Author Archives: Karen Hefter

Orchard Nursery Playout

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October 12, 2013

By: Karen Hefter
Photos by: Karen Hefter and Linda Myers

I was tempted to sing “It’s A Beautiful Day In The Neighborhood” as we set up for the playout at the Orchard Nursery in Lafayette. It was a beautiful, sunny fall day and the band played in a gorgeous spot – a shaded area surrounded by lush plants. Our mission was to play background music for the shoppers at the nursery. We were a bit concerned about our ability to be successful in this endeavor, since we had a record turnout of 18 players for the gig! We weren’t quite sure if 16 banjos, a washboard, and a gutbucket could play quietly enough to be “background music”… We set up in a circular arrangement, which was really nice, because everyone could hear each other. There was no amplification whatsoever, which forced everyone to play quietly enough to hear our leader, Betty David. Bud Pearce attempted to sing with the group, but was drowned out, even with everyone playing as quietly as possible. So, he sang another song, accompanied by just Betty David on banjo and Terry Horner on gutbucket. This worked out quite well and the rest of the players just kicked back and listened.

The entire program was very laid back and consisted of 2 hours’ worth of banjo standards, crowd pleasers, and patriotic songs. The players all enjoyed the afternoon very much and lots of people stopped by to listen and sit down for awhile. One couple had heard about the band and drove up from Pleasanton to hear us! The players for this occasion were: Tom Brunetti, Kermit Collins, Betty David, Virgie Fitzpatrick, Don Granberg, Karen Hefter, Deb Hodson, Terry Horner, Chris Lardge, Diane Malucelli, Bob Malucelli, Mickie McDonald, Dina Melamed, Herb Moore, Phil Myers, Linda Myers, Bud Pearce, and Ken Williamson. Club members Jim Abele and Clyde Dedmon were in attendance as well.

 

Banjo Jubilee

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September 8, 2013

By:  Karen Hefter
Photos by:  Bob Nelson and Linda Myers
Video by:  Linda Myers

The East Bay Banjo club celebrated its 50th anniversary by giving a rousing performance at the 41st Banjo Jubilee.  We would like to thank our hosts at the Peninsula Banjo Band for putting on this wonderful event and we congratulate them on their own 50th anniversary!  We were extremely fortunate to have 2 top artists (and EBBC members) join the East Bay Banjo Club on stage for our performance:  the extremely talented Jack Convery and Hall of Famer Cathy Reilly.  Our band has never sounded so good!

In honor of our club’s 50th anniversary, Betty David, our new Music Director, selected classic banjo band songs for that have withstood the test of time.  She led us through a series of banjo favorites, including “Just Because,” “Shantytown,” “Yes Sir, That’s My Baby,” and many more.  Cathy Reilly added wonderful color and harmonies to our performance.  We had a small, but mighty group of performers for this event that included:  Guy Black, Jim Blankenship, Jack Convery, Betty David, Barbara Findlay, Don Granberg, Karen Hefter, Mickie McDonald, Phil Myers, Kit Nelson, Bud Pearce, and Cathy Reilly.  We had lots of audience support from club members Mary Black, Rich Boss, Mickey Finn, Deb Hodson, Garry Kerr, Linda Myers, and Bob Nelson.

The rest of the day was filled with performances by the Sacramento, Peninsula, and Happy Time Banjo Bands, as well as performances by a number of talented artists, including Dave Marty, Bill Lowery, Mickey Finn and Cathy Reilly, Charlie Tagawa and many of his family members.  The Happy Time Banjo Band broke new ground as they closed their portion of the show by putting on sunglasses and rocking out to “Wipeout.”  All in all, it was a well organized and wonderful day.  We are looking forward to next year’s Jubilee!

 

“Nobody’s Sweetheart Now” and “Yes Sir, That’s My Baby” from East Bay Banjo Club on Vimeo.

Aegis Senior Living Playout

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August 29, 2013

By:  Bob Nelson
Photos By:  Bob Nelson and Linda Myers

It was a beautiful summer evening in Pleasant Hill. The weather was perfect and the audience was large and lively. The evening started with a very complementary introduction from Aegis Senior Living’s Activity Director, Ms. Kayla Brown, who explained that this was the last evening of their Annual Summer Concert Series and that they saved the best for last! Betty David opened the show with “Just Because” and quickly moved on to “Take Me Out To The Ballgame.”  This was excellent timing because the large screen TVs in the activity rooms and outside porch areas had the Giants game on.

