Tag: Del McCoury Band

Categories
Bluegrass Music

Bluegrass Covers of Pop and Rock Songs

Here’s something that I wanted to blog about for a while now, but I never really knew how to approach the subject. I am going to talk a little about bluegrass artists covering pop and rock songs, trying to get them to sound bluegrass.

This idea has been around since bluegrass was still in its youth and the birth of rock-n-roll. Most everyone knows that Elvis Presley’s first single contained a rockabilly send-up of Bill Monroe’s lamenting waltz, “Blue Moon of Kentucky.” Mr. Monroe didn’t think much of the cover, that is, until the royalty checks started coming in. Then, he was so impressed that he re-recorded the song to include a rockin’ 4/4 time version on the second half of the recording.

Through the years, bluegrass bands have dipped into the pop and rock-roll bag to get new musical ideas as well as to keep bluegrass relevant. Jim & Jesse McReynolds recorded a whole album’s worth of Chuck Berry songs. Through the 1960s, bands such as Flatt & Scruggs and the Country Gentlemen often picked up on rock and folk songwriters for material. Flatt & Scruggs had a minor hit with the Lovin’ Spoonful’s “Nashville Cats” (which Del McCoury also recorded, and I will look at later), and a number of Bob Dylan compositions. That led to the disagreements of the band’s direction and ultimate break up. Earl Scruggs would go on to record and perform a number of pop and rock songs with his sons, while Lester Flatt would delve back into the traditional bluegrass sound.

During the 1970s and 80s, there was a lot of bluegrass artists covering pop and rock songs. Tons of bluegrass bands were covering the Beatles’ songs because they were popular. The Seldom Scene covered Ricky Nelson’s “Hello Mary Lou” (which has now become a bluegrass standard), as well as many Grateful Dead compositions. Of course, it helped that the band, particularly Jerry Garcia, was big fans of bluegrass, and the Garcia/Robert Hunt writing team was highly influenced by old-time music. Progressive bluegrass bands such as the New Grass Revival would often incorporate pop and rock songs their albums. NGR does an amazing cover of Marvin Gaye’s “Ain’t that Peculiar.”

But what about today’s bluegrass bands and their choices in pop and rock music. Some bands such as Del McCoury can pull it off pretty well. Take his cover of the aforementioned “Nashville Cats”:

However, with his band’s cover of Buffalo Springfield’s “For What It’s Worth,” in which they are joined by Sierra Hull, the Gibson Brothers, and a few others, it comes off to me as very tiring:

A few years back, the Grascals, who have always been known to cover popular country songs, had a bluegrass hit with its version of the Monkees’ “Last Train to Clarksville.” For me, it was OK, but not fantastic. Granted, at the time of the release, the Grascals were probably the most popular band in bluegrass, so they could take a chance on material.

Of course, Alison Krauss knows a good song when she hears one, and can make it her own. While not exactly bluegrass, she did put an acoustic swing to Bad Company’s “Oh, Atlanta”:

One artist that I think has a really good ear on choosing pop and rock songs to cover in the bluegrass vein is Dale Ann Bradley. I have always been a big fan of her, and part of the reason is that she chooses great material to record. Here are two fine examples of covers – the Kris Kristofferson/Janis Joplin hit “Me and Bobby McGee,” and Tom Petty’s “I Won’t Back Down”:

A band out now that I really like is Echo Valley. They are a bunch of young kids that sound great together, and I was glad to finally see them live last January at the SPBGMA conference. They perform some great bluegrass gospel, and have a few decent traditional sounding songs. However, I am not too impressed with their choices of covering modern rock songs. Among these are Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believing,” Electric Light Orchestra’s “Don’t Bring Me Down,” and Guns & Roses’ “Sweet Child O’ Mine”:

Again, I really like this band, but the choice of rock songs makes me wince. Maybe it’s me, but I just don’t hear a good melding of genres here.

This is definitely a “Chew on it and comment” blog. I would like to hear what others think. My blog next week will be a little late, as I will be going to Owensboro, Kentucky on the Thanksgiving weekend to visit the Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame and Museum.

Categories
Bluegrass Music Pop Music

Sergio Mendes RIP / Del McCoury Live!

