Jammin' by the Bay

BY AMY SMITH

Kings County Register

There isn't much you can buy for two dollars.

Two bucks in Burlington this summer provides you with an entertaining show - and a free lunch!

Jammin' By the Bay is Burlington's Tuesday evening get-together for musicians, singers and those who just like to listen. An array of instruments and vocal chords get tuned up and ready to play in a community hall packed with people an hour before the 7:30 p.m. showtime.

“It's a very friendly place, you never come and go without a hug.” says Matt Lunn, a guitarist and jammer.

What starts out as a semi-circle of musicians ends up as a full ring by the end of the night. The people who fill the chairs aren't an audience, though, and the players are not performers.

“We're not having a variety show - we’re just having a jam,” says Heather Bent, one of the forces behind the event.

The idea for “Jammin' By the Bay” came as the winter jam sessions held in Windermere wrapped up for the summer. Bent says that the idea for continued summer sessions had been rolling around for a while and, with the help of the Windermere committee, Burlington went for it this year.

When the country and bluegrass sounds begin, feet start tapping. Those with guitars in their hands and those with just a recollection of the lyrics all move their feet. This collective thump comes up out of the floor and the jam takes on new meaning. It begins to feel as though gathering of people is one collective heartbeat and voice.

This is what it means to be a community.

Those who attend the jams aren't all from Burlington; far from it. They come from up and down the Valley and some are even visitors from far off provinces or states. Coming together is really what its all about. From car-pooling to the potluck lunch, without the entire group none of the things that happen in Burlington would be possible. Organizers are well aware of this.

“Everyone is just so devoted!” says Muriel Keddy, a devoted jammer and member of the Burlington kitchen crew.

The jammers are even coming together. Funds from the first four weeks of the event went towards the July 1 Burlington events, and now the group is setting its sights on purchasing a soundboard.

Newcomers are always welcome: all you have to do to play is walk in the door.