Upcoming VBA Events
All VBA activities take place at the Orange Hall, 1620
Fernwood Rd, VICTORIA, BC
(corner of Fernwood and Balmoral - see Google Map)
Please Note VBA's Recording Policy:
No video or audio recordings are to be made at any VBA events,
unless specifically authorized in advance by the performer(s) being recorded.
See Recording Policy for specific details.
Every Tuesday 7:30 to 10 pm, all year long
(except: Open Stage / Feature Night, the last Tuesday each month, September to May)
- September 2010: 7, 14, 21
- October 2010: 5, 12, 19
Location: Orange Hall, 1620 Fernwood Rd, Victoria, BC. (see Google Map)
The cornerstone of the VBA is the weekly bluegrass jams. Players, singers and listeners can come out and indulge their love of bluegrass every Tuesday evening.
We use the Nashville Numbering System to help communicate Common Bluegrass Chord Changes.
Upstairs Beginner & Intermediate Jams: every Tuesday throughout the summer:
- 7:45 pm - Beginner’s jam featuring slow, simple songs or tunes which allow beginning musicians to participate. Intermediate players are welcome but their role is to support beginning players
- 8:45 - Break
- 9:00 - Intermediate Jam (more up-tempo)
About the Upstairs Jam: Most weeks these jams will be lead by a volunteer moderator. The jams are meant to be inclusive, so please consider your song or tune selection carefully when it’s your turn to choose. Bluegrass “standards” played in the keys of A,C,D,E,or G work best in this context. If there is no moderator, be prepared to lead your song by communicating with the
other musicians in the circle when it’s their turn to take a solo.
Some hints to successful jamming:
- Keep yer head up, yer eyes and ears open so you can catch the cues.
- Listen to the room. We should be jamming as one.
- If you notice that you are out of sync with the rhythm, stop, feel the rhythm internally, then start again.
- Remember to inform the person to your left if you will not be taking a break.
- If you need to “practice” or work out your solo while someone else is either singing or taking their solo, please step well outside of the circle and turn away from the jam to do so. If you’re not taking a solo, pay attention to the person who is.
- Check out the our website for more tips on Jam Etiquette.
Downstairs Advanced Jams:
7:45 – 10:00 pm – Advanced Bluegrass Jam
Fall/Winter schedule: every Tuesday
About the Downstairs Jam: Folks, this is an upper level bluegrass jam and etiquette is strictly enforced. Please park your egos at the door and decide honestly what your skill level is when you decide to join in the advanced jam. If you’re not sure where your skill level is, come listen at one of the jams before joining in.
Players of all levels are welcome and encouraged to attend.
Admission:
- The attendance fee for Players is $2 for members, $3 for non-members
- People who wish to just listen can attend by donation
- Volunteers who help run the jams are not obligated to pay
Contact: Larry Stevens at larrystevens@shaw.ca
Saturday, September 11, 2010
Doors open at 7:30, Show starts at 8 pm
at Orange Hall, 1620 Fernwood, Victoria, BC
Don’t miss these four adept and accomplished musicians, dedicated to performing unique and exciting material that raises the bar for instrumental acoustic music. The Creaking Tree String Quartet have a deeply moving sound that's a true Canadian original: Andrew Collins (mandolin), Brad Keller (guitar), Brian Kobayakawa (bass), John Showman (fiddle), form jazz sliding over a rootsy bluegrass base, with flashes of chamber music, reverence and avant-garde experimentation. Juno award nominees (and winners of too many other awards to mention), they’ll be here in Victoria with a brand new album, The Soundtrack, produced in Nashville, and which has already won two Canadian Folk Music Awards. We love these guys and they always blow the walls off the house with their stunning shows.
"The playing is just superb, these guys are fantastic." - CBC Radio One, Bandwith
The Creaking Tree String Quartet, two time Juno nominees and some of the hardest working musicians in the country, are coming to celebrate their new record with audiences across BC.
They will be traveling the Province armed with new material and a preview of their upcoming release, spreading their cacophony of intricate string arrangements and energetic stage presence from the coast to the interior.
“Sundogs”, the group’s fourth album, follows the successes of the previous ones with exciting new material that takes the music in new directions. Featuring expanded instrumentation with excellent guest artists as well as new approaches to arranging (highlighted by selections from the jazz and classical repertoire), the new record will bear the standards of excellence for which the group has become known.
Admission: VBA Members: $16, for Advance Reservations call 250-886-7108 or email kelly.sherwin@gmail.com; Non-members: $20
More info: www.creakingtree.com
Tuesday, September 28th, 2010
Doors open: 7:30 pm
Open Stage:1st Half of Eve: 7:45 - 8:45 pm
Featured Act: 2nd Half of Eve: 9:00 - 10:00 pm
Location: Orange Hall, 1620 Fernwood Rd, Victoria, BC. (see Google Map)
Tickets: $5 for members; $7 for non-members; free for open stage performers
Recording Policy: No video or audio recordings are to be made at any VBA events, unless specifically authorized in advance by the performer(s) being recorded. See Recording Policy for specific details.
Tuesday, September 28th, 2010; 9 to 10:00 pm
Together now for a decade, Clover Point Drifters - one of the region’s best-loved acoustic bands, has built a large following with top notch, fun-filled, picking and singing. They've performed with the likes of the Nitty Gritty Band - and almost stole the show, at Government House, twice, where they wowed thousands, including two Lieutenants Governor, and in Victoria to standing ovations. Freshly out of the recording studio, the Drifters will have a brand new CD at this show – their first release in over 6 years.
The Clover Point Drifters are: Mike Kraft (banjo, harmony vocals), Larry Stephens (resophonic guitar, lead vocals), Dan Parker (mandolin,lead vocals), Alan Law (guitar, lead & harmony vocals), George Robinson (bass, lead vocals).
More info: www.cloverpointdrifters.com
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