Category: Bluegrass Music

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Bluegrass Music Music Programs

CJAM-FM Deserves More Respect

CJAM, the college radio station out of the University of Windsor in Ontario just across the river from Detroit, has been one of my favorite stations ever since its inception in 1983. When other stations in the Detroit area were playing commercial-friendly music, CJAM was playing underground bands that ears like mine were begging for. I learned about so many punk, new wave, and Goth bands from that station. As I got older and tastes changed, CJAM became the only terrestrial radio source for bluegrass music in Detroit with the Sunday morning program “Daybreak in Dixie.”

As the years have gone by, it seems that this little oasis of a radio station has never really had great luck. When it started, CJAM would broadcast at a lowly 50 watts at 91.5 FM. If you had a really good antenna on your home radio, you were lucky to pick it up, dealing with fades and static. To hear it better, you had to get in your car and park somewhere along the Detroit River in a not-so-great neighborhood. In 1995, the station was boosted to 456 watts, so Detroit and immediate suburbs could get the station if the wind was right.

In 2009, the station was granted permission to transfer to 99.1 FM due to a station near Port Huron, MI was also using 91.5 FM. It was hard to pick up on a radio that used digital tuning because of competing Detroit stations at 98.7 FM and 99.5 FM forcing themselves over. Thank God for old analog-tuned radios and sensitive fingertips! Fortunately in 2014, CJAM was permitted to raise its power to 2,084 watts, so it could be heard at least 20 miles away from the riverbank.

Then, a few months ago, I noticed that tuning in the station was difficult again, and there was interference from another station. At first I thought that CJAM was forced to lower its power, but NO! It turns out that there was a new sports-talk station in the Detroit market (isn’t one enough?). “The ROAR” broadcasts on 93.5 FM AND 99.1 FM. The thing is, if you look at the broadcast map of these two stations, the smaller-powered 99.1 FM area is covered by 95% by the more powerful 93.5 FM. Why the complete overlap? Greed, most likely. The other sports-talk station here in Detroit is at 97.1, so while they are competing for that audience, they are stomping out those of us who would rather listen to music, especially styles that we cannot receive from commercial stations.

I never understood having sports-talk radio stations on the FM frequency. Does it really matter what the aural tone of the voice is if it is on AM radio? It’s talk, for God’s sake, not music. By the way, CJAM not only broadcasts underground alternative music, but also classical music and programs highlighting a number of ethnic groups. The local NPR station WDET used to offer a good variety, but as of the last decade or so has become a left-wing news-talk station with some free-form music programming during the weekend afternoons. I stopped donating the that station years ago, but I continue to support CJAM as much as I can.

Terrestrial radio lost a lot of its status and reliable reputation back before the turn of the millennium when they refused to listen to the consumer wants and needs. Satellite radio then became the alternative resource, but that turned lackluster within 10 years as the programming there began to mirror terrestrial commercial radio (I quit my subscription about 5 or 6 years ago). There are the internet radio alternatives like Pandora, but as soon as I learned that they were not paying proper royalties to artists while still broadcasting commercials, I turned my back on them as well.

I was raised on radio. In my pre-teens, I cherished my transistor pocket radio picking up the Top-40 AM stations during the day, like CKLW out of Windsor, then tuning in out-of-state stations at night. The underground and college stations were a must-hear in my teens and young adult days. Even as I have gotten older, the stations playing non-commercial programming like folk, bluegrass, Celtic, and classical music are for what I continually search. CJAM is still an oasis for me, especially “Daybreak in Dixie” as I relax and write on Sunday mornings as well as Saturday evening alternative music. These terrestrial stations keep disappearing, it seems, year by year. I pray that CJAM will be around for many more years. Check out its programming at www.cjam.ca/ .

Chew on it and comment.

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Bluegrass Music Musical Instruments

Yes, It Is Time To Sell Some Music Stuff

Yes, I have to face the facts. In my 20s, 30s, and even into my 40s, I was obsessed with making music. Thus, my house was full of musical instruments and recording equipment. At one time, I had about 30 guitars and basses, along with a few mandolins, a banjo, and a dobro. The fiddle came later, after the guitar count went down by way of selling, trading, and theft.

