Old Country Road
Vintage Country, Bluegrass Music
Sunday AUG. 29, 2021 – 2:00 p.m.
One Hour concert on the Town Common Green. Bring a chair & a friend
In case of rain concert moved to Stanton Hall
Admission: FREE, donations accepted,
BRING A CHAIR.
LISTEN to to OCR at JoeVal Festival 2016, OCR at North Hall, OCR at Rural Mission Project
Old Country Road, dedicated to keeping the sound of “true” or vintage country music alive, features songs from the 1950s and 60s. The group, says member Ron Jackson, “takes folks back to the golden years of country music, when country music was country music.”(www.oldcountryroad.net)
The program will include “classic country” songs by Hank Williams, Webb Pierce, Carl Smith and a host of others with some bluegrass music mixed in.
Musicians – In Back – Ron Jackson of South Hadley on rhythm guitar and vocals, Dan Pilachowski of South Hadley on flat-picking guitar. In Front – Peter McLean of Worthington on dobro, Dave Helman of Granby on stand-up bass and Mark Leveille on mandolin.
Old Country Road has presented local community concerts and fund-raisers in Huntington at North Hall and Stanton Hall, at the Worthington Historical Society, the Aldenville, MA Summer Concert Series and in Hartford, Conn along with playing in a variety of venues in Western Massachusetts. The musical group is also one of those featured in the Annual Rays of Hope Walk in Springfield.
BIOS,
Ron Jackson, a retired life insurance executive and Lt. Col. in the USAF/ANG,honed his love of country music on Hank Williams,
The Louvin Brothers, Carl Smith, Webb Pierce, Faron Young,
Ernest Tubb, and so many others.
However, the biggest influence to shape his country music
love was his uncle Fred, who came back from WWII playing
guitar and singing country music. An accordion player by
trade, in his mid-teens, Ron was playing in local Honky
Tonks with area country bands.
In his retirement years, he thanks his wife. Gail for allowing
him to live out his dream of playing good, old country and
bluegrass music with his friends.
Peter McLean, Dobro
Peter Mc Lean lives in Worthington, Massachusetts. He is a Fine
Artist and Professor Emeritus of Fine Arts from the Hartford Art
School at The University
of Hartford, West Hartford, Connecticut. His work has been exhibited in
Regional, National and International Shows in Drawing, Painting and
Printmaking.
His work has been included in many competitive National Shows
as well as in Group and Solo Collegiate Exhibitions. Mr. Mc Lean is an
accomplished musician on Dobro, Pedal Steel and Lap Steel Guitars.
He began playing Hawaiian Guitar in 1945. His training began at the
Pizzatola Music Studios in Holyoke. Massachusetts in 1945-1952. During
the 1950’s he organized a dance band, playing in a variety of venues in
Western Massachusetts.
While in the U.S.Army in Germany during 1956-1959, he played
professionally with Country/Western and Rock Band as a lead guitarist.
These include, “Smokey Paul and the Ranch House Boys” and with
Vaughn Meader, (JFK Impersonator 1960’s), in a Rockabilly-Country Band
in the Heidleburg and Manheim Germany areas during 1958-1959.
During the 1970-1980 he played with Wild Turkey (Country Rock) and
Sugarbush (Bluegrass), two Hilltown Bands. In more recent years, he has
been involved with Bluegrass and Blues Bands. He plays with his friend
and guitarist, Michael Ingram from West Hartford, Connecticut.
They have played at Coffee Houses and at Open Mikes in Connecticut
and Massachusetts. Most recently they played at the Helsinki Lounge
in Great Barrington, Massachusetts. Currently, Peter plays the Dobro
for “Old Country Road”, a regional Western Massachusetts Bluegrass
Band.
Dan Pilachowski, Flat Picking Guitar
Dan Pilachowski was born and raised in Baltimore, Maryland, a hotbed
of bluegrass music in the 60s and 70s. He became familiar with
the music when he got a hold of a guitar at age twelve.
One of his mentors was the late Pudge Warfield, a noted lead guitarist
from Martinsburg, WVA. Attending bluegrass festivals in Berryville, VA and
Indian Springs, MD helped to hone his skills on the guitar and in bluegrass
music in general. In 1980 Dan moved to South Hadley, Massachusetts
and one weekend he attended the One Day In May Bluegrass
Festival in Granby at Dufresne Recreation Area.
There he met and befriended Dave Helman, the festival organizer and
fellow Marylander.
Later Dan became one of the founding members of the East Mountain
Ramblers along with Dave and his son Daniel. He has played in
several other groups including the Good Samaritan Singers. He is also
a sought after lead and rhythm guitar player at any area jam session.
Dave Helman, Bass
Dave Helman wears many hats and is lovingly called
“Mister Bluegrass of Western Mass” by his wife Rose.
He was born in West Virginia at an early age and grew
up in Western Maryland and was influenced by the
country musicians in his neighborhood and by the records
his mother had in her collection.
Dave’s mom thought he was upstairs sleeping when in
fact he was listening to Lee Moore The Coffee Drinkin’
Night Hawk on his midnight to dawn radio show on
WWVA in Wheeling, WVA. and Wayne Rainey on WCKY
in Cincinnati.
Dave eventually met his radio mentor Lee Moore and
hired him to perform at some of his functions.
His Uncle Sam brought him up to Massachusetts to
Westover AFB in Chicopee in 1962 for a stint and
was married here in 1966. Still listening to country and
bluegrass and collecting records he discovered the
Country Blues and Bluegrass show on WMUA at the
University of Massachusetts.
Upon calling the show one Sunday afternoon he was able
to eventually become one of the deejays there which was
a life-long dream. In 1983 a move was made to his
current position at WTCC at Springfield Technical
Community College with his Country Corner Show
featuring vintage country and bluegrass on Saturdays.
Dave has been instrumental in the promotion of the
One Day In May BG Festival, Bluegrass At Buttery
Brook, the Country Corner Coffee House concert series
as well as being an MC, promoter and sound engineer.
The bass is his instrument and he has played with several
bands over the years which include the East Mountain
Ramblers, The Cowtippers, Dan Helman and Marking
Time and The Good Samaritan Singers.
Photo credit: Ed Pellitier
All welcome.
contact: www.northhallhuntington.org