In just a couple of years, The Ramble Festival has already started to earn a reputation among dedicated East Coast festivalgoers. The event’s intimate size, thoughtfully diverse lineups, and onsight accommodations have made it one of the fall festival season’s best-kept secrets. But what sets The Ramble Festival apart more than its cozy cabins or stylistic diversity is the spirit of collaboration that permeates throughout the festival. That’s why, ahead of The Ramble Festival at Camp Ramblewood in Darlington, MD October 11th–13th, 2024, we’re looking back at some of our favorite sit-ins.
Sit-ins at The Ramble aren’t just coincidences, they’re practically requirements. This year will witness curated superjams Big Something & Friends, Shadow Mountain (Town Mountain + Shadowgrass), and The Fiery Sneeze (Fireside Collective + Sneezy). There will be additional late-night jams from progtronic power trio lespecial and rising jamtronic outfit Solar Circuit, which could elicit any number of special guest appearances in the Levon Helm-style late-night barn. Then just steps away from the barn, a roaring campfire encourages musicians of all levels to gather around for some after-hours picking. Plus, singer and bandleader Hayley Jane and keyboardist/vocalist Natalie Brooke will be on site all weekend as artists at large. To further encourage artist collaboration, many of the bands are booked for multiple days (sometimes non-consecutively) and lodged in Camp Ramblewood’s many accommodating cabins.
Related: Ramblin’ On With The Ramble Festival Co-Founder Brandon “Brick” Lohr [Interview]
One of the most impressive and surprising collaborations from The Ramble Festival’s nascent history came last year when bluegrass luminary Del McCoury welcomed formidable jam vocalist Kanika Moore for a traditional cover of “Tennessee Waltz“. Blanket-clad among the dapper-suited men of The Del McCoury Band, there was no dress code requirement as Moore’s serene delivery of the country classic was the only decorum needed.
“I took one look at Del and his handsome crew and immediately thought, ‘I can’t wear this!’” Moore told Live For Live Music. “It was the highlight of The Ramble Fest for me!”
The Del McCoury Band, Kanika Moore — “Tennessee Waltz” (Redd Stewart, Pee Wee King) — 10/8/23
Kanika Moore made a lasting impression on The Ramble Festival in 2023 when she performed with TAUK Moore and served as an artist at large all weekend. The singer was an ever-present face throughout the festival’s second annual edition, joining Magic Beans for a groovy cover of Prince‘s “I Wanna Be Your Lover”. Elsewhere, she was found funking around her Doom Flamingo bandmate Ross Bogan‘s superjam with rising guitarist and Ramble Fest regular Isaac Hadden and members of Sneezy on War‘s “Cisco Kid”. All of that came in addition to her guest-filled TAUK Moore set, with appearances by Robert Randolph, Jason Hann (The String Cheese Incident), and the Funky Dawgz horns. The expanded lineup tore through songs from TAUK and Kanika Moore’s acclaimed collaborative album TAUK Moore as well as classics from the Allman Brothers Band, Jimi Hendrix, and Little Feat.
Magic Beans, Kanika Moore — “I Wanna Be Your Lover” (Prince) — 10/7/23
Ross Bogan Super Jam ft. Kanika Moore, Isaac Hadden, Sneezy — “Cisco Kid” (War) — 10/8/23
TAUK Moore & Friends — The Ramble Festival — Darlington, MD — 10/7/23 — Full Video
Another highlight of Ramble 2023 was the highly anticipated Dirty Dogs superjam featuring members of Dogs in a Pile and Dirty Grass Players. Between classic covers from the Grateful Dead to The Doors to a bluegrass interpretation of Lorde‘s “Royals”, the band welcomed vocalist Libby Eddy (The Jakobs Ferry Stragglers) to belt out Dolly Parton‘s “9 to 5”. As if the performance wasn’t impressive enough, Eddy explained later that she was eight months pregnant at the time. The full set is available on Bandcamp to members of Dogs in a Pile’s subscription service or as a standalone digital album.
Dirty Dogs, Libby Eddy — “9 To 5” (Dolly Parton) — 10/8/23
[Video: Dreamer of the hoop]
The spirit of collaboration extends all the way back to the first Ramble Festival in 2022. The festival’s debut firmly established it at the intersection of bluegrass, jam bands, funk, and all spaces in between with Keller Williams’ Grateful Grass, Leftover Salmon, Kyle Hollingsworth Band, Big Something, and more. Rising jamgrass act Armchair Boogie got into the spirit of togetherness during its set at The Ramble, bringing out venerated keyboardist Marcus White (KillaKeyz, The Travers Brothership) for some cross-genre collabs.
Armchair Boogie — The Ramble Festival — Darlington, MD — 10/9/22 — Full Audio
[Audio: SnookyFlowers]
This short list just scratches the surface of how deep the communal spirit runs at The Ramble Festival. With top acts Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue, The Devil Makes Three, moe. (x2), Andy Frasco & The U.N., Big Something, and Town Mountain, there’s sure to be plenty of artistic cross-pollination at this year’s festival. Tickets for The Ramble Festival 2024 are on sale here. See below for the full lineup.
View this post on Instagram
The post Celebrate The Ramble Festival’s Spirit Of Collaboration With These Sit-Ins From Years Past [Videos/Audio] appeared first on L4LM.