Look, I’m 57 now, a diabetic, overweight, a bit arthritic, and my knees aren’t in the best of shape. I don’t see myself hitting the stage of some dive bar banging my Stratocaster through my Twin Reverb amp playing with others who are in the same questionable shape, to an audience that would rather drink than listen to us. While my listening tastes have not changed much over the past 40 years, my playing tastes have dwindled considerably.

It hit me a few days ago. My blog last week talked about the baritone guitar that I built from an old Fender Squier Telecaster. I pulled the guitar out of the closet and plucked around on it for a few minutes. I realized that I am never going to play it again other than what I was doing then and there. Why should I have this thing gather even more dust when I’m now trying to clean out my house for sale as well as take a load off of my mind?

I looked around the house at other equipment that I have. Lots of vintage recording equipment. I’ll never use it again, as I have no desire to be in a rock band nor record one. Everyone is going digital anyway, and I use a small digital 4-track for my demos. At the time I bought it, the Tascam 238 8-track Syncaset was the go-to recorder for making decent band demos. I also have a Fostex 12-channel mixer and patch cords galore. Maybe someone out the is interested in that vintage stuff.

A couple of amplifiers that I have are worth something. The already-mentioned Fender Twin Reverb from the mid-70s is still sought after by guitar tone freaks, as well as a super-vintage Ampeg V4 head. I got them both at reasonable prices, so I should be able to make some money getting rid of them.

I also have a few old Kustom roll-n-tuck amps and speaker cabinets from the late 60s. I was totally into the Kustom stuff years ago. I sold a few things off, but it’s time to rid myself of the rest.

I’ve been only playing bluegrass these past few years, and even then, mostly songwriting. I ‘ve jammed a few times with others, but I have lost interest in being in an actual bluegrass band. As a songwriter, I am interested in hearing my work performed. However, most bluegrass musicians tend to want to just play the same 20 standard songs.

I have a lot of acoustic instruments, especially guitars. I have bought a few of them to do lutherie work on, and will probably sell them off much later in time. I do want to keep some PA equipment, at least a small set-up and some microphones, just in case I get called to do a sound job or plan to do a show. And I have always been and still am a vintage microphone collector, so the ones that I have will be sticking around for a while.

It will take some time to sort through the stuff, and it will be hard parting with some of it, but it is time for this to happen. I may do a spring garage sale, who knows? I do know that it is a crap shoot running ads on Craigslist. I am currently selling a student violin that I repaired for $70, and one person offered me $20. Heck, I invested more than that in repair parts! I have had some good luck with CL, but also some idiots wasting my time (the same violin, one woman wanted to buy it for her kid, and as I was driving in the snow to meet up with her, she texted me to say she changed her mind).

I’ll have to self-appraise the stuff before I sell it, and that will take time as well. If you do check out the Detroit Craigslist site and see someone selling in the “Dearborn/Hamtramck” area, most likely it is me. Hey, if you are interested, contact me and perhaps we can work something out. I’m actually selling a lot of non-musical stuff as well.

Chew on it and comment.

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Bluegrass Music Musicians

Bluegrass Jamming

Another Casino Guitars video, another comment from me.

This time, Baxter and Jonathan discuss ways that musicians can meet other musicians to jam with or form bands. They recommend the usual options, such as guitar stores having a bulletin board, open mics at bars, and searching the internet. They also suggest hitting community colleges that have music programs and talking your friends into learning an instrument.

My one and only gripe about these guys is that they are too electric-centric. They never really look at the acoustic side of guitar music. Within the video, they talk about finding the local blues music society for seeking musicians. Now Casino Guitars is a store located in North Carolina, which is in a region big on bluegrass music. There are loads of festivals in the area, and there is a rich bluegrass history from North Carolina (Earl Scruggs and Doc Watson for starters).

As for bluegrassers, we are a well-informed community regarding musicians. Even up here in Michigan, which is definitely not a hotbed for bluegrass business, there is still enough communication going around to know what is out there. There are three viable bluegrass associations in the southern part of the Lower Peninsula that spread news as well as make available to their memberships scheduled jam sessions.

