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Jarrod Harris
posted November 17, 2000
Hello! My name is Jarrod Harris and I live in Picayune, MS.
My first exposure to bluegrass came in the late 70's or early 80's when I was probably around 7 years old. I can remember dad having an old record of some mixed bluegrass songs from different artists. It was mainly folks like the Reno Brothers, the Stanley Brothers, Flatt & Scruggs, etc. Dad wasn't a major bluegrass fan but he did manage to get somewhat involved in the music. About that same time, my grandmother was living with us. This was dad's mother and she played the guitar. I think her playing is what initially got me interested in the instrument because I can remember begging for a guitar and getting one....a plastic one with nylon strings. But hey, what did I care...it was my first guitar. Now I don't remember actually playing this guitar. I think most of the time that I picked it up, I'd just be acting like I was playing. I was really more fascinated with the way grandma played her guitar because instead of a pick, she would use all five fingers of her right hand to play with something resembling a banjo roll.
As I grew older, I kinda forgot about the guitar. Grandma got to where she couldn't play anymore and after a lenthy illness, passed away in 1986. I was 12 when she died. Her old guitar, the one that dad had bought her for fifty dollars, was handed down to me and now I'm keeping it safe to hand down to my future children. It's no Martin or Gibson but that doesn't matter. That guitar has more value to me than any old vintage instrument.
Right about 1989, my first cousin Kenny Dawsey, invited me to go with him and his folks to a bluegrass festival. I had never been to one and had no idea what I was about to get into. Kenny and his folks had just recently started going themselves through the encouragement of some friends by the name of Fred and Nellie Lumpkin. My first festival was at St. Stephens, AL at the Sullivan Family Bluegrass Festival. At that point, the music was not why I was there, it was the fact that I was camping out. I was just looking at this as a way to get away from the house and do something fun and exciting. Well, I got more than I bargained for! It wasn't long before I was addicted to bluegrass. The next one I went to was Leo Broadhead's Sandy Ridge Bluegrass Festival in Meridian, MS. By then, Kenny was showing me how to play electric bass and I was making a few attempts to jam with some folks. For a long time, I made every trip I could with Kenny and 'em. The big festivals for me at that time were the Lonesome Pines Bluegrass Festival in Laurel, MS and the Longhorn Bluegrass Festival in Bay Springs, MS. It was at Lonesome Pines I believe that I first met and became friends with J.W. Walters. I was learning a little guitar by then and J.W. would let me play his old Martin D-28. MAN!! I was in high cotton! Now Kenny had been showing me some things on the guitar as well as the bass. But it was playing around the jam sessions at Laurel and Bay Springs that I think I did my most learning. I am a firm believer that you learn quicker when you play with other people.
In 1991, I bought my first Martin guitar...a new D-35. I've still got it and it's a really good one in my opinion. Since then, I've also purchased a 1950 D-18. By 1993 or so, J.W. was showing me how to play the upright bass. My tender fingers couldn't hold up too long at first...but after a while, I finally had built up enough callous to where it didn't hurt too bad. I think about that same time I was trying to learn banjo too. My uncle Dan, Kenny's dad, had loaned me an old Eagle banjo. This made a real good one to learn on and I quickly dove off into another experience. I've since bought a Rich & Taylor "Carolina" banjo.
In 1994, I was asked by Harold Andrews if I'd be interested in playing guitar with his band "Up The Creek". For four years, I toured with Harold and Ovaline and a great bunch of guys around MS, AL, LA, AR, FL, and even IL! Those were some great times! During the first part of 1997, while still with Harold and Ovaline, I played with the Liberty Bluegrass Boys from Liberty, TX. That was a lot of fun...but just too much stress. I had to drive almost to Houston every other weekend to practice or play a show. Lot's of times our shows would take us into OK, AR, MO, and a lot of places in TX. After a few months of that, I was burned out. One highlight for me during that time was getting to play with one of my favorite regional bands, "Hurricane Creek". The bass player couldn't make one of the shows in Glen Rose, TX and I was asked to fill in. Needless to say, I jumped at the opportunity! I stayed with Harold and Ovaline until July of 1998 when I joined up with a Gulfport, MS based group ,"Southern Express", who I am currently with. This is a great band to be a part of. As with all the groups I have played with or just shared the stage with at one time or another, I love them all. Recently, I've also been playing with a group of brothers right here in the Picayune area. Besides the brothers, the members include Gene Stone, Kenny, and myself. The name of their band is "Shallow Creek" ...named after the creek that runs through the area that their family settled five generations ago. We've been doing strickly bluegrass-gospel and have just recorded an album due out soon. Watch for these brothers...trust me...you won't be dissappointed.
Since my involvment with bluegrass for just eleven years now, I've seen alot of growth in the community. I find that more and more people are being turned on to our music and especially with the younger audience. I think this is good for the survival aspect. If you are grandparent with young grandchildren, do a favor for them as well as yourself...expose them to this wonderful music. You never know what seed might be planted that could bloom later in their lives. I'm speaking from experience here. Thank you grandma, I love you.
Jarrod Harris
jrharris@datasync.com
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