Grass Valley goes bluegrass - and beyond

(08-10) 04:00 PST Rough and Ready, Nevada County -- Rough and Ready, a speck of a town outside of Grass Valley, is best known for its rabble-rousing past: the secession movement of 1850, when residents, rebelling against taxes and other laws, decided to part ways with the United States. The "Republic of Rough and Ready" lasted only three months before townsfolk rejoined the Union - a move prompted at least in part by nearby saloonkeepers' refusal to sell liquor to the "foreigners."

Today, Rough and Ready has another claim to fame: a loose-knit group of musicians called the Fruit Jar Pickers who every Sunday morning roll up the doors of an old gas station that is home to the volunteer fire department and doubles as their concert hall. You can't miss the place: a large blue banner proclaims the building the Pickers Palace.

On a typical Sunday, 20 to 30 musicians take to the stage to play an assortment of homemade and professional instruments, ranging from violins to a bass whose strings were pulled from a weed whacker. During a two-hour toe-tapping jam session, a crowd of 100 or so gathers, picking up the group's red three-ring binders crammed with song sheets. They sing with gusto, swaying and dancing in the aisles. For some, it takes the place of church; others trickle in after church services, carrying folding chairs they set up outside under a large awning. It's all free: doughnuts, coffee, songbooks - although donations are accepted.

Everette Burkard, 72, a retired mechanical engineer, plucks a homemade steel guitar and leads the sing-alongs, mixing in some cornball humor while slipping on and off a collection of wacky hats. He calls the country, pop and gospel selections "songs your grandpa sang on the porch" or "bluegrass on steroids" - standards such as "When the Saints Go Marching In," "Rollin' in My Sweet Baby's Arms" "Jambalaya" and "Hey Good Lookin'." It's a bit goofy and nostalgic, and everyone leaves smiling.

Why now? The summer calendar in this area is packed with activities and musical concerts at the Thursday evening farmers' market in downtown Grass Valley.

The backstory: Eight years ago, a couple of musicians started jamming in the corner of an old general store in Rough and Ready. Word spread and the sessions soon drew both musicians - playing everything from washboards to electric guitars - and people who simply wanted to watch and sing along. The sessions got so big they outgrew the store and moved across the street to the fire house. Anyone who can play an instrument can join the musicians on stage, and anyone - whether or not they can carry a tune - is welcome to sing. About 50 folding chairs are provided; some people prefer to bring their own chairs and set them up outside under a large awning.

Checking in: You can soak up Gold Rush history at a couple of hotels in Grass Valley, 5 miles from Rough and Ready. The Holbrooke Hotel, rebuilt with stone and brick after Grass Valley's disastrous fire of 1855 and renovated to its original splendor, still posts the current price of an ounce of gold at the reception desk. Rock and country bands perform in the hotel saloon Wednesday through Saturday. They usually pack up by 11 p.m., but if you like to turn in early ask for a room in the Purcell House, a quiet, Victorian-era building in the back. Annie Horan's is an inviting bed-and-breakfast inn in an 1890 Victorian a couple of blocks from downtown. Rooms are furnished with handsome period pieces and the decor is pleasantly nonfrilly. Annie's is the most spacious of the rooms and its bathroom features a large claw-foot tub.