Your independent source of bluegrass news.
Country Gongbang at the 2024 Father’s Day Bluegrass Festival – photo © Robin Frenette
Many thanks to the good people with the California Bluegrass Association and McGuckin Entertainment PR for sharing these fine photos from last month’s big Father’s Day Festival in Grass Valley, CA.
Looks like everyone had a big time.
The California Bluegrass Association, in keeping with their longstanding practice of building future bluegrass leaders through aggressive contemporary action, has announced a Leadership Training opportunity during this year’s Father’s Day Bluegrass Festival in Grass Valley, CA in June.
CBA is offering 12 positions in its new Music Festival Production program to give those interested in show and event production a chance to learn on the job during a major bluegrass festival. Though rotating assignments, these “interns” will have the opportunity to observe close hand how a large scale festival is managed, by being on the inside as the show goes on.
Or as the program directors describe it…
Leadership participants will be embedded with various festival operations and production teams, gaining hands-on experience. You will work with experts to create a high-quality festival experience for attendees and learn to solve those inevitable problems in real-time.
This program runs a full week, from June 10-17, in order to encompass both the set up and tear down for the Father’s Day festival, which occurs June 13-16. Participants can expect to work a full eight hour day while on site, divided between assignments with different administrative and management teams, and in volunteer time with several festival squads. The volunteer time is the only payment requested by CBA for being involved in this training program.
But they won’t be sent into the wild unprepared. Before any shift, participants will be briefed in seminars by team leaders.
Participants can expect to spend time in the following festival areas:
Free tent or RV camping spots will be offered to those in the program, and all meals during the week will be provided.
Though not strictly limited to students, this training program is designed for someone studying theater arts, music production, or media in college, or in the early stages of a professional career in music or event production. But those interested in using the program as an entry level introduction are also encouraged to apply.
Applications to this initial CBA Music Festival Production training program can be completed online, and must be submitted by April 15 to be considered.
This appears to be the first program of its type to be offered in the bluegrass world, and could possibly fulfill summer internship requirements required by many universities.
Full details are available online.
West coast grassers will have a chance to celebrate the 100th birthday of the great Earl Scruggs in a special tribute show on January 6 in Bakersfield, CA, produced by the California Bluegrass Association in partnership with the Guitar Masters concert series.
Billed as the Earl Scruggs Centenary Celebration, the concert will include performances by luminaries Peter Rowan, former Blue Grass Boy and life long bluegrass artist, and Herb Pedersen, banjo player and vocalist whose work has included time with Chris Hillman in The Desert Rose Band, The Dillards, Vern & Ray, and Linda Ronstadt. Banjo player Bill Evans, a long time stalwart of the Bay Area bluegrass scene, will also appear.
A special Earl Scruggs Tribute Band has been assembled to support these and other guests, including Mike Witcher on reso-guitar, Jim Nunnaly on guitar, Chad Manning on fiddle, Tom Bekeny on mandolin, and Steve Pottier on bass.
The show will be held at Buck Owens’ Crystal Palace starting at 7:30 p.m. on January 6, with doors opening for dinner at 5:30. Tickets are available now online for $50 each.
This brings the number to three of major tribute concerts scheduled around the country to celebrate Earl’s birth.
The California Bluegrass Association has launched a memorial fundraising drive for their vaunted youth programs in the name of the man who spearheaded those efforts more than three decades ago, Frank Solivan Sr.
Frank Sr., who passed away about six weeks ago, built the nation’s first formal method for encouraging young bluegrass musicians when his son, Frank Solivan II, who now fronts the popular Dirty Kitchen bluegrass group, was a youngster learning to play. It all started when Sr noticed how much it meant to his teen son and his friends to be recognized at the Grass Valley festival, and asked to perform on stage.
From that germ grew a far reaching and expanding set of services offered by the Association to teach young pickers how to play, how to play together, and offering a lending library of instruments for those just starting out. These days, most major festivals all over the country have a youth component based on what Frank envisioned back at Grass Valley.
CBA is soliciting donations for Frank’s legacy with young musicians via Frank’s Fund for CBA Youth, with a goal of raising $10,000 to solidify the financial foundation for the many programs that have built upon Solivan’s early accomplishments.
The Fund is set up through the Donor Box platform, which offers a secure online payment system that accepts major credit cards, Apple Pay, Google Pay, PayPal, or bank transfers, and can process payments in more than 40 different currencies. Either one time or recurring donations can be quickly set up online.