Best of all, bluegrass festivals are a fantastic resource for musicians looking to play with others, whether it be to just jam or perhaps start a band. This has been going on for decades, and will surely continue now that restrictions from the pandemic are slowly being lifted. Bluegrass festivals are unique regarding these amateur parking lot jam sessions. You never see anything like this at rock, country, or jazz festivals. People go there to listen to the music, period. Bluegrass audiences have a high percentage of people that also play musical instruments. Many show up at the festivals with the only intention of jamming, not really caring if they see a band on stage.

I have mentioned it before, that the professional bluegrass musicians performing on stage also like to walk in the parking lots and jam along with the amateurs. There is a great bond with professional bluegrass artists and their audience members. They all get to know each other personally, and part of that is jamming with one another after shows. That is something you do not see at other music festivals.

A few weeks back, I posted a video of a jam session at the SPBGMA conference that happened in January. This is a great example of what makes bluegrass people unique. Music is in the blood, heart and soul of bluegrassers. At SPBGMA and IBMA conferences, jam sessions happen in every corner of the sponsoring hotel. Rooms are set up just for late-night jamming. Old friends reunite, and new friendships are created continually. I miss the early days of the Americana Music Association’s conferences. There would be a number of jam sessions going on, but that seemed to disappear as the organization grew. Fortunately, jamming is still encouraged at SPBGMA and IBMA.

Jamming has become so much a part of bluegrass that Pete Wernick, whom we all know as Dr. Banjo, created three jamming videos and has established a classroom setting program to instruct people on the principles and etiquette of bluegrass jamming.

So if you are beginning to learn guitar, banjo, mandolin, or violin/fiddle, and want to learn what it is like to be in a ensemble situation, consider bluegrass music. We bluegrassers are a welcoming community. I leave you with a great example of this community feeling. Alan Bibey (mandolinist with Grasstowne) is having a great jam session with some very young pickers.

Chew on it and comment.

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Bluegrass Music Musical Instruments

Tidbits #4: ArtistWorks, SPBGMA, Landon Bailey, and Me!

I’m not into football like I was before the whole “take a knee” thing. I won’t be watching the Super Bowl. I do think that it is funny that after over a decade of QB-ing for the Detroit Lions and nothing to show for it, Matt Stafford’s first year with a different team has led him to the big game. He played amazing with the Lions, but with a lackluster supporting cast, he could never get any respect from the NFL or press, but if LA wins, He has a chance to be a hall of famer.

But enough of that! Let’s talk music, specifically bluegrass! Have you checked out the ArtistWorks YouTube channel lately? It has always had some great instructional videos on its channel, but the last month has been fantastic! Great lessons from Chris Eldridge of The Punch Brothers, banjo legend Tony Trischka, and mandolin magician Sierra Hull. However, the best two videos they have posted recently are fiddle duets with Darol Anger and Bronwyn Keith-Hynes. This is old-time fiddling on overdrive. ArtistWorks has always been a great resource for beginner to intermediate musicians wanting to learn more. If you have never checked this channel or ArtistWorks’ website, do it soon!

I regret not being able to go to the Society for the Preservation of Bluegrass Music of America (SPBGMA) last month in Nashville. I will do whatever I can to go next year. In the meantime, attendee Stephen Hudson captured a lot of jamming going on with his video camera. What is always great with bluegrass jams is that pros sit in with amateurs and it ends up a good time. The amateurs feel blessed to get a chance to jam with a hero, and the pros get to be regular guys/girls, while also seeing what is out there amongst the fans. I have said it before – bluegrass artists are the only artists that I am aware of that regularly rub elbows with their fans, getting to know a lot of them personally (there are a lot of bluegrass musicians playing big stages that I call good friends), and will stay until the last autograph is signed. Now, check out one of Stephen’s videos.

There are a lot of people on YouTube that review guitars, amplifiers, and effects pedals. I’ve subscribed to some of them, and one in particular that amuses me is Landon Bailey. His delivery is a combination of Bill Murray, Steven Wright, and Don Imus. You can never guess what his next video will cover, except that it will have something to do with music. Like his 15-minute video of a wind-up metronome clicking at 100 beats per minute. Check him out, you will love his wry sense of humor.

Finally, I put a video on my channel that is a lesson on beginner bluegrass bass with an electric bass guitar. It is rough to say the least, as it was my first attempt at editing, and since I use an older digital camcorder, the video can be grainy when there is not full light. Take a look, and please give me some feedback.

