts at
noon, show 4:30 PM, Hwy 183, 7 mi South
of Purmela; contact: Ronald Medart 254-865
-6013 www.pearlbluegrass.com
Live Bluegrass Show: ArtZ Rib House Sun- HARWOOD
day 6 pm; 512-442-8283
Stage Show & Jam Session 3rd Sat, 9 mi. E.
of Luling, Hwy 90, 2 to 9 PM
AAAMS Jam 2nd & 4th Wed. Leander/Cedar
Park Fine Arts Academy, 200 Buttercup Rd,
Ste. 104, Cedar Park, 6:30 to 8:30 pm, 512- HONDO
Hondo Hootenanny, 1 PM, Hondo Commu401-8863
nity Center, 1st Fri each month 830-426-3438
AFTM Contradance: 3rd Sat. 3501 Red River
HOUSTON
7:30 to 11 pm, $7 453-8936
Second Saturday jam, 1-4 PM, sponsored by
AFTM Jam Session: 2nd Sun at ArtZ Rib BABA and the Houston Railroad Museum
(April-November), Houston Railroad MuHouse, 2330 S. Lamar, Austin, 2-4 PM
seum, 7390 Mesa Road; www. houstonrrmuseum.org; 713-319-8906
FIDDLER’S GREEN jam session in the
BARN out back behind the shop every 2nd
LEAGUE CITY (BABA)
and 4th Tuesday from 7 PM to 11 PM.
Jam & Free Bluegrass Show 3rd Sat: Jam 5
Phone: 512-452-3900
PM, Show 6:30 PM Jan- Nov., League City
www.fiddlersgreenmusicshop.com
Civic Center, 300 W. Walker St. 281-6369419
BANDERA
4th Friday of each month at Silver Sage Corral– east of Bandera. Starts at 6:30 pm. For LIBERTY HILL
more info call (830)796-3969 (Not on Good 4th Sat. Jam Session at 1-6 PM, Hwy 29
West, contact Paula at 512-778-5410
Friday)
Beginner/Intermediate Bluegrass Jam 2nd
Thursday 7-9 pm at 6418 Ridgehurst, San
Antonio. Hosted by Clifton Bowren 210-602
-5544
cliftonfiddler5@aol.com
BELLVILLE
Spring Creek Club Jam/Show Jan. thru Sept
4th Sat; 4pm Jam, 6:30 pm show. Coushatte
Recreation Ranch 979-865-5250
bluegrass221@ev1.net
Plenty of RV
camping and good food.
LILLIAN
Third Friday show and jam, 10552 CR 519,
Lillian; 7 PM, $4; www.ntbluegrass.com or
817-929-8391
MANCHACA
Open jam every Thursday night from 7-9 PM
at The Railroad BBQ on FM 1626 in Manchaca
BRYAN/COLLEGE STATION,
Brazos Country Grass Monday Jam, J.
Cody’s, 3610 S. College 6-9 PM
McDADE
www.brazoscountrygrass.com
2nd Monday of each Month: McDade Jamboree at the McDade VFW Post Hwy 290. 7-10
ELGIN
PM Call: 512-273-2307
3rd Friday of each Month: Blue Fire-Station
jam session, FM 696, 7-10 PM
MEDINA
2nd Tuesday—each month— all gospel jam at
FAYETTEVILLE:
the first Baptist Church—Medina. Starts at 6
Texas Pickin’ Park: Jam 2nd Saturday, each PM; for info Linda Barton 830-589-2486
month beginning at 6 PM on the Courthouse
Square. Acoustic instruments only.
2nd Friday each month— The Medina Jam
For info: info@texaspickinpark.com
session will be held at the Masonic Lodge at
www.texaspickinpark.com
6:30 PM (bring covered dish)
GARLAND
Bluegrass on the Square: Saturday, MarchNovember between Main and State Sts. At
6th, 7:30 PM to 1 AM
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MONTGOMERY
1ST SATURDAY Jam in downtown historical
District from 10 AM– 2 PM. For discount
coupons at local KOA contact Dr. Mike
Davis: mld@consolidated.net
SAN ANTONIO
Open Bluegrass Jam Session Tuesdays, 6-8:30
PM, Grady’s BBQ Store No. San Pedro Ave,
at Jackson –Keller (beginner-friendly)
SHULENBERG
RV Park community Center
2nd Tuesday of every month, 6:30—9:00 PM
Laretta Baumgarten 979-743-4388
schurvpk@fais.net
WIMBERLEY
Bluegrass Jam Fri 8-12 pm, Lane’s Country
Café, Wimberley
Editor’s note: this list of jams
hasn’t been verified in a long
time. Call ahead before checking out an unfamiliar jam, to
make sure it’s still active.
Central Texas Bluegrass Association
P.O. Box 9816
Austin, Texas 78766
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