Jams

            

Regular Events

Just Desserts

Mack Essary

Song/Lyric /Jam Resources

Campouts


Flagstaff Friends of Traditional Music hosts several Jams and Open Mic events in Flagstaff.  Everyone is welcome regardless of your playing ability or if you want to listen to some good music!  We're a  friendly bunch so bring some songs to play or play along with the others.  The oral tradition is alive and well in Flagstaff!  From the wonderful venue at Coconino Center for the Arts, to the Old Town Shops in historic downtown Flagstaff, to our friendly neighborhood Bookman's Used Books store and coffee shop, folks in Flagstaff are getting together on a regular basis to play and enjoy music. 


Ongoing Flagstaff Jams

Every first Friday – 7:00 - 9:00 pm: FFOTM jam session at the Applesauce Teahouse, 213 S. San Francisco St.
Every Thursday – 7:00 pm: FFOTM Just Desserts contra dance band rehearsal. Open to anyone who wants to play or listen to contra dance music. Any instrument and playing ability is welcome. Rehearsal starts at 7:00pm at the home of Deb Comly and Mike Reddig, 1457 W. Meade. Formore information call 774-5936.
Every 2nd and 4th Monday  7:00 - 9:00 pm: FFOTM Fiddle Tunes Jam Unitarian Universalist Fellowship, 510 N. Leroux. Host Larry Peterson 699-7068.
Every Tuesday:  8:30 pm – midnight.  Charlys Open Mic hosted by Larry Peterson 699-7068. Start calling at noon on Tuesday to get a slot on the line-up.
Every first Tuesday – 6:00 - 9:00 pm: FFOTM jam session at the Coconino Center for the Arts. This jam session is currently dormant - we will work with the new management at CCA to try to reinstate it. Sorry!
Every Thursday at noon: FFOTM Lunchtime Bluegrass Jam in the lobby of the Old Towne Shops at the corner of Leroux and Birch, downtown Flagstaff. Give Christina Hargis a call Wednesday night to confirm the event. Christina can be reached at 714-1134 evening or 556-2182 day. All are welcome!!! Unfortunately this jam session has ceased to exist, since Mack passed away.

Just Desserts - Flagstaff's Contra Dance Band

The Just Desserts Band is the House band for the Flagstaff contra dances every other month. Rehearsals are open to anyone who wants to play or listen to contra dance tunes. Any instrument and playing ability is welcome. The name comes from the fact that the real reason we gather every Thursday, is for the purpose of eating and yakking afterward. 


Remembering Mack Essary


Our dear friend Mack Essary

"Going up Home..."

"Mack, a retired school teacher and wonderful mandolin player, lived in Winslow and was a regular attendee at the Thursday. noon jam session in Flagstaff, making the weekly trip from Winslow out of love for playing music. He could be found at just about every bluegrass festival around these parts." -- Bill Vernieu

Mack Essary passed away on Nov. 26, 2003. He was 72 years old.  Mack
He was a friend.

He was a teacher.

He was one of the finest mandolin players I’ve ever had the privilege to play with.
-- Joan Wyatt

Read more about Mack in Joan's entire FFOTM Newsletter article here. 

 

Music  Resources

BluegrassGuitar.com Great starting point! Features guitar basics and history, "The 10 Jammandments", and songs to learn that are jam favorites. Requires "Scorch" plug-in which allows you to hear and play along for practice with the music/tab, set the tempo and transpose.
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EZFolk.com Beginner to Intermediate tabs/instruction for many well known tunes and techniques for guitar, banjo, and harmonica.
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Flatpicking Guitar Magazine   Some free tab plus lots of resource links.
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abc Musical Notation abc tutorial and lots of info


Twice a year FFOTM organizes a group campout where there's lots of jamming,
good food, story telling, and just flat-out fun. 

-Campout at Blowout Tank

May 11th - 13th, 2007
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This Year's FFOTM Spring Campout was at Blowout Tank. The next campout will be August 24-26 at The Flying M Ranch on Anderson Mesa. We'll be joining the Diablo Trust Artist's Day on the Land and annual campout. It should be a blast - check the August nesletter for details.


At a FFOTM campout you grab the kids, dogs, tents and sleeping bags, camp chairs and instruments for a great weekend of music, laughter and fun. It's the campout. It's dogs and pickers, kids and appreciators, cooks and bottle washers, fire tenders and pig fat. Whether you play or not there is a place for you here so come on out and enjoy the fun.
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Volunteers are always welcome in the kitchen so don't be shy about asking or lending a hand. So break out the camping gear, rosin up that bow, and come fill up the woods with jamming and camping all weekend!  Don't forget the sun protection, warm clothes, rain gear, and instruments (if you got 'um).  There will be some great jamming into the wee hours of the morning.