Labor Day legacy
'Woodstock of the Navajo Nation' a Ganado tradition

Harold Peterson and Wilfred "Willie" Jeans hold guitars that will be auctioned off at this years Labor Day Jam in Ganado, Ariz. The free concert will feature a variety of music and attracts up to 1000 visitors every year. — © 2008 Gallup Independent / Brian Leddy

Copyright © 2008
Gallup Independent
By Elizabeth Hardin-Burrola
Staff writer

GANADO — It’s been called the Woodstock of the Navajo Nation. It could also be compared to Willie Nelson’s Annual 4th of July Picnic.

But singer/songwriter Wilfred “Willie” Jeans — along with his family and friends — call their annual event the Labor Day Jam. It’s a two-day gathering west of Ganado that features free musical performances by regional bands and musicians, acoustic guitar raffles, arts and crafts and food vendors, and free campsites for those who want to stay overnight.

And it’s open to anyone who enjoys music — rock, country, blues, hip hop, metal, or gospel.

Labor Day Jam 2008 will be held from 6 p.m. to midnight on Saturday, Aug. 30 and from noon to midnight on Sunday, Aug. 31 at Jeans’ residence, located one-half mile west of junction of U.S. Highway 191 and Arizona Highway 264. The gathering is a family-friendly event, and no alcohol, firearms, or drugs are allowed.

“It started on my front porch,” Jeans said of the first Labor Day Jam. That first gathering started about 15 years ago, he explained, with a drummer set up on his porch deck and a group of musicians jamming together in front of his house.

It’s since grown to attract dozens of musicians and sometimes nearly 1,000 visitors over a two-day weekend.

“It’s a goodwill deal,” Jeans said. Musicians are asked to perform for free as a way of giving back something to their fans. “That was kind of the idea,” he explained, “giving back to the people.”

One of Jeans’ longtime friends, Harold Peterson, has been helping to put on the gathering for years. Peterson is a singer/songwriter who learned how to play an “old beat-up Kmart guitar” in the fifth grade and grew up singing in churches and revivals. A member of the band Taylor Made and also a fellow member with Jeans in the Fat Sheep Band, Peterson is donating two acoustic guitars to be raffled off at this year’s jam as a way to encourage more youth to try their hand at creating music.

According to Jeans, bands that have confirmed their appearance at the jam include Common People (country western), In House Entertainment (hip hop), the Wild Bunch (country, blues, rock), and the Fat Sheep Band (country, blues, rock, and gospel). The metal band Creeping Puppets may possibly perform as well.

Individual artists who have confirmed include singer/songwriter Richard Quintana (contemporary country, folk), Choctaw/Creek flutist Randy Kemp, and singer/songwriter Johnny Dream (country rock).

Other bands and musicians will be added to the lineup in the next week, Jeans said.

Audience members are asked to bring their own chairs, and campers need to bring their own camping gear. Vendors are allowed to set up free of charge, on a first come, first serve basis, but they are asked to keep their prices reasonable and to donate something to help support the event.

Audience members are also welcome to make a donation to help feed the musicians.

Like Peterson’s donation of guitars for the raffle, Jeans said other friends pitch in to help too. Leto Quintana donates the PA system every year, he explained, and Allen Hill donates the use of his drum set and lighting.

Jeans and Peterson said the Labor Day Jam’s music, camaraderie among musicians, and fun events — like one year’s country music mosh pit, have inspired them to sponsor the event each September. There have been, however, some difficult times. Jeans, of Navajo and Otoe/Missoura descent, canceled the gathering in 2006 because his family needed to observe a year of mourning after the tragic death of his niece, Vanessa Dawn Burns.

Last year’s jam was dedicated in her memory, he said.
Jeans is also not sure how long he will be able to host future Labor Day Jams. He has health concerns that impact his ability to fund the event, he explained, and the struggling economy is making it more difficult to find sponsors to help.

Jeans said he’s considering passing the gathering on to one of his friends who lives by Ganado’s “G” Hill.

“It’s one of the big events of Ganado,” he said. “A lot of people look forward to it.”

Information: Willie Jeans at (480) 652-7445 or Harold Peterson at (505) 879-5833.