A few weeks ago in a separate post I noted that I was going to Australia and had found out about some local jams and managed to get a line on a mandolin to borrow…lots of likes and a few comments on that post.
Well, today I played in my first “Sunday Jam” here in Fremantle, WA and had a blast. This jam has been going on for 3 - 4 years and they play EVERY Sunday…including holidays, Christmas, you name it. My wife took this photo for me…not the best as it only shows half of the group… but it does show yours truly (the goofball with the white Sicilian cap and mandolin). My local contact here (Tom) is a gifted banjo player and he told me not to worry…this is a fun and friendly group…and he was right. We had a variety of really good players and some people new to their instruments…but everyone was kind and we had a good time. There were a number of mandolin players there; I introduced myself to a lady playing one after we’d played a few songs. She said, “Hi, I’m Carla and I don’t play mandolin.” I said, “Well, you certainly LOOK like you’re playing a mandolin!”. She said, “No, you’re over there doing the closed chord Monroe chop (her words) and I’m still trying to figure out the basic open chords!”. There were some other mando players there as well and I had a chance to interact with most of them. I got to take my borrowed mandolin “home” and will be playing it regularly to learn some breaks on the songs I didn’t know; they have a book of about 50 songs they typically play…I knew some but not all. Okay, I know I’m babbling a bit here…but the thrill of playing bluegrass with a bunch of new friends is just a tad overwhelming. Can’t wait for next Sunday!
