Mopick - Posted - 01/12/2014:  19:06:55

BHO Loukiii had a picking party cook out yesterday at his house.  I went down to help him cook a couple of butts and a bunch of chicken wings.  Oh and he did jalapeno pepper poppers that were out of sight.  Lou is also a student of Fidlin' Al.  Al showed up with his son Neil as well as a bunch of pickers from Lou's Thursday night jam.

Lou and I did a little jamming before everybody showed up.  The butts are on the Big Green Egg.

People started showing up.  Here is Al's son Neil unpacking his instruments while Lou stands watch over the Extra Large Big Green Egg.  There's wings in that Webber.

I hope Lou's neighbors like Bluegrass because he has the perfect picking patio.  Beautiful. 

It was really great having Al there on Fiddle (and mandolin).  His son Neil was the shining star on banjo.  I haven't heard him play in while and he's been studying Jazz guitar for a while now also.

This is one of Fidlin' Al's students.  Ben came all the way from Minnesota.  Well, he has family in Florida he is visiting, but he came to the party - all the way from Minnesota. 

The patio is really pretty with the light on.  Evening and the jam is on.  Unfortunately, rain is also moving in as evening is setting and the meat is still on the Big Green Egg with a while to go.  This young man with the guitar was named Austin.  What a picker.  True talent. 

It was a race to see whether the rain would start fist, or the meat would get done.  The rain won out.  The jam moved in doors and before long the meat hit the magic number and Lou brought it in and pulled the pork.  Everybody loved his BBQ.  This was a great jam.  There were young people there with loads of talent.  That girl on the bass I believe was 14 and to her left is an 11 year old on the fiddle.  Neil told her later, "You are really talented.  I'll be seeing you in a few years on stage."  Neil is 20 and a super picker.

Neil was impressed with Austin's picking.  Neil is studying Jazz and he noticed that Austin was throwing Jazz Riffs in his Bluegrass flat picking.  These guys were jamming out on the porch with rain beating on the roof, it was pretty neat.   They really clicked.  They were playing really cool jazz. 

Fidlin' Al on the porch picking my Gibson banjo.

Edited by - Mopick on 01/12/2014 19:48:15

figmo59 - Posted - 01/12/2014:  19:16:13

I'm Freakin...Envyous..!

Whut ah time ya mustah had...!!!

bubbalouie - Posted - 01/12/2014:  19:17:43

That looks like a really good time!.

Mopick - Posted - 01/12/2014:  19:58:03

Lou has a Pit Viper for his Big Green Egg.  There's a fan that fits in the bottom draft door and a computer controller.  One probe goes in the meat and another goes on the cooking grid.  You set the temperature you want the meat to get to and set the temperature of the grill and the computer controls everything. 

alishabear97 - Posted - 01/12/2014:  20:11:44

Looks like a great time! I've been hankering for a good pickin', way to make it worse. ;)

Mopick - Posted - 01/12/2014:  20:22:43

Austin and Neil jamming to jazz on acoustic guitars on the porch with rain beating on the roof.  Sorry about the noisy audio, it's raining and there's party conversation in the background.  Neil told Austin after the Bluegrass picking that he had to get together with him and talk about those jazz riffs he was putting in his flat picking.  Oh to have 20  year old fingers again, of course I never had this kind of ability to play crazy jazz cords and scales.

Paul R - Posted - 01/12/2014:  23:30:21

"And a good time was had by all."

Thanks for posting this, Randy. Although I go to two jams a week, I haven't jammed at someone's house since last spring. Those are special occasions.

loukiii - Posted - 01/13/2014:  04:05:51

Great way to sum it all up Randy. It was a real pleasure having everyone over. My wife and I love to entertain and it was pretty cool getting to finally meet Fiddlin Al in person after nearly 2 years of lessons on skype. The rain kinda messed up the outdoor picking but plan B wasn't all that bad. Im thinking if I knock out that wall with the entertainment center behind where the girl was playing the bass and finish the garage we could probably pack a few dozen more in there....