All monies received into Frank’s Fund will go to benefit the CBA Youth programs, including helping to pay for young pickers and singers to travel to the IBMA’s World of Bluegrass to participate in their Kids on Bluegrass performances.
To make a donation, simply visit Frank’s Fund for CBA Youth online.
Rhonda Vincent at the 2023 CBA Father’s Day Festival – photo © Alan M Bond
One of the longest running and most influential festivals out west is the annual California Bluegrass Association’s Father’s Day Festival, held this past 48 years in Grass Valley, California. Just as few west coasters are able to make it east for major festivals in the southeastern US, not many backeasters have had a chance to visit California for this terrific event, held as you might expect, over the Father’s Day weekend each June.
This year’s festival marked an emotional homecoming, as it was the first performance by Molly Tuttle with her band, Golden Highway. Molly quite literally grew up at this event, jamming and then performing with her family’s band and being involved in their CBA Youth Academy.
We are very thankful to the CBA staff and their several photographers (Robin Frenette, Bob Free, Patrick Campbell, Alan Bond) for sharing all these wonderful photos from the 2023 event, which we will split into two galleries.
When someone in the California Bluegrass Association(CBA) says Darby, we all know who they are talking about as she is part of a select group like Carl or Lauri who have instant first-name recognition. As former CBA President, Darby Brandli is known far and wide for her passion for bluegrass, the CBA, and now the youth programs. Her stewardship steered the CBA during difficult times to what is now a huge, thriving, modern bluegrass association welcoming anyone with an interest in bluegrass, gospel, or old-time music.
Hi Darby. What’s keeping you busy these days?
The 48th Annual CBA Father’s Day Bluegrass Festival(FDF) is coming up in Grass Valley June 15. Kimber Ludiker and I are really scrambling this week to get ready for the CBA Youth Academy, beginning June 14. We sold out and over-enrolled (we didn’t want to deny any kids admission). Kimber just hired another faculty member and we had to order more supplies.
Tell us how you first got involved in the bluegrass world.
My friend, Ann Theobald Juell, and I discovered bluegrass music in 1962-1963 in Berkeley. There wasn’t much of a “world” then. We came of age in a pretty vibrant music scene in Berkeley in the 1960s. When I met my husband, Bruno, in 1967 we shared an interest in the music, but we didn’t get involved in the bluegrass world until 20 years later.
Have you ever played?
Well of course I did. There was a folk scene in Berkeley. I took my first guitar lessons from Merritt Herring in 1961 at Live Oak Park in Berkeley. Forty years later, I took guitar lessons from Larry Chung, and realized I would never become a picker or singer. I decided then that since I was a professional manager in real life, I could create a space for players and fans to gather. It was a good move.
What singers do you like?
I am a fan of Dale Ann Bradley, Tina Adair, Rhonda Vincent, Brooke Aldridge, AJ Lee, Molly Tuttle, Laurie Lewis, Kathy Kallick, Celia Woodsmith, and Vicki Vaughn. I love ALL the women bluegrass singers. In my position, I cannot have favorites.
What festivals will you be attending this summer?
After Father’s Day, we are taking our grandson to Switzerland, and will miss most of the summer festival season. We will definitely attend the IBMA World of Bluegrass in Raleigh in September.
You answered my next question? What is your favorite part of IBMA other than seeing the kids?
Yes, we already purchased plane tickets and the CBA is a sponsor of the event. I love seeing my friends in the bluegrass community at the World of Bluegrass. Everyone attending is a friend, and it is the huggingest community on the planet. I cannot wait to hug everyone again.
What bands are you excited to see at the 2023 FDF?
I am most excited about Molly Tuttle and Golden Highway. Molly contacted us last year when she released her song Grass Valley, but it was too late to make it happen for 2022. We made certain we had a slot for her band for 2023. We are so proud of her. She has appeared on our stages and represented the CBA at the IBMA Kids on Bluegrass (KOB) program since the World of Bluegrass was held in Nashville. She has taught at our Music Camp. Her dad, Jack, is an Honorary Lifetime Member of the CBA and has taught at our music camp every year for two decades, and he edited the Youth Program Songbook. Molly is family. She is showing the world (yes the world) that California has bluegrass creds.
