by Elise DV
If you care about the Blues, and you’re not attending the monthly Youth Jam at The Hideout, led by Coyote Bill, you are missing something truly special!
Coyote Bill has been leading this jam for over a year now. You are probably already familiar with young musicians such as Jessie Glennon, Haley Burke, and “Hatchet” Jack Kenyon. New musicians and their families are attending the jam all the time.
The latest jam was held on August 1 at The Hideout. It’s always the first Saturday of the month, and the start time has been moved to 4pm which works better for many people involved. I wanted to support this jam because I knew that Coyote Bill and his band were up in Omaha, performing at In the Market for the Blues. That’s a festival run by the Omaha Blues Society, a very good time in itself, which features many Kansas City blues musicians and national acts. Many of you were also at the Road to Memphis – and I can’t blame you! If you enjoyed the Jessie Glennon Band and Haley Burke and The Hawks, you might give Coyote Bill a little credit for that.
Hatchet Jack got the jam started at 4pm, and when I arrived, he was holding it down with Ruby, 16, on drums and Preston, 16, on guitar. Both Ruby and Preston have played at other blues jams in town, I heard from their families. I got to jam with everyone – all ages of jammers are welcome!
This was Hatchet Jack’s first time running a jam, and he was very smooth and professional. His musical and performance skills are increasing all the time. You might not know that Jack has recently returned from the Pinetop Perkins Workshop in Clarksdale, Mississippi. Jack likes to cover Elmore James, Jimmy Reed, Lowell Fulson – real old timers. It was a joy to play with him and to watch him work with the other young people. Sure, there were missed chords and variable tempos, but it’s a learning experience for everyone – it’s a jam!
Coyote Bill and his band returned around 5:30pm and bassist Adam Burress jumped right in. A bass player makes a huge difference to guitar players, as they help stabilize the music with the drummer. So, the music only got better from there. Bill set up a camera and I highly encourage you to watch the video of the last song of the jam. You’ll see the level of professionalism of these young players.
The Youth Jam is really something of value in our community. It’s inspiring to see young people latch onto the blues and play them skillfully. The future of the blues is being written right here – don’t miss out on it! The next Youth Jam – and all ages are welcome! – is on September 5 at 4pm at The Hideout.
