New Bern, Eastern North Carolina 

The amateur Pickin & Grinin group was formed in June, 2000 by Jim Bryant who once played with Bill Monroe's bluegrass group. As shown in the photos below, Friday night jams began at the River Bend Baptist Church and were later moved to Twin Rivers mall in New Bern in 2003. 

After playing for several years in Twin Rivers mall at the center court or the circle at the Belk end, mall management moved the group to a vacant location where the Brody's men store existed. The move allowed the group to use microphones for singers without disturbing mall tenants. The group plays  Friday evenings from 7-9 PM.

Everyone is welcome to join in singing or playing a compatible instrument. A large audience gathers and many spend an evening of free entertainment. The group usually has 12-20 players that play country, bluegrass, gospel and oldies. There are several singers, including some that occasionally join in from the audience. We never know who will show up and there is no set performance. 

As of September 2007 the Pickin and Grinin group had a member list of 143 and an ISP-based e-mail list of 75  managed by Dave Wallace. Anyone that plays with the group may be listed as a member and join the e-mail list where a member may send mail to all members by addressing a message to pickin@always-online.com. The list is accessible only to members and cannot be spammed. 

This web page by Dave Wallace - Banjolin & Fiddle  davewallace@XXXsuddenlink.net (remove XXX)

Turn up your volume for "You get a line I'll get a pole", a cute old tune often sung by David Garrish

Asa Gatlin, Bobby King, Debra Tyndall

click on thumbnails below to enlarge

Dixie & Asa Gatlin	Clem Daugherty & Seth Brinson	Dave Wallace & Banjolin	Breck Jarman & Debra Tyndall	Wes Robinson & Harold Sanders	Debra Tyndall & daughter "BJ"
Lenwood Toler & Clem Daugherty	Richard Parker, Howard Rawls & Sid Bateman	Josh Lewis, Jack Lewis, Debra Tyndall, Roger Johnston & Seth Brinson	Debra Tyndall & Richard Parker	Roger Johnston & Seth Brinson	Eddie Ipock
Breck Jarman, Bobby King & Vince Locklear	Herb Rawls	Jane Hinckley	Louise & Harold Sanders	Jerry Boswell	Wade Bender

Marvin Walker and his handmade banjos. Click HERE to see more.

Some of our regulars in the audience

George Spang	Elizabeth & Ken Brinson	Buster Bell (Elizabeth Brinson's father)- age 93 in '06. Buster passed away on 1/28/07

Click here for photos of the Gazebo Gig at the Multiple Sclerosis MS-150 Bike Tour on 9/9/06

Click here for Music and Lyrics the Pickin and Grinin Group plays 

Click here for an interesting article on an Introduction to Bluegrass Jamming

Photos below are when we met at the River Bend Baptist Church from year 2000 thru 2003

Left to Right: Louise Sanders (mandolin), Jim Bryant (guitar), Randy Downing (banjo), Tommy Jacobs (guitar), Mitch Harriett (guitar), Brandi Falcon (singer), Levi Harrison (guitar), Dave Wallace (mandolin), Harold Sanders (banjo), Bryan Batten (dobro)

On May 9, 2003 we had the largest jam session ever held with close to 30 players showing up before the evening was over. We also had close to 50 folks in the audience. The occasion was due to Ron Wind, our accordion player, inviting 6 of his musician friends from the Annandale Strings Group that were visiting from Virginia. It was a great evening especially with such a variety of new songs being played. One of the visiting musicians was 85-year-old fiddler Roy "Speedy" Tolliver (shown standing) who made a hit playing "Orange Blossom Special" and "Listen to the Mocking Bird,"                      <Photo submitted by Ron Wind>

Last update 11/7/07  dw