Bluegrass Friends Blog

Bluegrass Unashamed Magazine - September 2009 Issue

2009-09-19T20:03:00.007-03:00

Okay folks, I know at least one person who looks forward to seeing who is going to be on the next Bluegrass Unashamed magazine cover - so here it is, the September 2009 issue of Bluegrass Unashamed, albeit a little late. Okay, it's a lot late - but my idea was on time, if that counts for anything.

This month features the Bluegrass Widow, caught red handed with groundhog grease all over her chin. When asked if she'd share a little piece of groundhog, she told me "if you want some, you can get it yourself." I'll tell ya, you don't want to get too close to her when she's eating!

She kept muttering "ground hog" over and over, as if it was the chorus line of a song or something. I just kept my distance and backed away real slow like.

I hope you get a kick out of this months cover photo.

Alright, on a more serious note, the Bluegrass Widow deserves and receives from me, the Good Sport Award for all that she does to support my endeavors in Bluegrass music and everything I associate with it, from serious photo shoots, to doing interviews with our Bluegrass friends, hosting parties, attending musical events and of course, acting a little foolish from time to time as seen on this month's cover of the fictitious magazine, Bluegrass Unashamed.

Click on the image to see a larger version of the same.

Bluegrass Unashamed Magazine - July & August 2009 Issues

2009-08-13T00:32:00.019-03:00

We've all heard of the official magazine called Bluegrass Unlimited, yes?

I recently attended a Bluegrass Buddys (yes, that's how they spell Buddys) performance at Unity Park in the town of Grand Bay-Westfiled, New Brunswick and I had my camera with me. I convinced my friend Silas Cheeseman, the one who stole me away from Bluegrass music since about December 2008, according to some, to tag along with me. Yes, I've made photography my second hobby and there is now a battle for my time between Bluegrass and photography. Well, at least I'm combining the two hobbies by photographing Bluegrass events! You can see some of Silas' work here, here and here.

While I was at the performance, Harvey Arbo made a joke about how I was the official photographer for a magazine called Bluegrass Unashamed. I figured Bluegrass Unashamed must be a spoof on the Bluegrass Unlimited magazine and decided to grow the seed Harvey planted. What I came up with was the July 2009 cover for this fictitious magazine featuring none other than Harvey Arbo.

I never really thought much about continuing the joke, until just a couple days ago when I was looking at some photos from a Bluegrass weekend getaway that took place last year at our friends' cottage. I happened upon a photo of Kenny Innis and thought it would be the ideal photo for the next issue of Bluegrass Unashamed. Consequently, I created the August 2009 cover for the magazine.

In all honesty, I was going to trash the photo way back when, but I seem to have a hard time deleting stuff like that. The August 2009 cover photo of the Bluegrass Unashmaed magazine illustrates how you just never know when an otherwise not so great image may be useful; I guess the value of some photos is all about the context in which it is used.

Now, my mind is spinning with ideas for future covers of the fictitious magazine and I've already got an idea for the September issue which I think you'll find quite amusing, but I'm not giving any clues as to what that image might be.

In the meantime, I hope you enjoy the lighter side of Bluegrass in the form of poking some fun at some of my friends.

Click on the images to see larger versions of the same.

Banjo Head Adjustment - "G" For Me, Please

2009-04-20T21:20:00.035-03:00

WARNING! This post is sort of banjo techy, but I think you should read it anyway.

Like most banjo players, I like to tinker with my banjo from time to time. When I say tinker, I'm not talking about playing it as a musical instrument; I'm talking about making various adjustments on it to see how it will react to whatever changes I've made. There are also times when I'll make adjustments that are not for the purpose of tinkering; these adjustments are required as part of the normal care and feeding (aka maintenance) of a banjo.

It would appear some people think if you need to make adjustments a few times each year, you must have a lemon for an instrument, but nothing could be further from the truth. Whether you pay a hundred dollars or ten thousand dollars for your banjo, you'll need to make frequent adjustments.

There are many factors that can affect the tone of your banjo - all instruments actually, but it seems the banjo is very adept at letting you know when it isn't in tip-top form. This is partly due to the tonal range of a banjo and the characteristic ringing that banjos produce; anything too far out of whack quickly shows up in your ear.

Probably the single biggest item that can affect the tone of a banjo is the tightness of the head. As luck would have it, head tightness is also one of the items that changes most often. This means frequent adjustments are required. When I say frequent, I'm talking anywhere from 2 to 4 times a year. I think that would be considered frequent if you compared how often most people make adjustments to their guitars.