As mentioned earlier, the audience was lively and there was not a tune that they didn’t dance to!  In the front row, an energetic group of women just could not get enough of the music. After some investigation, I discovered that they followed the East Bay Banjo Club for years.  They rarely missed a Tuesday night at Round Table Pizza, just up the street, where we previously performed for 30+ years.

Our success goes to our players, Guy Black, Tom Brunetti, Kermit Collins, Betty David, Jesse DeTorres, Don Granberg, Deb Hodson, Ardie Jarrett, Mickie McDonald, Bob Malucelli, Diane Malucelli, Linda Myers, Phil Myers, Kit Nelson, Bud Pearce, Sheila Welt, and Ken Williamson. Special thanks and appreciation goes to members Jim Abele, Georgette DeTorres, and Bob Nelson, who blended into the audience very well. Rumor has it that they provided crowd control, due to the aforementioned mentioned “Lively Audience.”

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EBBC Picnic at Landers’ Landing

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August 24, 2013

By: Karen Hefter
Photos By: Karen Hefter and Linda Myers

Bobbie Landers hosted the EBBC Summer Picnic at her beautiful home on the Sacramento Delta. Many EBBC members brought their spouses and children and several of Bobbie’s extended family members were there as well. The food was wonderful – barbecued sausages, corn, salads, and desserts galore. There were all sorts of things to do, from holding down deck chairs and socializing, to waterskiing, pedal boating, kayaking, swimming, and exploring the crow’s nest and its 360 degree view of the area. The afternoon air was filled with the sounds of banjos as the EBBC played out on the shaded back deck. Some highlights of the play out were when a student visiting from the Czech Republic sang “Beer Barrel Polka” in Czech with the band, when Sue Horn played her flute, and when one of Bobbie’s relatives tried out a washboard for the first time. The weather couldn’t have been better and this picnic was a fabulous way to end the summer. Thanks again to Bobbie Landers and her family for hosting this wonderful event (and to David Miller for driving the ski boat all day for everyone).

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Forest Hill Farms Playout

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By: Linda and Phil Myers
Photos By: Linda Myers
Video By: Linda Myers

Our gigs this year keep getting better and better! Our August 10th performance at the City of San Ramon’s “Forest Home Farms” was well attended and fun. Jack Convery led participants Betty David, Diane Malucelli, Chris Lardge, Tom Brunetti, Don Granberg, Bud Pearce, Ken Williamson, Guy Black, Mickie McDonald, Bill Sullivan, Herb Moore, Phil Myers, and Linda Myers in a rousing performance.

The venue was a restored walnut drying ranch, which was converted to provide a place where the public could relive what it was like to be on a turn-of-the-century rural farm. The farm featured a tour of an historic home, a restored tractor museum and tractor rides, an organic garden, sheep being herded by working sheep dogs, old fashioned games for the kids, and an abundance of ice cream and root beer floats.

The East Bay Banjo Club performed for two hours for an enthusiastic audience of kids and adults enjoying the day. Our music fit in well with the overall theme and ambiance of the venue. At one point during the performance, Bud’s chair suddenly collapsed, leaving him flat on his back. Players and audience alike were stunned and concerned, when suddenly Bud jumped up and declared, “Not to worry – It’s all part of the act. Indeed, Bud was fine and picked up the song as if nothing had happened. Singers Herb Moore, Mickie McDonald, Chris Lardge, Bud Pearce and Jack Convery kept the crowd wanting more. In fact, by the end of our two hours of playing, we had attracted a barn full of people clapping and singing along. It was truly a fun day and chances are very good we will be back to perform for them again.

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Five Foot Two from East Bay Banjo Club on Vimeo.