Chew on it and comment.

Categories
Bluegrass Music Surf Music

Don Wilson RIP / Songwriter Camps

I learned a few days ago that Don Wilson, rhythm guitarist for the surf instrumental group The Ventures, passed away January 22 at the age of 88. Other than some coverage in newspapers where he lived in Tacoma, Washington, the news went virtually unnoticed for days. I only learned about it a few days ago while surfing YouTube, and a video came up of John Fogerty paying tribute to Don. I texted my buddy who follows dozens of music chat groups, and he had not heard about Don’s death either.

A true shame. The Ventures were the best known guitar instrumental group ever. The band’s first big hit, “Walk, Don’t Run,” is still a staple for surf band copycats, as well as oldies bands and kids learning to play electric guitar. They also had a hit with the theme to the television show Hawaii Five-O. They had 14 singles in the Billboard Top 100. They put out over 250 albums, and were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2008 by Fogerty.

What I loved about the band was, not only their ability to continually put out great instrumental albums, but also in the late 1960s, they put out a number of instructional albums called Play Guitar With The Ventures. There was also on called Play Bass With The Ventures. I have three of the original ones, and I have seen them reissued as CDs on eBay. These were vinyl records with four songs that the band recorded, with separate rhythm, lead, and bass guitar tracks from which to learn. It also included a handy booklet. These are collector items now, and I am always on the lookout for any of these, even copies of the ones that I already have. I also value my copy of The Ventures Christmas Album, in which they took some Christmas standard songs and implemented their guitar hits. In all of the albums, you can hear and feel Don’s strong rhythm guitar approach, as he played extremely hard on the guitar because when the band was beginning, they did not have a drummer.

I was fortunate enough to get to see the band back in the late 1980s. They played a small bar in Detroit called Alvin’s, and the lineup included Wilson, Bob Bogle, Gerry McGee, and Mel Taylor on drums. The place was packed, and with all kinds of fans, old and young. In fact, most of the fans were punks and new wavers – those that appreciated the roots of the rock and roll music. It was a great show, and all of the guys in the band were generally pleased with the crowd enthusiasm. My one disappointment was that I was wearing a Batman logo T-shirt (before they become popular), and the band’s road manager said that if I sent him one, he would send me back an autographed Ventures T-shirt. Well, I sent him the Batman shirt, but I am still waiting for the Ventures shirt over 30 years later.

Don will be missed, especially by those that picked up a guitar and learned “Walk, Don’t Run” or “Tequila” as their first songs. Dare to tell me this isn’t a kickass song!

Yes, it’s February and there’s about a foot of snow on the ground here in the Detroit area. All the more to think about what I will be doing this summer as far as music is concerned. I am sure to hit one or two festivals, especially the Milan, Michigan five-day bluegrass festival and perhaps the Michigan Old-Time Fiddle Convention in Hillsdale (if it isn’t cancelled again this year). However, one trek that I would like to make is to hit a songwriter camp, particularly one that is geared toward bluegrass or Americana songwriting. I have always wanted to attend the retreat at Donna Ulisse’s home in Tennessee. Of course, these have been cancelled over the past few years due to COVID, but she has done workshops at festivals and other camps such as Steve Kaufman’s Acoustic Kamp in Tennessee and The Strawberry Jam Camp in Iowa. I do believe that I need some fire under my butt to get back into songwriting more, so perhaps a workshop like this will help. I know that there are other songwriting camps around, but I don’t feel that they could halp me with the type of music that I write. So we will be checking a few out over the next month or two.

Chew on it and comment.

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Bluegrass Music Musical Instruments

My 2022 Resolution

My new year’s resolution for 2022? Pay more attention to the music, especially bluegrass music.

I’m getting rid of my house and moving back to my mom’s house to take care of her. I’ve been practically living at mom’s for the past five years, and my house is in shambles. Having to take care of an 89-year-old woman on my own, along with my day job, has been stressful to say the least. When I was laid off, it was fine, but I can hardly stay awake now that I’m working.

With that said, I have been spending an hour or so every day at my house getting rid of junk. It has now come down to getting rid of furniture, music equipment I know that I’ll never use again, and other big items. Time doing that has taken time away from practicing the fiddle and guitar, as well as concentrating on songwriting. I haven’t picked up the fiddle since well before Christmas, and I have only picked up the guitar once in the past three weeks.