Why does the head tightness keep changing? I think there are two main reasons for this. The main reason for the change in head tightness would be from changes in the humidity level. During the winter season in my neck of the woods, the air is dry; and even dryer indoors because of the drying effect of heating my home. If you're in an area with these conditions, the lack of moisture will eventually show up as a change in tone to your banjo as the wood rim shrinks. The tone will probably be more "tubby" sounding. As the rim shrinks, the hooks that apply pressure between the tension hoop and the flange become too long because the rim isn't as high as it used to be. This results in the head having less tension. You might even notice the action on the banjo becoming a bit lower due to less "up pressure" on the bridge as it more readily sags into the head.

The opposite is true in the summer months (in my neck of the woods). The summer months are humid, which allows the rim to take on more moisture. The banjo may become more "tinny" sounding as the head becomes tighter. The head becomes tighter because the rim is swelling and the hooks now need to be longer if the same tension is to be applied, that once was.

I've just described how the head can become tighter in the summer months, but it can also become loose in the summer. I know, this sounds like some type of contradiction, but it's not. The banjo vibrates a great deal and this can cause the nuts on the hooks to back off. If the nuts back off more than the amount required to compensate for the extra moisture, you'll witness a loose head.

The answer to all of this is simply to check the tone of the banjo frequently; I suggest at least once a month. Tap the head to determine which note the pot assembly resonates at. Is it the same as it was the last time you checked? Also, try playing the banjo up the neck. Are the notes ringing out loud and clear all over the neck? They should be.

I've talked about tightening banjo heads in previous posts and even performed a small audio spectrum analysis on my Deering Deluxe banjo. In those posts I talk about how to "tune" the head to a certain note, which I learned how to do from Steve Huber of Huber Banjos. You can read those articles (August 9 and 12, 2006) here if you wish.

Aapparently (read from what I've been told) there are those that argue whether I am able to tune the head of a banjo using the head tapping technique; that there is no way I can hear the note to which the head is tuned. For the record, I don't claim to have invented the idea of tap-tuning, but I can also tell you I'm not making this stuff up. I learned the technique from Steve Huber's Killer Tone DVD. I've also seen a Morris Music employee tune a set of drums this way; he matched each drum in a set of four to the notes on a bass guitar. I doubt anyone even remotely familiar with banjos would dispute what Steve Huber says about the topic, but I could be wrong about that too.

Somebody said "you should have your hearing checked" ... so I did. That's right, I actually had a hearing test performed this past Monday at AudioCorp in Saint John, NB and I'm happy to report that both of my ears are still in the normal range of hearing. I want to keep it that way, so I'll be practicing with ear plugs from now on.

My most recent head adjustment (banjo head, that is - if I were talking about the head on my shoulders it would be more of an attitude adjustment) was performed a couple nights ago and that was to correct a mistake I made while tightening it just a few weeks back. Yes people, I made a mistake! About 3 weeks ago I noticed the banjo just wasn't up to par; just not sounding as good as it should. The resonant frequency of the head and pot assembly had slipped all the way down to an "F" note; I normally keep it tuned to a "G" note.

Somebody said
"you should get your
hearing checked"
... so I did.

While the banjo sounded "okay" in open G tuning, it really lacked brightness and sustain up the neck. I decided I couldn't take it any longer and began to make adjustments. I inadvertently tuned the head to a "G#" note, but decided to leave it there for a while to see if I liked it. I thought it was okay, but still lacking something, so I took it back to a "G" note and now I'm happy with it again.

It is my belief that you cannot buy a banjo, have it tuned by a pro and then walk away from it, expecting it to sound great for the rest of its life; you WILL need to make adjustments if you want to keep it sounding optimal. Having your banjo tuned by a luthier up to four times a year may or may not be something you are willing to pay for. If you're opposed to paying for this service, the tone of your banjo will probably suffer; that's why every banjo player should know how to do it for themselves. To learn how to tune your banjo head and keep it in tip-top shape, I recommend highly Steve Huber's DVD called Killer Tone, available from Huber Banjos.

In the image at the top of this post, you will see the tools I use for tightening a banjo head. These tools consist of a tuner for tuning the banjo strings (Peterson Strobo-Flip tuner shown but could be any tuner), a Tee wrench for tightening the nuts on the tension hooks, and a drum torque wrench for getting even tightness all the way 'round the head. I used to tighten the head by "feel" without a torque wrench; after using the torque wrench however, I'd never do another head tightening without one.

Click on the image to see a larger version of the same.

Little Bit of This, Little Bit of That

2009-03-01T23:35:00.041-04:00

A lot of things have transpired since my last blog in October of 2008! I'm not sure where to begin, so I'll just touch on a few of the highlights. Maybe I'll just work backward toward last October and perhaps some things will pop into my head as I type. So, starting with the most recent events...