Chateaus of Pleasant Hill Playout

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By:  Ardie Jarrett
Photos by:  Bob Nelson and Linda Myers

What a wonderful gig this turned out to be for the East Bay Banjo Club.  We played in a beautiful, shaded courtyard at the “Chateaus of Pleasant Hill”.  The weather was very pleasant….in fact it was a bit on the cool side for a change.  We were in the process of setting up the sound when we were approached by a nice gentleman who started asking us questions.  It turns out that he had played the Sousaphone with the club many years prior.  Several of our members remembered him.  It didn’t take long to find out that he lived close by, so we asked him to get his horn and join us.  Oh, how much fun it was to have Jack Martens playing with us.  His business card says “Music by Martens” and I think he is also known as “Music Man Jack.”   I didn’t know that a Sousaphone could be played softly, but he was able to do it!  Betty David led our group and Kit Nelson, Bud Pearce, and Mickie McDonald were our vocalists throughout the program.  The other players were:  Guy Black, Don Granberg, Bob Malucelli, Diane Malucelli, Linda Myers, Phil Myers, Ken Williamson, and Ardie Jarrett.  Bob Nelson took photos.  The residents of the Chateaus seemed to really enjoy our performance and the selection of songs.  I think we will be asked back again.

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Jack Martens sits in on the Sousaphone

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Rossmoor Red Hatters Playout

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By:  Karen Hefter
Photos by:  Bob Nelson

The East Bay Banjo Club performed in the beautiful Fireside Room at Rossmoor in Walnut Creek for the Red Hat Club’s monthly luncheon.  The audience was wonderfully attired in purple dresses with red hats (except for those who were dressed in red dresses with purple hats to reflect that it was their birthday month).  The “Queen Bee” started off the program by reciting a poem and leading everyone in song.  Then she turned the event over to the EBBC, led by Jack Convery for this occasion. Jack started out by giving the audience some background history about the banjo and he kicked off the playing with “The Banjo Picker’s Ball,” which the club played with gusto.  For the rest of the show, Jack invited each player to select their favorite song for the group to play.  Jack Convery, Kit Nelson, and Mickie McDonald sang throughout the program.  Both Jesse DeTorres and Bud Pearce belted out their best impressions of Al Jolson to the point where you would have thought Al was in the room!  Dina Melamed and Don Granberg were featured on their washboards in “Coney Island Washboard” and David Hefter, the third washboard player, was shy and played while staying in his second row seat.  Other players were:  Guy Black, Betty David, Karen Hefter, Ardie Jarrett, Bob Malucelli, Diane Malucelli, Herb Moore, Linda Myers, Phil Myers, and Ken Williamson.  Bob Nelson took pictures and loyal club member Georgette DeTorres was present in the audience.

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Fourth of July Parade, Orinda, CA

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By: “Washbored Don” Granberg
Photos by: Linda Myers and Edward Hefter

Wow! It’s hard to believe that the year is half over. The 4th of July parade in Orinda was a lot of fun. We milled around the parking lot in the morning and enjoyed pastries until the truck and finally the straw bales arrived, as arranged by Bobbie Landers. Edward Hefter, Bob Malucelli, Phil Myers, and another hunk loaded the hay on the truck and we all helped to decorate the float. Herb Moore, Karen Hefter, Mickie McDonald, Linda and Phil Myers, Bob and Diane Malucelli, Ardie Jarrett, Chris Lardge, Dick Neuman, and Don Granberg played their hearts out on the songs selected by Betty David, our leader for this performance, and the beat was kept by Guy Black. We followed Boy Scouts, old cars, a Dixieland band, and a number of other groups through Old Orinda Crossroads and then through Orinda Village. Our newest member, David Hefter, helped keep the beat by playing his washboard. Although new to the EBBC, his amazing memory allowed him to play along with all of the songs without looking at any music! We all played in the heat until our fingers were numb and nearly melted. It was a lot of fun and everyone who participated had a great time. We would like to give a big “thank you” to our corporate sponsor, Alex Gailas and his wife from A.G. Realty, for supporting the EBBC in this parade.

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The East Bay Banjo Club at the Fourth of July Parade, Orinda, CA, July 4, 2013 from East Bay Banjo Club on Vimeo.

Quail Lodge Playout

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June 16, 2013

By:  Karen Hefter
Photos and audio by:  David Hefter

We had a nice turnout of seniors at the Father’s Day Playout at Quail Lodge, in Antioch, CA.  Betty David was our leader for the playout and she started us out with our five “power songs,” which were:  “Take Me Out To The Ballgame,” “Bill Bailey,” “This Land is Your Land,” “Shantytown,” and “California, Here I Come.”  From there, we played a variety of crowd pleasing songs.  We had a small (but loyal) group of players for this playout, including Guy Black, Jim Blankenship, Betty David, Don Granberg, Karen Hefter, Ardie Jarrett, Garry Kerr, Bob Malucelli, Diane Malucelli, Mickie McDonald, Linda Myers, and Phil Myers.  Don sang his signature song, “Just Because,” and Mickie really came through for us and sang many, many songs.

