Darrell Greer
Northern News Services

Rankin Inlet (Sept 05/01) - They came, they saw, they played -- and they promised to return.

The first Jammin' on the Bay music festival in Rankin Inlet was as big a hit with the performers as it was with the crowd.

It didn't matter whether it was Kim Mitchell, Sass Jordon, Charlie Majors, Farmer's Daughter, Dust Rhinos or Trooper -- each and every artist was charmed by the beauty of the land and its people.

Majors was a hit both on stage and off, gathering as many admirers with his charm and easy-going style as with his dynamic stage presence.

After rocking the Itivia concert sight Friday night and a hotel jam session following the show, Majors was out and about the community on Saturday saying hello and signing autographs for many of his local fans.

"The people here have been so nice, it's really made quite an impression on me," he said while signing autographs outside the Northern store.

"What can I say about the surroundings? It's absolutely beautiful here."

An estimated 700 to 1,000 people took in the three-day event, which was held under beautiful blue skies and abnormally high temperatures.

Concert organizer and co-chair, Jim Ramsay, says the festival exceeded his expectations.

He says an incredible amount of work went into holding the event and many people in the community deserve a lot of credit.

"The community really came together to make this a success, but the people in Rankin Inlet always do," says Ramsay.

"We just couldn't have asked for anything more when it came to the weather and everybody really seemed to enjoy themselves.

"Hopefully, this year's Jammin' on the Bay festival was the start of something really big in our community we can build on for many more years to come."