So I need to get back to the music. I don’t want to lose that piece of personal enjoyment to the struggles of my life. I definitely need some inspiration as far as songwriting goes, and that has been very lacking. My one songwriting group Songwriters Anonymous has been holding Zoom meeting for nearly two years now, and I have not had the opportunity or even motivation to check one virtual meeting out.

I remember one YouTuber named FiddleHed that I wrote about a few months back telling those people that one needs to pick up the fiddle every day, even if just for a minute to pluck the strings or drag the bow across, in order to keep being motivated. Yes, I need to get back to that.

I certainly realize that the COVID thing has really killed off a lot of motivation with me and others. I was practicing the fiddle enough to want to try and hit a jam session, b ut forget that. None to be found in the area. Online jam sessions do not have the same warmth, comradery, or feedback. I was planning on going to SPBGMA in Nashville at the end of the month, but between the house, caregiving, and my job, that was cancelled.

As for songwriting, I am hoping that some camp will happen in the spring or summer. I will definitely travel to get to one, as I have very little motivation around my area right now. I’ve been checking online for some possible camps or workshops, but none seem to be popping up.

Since I dropped Sirius/XM a few years back, I have been a bit out of the loop when it comes to what is new in the bluegrass field. I try to keep up by reading Bluegrass Today online, still subscribe to Bluegrass Unlimited, and I still listen to “Daybreak in Dixie” every Sunday morning on CJAM-FM in Windsor. However, I looked at the Top 50 songs for 2020 on a Bluegrass Today chart a few days ago, and I don’t think that I recognized 10 songs. I don’t see me going back to the Sirius/XM subscription, so I will have to spend some time surfing around on the internet to get my ear back on the ground.

I hope the COVID lockdown apathy will disappear soon for me. I really enjoyed the few times that I was able to see some live music last year. I do know that there are plans to make the Milan (Michigan) Bluegrass festival a five-day event this August. I may not make all five days, but I will certainly be there for two or three days.

Let’s hope that things get better. I need some motivation. In the meantime, here’s something I posted on YouTube a while back. Inspired by Tom T. Hall. We’ve learned some sad news about Tom’s death this past week, but I don’t love him any less.

Chew on it and comment.

Categories
Bluegrass Music

Perfect Song #6: “White Dove” by The Stanley Brothers

All right, I am not going to end 2021 by complaining about how bad it was. Instead, I will end it with one of my choices for a perfect song. This time it is “White Dove” by the Stanley Brothers.

About 10 years ago, when I was working as a customer service rep for an automotive company, an older co-worker was talking about how much she loved opera, and that there were no American singers that had the capacity of letting the audience know what his emotions were without understanding the words, like an opera singer could. Before I could answer, my music buddy who also worked there blurted out, “George Jones, Hank Williams, Patsy Cline, Johnny Cash, Carter Stanley!” I was 100% in agreement, and it did seem to shut the opera lover down for a while.

Carter Stanley left this world way too early, passing away from cirrhosis in 1966 at the age of 41.He was an alcoholic, and some say that had an impact on his vocal approach to songs. His voice had a natural feel to it when he sang the Stanley Brother’s most popular songs, such as “White Dove,” “Rank Stranger,” and “How Mountain Girls can Love.” With the slower, more melancholy songs, it was as if he was talking about something that recently hit him in life. He had a natural voice for country music of that time.

As for the song, it is a 3/4 waltz time, but moves just a bit faster than a normal waltz. The chord structure is typical bluegrass. There are two things that make this song powerful. First is Carter’s approach to the lyrics. The song tells of the singer reminiscing about his parents and how happy he was spending time with them, but now is sad that they are both gone and feels frightened about his remaining life and death. The way Carter sings each line, it is like he is sitting on the porch with you and he is saying his feelings out loud. Totally human, no theatrics to the vocals. You as the listener can empathize with him.

