Jam Sessions in Southwest Missouri

Community square dances are different from jam sessions, but some overlap exists. While many of the jam sessions featured in this project involve couple dances, the dancing at them is generally secondary to the songs and music. At square dances, such as the one at Ava pictured here, dancing is the major activity around which people interact informally. The purpose of the music is to support the dancers, so usually only good square dance musicians are invited to perform.

At square dances, such as the one at Ava pictured here, dancing is the major activity around which people interact informally.

Typically an established band is paid to play at a community dance, and dancers pay an admission charge. This is not always the case, however, and occasionally the line between jam sessions and dances is blurry. For example at the Ebenezer dance, the band, although relatively stable, invites other musicians to play with them, and admission was free (donations requested).

Directions to Ava from Springfield: drive east on US-60 for 44 miles; drive south on MO-5 for 15 miles; drive east on Hwy 14 about a mile; the dance is in the lodge behind the Town and Country grocery store [See map]. Directions to Ebenezer from Springfield: drive north on MO 13 for 10 miles; drive east on Farm Road 56 for 1 mile [See map]. The Ava photographs are from November 17, 2000, and the Ebenezer photographs are from July 12, 2000.

One of the most popular square dance bands in the region, playing here at Ava, features Bob Holt on fiddle and Harley Newberry on acoustic guitar and vocals; Betty Newberry is playing bass, and Jim Beeler on banjo is substituting for regular band member Steve Youngblood.

The people who attend the Ava dances will also dance couple dances, such as two-steps and waltzes.

The square dance in Ava began in the late 1960s, largely through the efforts of Edna Mae Davis and fiddler Bob Holt. The people who attend the Ava dances will also dance couple dances, such as two-steps and waltzes, often as Harley sings a honky-tonk song.

Young people at the Ava dance enjoy high-energy free-style jig dancing to some of the tunes.

All ages join in during the free-style jig dancing, including senior community members who demonstrate older softer jig dancing techniques.

In Ava and at similar dances in Cabool and Forsythe, one person in each square calls for that square, so each square is usually dancing different figures. Here Bill Scott is calling for his square.

The weekly dance in Ebenezer, just north of Springfield, has more similarities to jam sessions because the band is relatively informal and impromptu, and an admission charge is not required from dancers (donations are accepted). All of the dances at Ebenezer are two-steps and waltzes, no squares.

The Ebenezer dance began around 1990 largely through the efforts of Jo Evans, pictured in the top left. When the musicians and dancers take a break to rest and eat snacks, she calls it the "chat and chew" session. Pictured here are a few of the members of the Ebenezer Swinging Notes, including Virginia Snyder behind the microphone who hosts several old-time and bluegrass events in the region, and "Little Joe Gomez" whose songs add a southwestern flavor to the music.

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Last modified: July 17, 2006
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