El Paso Times
October 01, 2008
It started with a class reunion but has turned into very different reunion entirely.
The Border Legends Music Jam at 8:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 2 at Big Al’s Wings and Suds, 1201 Airway, will bring together some El Paso’s better known musicians from the 1960s and ‘70s, including former Bobby Fuller Four drummer Dalton Powell, Moon Pie Daince Band’s Rod Crosby, multi-instrumentalist Zoomer Roberts and many more.
One possible highlight of the jam: a special set of Bobby Fuller’s music, including, no doubt, his iconic version of “I Fought the Law.”
“What’s strange is that most of us haven’t even seen each other in the past 40 ears and we’re going to be playing together for a one night,” said Donna Pence, a keyboardist who is helping organize Thursday’s historic jam session.
She’s part of the group putting together activities for this weekend’s 40th reunion of Irvin High School’s class of ‘68. “I started a social Web site, irvin68.ning.com for that, and we noticed that a lot of us that used to play in bands in El Paso back then were joining the site,” Pence said via e-mail. “And it was lke the past 40 years just melted away, like a long summer vacation, and we naturally started talking music and the idea of a jam was born.”
Many of the musicians will dip into their songbooks from the old days. Powell, Crosby, Charlie Thomas, Ron Stone and others will be a part of the Bobby Fuller set. Among the other musicians confirmed to take part are Randy Jones, Jack Woodberry, Buddy Winston, Paul Quattlebaum and Ed Clore. Souvenir t-shirts will be available at the show.
Pence sounds geeked. “It’s going to be quite the music reunion,” she said.
