Bazzania Girls Band  is the creation of botanist Mary Priestley, who is curator of the Herbarium at the University of the South.  Bazzania is a liverwort, a small plant that flourishes in nearby Fiery Gizzard, which is part of the South Cumberland Recreation Area.  Bazzania is the official band of the Friends of South Cumberland, and we love to play at their annual picnic.

Mary plays accordion; April Minkler plays bass guitar;  Jim Ann Howard plays guitar; Betty Carpenter plays autoharp and harmonica; Ann Seiters plays keyboard; and I play banjo and a little tenor guitar. Everyone sings, a little, or a lot.  Garry Collins is our sound man.  Our sound is eclectic, and we perform some songs that are original to us, including “Roadkill Blues.”

To book the Bazzania Girls Band to play for your special occasion, contact us at marypriestley@bellsouth.net or 931.598.0157.

Some gigs we are looking forward to playing in 2010:

April 17:  SAS Trails & Trilliums, Monteagle Inn

May 23:  Southeastern Foot Trails Coalition Annual Conf., DuBose Conference Center

June 19:  Friends Annual Meeting, South Cumberland State Park

Dec. 4: Sewanee Area Crafts Association Studio Tour, Jill’s studio

Some gigs in 2009:

Feb. 14:  United Way Redneck Party Fundraiser, Winchester

Feb. 24:  Otey Parish Annual Pancake Supper, Shrove Tuesday

Apr. 18:  Wine and Wildflowers Reception, SAS Trails & Trilliums

May 1:  Monteagle Winery

June 4:  Mountain Breeze Ice Cream Parlor, Monteagle

July 25:  Swiss Days Celebration, Gruetli-Laager

Oct 17:  Sewanee Senior Citizens Center

Nov. 3:  CCJP Auction, Sewanee Community Center

Nov. 7:  Friends of TN State Parks Annual Meeting, Fall Creek Falls

Dec. 16:  Dean’s Faculty Christmas Party, Sewanee Inn

Dec. 17:  Franklin County Adult Activity Center

Dec. 18:  Sewanee Elementary School

Some gigs in 2008:

Apr. 19:   SAS Trails & Trilliums, Monteagle Inn

May 2:     Lorena’s, Monteagle

May 16:   Sewanee Elementary School

May 25:   Tim’s Ford, private party

June 14:   Picnic, Friends of South Cumberland, Tracy City

June 20:   Rehearsal dinner, Patten Priestley & Joe Mahler

July 4:      Sewanee Crafts Fair

July 12:    Franklin Co. Democrats, Winchester

July 27:     Swiss Days Celebration, Gruetli-Laager, Tennessee

Aug. 2:      Otey Parish ice cream social, Sewanee

Oct. 3:       Lorena’s, Monteagle

Oct. 11:     Oktoberfest, Sewanee Community Center

Oct. 18:     Pickwick Landing State Park

Nov. 14:    Sewanee Elementary School

Dec. 18:    Dean’s Faculty Christmas Party, Sewanee Inn