This past week, one of the coolest pianists/band leaders passed away. Sergio Mendes led a jazz-pop group in the 1960s that had a number of hits on the charts with his band Brasil ‘66 (often changing the name to reflect each year of performing/touring). He was born in Brazil in 1941, and studied classical piano. He soon took interest in jazz and the rise in bossa nova music, and became a member of Carmen Miranda’s touring band.

He first formed a jazz trio, then added female singers to form Brasil ‘65, which began performing in in the US. After recording a number of low-selling albums, he hired English-speaking female singers so that they could record songs in English as well as Portuguese. Herb Alpert signed the band to A&M Records as Brasil ‘66, and they had a big international hit with “Mas que Nada.” The album Herb Alpert Presents Sergio Mendes & Brasil ‘66 went platinum.

Mendes would have even greater success with the Oscar-nominated song “The Look of Love,” as well as a cover of the Beatles’ song “Fool on the Hill.” The band performed for Presidents Lyndon B. Johnson and Richard Nixon. While his fame lowered in the US during the 1970s, he was still immensely popular in South America. During the cocktail music craze of the 1990s, he saw a renewed interest in his music, winning a Grammy in 1992 for Brasiliero.

During the 21st century, he did a number of collaborations, including with the Black Eyed Peas, Stevie Wonder and Justin Timberlake. He passed away on September 5th from complications of COVID.

I remember as a little kid watching his band perform on variety shows such as The Ed Sullivan Show and Hollywood Palace. His was the kind of music that everyone, from teens to older adults, could get into. Jazz influences, it also had the ingredients of rock, pop, and his native music samba and bossa nova. There was not a lot of flash in the instrumentation, but the band was skilled, and he knew that his female singers were eye candy as well as the perfect voices for the songs. While the music never received heavy rotation on the radio, when one of his songs did come on, you didn’t change the channel. If you were driving, it was the perfect cruising music. His work will always stand out as a great art form of pop music from Latin America.

Last night I went with my buddy Ken to see the bluegrass legend Del McCoury and his band. Now I’ve seen him already about a dozen times, and I probably would have passed on this show due to it being in Pontiac (a 40-minute drive, and I’m getting too old to stay out late and then drive home), but Ken had not seen him yet, and with Del at the age of 85, I knew that the chances of seeing him again were not as great as before.

Del still puts on a helluva show! It was funny, as 10 minutes before the start, there he is walking around the stage, making sure he has water available. His band could easily have roadies, but they still do everything for themselves. He has always loved and respected his audiences, talking to them personally between songs and taking requests. Two 45-minute sets would have probably tired out anyone else at his age, but he handled it like someone half his age. His band, consisting of his sons Ronnie and Rob, along with Jason Carter and Alan Bartram, are professional to a tee! They still do minimal miking, and choreograph their solos and harmony singing like the old days.

Yeah, he forgot the lyrics to songs a few times, but it was understandable, considering that he has a repertoire of a few hundred songs. The audience didn’t care – they loved it when he would just la-dee-dah through a verse to keep it going. He performed his trademark “1952 Vincent Black Lightning” (which I reviewed as a Perfect Song in the blog https://luegra.design.blog/2021/04/17/a-perfect-song-1-del-mccoury-band-1952-vincent-black-lightning/) to a standing ovation, and had no problem taking in about a half dozen requests as is normal for his shows.

I implore you to go see the Del McCoury Band while there is still time. It is worth hours to drive to see this amazing example of a bluegrass band, as well as appreciate the legend that Del McCoury truly is.

Chew on it and comment.

Categories
Bluegrass Music

Using the Single-Microphone Performance

Back in 2003, Bluegrass Unlimited published an article entitled “Single Mic Performance: A How-To.” It covered the basics of a bluegrass band performing live around a single microphone, which was the norm for both live shows as well as recording and radio broadcasts back in the early days of recording and radio. As audio technology improved starting in the 1950s, it became more common for individual instrument/vocal miking.

Starting in the 1990s, some bluegrass bands brought back the charm of single-microphone performances. Bands like Hot Rize, Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver, and the Del McCoury Band would perform with one microphone, or a variation using two mics (one dedicated to the instrument playing a solo). Karl Shiflett & Big Country recorded a few albums using only three mics covering the entire band sound, with two pointed toward the band and a third dedicated to the standup bass. Even today, Billy Strings and his band will perform a short set standing around a single ribbon mic in front of his arena-sized audiences.

