Jubal’s Kin at Stardust Video and Coffee

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Jubal’s Kin performed at the Monday Night Farmer’s Market outside Stardust Video and Coffee (1842 Winter Park Rd, Orlando, FL). This sketch was done a while ago before the kids went off to collage. I know Gailann Amundson formed an all girl group called “The Buck Stops Here.” Her brother is the only guy in the group, so perhaps he is the “Buck”. I always enjoy hearing this local group that plays heart felt Appalachia-Infused Cosmic Americana. The group hails from Longwood Florida and Roger and Jeffery Amundson round out the group.

The Buck Stops Here

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I’ve been sketching performances by Gailanne Amundsen for years. She performs with her brothers, Roger and Jeffery , as Jubal’s Kin. These young performers harmonized beautifully. Gailanne met three other female performers at music festivals with the same passion for music. Together they formed, “The Buck Stops Here” which they describe as four does and a buck playing indie-soul-folk-pop-old time music. The idea of forming an all female group with one buck as backup is unique.

Julie Norris is the host of Front Porch Radio on WPRK, and she invited the girls in to perform their first live radio broadcast. The radio station has just renovated the music library and it now can be used for live performances. Rebecca Branson Jones, Julie Chiles and Shona Carr were driving in from North Carolina. Gailanne and Jeffery hail from Orlando. The band literally arrived minutes before going on the air, and there was a mad scramble to get ready. The studio buzzed with excitement.

From the other radio booth, the stage manager raised three fingers then two then one. Julie went live and introduced the group. This was her first time in the new recording studio and the microphone wasn’t on. The problem was fixed quickly and she interviewed the band. Gailanne is like a big sister to Julie’s daughter Maya, so there is plenty of love there. Of course the music speaks for itself. They performed some beautiful traditional folk songs and then some originals. The all female harmonies are pitch perfect. The group performed at a Cake Walk Party while they were in town. A cake walk is sort of like musical chairs, only home made cakes are the prizes. In most photos and videos of the group, it is funny to see Jeffery hidden in the background. He is fine with stepping back to let the ladies shine. It is exciting to see local talent as part of a group that shines so bright. I hope they come back soon.

Winter Park Harvest Festival

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 On November 17th, the day after the ice skating rink opened, The Annual Winter Park Harvest Festival was held on the West Lawn of Central Park. The white tent in my sketch is where the ice rink is housed.The festival is the brain child of John Rife who wants to help educate people to the benefits of eating locally grown produce. A community garden demonstrated what plants did well in Florida.

Since the festival was held right before Thanksgiving, people could consider getting some locally grown, whole hearted goodness on the dinner table for the holiday After walking around and inspecting the fifty or so market tents, I was drawn to the sound of music. Several bays of hay and some speakers were piled onto the back of a truck trailer that served as the stage. A bare scrawny tree offered no shade for the performers and it was hot in the sun. I walked around the staging area several times searching for a shady spot with a good view. I finally leaned against a tree quite far from the stage. Austin Miller was performing. People sat on hay bales and families picnicked on the grass as they listened. “Hey, are you a registered voter?” I was asked. “Yes.” I said. “Well then would you like to sign a petition to help preserve our natural resources?” I had already signed that petition downtown. I heard his pitch again and again. The music was just background noise for the fervor. I didn’t care. It was a beautiful day.

Gailanne Amundsen, of Jubal’s Kin stopped to say hello. Her brother Roger Amundsen had started a locally grown business and he had a tent. Unfortunately, Jubal’s Kin wasn’t scheduled to play. There is a deep rooted Appalachian honesty to their songs that I love. I also bumped into Mark Baratelli and Julie Norris with her daughter Maya. Anna McCambridge Thomas offered me several fried crab cakes from the Big Wheel Food Truck. Boy were they good. Several people I hadn’t met before stopped to tell me they follow my work online. One artist insisted I have to get involved in the annual Winter Park Paint Out. I’ve wanted to sketch that event for the past two years but there was always a scheduling conflict. After my sketch was done, I went to the Big Wheel Food Truck and ordered a stuffed Avocado. I relaxed in the shade and soaked in the music.

Gratitude Bonfire

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Julie Norris opened her home on a cool crisp evening for a front porch party. Terry and I arrived in separate cars after a farewell reading at the Kerouac house. There was a wide assortment of whole fresh foods on the porch. Julie is helping me assemble a 2012 Calendar, so I handed her some design elements she had asked for. Julie asked Terry if she wanted some cider and they went into the kitchen to heat some up. I heard music out behind the house so I wandered outside. Julie had a large vegetable garden and I avoided stepping on several large leafed pumpkin vines as I made my way toward the singing.

Perhaps a dozen people were seated around a fire pit, basking in it’s warm glow. There weren’t any chairs, so I went back to my truck to get my artist’s stool. In the light of a street lamp, I was thrilled to see my breath as I exhaled. I rushed back to the fellowship of the fire to warm up. After several songs, I decided I had to try and sketch. When Terry came out, I was surprised that she sat across the fire from me. I relaxed when she started singing and even leading, by looking up lyrics on her iPhone. After we all sang Fulsom Prison Blues, by Johnny Cash, a woman to my left said we had to see this song sung by a five year old on You Tube. She said it was the funniest thing she had seen in a long time.

Roger and Gailanne Amundsen of Jubal’s Kin were relaxing beside the fire. They had just performed at a huge concert at the Citrus Bowl. Gailanne came over to glance at my attempt to catch the firelight. She had seen a previous sketch I did of Jubal’s Kin at Urban ReThink and she liked it. It made me happy to rub shoulders with so much raw talent in the hidden dark corners of undiscovered Orlando.We all sang “Hallelujah“. Even our imperfect broken harmonies sounded divine. I felt grateful and warm. Perhaps I am in the right place at the right time in this chaos of life. “It was a cold and broken Hallelujah!”

An improvised blues song began and everyone wanted Julie to make up some lyrics. When she sang her blues everyone clapped along with the beat. People joined in adding their own blues to the mix. The warm voices filled the cold void surrounding the fire. Terry was tired and wanted to go home. I rushed the sketch so I would get home soon after her. I hugged Julie to say goodbye and turned my back to the warm glow.

Jubal’s Kin

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Jubal’s Kin consists of the home grown talents of Eric Jaskowiak, Roger Amundsen and his sister Gailanne Amundsen. Roger and Gailanne harmonize beautifully. They were on tour in Alabama but returned to Orlando to perform after a reading by Deborah Reed at Urban ReThink. Deborah wrote a book about a Central Florida musician who floundered after her husband cheated on her. She lost her will to sing and sequestered herself away. Julie Norris’s baby girl, named Maya, danced to the sweet Appalachian folk music.

My favorite song was called “Everything is Free.”

Everything is free now,

That’s what they say.

Everything I ever done,

Gotta give it away.

Someone hit the big score.

They figured it out,

That were gonna do it anyway,

Even if it doesn’t pay.

Gailanne’s voice is absolutely beautiful and the harmony with her brothers voice reminded me of the simple sounds of early Simon and Garfunkel. Their sweet melancholy songs seeped straight into my soul. I had to buy their CD and it has been playing every time I drive to a new sketch location this week. They are a rare, young and talented group, and we are lucky they call Orlando home. After the book signing performance, Jubal’s Kin headed right back to Nashville Tennessee to continue their concert tour.