What other upcoming CBA artists are you excited about?
I am keeping my eyes on AJ Lee and Blue Summit, The Crying Uncle Bluegrass Band, Broken Compass, and all the bands featuring Ida Winfree. I think AJ Lee is about a year and a half behind Molly Tuttle. I am also watching Josh and John Gooding, now playing with Little Roy and Lizzie, and Jesse Personeni who is playing with the Malpass Brothers. Birches Bend is making a splash and of course, Miles and Teo Quale are major talents and the world is open to them. We have dozens of potential bluegrass stars in our midst and many of them are years away from driving.
Who are some of the previous waves of CBA talent are you most proud of?
Annie Staninec, Angelica Brannum, Molly Tuttle, and AJ Lee make me weep when they perform. I watched them grow up around my camp. The CBA Youth Program has made it a point to pay special attention to our young female musicians and try to mentor them as we could. It has definitely paid off. The faculty of this year’s Academy is made up of former Academy and KOB participants. Helen Foley and Dana Frankel will be key to the Kids on Bluegrass Program.
Have you ever considered getting a new van?
Ha ha, The 1978 Green Machine has served us well for over 30 years.
How did your camp Spam get its name?
We had to name our camp for the Strawberry Music Festival and there was a can of Spam on the table. Dave Gooding made us a sign. We have collected a LOT of Spam memorabilia over the years. Once we even opened a can of Spam and ate it.
What is your go-to venue?
We haven’t gotten back out much post-COVID. We have been to the Freight & Salvage several times because of their COVID precautions. I hope some new venues open up.
What new things are in store for the CBA Youth programs?
The amazing Kimber Ludiker (Director of the Academy and the Jam-a-Thon) is polishing up our app and our On-Line Academy. The rollout of both of these is much slower than we predicted. Watch our website for announcements. We are also strategizing how to expand our mentorship program.
What is your official role with CBA nowadays?
I am officially an Honorary Lifetime CBA Member, and President Emerita and the current Director of the CBA Youth Program. I am looking to retire this year (before I turn 80). Contact me if you are interested in this labor of love.
And unofficial role?
Kimber describes me as the Matriarch of California Bluegrass but I think that makes me sound old.
How did you first get involved with CBA?
I surprised Bruno (my husband) with a trip to the Father’s Day Festival when our children were small in the late 1980s. We loved it and joined the CBA, and returned the next year and the next year. Late in the 1990s I realized that members could participate in the organization. Bruno and I helped organize the McGrath’s Jam in Alameda, and Bruno led the jam for years. My first big project was getting bicycles allowed at the Festival (took three years of a pilot program). I was recruited by JD Rhynes and Rick Cornish to submit my name for President (a liaison between the Board and the membership). I served for about 15 years.
You were critical, many say a savior when you stepped into the CBA President role. What did you do to steady the ship?
Thank you, I am proud of the work I did. Butch Waller came to my house after I was elected by the Board and gave me a very helpful thumbnail history of the politics of the CBA and what the pitfalls might be for me. That conversation clarified a lot of the “mysterious dysfunctional history,” and allowed me to move forward with an agenda I knew was needed, and would be supported by the membership. There were people in the Association who questioned the wisdom of choosing me as President. My goal has always been to increase the number of families attending our events in order to keep the music, the community, and the organization alive in the future. I simply remained focused on that goal and nudged the Board in the directions I thought important for the future. I think the monthly column I wrote for over a decade helped focus the membership on all my goals.
Do you feel the next generation is up for keeping CBA afloat when we old-timers are, uh, less active?
So far each generation has stepped up to lead. We have a very young generation of fans and pickers who will step up to the plate. We will see if our Mentorship Program worked. I have no fears of the future.
What are you most proud of in your involvement with CBA?
I am most proud of the CBA Youth Program. When I became President we had Kids on Bluegrass led by Frank Solivan, and a Lending Library headed by Sharon and Steve Elliott, but we didn’t have a vision or mission for the future. There were fewer families and young people at our events. We needed to focus on the needs of families. I know I have built a foundation and now there needs to be energy to take the program forward throughout the State and the year. I am recruiting for my replacement.
What is something about Carl Pagter that most people don’t know?
Carl stayed active in the bluegrass world while also on dialysis. Carl traveled west coast to east coast to festivals while also scheduling dialysis treatments at clinics throughout the US. Carl’s love of the music and the music community was astounding.