Kirk Jacobs - Posted - 01/13/2014:  04:38:58

Any more successful and you might have to take out that back fence also.  Glad to see you guys had a good time. 

Mopick - Posted - 01/13/2014:  05:31:38

Thank you to the gracious hosts, Lou and his lovely wife.

Edited by - Mopick on 01/13/2014 05:46:43

Mopick - Posted - 01/13/2014:  05:42:27

A few more photos of the Bluegrass and BBQ party.

Lou scarfing on a wing.

Al and his student Ben from Minnesota.  I'm flipping wings in the background.

Al and his son Neil hamming it up for the camera.

Al and Neil picking.

Fidlin' Al's crew.  Neil, Al, Lou, Randy and Ben.  Student's of Fidlin' Al.

Edited by - Mopick on 01/13/2014 05:43:22

loukiii - Posted - 01/13/2014:  08:56:40

Just watched that video of Austin and Neil. I hate jazz. But I could listen to those two kids all night long. Amazing....

Mopick - Posted - 01/13/2014:  09:47:37

I don't know who was the most pleased to find each other....Neil or Austin.  I heard Austin tell Neil that it was great to find somebody to jam with something other than Bluegrass.  And Neil was like, "Dude you are awesome!"  

G - Posted - 01/13/2014:  11:13:40

Awesome !  Thanks for posting this Randy.  Wish I could have been there.  (Invited or not )

I'm a couple of thousand of miles away, but it's not so far from where I vacationed this year ... so who knows, maybe some day.

Loved the jazz picking too!

And I see you let Al hold your Gibson.   Have you checked since he left, to see what's actually in your case?  :)

Mopick - Posted - 01/13/2014:  11:46:13

quote:

---

Originally posted by figmo59

I'm Freakin...Envyous..!



Whut ah time ya mustah had...!!!

---

Lou and I were talking before people arrived.  Lou asked me if I could party with anybody on BHO, who would be.  We both agreed it would be FIGMO!  Drinking, blowing stuff up, cooking on fire, picking banjos.  It just doesn't get better.

Wish you and Liz could have been here for this one.  

Edited by - Mopick on 01/13/2014 11:49:43

loukiii - Posted - 01/13/2014:  12:41:07

Indeed we did have that conversation.

MiG-19 - Posted - 01/14/2014:  05:05:06

I can't tell you all how much I wish I could have joined you! Al has brought so much joy into all of our lives. Lou, you really did a good thing, bringing everyone together into your home.

figmo59 - Posted - 01/14/2014:  05:07:48

quote:

---

Originally posted by Mopick

quote:

---

Originally posted by figmo59

I'm Freakin...Envyous..!



Whut ah time ya mustah had...!!!

---

Lou and I were talking before people arrived.  Lou asked me if I could party with anybody on BHO, who would be.  We both agreed it would be FIGMO!  Drinking, blowing stuff up, cooking on fire, picking banjos.  It just doesn't get better.

Wish you and Liz could have been here for this one.  

---

Mopick - Posted - 01/14/2014:  05:17:29

quote:

---

Originally posted by MiG-19

I can't tell you all how much I wish I could have joined you! Al has brought so much joy into all of our lives. Lou, you really did a good thing, bringing everyone together into your home.

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Well if you could have come all the way from  Okinawa, you would have won the prize for the one who traveled farthest.  LOL.  It really was a lot of fun.

vicpuch - Posted - 01/16/2014:  16:01:13

Al told me Saturday morning you guys were all getting together...I was rather envious to say the least. You never know what the future may bring if you have another get together. A trip outa Montana during January always sounds good. Maybe next year.

Mopick - Posted - 01/17/2014:  10:03:15

quote:

---

Originally posted by vicpuch

Al told me Saturday morning you guys were all getting together...I was rather envious to say the least. You never know what the future may bring if you have another get together. A trip outa Montana during January always sounds good. Maybe next year.

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My dad lives in Forsyth.  

loukiii - Posted - 01/17/2014:  11:33:47

Ok. Next year. Tentatively scheduled for Jan 10th. Sounds like a plan.