"Doo-Wop" Re-visited

This is sort of a December sequel to my blog on "Where's The Wolfman?"

Friday night, I played about 3 hours with Curly Surles out at his barn for the weekly Friday night dance.........nothing unusual. Do it all the time.

Last night, I played at a jam session, held at the home of our church music leader. She and her husband usually hold a big jam session once a month, or once every other month out at their place.

Now on Sundays...like this morning (and I need to watch the time, so I don't start running late), she runs a very tight show...Gospel music only, even during the pre-service "warm-up" time.

At THEIR house, though, on a jam night, you can play whatever tickles your fancy. All the musicians sit in a big circle in their living room and either clockwise, or counter-clockwise, everyone takes a turn at singing or playing something, with the rest of the group joining in behind you. We start around 6:PM, play for a half hour, stop to eat....then go all night until people start dropping out.

Usually around 11:00 or so, it's down to the "serious" few. LAST night, it got better than that..........those of us who were left, got to playing the "oldies"

I opened the old "trunk in the attic" on one of my turns, with "Love Potion Number Nine." Before it was over, we were doing things like "Sixteen Candles"..."Only You"...."Walk Don't Run"..."Georgia On My Mind"..."Haunted House"..."Pipeline"..."Little Douce Coupe"

......Man, I really left there in a GREAT mood last night........and I'm lucky to play with other musicians who like playing that as well..............of course, just about ALL of us being the same age is a PLUS at these sessions, because while there IS some variance, most of us went to high school listening to what they now call "Doo-Wop"

Even old "Country Curly" has been breaking away from George Jones and Randy Travis on occasion.

I've played lead guitar for him over the last 3 or 4 years, when I've had my Fridays free..........and recently, he's started singing things like "The Twist", "Rock Around The Clock" and he even has an "Elvis" routine, complete with wig, sunglasses and hip-gyrations, where he does a medley of old Elvis tunes, and 3 or 4 girls (on cue) scream, and throw underwear up on the stage!

About three Fridays ago, he leaned over from his microphone and asked me if I could play "Johnny B. Goode"

I used to play it all the time, but hadn't played it in YEARS, because......well..........it's the 21st Century and not many out there care for our old style music anymore, except for us "diehards"

"Gimme a minute" I said, quickly "assembling" the runs and arrangments in my head............"Ok Curly.......in the key of "A"...

I kicked it off and away we went. Curly was out there boppin' away at the microphone, never missed a beat, never forgot a line............Chuck Berry (Who? you might ask), CHUCK BERRY would be proud................although Curly didn't do that little "duck walk" across the stage that Chuck did!

I'm standing down there on the left end of the stage, playing and watching Curly Surles............Curly Surles.......the guy who traditionally doesn't sing ANYTHING but Gene Watson songs, Merle Haggard, Buck Owens, George Jones, Eddie Rabbit, Johnny Cash...............etc

And here he is......up there at the microphone, rockin and rollin, just carryin' on!............couples out there twisting themselves into the dance floor.

I think it's GREAT...........although I'm not gonna say anything to "Country Curly" about it...he might become aware of what he's doing and STOP!

Make no mistake..........95% of his show is still country, "wife done run off with the dog in my pickup truck that still had half a case of beer in the back."

And I'm not being disrespectful....... because Curly's music is GOOD......it's VERY GOOD and even as cold as it is outside, the barn is heated well and we still have good crowds who drive out there in the snow, to dance.

But my favorite times out there, are CLEARLY when once or maybe even TWICE during a set, we do a little bit of that "Oldtime Rock & Roll". Additionally, I play an instrumental at least once, each set, and then it's MY choice of tune.......and it's usually an "oldie" of some kind.

So..........what is this blog about?.........Darned if I know, but I feel better already.............oops...better jump in the shower and get ready for church..........later y'all!..................."Only YOU........could make this day seem right..........Only YOU........could make the darkness light..............C..E...A-minor..........MY MY! HAVE MERCY BABY!.........EVERYTHING'S GONNA BE GROOVY YA' UNDERSTAND!!!.......