The Jammers
Loretta Heath, foreground and Dick Reed laugh after a song.
Laura Bell sings “Me and Bobby McGee” while Mark Souhrada plays bass.
Larry Snyder, far right, sings a tune while Rick King and Dick Reed play guitar.
Sam Neff on accordian, Mark Souhrada on bass and Kaura Bell on acoustic guitar. And yes, that is a slice of pumpkin pie.
Loretta Heath, Dick Reed, Pete Jacobson and Rick King share a laugh after a song doesn’t go exactly as planned.
They use music once in a great while. Sometimes they even have the words to the songs they play. And if they decide to do a chord change in the middle of a song, well, so be it.
Smile and go along with it.
They’re the North Valley Jammers, and they’ve been playing at the Columbia Falls Senior Center on Friday afternoons for the past 30 years.
The informal group plays mostly Country Western tunes, and is made up of different people off and on.
“Because it’s a jam, anyone’s welcome to come join us,” said Loretta Heath.
The group was originally started 30 years ago by Carol Sorenson and Dick King, and it doesn’t have an actual leader, explained Rick King. King plays lead rhythm bass, harmonica, and drums.
“It’s actually for the musicians, not for the audience,” King said.
As their name suggests, the point is to get together and jam.
On occasion, King said, the group is graced with professionals. That’s usually during the summer, and then the “snow birds” are gone for the winter.
King said his favorite part is all the good times he’s had with the group.
“We hardly ever miss a Friday, and we’re always open,” he said.
King is also a member of a rock group in Kalispell.
Lee Isaacson started playing with the Jammers about five or six years ago.
“There are a lot of nice people here, both to play with and to play for,” he said.