ALL ABOARD!
IT ' S THE OIBF EXPRESS
... NEXT STOP: JIM PAUL BLAIR ' S RANDOM BAND JAM!
by JEAN WILES AND LEATHA PIERCE
As we descend to Guthrie every year for Oklahoma’ s International Bluegrass Festival, the one thing besides banjos you can always count on hearing are the trains. The first train station was established in Guthrie in 1887 and folks have been listening to the trains ever since.
This year the Random Band crew hollers“ All Aboard”! The OIBF Express is arriving in Guthrie and the next stop is Random Band Jam.
Every train needs two people to roll down the tracks, the conductor and an engineer. We have both. The conductor provides the clickty clack of the railroad tracks – enter Barry“ Bones” Patton.
Engineer John Williams provides that high lonesome sound as the train enters town.
Together, these men will guide the ride as our emcees. The rest of the train crew includes: Co-Chairs Jean Wiles and Leatha Pierce, Roy and Mel Korth, Vinnie and Glenna Robinson, Katey Blair, Melody Swan, Lauren Cornell, Kim Trapp, Kelly Kroh, Barbie Jones and Karen Willis.
For those who would like to participate in Jim Paul Blair’ s Random Band Jam, get your train ticket Thursday from noon-7 p. m. at the Random Band Jam sign up table located behind the audience at the Byron Beline Main Stage. Sign your name and what instrument you play on your ticket and enter it in the jar labeled accordingly. All participants will be randomly placed into bands. Each band will have approximately 15 minutes to prepare two songs and name their band.
“ You’ re encouraged to play a train song as we ride the rails on
the OIBF Express,” Jean Wiles said.
IBF
OKLAHOMA’ S INTERNATIONAL BLUEGRASS FESTIVAL 2025 / 21