Who are some unsung heroes in the CBA world?
Carl Pagter (CBA #1) received the acknowledgment he deserved. I don’t think past Chairperson Rick Cornish gets the credit he deserves. Rick brought the organization from a smallish regional organization into the well-known and respected organization it is today. Under Rick, we developed the website, began to store our records digitally, added two more stages to the Father’s Day Festival, started Music Camps and the Great 48. Rick spent countless hours recruiting people to serve in leadership roles (he recruited me). Rick served as Chairman for a pivotal decade and accomplished some remarkable things.
Current Chairperson Pete Lude has steered the CBA through a very challenging time. His vision and streaming skills kept us alive and interacting with our membership during the COVID lockdown. All our meetings are now via Zoom which allows our Southern California members to participate in leadership roles. Pete’s experience on other Boards has streamlined processes in the CBA that were historically daunting. He has pushed for expansion into places we have never been before. We developed our Prison Program-Bluegrass Bridge under his watch. We acquired another Music Camp in the San Diego area (Julian Family Fiddle Camp.
The Leadership Team is extremely important to the CBA but they direct the real ENGINE of the CBA–the volunteers. The CBA is an all volunteer organization and we have accomplished everything we do through the selfless and hard work of hundreds of volunteers. Our membership keeps the CBA going. The volunteer community is inspiring.
What do you think CBA and other organizations could do a better job at?
I think we need to embrace the times we live in and demonstrate that our music, while rooted in the past, belongs in the present and the future. Our younger artists like Molly Tuttle and Billy Strings are filling stadiums and introducing a new generation to the music. Bluegrass Pride (originating in the CBA) demonstrated a desire to include EVERYONE in our community. We need to open our arms to a broader community if we want the music to persist into the future. We need to be less fearful of change.
What is the most outrageous memory you have of the FDF?
I remember the night someone called the Nevada County Sheriff’s department at 4:00 a.m. to report a jam we were having during the Father’s Day Festival. It was probably time to shut down since a number of the jammers were due on the main stage early that morning. But still…asking us to stop “hooting and hollering” was a bit much. For a few years following I posted a large sign saying “LOUD CAMP” at our campsite to warn off anyone who didn’t appreciate 24-hour jamming.
Have you read any interesting books recently?
Haha, that is a trick question by someone who knows I have Macular Degeneration and can no longer read books. Well, I signed up for Audible and bought some good earbuds, and am looking for recommendations.
Oops, sorry. Maybe I need to modernize the question to books or podcasts.
I actually liked the question. I do want people to know I cannot see them, and to introduce themself when they approach me.
Thanks, Darby for all of your contributions. Is there anything else you would like to say?
I am optimistic about the future of the CBA. Successfully getting through the last three years is an example of the imagination, creativity, and resilience of the leadership team. Stay tuned for the next fifty years of the CBA.
Copy edited by Mary Ann Goldstein
CBA Bluegrass Breakdown editor/graphic designer, Jason and Gina Dilg
Long-time readers of the California Bluegrass Association member’s monthly newsletter, the Bluegrass Breakdown, noticed big changes during the pandemic including a smaller footprint with fewer columns with a professional-looking glossy print finish, but as the familiar song lyric goes, “That’s all in the past dear, it didn’t seem to last.” I spoke to CBA chairman Pete Ludé, and new Breakdown editor/graphic designer, Jason and Gina Dilg, to hear what readers can look forward to.
It’s important to credit the late Mark Varner for his long-term, extensive work in putting together an amazing and award-winning newsletter. After Mark’s departure, CBA member Patrick Campbell stepped up as editor when resources were scarce, and kept things going. Now to the Q&A.
Hello Pete. Tell us about the changes and your vision for the CBA Bluegrass Breakdown.
At the start of the pandemic, CBA – like most organizations – faced some unexpected financial challenges and tough choices. Since in-person communication became so difficult, we decided to focus on digital communication. We scaled back the Bluegrass Breakdown and began producing regular webcasts, expanded social media, and an entirely new website and membership management system. When we emerged from the tough times in good shape, the CBA board decided it was time to beef up the Bluegrass Breakdown as a high-quality print publication. The Breakdown has been continuously published as a monthly publication since 1975, so it has a rich history and a lot of fans. Beginning this January, we went from the scaled-back 4-page format, to 12 to 16 pages to include more compelling long-form stories. We’ve received encouraging feedback from both our membership and advertisers.