Click on the song title to hear our performance of “Marching To Pretoria.”
Click on the song title to hear our performance of  “Carolina In The Morning,” featuring Mickie on vocals

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Merrill Gardens Vallejo Playout

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June 15, 2013

By:  Ardie Jarrett
Photos by:  Bob Nelson

Merrill Gardens always seems to enjoy having us to come and play for them, and this early Father’s Day performance was no exception.  Betty David was our band leader and chose a nice variety of songs that the group enjoyed listening to, singing with, and dancing to.  Some of the songs that we played were, “Take Me Out to The Ball Game,” “This Land Is Your Land,” “California Here I Come,” “Bill Bailey,” and “Shanty Town.”  Our singers were:  Kit Nelson, Bud Pearce, Mickie McDonald, Don Granberg, and Chris Lardge.  Other members in our band were:  Guy Black, Tom Brunetti, Karen Hefter, Garry Kerr, Phil and Linda Myers, and Ardie Jarrett.  Bob Nelson was our support member and took pictures throughout the afternoon.  Everyone seemed to enjoy themselves and have a good time and one couple danced to several songs!

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Montecito Senior Living Playout

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May 27, 2013

By:  Karen Hefter
Photos by:  Bob Nelson

Fourteen members of the East Bay Banjo club performed for a festive Memorial Day luncheon at Montecito Senior Living in Concord, CA.  We played in a beautiful courtyard and the audience sat at tables that were decorated festively in red, white, and blue for the occasion.  The only problem was…rain!  This is NOT a normal occurrence on Memorial Day weekend in the Bay Area.

However, the performers and the audience were not turned off by a little drizzle and we went on with the show.  Betty led the group in an All-American program for the occasion. Many patriotic songs and songs that are part of Americana were performed for the appreciative audience by performers with slightly numb fingers.   East Bay Banjo Club performers for this playout were:  Guy Black, Tom Brunetti, Betty David, Don Granberg, Karen Hefter, Terry Horner, Bob Malucelli, Diane Malucelli, Mickie McDonald, Linda Myers, Phil Myers, Kit Nelson, Bud Pearce, and Sheila Welt.  Loyal club member, Treasurer, and photographer Bob Nelson was in the audience.  Extra thanks goes to the set up and take down crew whose job was made more challenging than usual by the rain.

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Walnut Creek Senior Center Playout

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May 24, 2013

By:  Karen Hefter
Photos by:  Bob Nelson

It was a gorgeous day in Walnut Creek and it was perfectly suited for a fabulous playout at the Walnut Creek Senior Center monthly luncheon.  A big thanks goes to our set up crew, who arrived an hour and a half early to set up.   We all joined the seniors for a luncheon of soup, hot dogs, and sides before our performance.

Jack Convery was our leader for the performance and he started off the show with the “Marines Hymn,” since the performance kicked off Memorial Day weekend.  We played several other patriotic songs, which roused the 65+ member audience and got their toes tapping.  Jack honored veterans from the various armed services.  Then, Jack went up and down the rows of the band and introduced each player individually and asked them to select a song for us to play.  We ended up with a great variety of songs this way and the audience was very appreciative.  They sang along from time to time and there were reports of a woman in a wheelchair dancing on the side.

We had a nice turnout of players for this show, including:  Guy Black, Tom Brunetti, Jack Convery, Bill Dowling, Don Granberg, Karen Hefter, Terry Horner, Ardie Jarrett, Chris Lardge, Bob Malucelli, Diane Malucelli, Mickey McDonald, Herb Moore, Linda Myers, Phil Myers, Kit Nelson, Bud Pearce, and Sheila Welt.  Terry and Don were featured on their washboards in “Coney Island Washboard,” which was a real crowd pleaser, and Terry even sang!  One of the interesting things about this playout was that it featured so many of our talented singers.  Jack, Terry, Chris, Mickey, Herb, Kit, Bud, and Sheila all sang during the playout.  Loyal club members Jim Abele, Dorothy Cahill, and Bob Nelson were in the audience supporting the performers.

All in all, it was a great playout and it’s hard to tell who had more fun – the band or the audience!

Walnut Creek Senior Center Playout  Herb Singing at the Walnut Creek Senior Center PlayoutBill and Ardie at the Walnut Creek Senior Center Playout