Fiddling around at HLRC

For as long as anyone can remember, a group of dedicated musicians have shown up at the Hi-Line Retirement Center in Malta, once a week, to serenade residents with some country music during the dinner hour.

“I think it's awesome,” said HLRC resident Judy Messerly, “I look forward to them coming every week.”

Last Tuesday night, Clarence Blunt, Jay Southwick and Tom Watson, all on fiddle, and Bill Abrahamson on guitar, provided the music for the night to delight of those in attendance.

Blunt has been playing at the HLRC for the past 14 years with the group – which is unnamed – and they have fun doing so. .

“We just enjoy playing for the folks here,” Blunt said. “Kenny Truax started it and played for many years. It went on for a year or so after he died and at some point I decided to come down and play too.”

“And he hasn’t fired any of us yet,” Watson added. “I’ve been playing with these guys for the last six or seven years. My wife Lorraine and I used to play up here about 15 years ago, so this is my second go-round here.”

Watson and his brothers had a band called the Watson Trio which played in Phillips County for many years. He said he has been playing the fiddle since about the time he graduated high school.

Blunt, who played the tenor banjo for 20 years before switching to the fiddle, said he was looking forward to the night’s performance.

“We will play as many songs as we can remember,” Blunt joked. “Probably about 30 or 40.”

“Oh, maybe not that many,” Watson added.

As Messerly sat listening to the music on Tuesday night, she admitted that Southwick is her favorite musician of the bunch, but admitted that she is bias in the matter.

“He’s my good friend,” she laughed. “They are all very good though. I think the world of all of them.”