To accomplish this vision, CBA went on a search to find an editor and graphic designer to create a fresh, fun, and accessible publication. We were very fortunate to find Jason and Gina Dilg, who took over this role last October, and have brought a new and exciting perspective to the newsletter. In the process, it became clear that there are many untold stories about the people who pioneered bluegrass and old-time music here in California, and about the vibrant current scene of musicians, luthiers, songwriters, and so much more. It is important to tell these stories, and now with our new team and expanded publication, we have a platform to do it.
How can people get a physical copy or a link to read online?
The best way is to become a member of the California Bluegrass Association, and you’ll get the paper or digital version each month. Membership is still only $25 per year for individuals, or $30 for your whole family, plus many other benefits which you can find out about at www.CaliforniaBluegrass.org. For now, non-members can also access the digital (pdf) version of the Bluegrass Breakdown by looking for the orange Bluegrass Breakdown button on the web site home page.
Hey Jason. How did you get into BGOT music?
I was a recovering classical violin dropout when I saw a production of the play, A Lie Of The Mind, at James Madison University in Harrisonburg, VA, way back in 1991. The music, originally scored by the Red Clay Ramblers, was performed that night by local musicians on mandolin family instruments. I was entranced by the music — I don’t really remember the play!
Jason on Banjo at the Lyons, Colorado Old-Time Square Dance
What excites you about working on the CBA Breakdown?
So many things.
It’s an exciting time to be here! We’re all shaking off a few years of social isolation from COVID. I think it’s interesting that the Bluegrass Breakdown’s founder — also CBA’s co-founder and first member, the recently passed Carl Pagter — knew this publication would be essential to bringing together bluegrass musicians across such a big state when he started the organization. So we’re using the Breakdown and the advantages that longer format stories than social media can easily accommodate to help us reconnect to each other and live music — jams and performances — which is an ethos that has run through CBA from its inception. It’s exciting to be a part of that, and I hope that’s reflected in the content and tone that we’re setting as we expand the publication from the four-page newsletter it became during the pandemic.
We’re also highlighting the trends and changes in the community and the broader bluegrass world, including a “big tent” view of the music in line with Carl’s vision, and our mission. We’ll be diving deep into old-time, gospel, and other forms of early American folk; shining the light on the role of nonwhite and female musicians past and present; and documenting the inspiration and love that pours from this community year after year from programs like the CBA Campouts, Youth Program, and the famous Father’s Day Festival in Grass Valley. I’m excited to be doing some of this writing and also working with other great writers from the industry in this work.
Hi Gina. What is your musical connection to old-time/bluegrass music?
I’ve actually been involved with old-time and bluegrass music since I was little and living in Albuquerque NM. My folks were learning banjo and fiddle, and gave my sister and I fiddle lessons and drove to the East Coast for fiddlers conventions every summer, listening only to old-time string band music the whole time. They had square dance band practices in the house every week growing up. I went to college in Fredericksburg, Virginia, which was a music community heavily influenced by the Seldom Scene, and then moved to Colorado where I was quickly immersed in the music there. I loved that I could bounce between old-time and bluegrass music, and living in Lyons surrounded me with some of the best musicians in the business, and put me right at the heart of the Rockygrass festival.
Here is Gina fiddling at the 2018 Floyd Get Together Square Dance with Tatiana Hargreaves and Allison DeGroot
Talk about your trad music art and how that might influence your work on the Breakdown.
The layout work for the Breakdown comes fairly easily after my work for the Floyd Country Store and County Sales, and I love to create appealing aesthetic pieces that help tell a story. I imagine though when you say “trad music art” you might be referencing the illustrative series I started during the pandemic that took off as a sticker and merch phenomenon. We got caught up in Casper, Wyoming for three weeks in midwinter of 2020, and without a whole lot to do, I created three illustrations of Benton Flippen, Ola Belle Reed, and Jean Ritchie, and ordered them as stickers. Since then I’ve added 14 other illustrations of traditional music artists and put them on everything from shirts to keychains and magnets. I’m not entirely sure how this will influence my work on the Breakdown, but I hope that it allows me to envision engaging ways to create and arrange content that works in harmony with the great articles from our writers and editor.
To conclude, Jason had this to say about upcoming issues of the Breakdown.
