 | declan says:
9/7/2011 1:48:46 PM
To start with, there was a great Bluegrass Radio Show coming out of the University of Buffalo on WBFO 88.7 FM - it ran Sat, Sun AND Monday mornings from 5am til 8am and there was a show on I think Sunday night as well - the hosts were Dave and Rose Haney who would switch off and occassionally bring their band in to play live shows from the Auditorium downstairs in the building - it was wonderful to have all that music coming outta a radio (satelites were only in the space program then and not for bouncing bluegrass back to Earth) Through announcements of play dates I became aware that there were actually a few Bluegrass Bands that played around locally - POPLAR RIDGE was Dave (guitar) and Rose's band, they were also joined in that group by Mike Wahl (banjo), Marv Pfleuger (bass) and Dave Soda (mandolin) - they were very Traditional in their tune selection with alot of Stanley material - Gosh they were good..... I still see Marv and Dave Soda at the local Bluegrass Concerts - they don't pick out any more it seems, but Marv is bulding some really nice dobros and Dave has been working on playing the dobro.......
Then there was BORDER CITY BLUEGRASS - an international band of sorts because 2 players were from the states and 3 Brothers where from Canada - they played quite a bit on both sides of the border and were really great as well - consisting of Bob Schnider (banjo & dobro), Kenny Bennet (fiddle), Brian McCarthy (guitar & vocals), Dennis McCarthy (bass & vocals), Gerry McCarthy (dobro & Vocals), and at times there was a young mandolin picker - Mike (I'll look up his last name). These guys were very generous of their time in helping a fledling banjo picker learn a bit about the music - they would ask me up on stage to pick on occassion and I got to go along on a road trip or 2 to a radio show they used to do in Erie, Pa on WQLN or up into Canada for their shows up there - they sure were a popular group. Bob Schnider is an amazing picker and has shared his love of the music and banjo & dobro licks with anybody with an interest - he was a regular of the local bluegrass jams till recently when he moved to central NY and hosts his own jam there with his wife Jan - wonderful folks :o)
The Last show I saw of POPLAR RIDGE was at UB one winter in the late 70's when Dave Haney was going to leave that group and become the guitar player for Joe Val and the New England Bluegrass Band - POPLAR RIDGE opened the show that night for Val - it was great! I went that night with my Sister Kathy - she was working on guitar and we were a duet at the time. While at the show I got to meet Ted Lambert (banjo) for the first time. Ted played banjo in the group CREEK BEND and they were made up of Ted (banjo) his Dad also Ted (bass) Rich Scheaffer (guitar) and Kelly Simpson (mandolin)........
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| declan says:
9/7/2011 2:30:13 PM
Ha, ha, ha, well, what do ya know... I just heard from Dave Peterson - Banjo picker I meet at one of those WQLN road trips with Border City in late 70's who turned out lived in East Aurora, NY - He is one of my early banjo Buddy's - hope he stops in with his story....... Welcome Dave!!!
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 | DrBob says:
10/14/2011 3:59:43 AM
Hey, I'm from Matamoras, PA, just across the river from Port Jervis, and I was getting more and more convinced that I was the lone picker in the area. I'd love to connect.... here I am. ;-)
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