The second powerful feature is the chorus, and how it is sung. Ralph Stanley’s high tenor comes in like a thunder storm, along with the other background singers. While we generally look at this as bluegrass harmonies, the Stanley Brothers’ approach to harmony singing was much more raw and in-your-face than Bill Monroe’s Blue Grass Boys or Flat & Scruggs’ Foggy Mountain Boys. You could sense with the Stanley Brothers and the Clinch Mountain Boys that there was an extra drive to make sure that every harmony note was sung to its fullest. It makes the listener react in a way of surprise and a tad bit of fear, as if the power of God is in that chorus.

The Stanley Brothers recorded “White Dove” at least twice, and it has been covered by a number of country and bluegrass bands. It is a powerful Gospel-style song that has become a standard in bluegrass music. However, it is the 1959 King Records’ version from the Stanley Brothers that is probably the best known. More mountain than Kentucky bluegrass, the song is so thematic of the people living in the Appalachians. In three minutes, the Stanley Brothers tell a lifetime of feelings and emotions about those mountain folks.

Chew on it and comment. Have a safe 2022!

Categories
Bluegrass Music

J.D. Crowe RIP

This morning, December 24th, we lost one of the greatest and most influential banjo players in bluegrass music. The legendary J.D. Crowe passed away at the age of 84. You don’t know bluegrass if you haven’t heard of him, and if you listen to bluegrass, you have surely heard his work.

Somewhat of a banjo prodigy, Jimmy Martin offered him a job in the Sunny Mountain Boys when J.D. was 17. He declined so that he could finish school, but finally joined in 1956 and stayed for four years. During this time, some of the best recordings from the Sunny Mountain Boys were released, including “Rock Hearts.” “Sophronie,” and “My Walking Shoes.” After his stint with Martin, D.J. formed the Kentucky Mountain Boys, which lasted for 10 years. His next project was The New South, which became somewhat of a bluegrass supergroup that included Tony Rice, Ricky Skaggs, and Jerry Douglas. The group’s Rounder Records self-titled album, affectionately known by its release number “0044,” is considered a bluegrass classic, perfectly mixing traditional and progressive bluegrass sounds. If you haven’t heard it, go and get yourself a copy right away!

Along with the New South, J.D. would also take part in a number of tribute albums with the group The Bluegrass Album Band, which also included Rice, Douglas, Doyle Lawson, Bobby Hicks and Todd Phillips. In 1983, he won a Grammy for his song “Fireball” in the Country Instrumental category.

J.D. slowed down a bit as far as touring during the last decade for health reasons. He had been suffering from COPD the past few years, and went to meet The Lord early this morning. I am sure that there is a bluegrass Angel Band waiting for him up there.

I was able to meet him once at a IBMA World of Bluegrass conference when it was still in Nashville. I saw a bunch of bluegrass “fans” excited to seeing Dailey & Vincent running right past J.D. without a glance. I walked up to him and shook his hand, telling him how much I appreciated his work with Martin and the great 0044 album. He was not very talkative, but appreciated the fact that someone recognized him in the crowd without making a scene.

J.D. will be missed, especially by so many banjo players. More than an influence, he was a guiding light, and his work will last for decades to come.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dl0Z5LY7LUQ

Chew on it and comment. Merry Christmas to you all.

Categories
Acoustic Guitars Bluegrass Music

Martin Guitars YouTube Channel / More on the Sister Servants

Everyone that knows me knows that I love Martin guitars. I have a 1981 D-28 that I call Hazel (after Hazel Dickens) that I traded for with a Fender American Telecaster. She sounds beautiful, and even though my arthritis has been making it a bit difficult to fret, I still rely on her to be my guitar wife.

My first Martin as a DXM model that had a laminated top and was a low-end model. Even so, I was able to sell it years later for the same price that I paid. Over the past few years the lower-end Martins become more valuable as they age just like the higher-priced models. I have five or six other acoustics, some are easier to play, but Hazel is my go-to acoustic when I am recording or playing live.

I have always been a fan of Martin guitars. Partly because many of my country and bluegrass heroes played Martins. They truly set the standard for acoustic guitars, especially dreadnoughts. I recently subscribed to the Martin Guitars YouTube channel. It contains videos of artists performing at the Martin Guitar museum in Nazareth, Pennsylvania, as well as demo videos of Martin guitars and ukuleles. There is also a “Jam on the Road” series, with the most recent upload being country artist Dierks Bentley doing an acoustic jam with some of his bandmates.