Each issue of the Breakdown is crafted around a central theme — in the spring we’ll preview the 2023 Father’s Day Festival in Grass Valley and spotlight CBA’s youth programs; this summer we’ll profile some of California’s amazing luthiers — with original articles and interviews giving the reader a fresh, well-rounded perspective on the many facets of this music and community.
Here’s a memory and preview of this years festival headliner, Molly Tuttle.
Co-founder of the California Bluegrass Association (CBA), Carl Pagter passed away on Tuesday, January 3, 2023, in Virginia. He was 89 years old.
Carl Richard Pagter was born on February 13, 1934, in Baltimore, and helped to form the San Francisco Bay Area-based CBA with Jake Quesenberry and Jack Sadler in 1975.
A clawhammer banjo player, Pagter’s introduction to the instrument came courtesy of a friendly fellow sailor during his Navy enlistment, and he learned to jam with other Navy personnel.
He became a lover and energetic supporter of old time and bluegrass music, serving as a benefactor and mentor to many in the community.
Pagter moved to California as a youth and earned an Associate of Arts degree from Diablo Valley College in 1953; a Bachelor of History degree from San Jose State University in 1955; and a Bachelor of Laws degree from the University of California, Berkeley, in 1964.
A lawyer by profession, he was employed in a corporate capacity in various locations in California, and in Washington, DC.
In 1975, Carl and Judie Cox Pagter formed the old-time string band, Country Ham, which evolved from Pagter’s first band, the Spout Run String Band.
For about three decades the Pagters maintained a part-time performance and recording career in the San Francisco Bay Area and in Washington, DC.
Country Ham – Old Time Mountain Music [1976]
![Old Time Mountain Music [1976] - Country Ham](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/YI-QSt-VZyk/hqdefault.jpg)
Darby Brandli, former President Emerita of the CBA, leads the tributes ..
“Carl had a life that mattered. When he ‘retired’ from CBA leadership, he became more involved with the Museum and the IBMA foundation, and he made certain the CBA continued a presence at the World of Bluegrass. He kept his finger on the pulse of the CBA and continued attending many meetings pre-pandemic.
These last couple of COVID years were tough for all of us, and I regret not staying in close touch with him. He showed up at my camp at our Father’s Day Bluegrass Festival requesting that some of our talented young musicians play for him. Carl loved the CBA Youth Program, and he loved all our kids. We owe him a huge debt of gratitude for all the years of work he put into the CBA, and all the mentoring he did.”
Tim Edes, CBA Honorary Life Member and past board member and Chair, adds…
“Carl Pagter was a good man who was obsessed with the success of the California Bluegrass Association (CBA), and the preservation of bluegrass music. He was the founder of the CBA and was member #1. Carl was a great mentor and pragmatist. He was most proud of the fact that the organization and events were always run by volunteers. In addition, Carl was adamant that the CBA have a presence at the IBMA convention and trade show every year, personally financially supporting the trip for the team for several years. Carl deserves all honors and adulation for his dedication to bluegrass music. I shall miss him……rest in peace my friend.”
Dennis Cash had a long-standing friendship with Pagter going back to the 1970s, the duo often performing together during the following years ….
“I met Carl years ago when I lived in the Sacramento, California, area and attended the CBA Father’s Day Festival. When I moved back east, he and I would visit at the IBMA convention. Carl was my favorite old time claw hammer banjo player.
I did two albums of the music of the original Carter Family, and Carl played on both. He and his wife, Judie, asked me to play with them at the Tennessee Fall Homecoming several times. Carl had a passion for old time, real roots music. Not only was he a great player of that music, he had a wealth of knowledge about its history and its artists. And he was equally at home with bluegrass music.
Carl was just a good guy. Whether we were doing music or just hanging out talking, it was good to be with Carl. He had vision to keep string music alive and well. He was a founding member of the CBA, member number 1. He was involved with both the IBMA and the IBMM.
Carl made about the best oyster stew I’ve ever eaten. It was at he and Judie’s farm in Stanardsville, Virginia, perhaps over a new year holiday (it’s been a while). One day Carl asked if I liked oyster stew. He said he was going to make some. So, he whipped up a pot. Best I’ve ever had!
Fine musician, great supporter of musicians, but most of all, just a good man and friend….that sums up how Carl Pagter will be remembered by me.”