The single-mic performance is an art form for bluegrass and other acoustic bands that sounds wonderful when done correctly, so let’s go over some of the ideas that can make this work out for any interested party.

Position: Each instrument, as well as vocals within the ensemble, has its own dynamic. The banjo cuts through a lot louder on its own than the mandolin or even a normal dreadnaught acoustic guitar. Moreover, a tenor voice tends to cut through over a bass or baritone unless the singer(s) know how to control their own volume. In probably 80% or more cases with bluegrass bands, the lead singer is also the rhythm guitarist, with background vocals handled by most of the other instrumentalists. A “U” shaped pattern around the microphone will most likely not sound good, as with each instrument equal distant from the mic will have a lousy level balance. For a five-piece bluegrass band, the most common popular set-up is the “3-2″ pattern, with the lead singer/guitarist center in front of the mic about 1.5 to 2 feet away. Two instrumentalists, particularly ones that offer backing vocals (mandolin, banjo, or fiddle) would stand on either side of the guitarist, close but not bumping, and turned facing the mic as well. Remaining musicians (bass, other lead instrument) would stand behind in the gaps formed between the three members up front, again close but not bumping into other members. This leads to the next consideration.

Choreography: First, when singing, the singer will lean in slightly to the mic for his/her voice to be the focus. As the chorus comes in, the lead singer leans very slightly back, and the two (or more) backing singers will lean in to the mic. This will create a more pleasing “self mix” of the vocals. The more skilled movements come with the instrument solo breaks. The lead singer and upcoming lead instrument need to make the correct move so that they don’t trip over each other. In most cases, I have seen band members move in either a clockwise or counter-clockwise movement. For instance, if there is a banjo solo and the banjo player is standing immediately to the left, the singer/guitarist will step back (with the musician who is in the back giving that person some room) and move to the left where the banjo player once stood. At the same time, the banjo player moves toward the center position in front of the mic. Once the solo is complete, the guitarist and banjoist rotate in the same circular way. This takes a lot of practice (i.e., perfect this before trying it in front of an audience), which also means keeping the headstock of one’s instrument in the corner of the eye so it doesn’t bump another player while moving.

Microphones: While the durable dynamic mics such as the Shure SM57 and SM58 prove reliable in some stage settings, this is not one of them. Dynamic mics do not perform well with distant sounds, since all of the musicians will be standing about 2 feet away. This situation calls for more sensitive mics such as condensers or ribbons. If going the condenser mic route, it should be a large-diaphragm type. The standard of this type is the AKG C414. However, these price well over $1,000. AKG, as well as a few other manufacturers such as TASCAM, Behringer, and Audio Technica, produce condenser mics that are way less expensive, a few priced under $100! While these cheaper mics may not have the warmth of the C414, they do have similar features such as switches for pick-up patterns and bass roll-off. Note that condenser mics require a phantom power supply, usually of 48 volts DC. Most mixing consoles have some form of phantom power, but to be safe, have a stand-alone power supply available. A similar situation goes for ribbon mics. Professional ribbon mics can price over $6,000! However, more consumer-friendly models can be found for under $200. Results are similar to condensers as far as warmth and quality. Passive ribbon mics have a low output, so they require a mic preamp, while active ribbon mics have the preamp built in, but require phantom power. My immediate advice is to contact a reputable sound engineer or the customer service reps at Sweetwater.com for the best choice in a microphone.

Practice, practice, practice!: If you and your bandmates are serious about performing around a single microphone, it takes a lot of practice, just like practicing your instrument. Set up the microphone, and record your practices, then listen to see how each song comes off. This is something no band that wants to sound good should attempt live after only one or two practices. Those bands previously mentioned that implement this mic technique into their live performances work on this tirelessly. Check out single-mic band performances by either attending shows or searching on YouTube.

Chew on it and comment!

Categories
Bluegrass Music

A Perfect Song #1: Del McCoury Band “1952 Vincent Black Lightning”

This is the first of what I hope to be many blogs on recorded songs that I think are perfection or near perfection. They will vary in genre, but probably most in the bluegrass format. We start with a personal favorite, “1952 Vincent Black Lightning” by the Del McCoury Band.

