The Otis Mountain Music Festival may represent a model for successful contemporary music festivals. Promoter Jeff Allott put together an eclectic selection of varied groups with something to please everyone. From traditional bluegrass groups like regional favorite Big Spike and national touring band Blue Moon Rising to edgier bands like the Biscuit Burners, Cadillac Sky, and the Greencards, Otis Mtn. emerged as an example for promoters of small to mid-sized festivals of how to present a festival.

Otis Mountain is a small ski hill located about two miles outside Elizabethtown, NY along state route 9N. While E-Town is the county seat of Essex County, it offers few amenities for the traveler not prepared to be pretty self-sufficient. There are no chain motels or fast food restaurants, but the region provides several very nice bed and breakfasts and, if you include nearby Keene Valley, plenty of good places to eat and stay.

In the short Adirondack summer season, the third weekend in August is perhaps the most packed with events, but Otis Mtn. drew well and, with the exception of a brief thunder shower on Saturday morning, was blessed with good weather. The setting itself offers a delightful natural amphitheater on the side of a gentle slope. The surrounding forest has lots of places of sunny or shaded camping. A traditional Adirondack lean-to and fire pit provide a delightful site for host band Big Spike to support nighttime jamming. With all camping “in the rough,” the site is still superb for a music festival. The decision of the Essex County Fair to move itself to the same weekend as Otis Mtn., may have affected attendance, but the two events appeal to quite different audiences.

Musically, Otis Mtn. had something for everyone. Some of the highlights:

In their first set, the Biscuit Burners featured the unusual tones of Billy Cardine’s Chaturangui, a twenty-two stringed Indian variation on the slide guitar, creating an interesting but slightly discordant mix. Their Saturday set offered a more melodic and appealing mix, often to the delight of the audience. Odessa Jorgensen on fiddle and Mary Lucey on bass combine to sing an often keening Appalachian drone. Dan Bletz, a strong flat picker, adds rhythm and virtuosity. Cardine’s varied skills on Dobro, his Indian instrument, and open back banjo are selected to fit the individual piece.

The Greencards delivered completely in both sets. Lead singer Carol Young on bass reaches deep inside for her soulful renditions. She’s lowdown and lonesome at once. Fellow Australian Kym Warner on mandolin, bouzouki, ukulele (?) and vocals is intense and talented. He moves to his own beat and moves the band, too. Eamon McLoughlin's fiddle solos and backup style reflect his English Celtic background. Jake Stargell, an American youngster who has been traveling with the band for several months, brought cheers from the crowd with his guitar solo at the end of their second set.

Cadillac Sky has been growing and developing over the past several years as its reputation and performance rise increasingly high. Their performance at Otis Mtn. represented new levels of musicianship and maturity. Criticized for being too loud and somewhat brash, their work at Otis was crisp and clean. Every word of Bryan Simpson’s singing was understandable, while they didn’t give up a bit of their dynamism and electric energy. From directly in front of the stage to high on the hill, their sound was muted enough so each instrument in the ensemble could be heard clearly, yet strong enough to generate and maintain the excitement this band thrives on.

[This is an excerpted post. Visit Ted Lehmann's Bluegrass, Books, and Brainstorms blog for his complete report.]