Country Ham – Anchored In Love [1988]
![Anchored In Love [1988] - Country Ham](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/Xkuu5QDQxo0/hqdefault.jpg)
Stating when held in Owensboro, Kentucky, Pagter led the CBA to establish a popular week-long hospitality suite at the annual IBMA World of Bluegrass conventions, helping to make West Coast bluegrass musicians and bands better-known in the bluegrass heartland, and leading to an increase in the number of California bands touring the east coast regions.
This led to exchanges that had wide benefits for other initiatives.
His patronage extended to him serving as a Trustee of the International Bluegrass Music Museum, Owensboro, Kentucky; as a board member and treasurer of the Foundation For Bluegrass Music (now the Bluegrass Music Foundation); as well as being a member of the American Folklore Society and the California Folklore Society.
Pagter was honored with the IBMA’s Distinguished Achievement Award in 1999.
Carl Pagter plays and sings the Civil War era song Lorena ….
In his later years Pagter performed with the Mount Diablo String Band …
Mount Diablo String Band concert at the United Methodist Church in Walnut Creek, California, on May 14, 2010.
Also, Pagter was a published author, producing a handful of humorous books and collections of cartoons with his collaborator Dr. Alan Dundes of UC Berkeley, many relating to the ups and downs of office work and corporate life.
R.I.P. Carl Pagter
We are grateful to Dennis Cash for his help in completing this obituary.
A Discography
Country Ham
Joe Meadows
Dennis Cash
The California Bluegrass Association has announced that the popular Julian Family Fiddle Camp, a five day workshop in Julian, CA, is now part of the CBA.
Despite the name, the Camp offers instruction in old-time and bluegrass style fiddle, flat-pick and rhythm guitar, bluegrass mandolin, bluegrass and old-time banjo, upright bass, band dynamics, and harmony vocals.
Founded in 2011 by Avery Ellisman, JFFC will continue under his management at the Whispering Winds Camp & Conference Center, located about 90 minutes from San Diego.
Instructors for the 2023 JFFC, to be held May 3-7, will be announced in January. The faculty is chosen from among the top players and teachers in the west coast bluegrass and old time music scene.
Registration will open in January for the 2023 Julian Family Fiddle Camp. Familiar policies for the event are expected to remain undisturbed.
Donna Hargis organizes many Southern California bluegrass events and is the MVP of the Southern California Bluegrass Association scene. A recent convert to the bluegrass fold, Donna exudes enthusiasm and energy that inspires both young and old to play, learn about, and get involved in bluegrass music. We need more of her ilk for sure.
Tell us about your role in the California Bluegrass Association.
I’m one of the regional directors for Southern California, and I promote bluegrass in any way I can. I just got back from a new jam that was started by someone who attended South State 48 and got inspired. He couldn’t find a bluegrass jam in his area, so he started one. This kind of stuff makes me so happy. I also host a monthly jam and hire a band for that. I generally just try to connect people.
That’s great. Tell us more about that jam.
It’s called the Southbay Bluegrass Jam and is the first Tuesday of the month at Project Barley in Lomita, California. We have a jam (all are welcome) and a band plays for an hour, then we jam some more. Dennis Fetchet of the Bluegrass Cardinal is there regularly. He’s a “So CA bluegrass treasure.”
That South State 48 Event was really cookin’. How long have you been involved with that?
From the beginning. I was on a team during COVID with the purpose of creating something in Southern California. It was decided to try and model it after the Great 48—a hotel jamming event—but also with outdoor jamming. I scoured the internet for local hotels that had a nice outdoor space, then called a bunch and asked about 24-hour jamming if we sold enough rooms. This was kind of scary because it was during COVID and we really didn’t know what would happen or if people would come. I found a few hotels that were willing to work with us, so I drove out and met with the management. Carlsbad-by-the-Sea really stood out as having everything we hoped for. Plenty of outdoor space, a nice conference room, and a cool bar with lots of food choices. It just had a really nice vibe and they were very accommodating. And of course, we sold out quickly both years!
Southern Cal CBA has grown a lot in the last couple of years. Who are the movers and shakers down there, besides of course yourself?