The song – Written by folk-rock legend Richard Thompson, it tells the tale of a girl admiring a boy’s motorcycle. Good girl and bad boy fall in love. Bad boy can’t change his ways, and attempts to rob a store, and gets shot. On his deathbed, he gives her one last kiss and his motorcycle. Now, this is no ordinary motorbike. Manufactured from 1948 to 1952, it was the fastest production motorcycle of its time. There is a famous photo of racer Rollie Free riding one lying flat on his stomach wearing only swimming trunks and a helmet at the Bonneville Salt Flats in 1948, setting the land speed record of 150 mph. There are only 19 known Black Lightning bikes in existence today. One sold in auction for $929,000 in 2018. The song is unique in that it does not have a chorus – just four long verses that tell the romantic story. It has been covered numerous times, but most prior to 2001 have stayed close to Thompson’s original with a minimal guitar and vocals. DMcB made it a bluegrass standard.

The band – Del McCoury has been a Blue Grass Boy, and has led his own band for nearly 50 years. In the mid-1990s, he formed his present band with his two sons, Rob on banjo and Ronnie on mandolin. Adding Jason Carter on fiddle and Mike Bub on bass, this band became more than a powerhouse. They were THEEE bluegrass band that no one dared challenged. When they performed, usually around one or two microphones the old-fashioned way, it is magic. Everyone of them has won an award for their musical work, as well as the band being honored numerous times. Mike left the band around 2006, but every album that this lineup recorded is an textbook example of how a modern traditional bluegrass band should sound.

The recording – DMcB’s version is the lead-off track for the band’s 2001 album Del and the Boys. With the banjo kick-off, it automatically becomes a head-turner. Rob is not using a standard G tuning on his banjo. Instead, he uses a Concert tuning, which sounds a bit darker and works well with songs in the key of C (like this one). That 10-note intro just sounds like from another bluegrass planet. It is gold! Once the band kicks in, it is a diesel train coming at you full-force. DMcB takes a standard bluegrass instrument lineup and turns it into a wall of sound. Many bluegrass bands have strived for this sound, but few can achieve it.

When Del sings, it is soulful. Soulful like Otis Redding. Very few in bluegrass can even come close. That Pennsylvania-meets-Nashville drawl makes it even more special. His accents are slightly different than Thompson’s original. Del is a master at bluegrass vocals, knowing exactly what fits. He is a teacher at it without even knowing. A distinction to the recording is that there is no typical bluegrass harmony vocals. The band has the goods for it – Ronnie and Jason have excellent harmony voices and have done the job many times. However, the song is a story with no repeats, and it forces you to listen to the narrator. Extra voices would only be a distraction.

The lead instrumental parts are perfectly fitting into the song. Expert-sounding without being flashy. Jason’s fiddle and Ronnie’s mandolin could not be any more exact for the song. During the third verse when Del sings about the boy James getting shot, Rob kicks into a 7th chord that puts emphasis onto the scene, which makes the listener pay even more attention. Then in the fourth and final verse, it begins with just Del singing and Rob’s banjo. The production lets the listener know in a musical way that James is breathing his last without having to listen to the lyrics. However, the lyrics are important, and Del’s vocal tone makes you listen to him. Overall, DMcB is extremely successful in taking a tragic story and putting it into a foot-tapping mide-tempo bluegrass song.

The results – this recording is 20 years old, and is still a mainstay with bluegrass radio programs. It has achieved that classic status, in the same category as Bill Monroe’s “Molly and Tenbrooks” and Jimmy Martin’s “Sunny Side of the Mountain.” It has become a jam standard, more so accepted because it doesn’t require harmony vocal (although some banjo players may get frustrated having to re-tune). For bluegrass fans, those first few banjo notes are that same as the first chords of the Rolling Stones’ “Brown Sugar.” It defines a certain sound of the genre, one that fans know that they can go to for definition. DMcB has continually put out excellent material in the two decades since this release, but this one song is a “must hear” at every band performance. It is truly four minutes of perfection.

Chew on it and comment.

Design a site like this with WordPress.com
Get started