Loving Bluegrass: Island society holds fundraising concert

It was 1999 when Shirley Smedley Jay fell in love with Bluegrass music at a Christmas party.

Today, Jay is the president of the P.E.I. Bluegrass and Old Time Music Society and connects others to the "high, lonesome sound" that she says she loves.

"I think it's the unplugged versus plugged-in version of music," she told Mainstreet P.E.I. on Friday.

"There are harmonies, it's acoustic...you have solos, not just vocally, but you have solos with each instrument."

Fundraiser concert on Sunday

On Sunday,the society is holding a fundraiser concert to collect money for its annual summer festival in Rollo Bay.

The concert will be held at the Benevolent Irish Society Hall in Charlottetown at 2 p.m., and features Island bands such as Wheatley River, Blue Zone, Janet McGarry& Wildwoodand Bluegrass Revival.

The latteris Jay's band.

"We just love getting together to play the music," she said.

She added that all of the money collected at the concert will go towards the society's big festival in July, during which several Maritimers perform along with a couple of American bands.

"Most of our bands come from the Maritimes," she said.

"We do, however, know that this music was started in Kentucky and we like to hold that high standard up."

Looking for volunteers

She added that the society is looking for volunteers.

The entire summer festival, which is now in its 32nd year, is organized and promoted by volunteers.

And they can always use more, she said.

"We do need to bring more people in as members and they will in turn, we hope, help us put on the festival, help us put on Bluegrass jams," she said.

Sunday's concert will cost $10 at the door and there's also a raffle for a guitar.