The Gamble Rogers Folk Festival: a Florida gem
The 28th annual Gamble Rogers Folk Festival turned out to be a wonderful weekend with fantastic weather and the best lineup they’ve had in a number of years. Gamble Rogers was a Florida-based folk singer with a unique gift of storytelling. While he was an accomplished guitar player and singer, his stories about fictional Florida and Georgia locations and characters made him a regular on public radio and led to appearances on national television and an appearance in the classic music documentary Heartworn Highways. He influenced scores of musicians, including Jimmy Buffett, who dedicated his album Fruitcakes to Rogers. Gamble Rogers died trying to save a drowning man at Flagler Beach in Florida in 1991. He had been involved in a folk-oriented festival before he died, and the festival has continued in his honor ever since.
The festival celebrates Florida and regional music of all kinds. Many of Gamble’s friends participate and share stories about him. There are workshops, a kid’s area, and lots of jamming in the campground.
There were a number of amazing performances this year. The headliners were bands that I was looking forward to seeing. It just so happened that I saw AJ Lee and Blue Summit a week before the festival in North Carolina at the Cat’s Cradle and I couldn’t wait to see them again. They are one of the most exciting bands touring today, and being California-based, they have only come east in the past few years. AJ Lee grew up on stage, playing from the age of five. She was a part of the Tuttles, a band helmed by Jack Tuttle, that included his children Molly and Sullivan; Sully Tuttle continues to be an integral part of this band. Although they are certainly bluegrass-based, they are far from your usual bluegrass band; no banjo, two lead guitars, fiddle and bass, with AJ on mandolin and guitar. And their catalog is diverse….from straight-ahead bluegrass numbers to ‘20s swing tunes, heartfelt ballads and fantastic covers. Having seen them several times this past year, I’m so impressed by their arrangements….twinning instruments on breaks, excellent harmonies, and then there’s AJ’s voice. One of the best in roots music today, it’s been getting attention for many years. I first saw them in 2019 after she had won the Momentum Award for Best Vocalist at the IBMA meetings. Both guitarists, Scott Gates and Sully Tuttle, are spectacular flatpickers and both take the lead on some songs in every set. I’m a huge fan of Jan Purat, their fiddle player. Larry Cook is the only bass player I’ve ever seen who plays through a talk box on the occasional song and contributes great harmonies. They remain the best band I’ve seen this past year. Their set was a classic, from early ’30s blues covers, a surprise Monkee cover, and lots of original songs, including the bluesy “Lemons and Tangerines.” They closed with one of my favorite songs, a beautiful cover of Neil Young’s “Harvest Moon.” Sadly they are now returning to California but hope they will be back east soon.
On the other hand, I had never seen the other Saturday night headliner before, but I knew a lot about him. A guitar legend, John Jorgenson toured with Elton John for six years, was an original member of Chris Hillman’s Desert Rose Band, and founded the legendary electric band the Hellecasters. He has recorded or toured with an amazingly diverse group of artists: Tommy Emmanuel, The Byrds, Bob Dylan, Bob Seger, Willie Nelson, Johnny Cash, Emmylou Harris, Hank Williams Jr., Barbra Streisand, Luciano Pavarotti, Roy Orbison, Patty Loveless, Michael Nesmith, John Prine, and Bonnie Raitt. He brought his Quintet to this show, a Gypsy-jazz based band featuring some of the finest musicians around: Jason Anick on fiddle, Simon Planting on bass, Rick Reed on drums, and the masterful Rory Hoffman on piano, guitar and accordion. His set was a romp through Django swing, Greek bouzouki music, a few clarinet numbers, an Elton John cover (“Sorry Seems to be the Hardest Word”) and some masterful international and world music. An excellent set.
My big surprise of the weekend was Jerron “Blind Boy” Paxton. The acoustic blues historian has family roots in Louisiana, even though he grew up in Los Angeles. By the time he lost much of his sight at age 16, he was already proficient on multiple instruments and was playing blues tunes, with a special attraction for the music of Fats Waller. His set was remarkable; not only did he play multiple instruments (guitar, harmonica, fiddle, stride piano, ukulele, and two different banjos) but his vocals were outstanding. He was funny, instructive, and entertaining. He is a must-see if you get the chance.
I am fortunate to know Verlon Thompson. Although he’s best known as Guy Clark’s touring partner and guitarist, Verlon is one of the great songwriters and storytellers on the road today. He co-wrote many songs with Clark (“Boats to Build” and “The Guitar” as examples), and hosted a songwriter series on PBS that was recorded at his farm outside of Nashville (Barnegie Hall). But mostly, Verlon is an entertainer; a thoughtful, caring, talented entertainer. One of his sets is like sitting with an old friend who engages you in what he’s doing, makes you laugh, and can bring tears just as easily. He did several sets and a songwriting workshop over the weekend. One of his sets added Chris Henry and Tim Higgins and included some fantastic songs: “The Guitar,” “Hillbilly Graves,” “Gimme a Ride to Heaven,” and “I Need More Time.” He is a national treasure, and this festival honoring another great troubadour is a perfect location for him.
There were so many sets going on at once on multiple stages that I had to miss some of my favorites, but I did see great sets by the Krickets; Jerry Mincey; the Bullard Brothers with Michael Godwin sitting in; Chris and Red Henry with mandolin prodigy Wyatt Ellis; Patchwork; the Front Porch Backsteppers; Uncle Mosie; and Marylou and Friends, a French duo that performs American roots music. There were fiddle, mandolin and banjo workshops that were well attended. I was really sorry to miss some of my favorites: Brian Smalley, Passerine, Remedy Tree and Larry Mangum, for a few.
I’ve been coming to this festival for several years now. This was the second year after it moved from the historic section of downtown St. Augustine to the current location, the St. Johns County Fairgrounds, an expansive area with lots of room for camping and spontaneous nighttime jams. The quality of the lineups has been increasing every year and this year was the finest in the years I’ve been attending. The Gamble Rogers Foundation, Jim Carrick and especially Elisabeth Williamson have worked hard to bring these fine musicians together and I’m already looking forward to next year.
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