There are two newer videos showing the construction of the D-18 and D-28 models at the Nazareth factory. Watch them and tell me what you think that I find wrong about them.

It has nothing to do with what the video is showing. It is great that they can show all of what goes into making a solid, beautiful and legendary acoustic guitar in under five minutes. However, the music is what I find wrong. The background music is electric blues-rock, with distorted electric guitars and heavy drums. Why would someone put this kind of music on an acoustic guitar video? There are hundreds of hard-driving guitar-laden bluegrass recordings out there. A Billy Strings or Molly Tuttle instrumental would work. Or most perfectly, “The D-18 Song (Thank You, Mr. Martin)” by Norman Blake and Tony Rice.

But what do I know?

Changing the topic. Back in August 2020 I blogged about the Sister Servants of the Eternal Word, a sect of nuns currently residing at the Casa Maria Convent in Birmingham, Alabama (https://luegra.design.blog/2020/08/07/nuns-performing-bluegrass-and-diversity/). The Sisters are very musically inclined, performing at various religious functions. Back in August I posted a video of them performing the bluegrass Gospel standard “I’ll Fly Away.” I just came across two more videos of Sister Mary Anthony jamming with fiddler David Morris and his mother. They are performing Bill Monroe’s “Jerusalem Ridge” and the old-time fiddle classic “Tom and Jerry.”

This is so wonderful to watch. Never doubt the power of God and music!

Chew on it and comment.

Categories
Bluegrass Music Musical Instruments

Is the Six-String Banjo Really a Banjo?

What constitutes a “banjo”? Why I bring this up is that I am seeing a lot of pop and rock stars claiming that they are playing a banjo, when in reality they are strumming and plucking a six-string instrument tuned like a standard guitar, with the strings going over a banjo head and resonator.

Now, 20 years ago, these instruments were referred to as banjitars, and the band Old Crow Medicine Show would call it a “guitjo” on its liner notes. These instruments have been around for decades, but popularity was mostly underground. I remember the first time that I saw someone playing one was guitar wizard Joe Satriani on an early episode of MTV Unplugged.

Usually when someone says, “I play the banjo,” we assume they are talking about the five-string variety, with the high G string droning, and played either clawhammer or Scruggs style. We tend to forget about the four-string plectrum banjo (popular with Dixieland bands), the shorter-neck four-string tenor banjo (used by many Irish bands), and of course, the many variations of gourd banjos. The one thing that they have in common is that the body or resonator part of the instrument has a top of skin or thin plastic stretched over the resonator pot (much like a drum head), and the strings being plucked will strike the head via a bridge to create the sound (unlike a guitar that produces sound through the sound hole). I am not going to get too technical here.

One of the most famous performers of the four-string variety was multi-instrumentalist Eddie Peabody. During the 1920s through 1950s, Peabody performed on stage, film and television on the four- and five-string banjos. His playing style was more of stroking the strings either with his fingers or a pick. He was a great entertainer, but his brand of music faded out as popular music turned to crooners, then country, then rock and roll. Toward the end of his career, Rickenbacker Guitar Company made him electric guitars with banjo necks. So, did this constitute the he was playing an “electric guitar”? By the way, Peabody was a whiz on guitar and fiddle as well.

Getting back to the six-string variety, is it an actual banjo? If one were to look at the entire lineup of banjos, as well as consider the sound that it produced and how it was produced, then technically, it is a banjo. For the fingerpick-style guitarist, it can be a new sound to songs, especially those using s drop-D tuning. As far as chord playing, it sounds way too washy (in my opinion). Yes, the those players of the plectrum and tenor varieties use a pick, but they usually either play a form of cross-picking, or the strumming is quick and semi-muted, so it is more rhythmic. Add to that the design with the strings draped across the bridge lying on a drum skin, this does not allow for sustaining tones.

Now if you were to ask a long-time bluegrass banjoist, or even a bluegrass enthusiast, he/she would probably have a set idea of what the banjo is. Five strings, played Scruggs style, ‘nuff said.

As for my opinion, I like to call it a “six-string banjo” and not just a banjo. Let the pop stars think that they are being cool, but we all know that when you say “I play the banjo,” the five-string variety is the standard. Now let’s get a taste of my favorite banjo player, Don Reno.

Chew on it and comment.

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