We have a few SoCal women on the board now, and that’s fantastic! Also, Mark Shutts, whose steadfast commitment to opening up his machine shop to traveling bluegrass bands has been paramount. Bands would otherwise skip Southern California, but Mark gives them a gig, an audience, and every cent that’s collected. Jeff Fleck is doing something similar with his Crazy J Ranch in Topanga. Both of these men do this simply because they love bluegrass.
Wow. What else are you working on?
I just started a bluegrass club at my school, where I’m a science teacher. I also hired a band to play an assembly. Any efforts to grow bluegrass should include a concerted effort to attract young people to our genre, as well as people from other types of music.
As you know, CBA has a wonderful Youth Program. Is this part of that?
Hope so? I have 7 kids after our first meeting and two teachers. I suspect after we have our assembly with Water Tower Band, there will be more kids. So far our PTA and Booster club paid for the assembly, but I got loaner instruments from CBA.
Southern California is so spread out. It must be difficult but it sounds like you’re all doing some great work.
Thanks. Southern California really took a loss when Danny Hootenanny Clark moved up north. Danny has a lifetime of expertise in promoting bluegrass, and he’s sorely missed. I hope that we can get more people willing to step up and try to fill the void, but it would probably take a whole team to match the efforts of the CBA ‘Volunteer of the Year,’ Danny Clark!
Who are some of the up-and-coming bands?
The Honey Buckets and Water Tower Band are two bands I’m really proud of, and see any chance I get. Both are so high energy and fun, as well as being fantastic musicians. I’m also really curious to see what Matt Michienzie does in the future.
What was your favorite festival of 2022?
The Father’s Day Festival in Grass Valley. It’s everything I imagined a bluegrass festival to be.
You were late to the bluegrass scene. How did you come into it?
In 2015 I left my marriage, and two months later I found myself with a guitar in my hand. I didn’t plan to get so into it, but I fell deeply in love with playing, singing, and jamming. I’m very fortunate that I already loved bluegrass, an inviting genre that makes it easy for a beginner to join in and learn. Since then, I’ve been very dedicated to trying to improve my playing. I’m a very social creature, and the bluegrass community provides ample opportunities for me to meet all kinds of people, and also to be of service, which is important to me.
Who are some of your favorites?
Flatt and Scruggs, the Stanley Brothers, Red Allen, and Sierra Ferrell.
What instrument do you play?
I play guitar and sing. I’ve learned just enough bass and mandolin to teach the kids. I love traditional bluegrass and I love singing tenor, or high baritone if someone already has the tenor part covered.
How much do you play a week?
I practice a lot and go to a few jams. Jamming is sporadic, but my practice is not. I rarely miss a day of practice.
What do you think attracts you so the bluegrass fold?
I love the diversity. I might be in a big crazy testosterone-filled jam where guys are playing at breakneck speed and I’m on the outside just trying to keep up. The next day I might be barefoot in the park singing harmonies with one of my girlfriends. Teaching the kids to play is also satisfying and rewarding. Being at a festival, making new friends, and seeing old ones—I love it all. I even love to practice. I’m really lucky to have found this lifestyle.
Are you in any bands?
Currently, no, but I have something brewing.
What do you do when you’re not playing or promoting bluegrass?
For a job? I teach science and it suits me. Also art. I love to make things, all kinds of things. Clothes, candles, pottery. . . I love to write, but I do that sporadically; I don’t chase the muse on that one. And I get outside in nature as much as I can.
What do you think the bluegrass world could be better at?
I don’t know about the world of bluegrass, but in California, we need to get better at taking out our wallets. We spend a fortune on our instruments, but as a community, we need to do better at tipping bands, donating to organizations, buying merchandise, and patronizing places that host jams. It is a little embarrassing to me that I host a jam at a local brewery that loses money on bluegrass night but makes up for it on trivia night. We all need to support live music. We need to expose more folks to bluegrass.
That’s an interesting observation. What else?
We also need more educational efforts. We tend to think that everyone already knows about bluegrass, but they sure don’t. When I pitched hiring a bluegrass band at my school to the PTSA, a few moms didn’t even know what that meant! I tell all my students, “You may not like bluegrass, that’s fine, but you’re going to know what it is so you can articulate why you do or don’t like it.” And no one gets to leave 7th grade thinking a mandolin is a tiny guitar.
Hah, beautiful. Thanks for your time, Donna, and I’m looking forward to pickin’ with you soon.
Thanks, Dave! Always a pleasure talking about bluegrass.
Copy editing by Jeanie Poling
