Upham Family Band - It is a pleasure for the Smyth County Jam to welcome visitors from many places. Our latest musicians were from near Austin Texas!
On stage we met Tracie Upham and her three talented sons:
Joshua, who is a ninth grader, plays guitar.
Aaron plays bass and banjo. He is in the grade eight.
Micah handles the fiddle and is in the sixth grade.
Tracie says she holds the mandolin to "break up fights”! She plays quite well and they sing together too: singing in a Primitive Baptist Church at home.
This trip to Virginia is a family vacation, to learn more about the style of music we play here. They are well acquainted with Texas music.
Tracie says her grandfather recorded Bluegrass music in the Ozarks some years ago.
Our jam is somewhat different than their conception of a jam. Tracie says. They are not used to working with a microphone or being on a regular stage!
They hope to visit the Carter Fold before they turn back toward Texas and home.
Tracie says she admires Bill Monroe most and then Doc Watson. We hope they enjoy their vacation and return to Texas with many good tunes and memories.
