Nora Wixted-Hogue writes:
Hi, y'all!
I know it's been quite awhile since I wrote a "blurb" but here goes one!
Our last Jam at the Cabana Cafe, June 5th, was truly bittersweet. So very many friends and musicians came out to say good-by...and being the girl I am, I got a little teary. We had been there for 3 years and it was tough to leave but it was time...
Since then, Shawn Shackelford, our drummer, has been working with Cadillac Willy and jamming at Tisa's in Niceville. Jim Remsberg has been playing bass with his band "Second Nature" in lots of places. Lew and I were lucky enough to get to way-up-state New York and do a few fireside jams with my family and friends at our yearly reunion. Now, all of a sudden, it's the middle of August! Time flies, yes she does!
But now, we are SO proud and excited and happy to announce that the Sunday Jam is back on!!! Due to the efforts of Chris Manson and the folks at The Beachcomber, we have been invited to hold the Sunday Jam every week, at The Shed BBQ and Blues Joint in Destin!!! Meggin McPhee, the wonderful manager, and her staff have made us feel so incredibly welcome and we have a HUGE STAGE (remember how many times I said we needed a bigger one?) and a fabulous soundman - Robert - mixing all the music from the front of the "room"! It is a big step up! And, because of the new location, we've had alot of new jammers come by and lots of our favorites, too! Here's a rundown of the first 2 weeks:
On August 7th, our first jam at the Shed, Jim, Shawn, Lew and I were hugging all over each other! Kinda like the "Blues Brothers" - "we're getting the band back together!" - we so missed jamming! The deal with us is that all our music is spontaneous - even if we've played the songs before - they never turn out the same way twice! The musical communication is so darn tight that we can anticipate and react to whatever comes along! Way cool!
We were joined by Scott Noble - definitely an "old" fave - and got the first set rocking right away! A young man, Martin (don't know his last name) came up to play drums and was he so fine! He was visiting from California and truly was a treat! We tried to get Chris Manson to get in front of the mike with his harmonica - but NOOO! He just jammed away from hi front row seat - as did Michael Loftis on Flute - one of these days, they'll be the Stars of the Show! Shawn's father - Ted (we call him Teddy Bear) sang a couple of great songs and Ike Bartley joined in on Sax. We were having so much fun!!! My only complaint was that the songs were too short! I could have done that all night long!!! A lady named Cindy got down on the tanbourine and Doug sang and played bass, too! The audience loved every minute of it! They were dancing (yes, my friends, the Shed has a real live dance floor!!!) and singing along...it was just a great night!
And then...Last Sunday was even better!!! Scott Noble and Butch Blasingame were both there playing electric guitar with us in the first set. Drummer Ed Jones finished up the set with us and, damn, we have some great drummers around here! Then Wes Herndon, a new friend, played acoustic guitar and sang some Springsteen and more doing a fine solo. He would join us later on some back-up vocals, too. Then, it was time for the Jersey Seals!!! Yes, the "I love those Guys" Jersey Seals!!! Aaron (guitar), Joey (drums) and Kevin (keys) were still in town before going off to college this week so we were so lucky to have them! Their bassist, William, had already left for his first year at Auburn, so Jim Remsberg channelled his inner child and held on the bottom! I just love those guys and we wish them excellent times in school! They promised to be back on breaks so we look forward to those jams! The next group to sit in was "Homemade Soul" with Curtis on keys and singing and Tray on drums! Now these two are incredible!!! So much soul and sound - even tho' there were only 2, the "whole band sound" was happenning! If you ever hear of them playing - GO SEE/HEAR!!! They promised to be back next week - I surely hope so! If we're lucky, here on the Gulf Coast, we'll be hearing alot from them! An absolute MUST! We didn't really didn't take a break again...just a couple of "shifting seconds"...When Susy, a friend of Scott Noble's, got up and played eletric guitar and sang with the band. She's got a great voice! She had been at one of the jams last summer and it was great to have her back! She and Scott have been involved in a recording project - we'll keep you informed on their progress! Josh McClusky played guitar with us and Doug came back on bass and vocals. We had two young men sit in at the end of the night playing guitar but I don't know the names! Hope they come back next week because I'd love to be able to tell you who these young talents were! Shack's Dad, "Teddy Bear" got up and sang, too! Talk about talent runnung in the family!!! I know I didn't get the time line correctly but the deal is, IT WAS ONE EXCELLENT JAM!!!
And let me say this about Robert - the sound man - well, he came up and jammed on a couple of songs with us and he is one helluva drummer, too!!! So downright funky that he bruised butts! Yes he did!!!
The Joint was Rockin', the Music was HOT! and a nice cool breeze was blowing in off the harbor. Who could ask for anything more?
EXCEPT GREAT FOOD!!! Lick yo' fingers and slap yo' Mama BBQ!!! It makes it tough to sing with all those delicious smells from the kitchen going on!
The Shed is a totally family-friendly, casual atmosphere kinda place with a sweet bunch of folks, eager to please, working for them. Even if you can't make the Sunday Jam, be sure to get to the Shed and enjoy!!! They've got a full bar, extensive wine list and lots of TVs so you don't have to miss any FOOTBALL!!! And I'm happy to say that I can see the Upstairs Bar TV from my place behind the Keys onstage so I can Keep up with my beloved Saints! (who won the first pre-season game against the 49ers and look REAL GOOD!!!)
All my love and Thanks to Chris from the Beachcomber, Meggin and the gang from the Shed, the guys in the "groove" and all the musicians who came to jam!!! We'll be at it again next week, 6ish Beach Time! Come on in and hear some wonderful music, eat the best BBQ, drink, dance and be merry at The Shed BBQ and blues Joint! See you there!
Live Large, Laugh and Love Alot, and Make Music Any Way That You Can!
Love, Nora
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