Home Made Jam

Taste all the good times with Home Made Jam as they perform on-stage, in pubs, or just play host to their legendary home made jam sessions around Edinburgh and the Borders, sometimes venturing along the M8 trail to the Wild West.... Edinburgh's friendliest bluegrass band.…

Bluegrass? Well, this lively music goes down well at all kinds of festivals and there are exciting bluegrass flavours and country textures to be found in this home-made jam....

Betty, from Cleveland, Ohio, plays a mean guitar and sings lead, adding her own brand of sweetness to those everyday murder ballads....

Special ingredients come in the sound of Cameron picking feverishly on his banjo and Ray adding his smooth fiddle flavours from the Ozarks to the Orkneys....

Mairi provides the gel that holds this jam together with her solid beat on double bass....

Home Made Jam's music ranges from the energy of up-tempo bluegrass and old-time tunes, to the sweet sounds of gospel harmonies. Their material is drawn from a variety of bluegrass sources but also includes versions of songs from artists such as Nancy Griffiths, Dolly Parton and the Dixie Chicks.

Home Made Jam was formed in 1997 by Russell & Betty Cooper, appropriately named by Russell after one of their songs. His philosophy that the music should never be taken too seriously but simply enjoyed through informal sessions, gatherings and festivals, has turned many people on to bluegrass music over the past few years. Unfortunately, Russell is no longer with us, having passed away peacefully in September 2002.

The lineup consists of

Betty Cooper, guitar, vocals

Cameron Oliphant, banjo, vocals

Ray Prior, fiddle

Mairi Murison, double bass, vocals

Home Made Jam appear at a number of bluegrass and folk festivals throughout the Summer. In recent years the band have played at Killin, Shetland, The Aclaim Festival, Kyles of Bute,  Dunbar Traditional Music Festival, Gatehouse of Fleet Festival, Eyemouth Seafood Festival, the Big Big Country Festival in Glasgow and of course the Guildtown Bluegrass Festival.

Home Made Jam will be appearing at a number of bluegrass and folk festivals throughout the Summer months, including the British Bluegrass Music Association’s AGM in March. Home Made Jam still have available dates for 2003 and would like to hear from Festivals, Pubs, Clubs & other music venues.

For more information on the band please contact:

Betty 0131 661 2106                                                                                                                         

Cameron 01355 229826                                                                                                                    

Ray & Mairi 01875 823364