On what was likely the coldest night of 2020, the annual Royce Reagan Jam drew a faithful, if cold, crowd to Madison Street Park in Marianna.
Listeners huddled under blankets, jackets, warm boots, and layers of clothes to protect themselves from the frigid temps, and many of the musicians kept on their long coats and worked around the bulk in order to stay warm and still play. All those face masks did double duty on the night, acting as shields against the cold as well as the coronavirus.
This year The Speedy Morris Award went to Floyd Griffith, one of the drummers on stage that night and during many other Reagan Jams in the past. For the presentation, Morris had to borrow back Joe Baxley’s award from last year until a new one can be engraved for Griffith.
The night’s players included teenagers, young adults, middle-agers and one 92-year-old local military veteran who played harmonica. He was one of two that played a mouth harp that evening.
That was just one of the instruments augmenting the acoustic, electric and bass guitars, keyboards and drums that evening. There was also a banjo, violin, ukulele, saxophone, and a marimba, which was played by teen Abigail Callahan, who earned a rare “superior with distinction” score on the instrument at a recent band competition.
This was the 15th annual Reagan Jam, always held December 26, because so many once-local musicians who’ve come back home for the holidays are often here to participate.
By the time the last act took the stage Saturday night, the air was so cold that the singer’s breath was visible in little white puffs.
Weather has often been a challenge at the Jam. But the crowds, and the musicians, never fail.