In terms of banjo practice, the past month has been exceptional for me. This is rare indeed, as I usually have what I would deem "a good session" only once a month or so, with the remaining practice sessions resulting in a lot of frustration, usually inducing thoughts of selling both of my banjos.

This leads me into telling you about my new practice routine. On December 31, 2008 I came to the startling conclusion that one of the reasons I wasn't progressing with the banjo was because I was no longer putting any time or effort into it.

Somehow, I had become the upright bass player at the private jam sessions I attend. It just seemed the natural thing to do since we already have someone that can actually play the banjo, since I can't play one, and since we didn't have a bass player. These facts, coupled with the idea that I hadn't been showing much progress on the banjo anyway, lead to a loss of interest in the banjo for a short while. It had been a few months since I had last played the banjo.

I enjoy playing the acoustic bass, but the 5-string banjo is what I really want to become proficient at if at all possible. With that in mind, my intention is to continue playing the bass at the jam sessions, but certainly start playing more banjo when opportunities arise. No one has ever told me I couldn't play the banjo at the jams, in fact, it has been quite the opposite and I get nothing but encouragement from the rest of the group; it has been my own lack of ability that has kept me from playing.

So, back to my new practice regimen. I mentioned earlier this idea occurred on December 31 [2008] but I'd like to point out that it's not a New Year's Resolution; it's a resolution that just so happened on New Year's Eve. Do you see the difference?

The regimen simply consists of writing out a weekly lesson plan and keeping a running journal of what I actually did during the practice, how the practice went, what excuses I had for a poor practice and so on.

By way of example, a weekly lesson plan might look something like this:

Sunday
Practice Foggy Mountain Breakdown roll for 20 minutes with metronome at 150 bpm. Try to increase bpm to 160. Practice moving from F-chord shape to D-chord shape using metronome. Practice tune Poor Ellen Smith.

Monday
Practice forward roll for 20 minutes with metronome. Give thumb a good workout by ensuring thumb makes it down to 2nd string on each new measure. Learn chord positions on neck. Practice tune Poor Ellen Smith.

Tuesday
Practice up-the-neck In The Mood licks for 30 minutes. Practice tunes Girl From West Virginia and Alice's Waltz.

... and so on.

I have to say the plan is working out quite well so far. The weekly lesson plan keeps me focused on what I need to work on and the journal allows me to review what I've actually done, and more importantly, I look forward to writing in it which makes me want to practice more. It's a little head game. I hate head games!

So what else has happened in the past few months that might be worth mentioning? On December 20 and 21, 2008 the Bluegrass Widow interviewed several of our Bluegrass friends including Ed & Becky Betts, Harvey Arbo, Larry & Carlotta Walsh, Kenny Innis, Clay Johnson and Mike Scott. Angela Curran was interviewed in mid January, 2009. The interviews are destined to appear on a DVD project that I'm working on. Perhaps the audio from the interviews will be posted on the Bluegrass Widow's blog if the interviewees don't mind. We'll seek their approval before posting, but that may be something to look forward to in the near future.

On December 13, 2008 Helen and I hosted a Bluegrass Christmas party at our home. It began with a wonderful meal, included some witty games that Helen came up with, and as luck would have it, ended with a Bluegrass jam (complete with Bluegrass Christmas songs) that lasted until about midnight. At first, I thought the idea of playing games was a bit lame, but I'm both thankful and glad Helen took the time to think of them because they proved to be a lot of fun; everyone had a great time with them!

In mid November 2008, Ed & Becky invited a large crew to their cottage for a weekend of jamming, and that's exactly what we did; we literally jammed all weekend long, stopping only long enough to eat. I guess we slept a little too, but not much.

Before we departed on Sunday, Larry Walsh introduced us to an old song (new to us) called Seek Ye Out The Old Path. I had been learning some of the backup work to a tune called Do You Call That Religion? and thought "hey, I bet that backup work would fit real well in this song" and it sure enough did. I thought we did a pretty decent job on the tune, but oddly enough, we've never been able to perform it anywhere nearly as well as we did on that Sunday morning in mid November. Not even close!

That pretty much sums up what's been going on around here for the past few months. Lots of jamming and little work around the house getting done.

A note about the image at the top of this article:

My son Hunter does play guitar, but doesn't particularly care for Bluegrass music. My wife Helen, also known as the Bluegrass Widow, has only played a few notes on the upright bass. My daughter Mallory had my banjo in her hands one other time, but not for long.

Hunter says this is a photo of the Bluegrass family I wish I had. While none of my family members are actually in a Bluegrass band, they sure look like they could play the parts, don't you think?

Click on the image to view a larger version of the same.

The Importance of Practicing Wth a Metronome

2008-10-05T10:59:00.030-03:00

It seems I'm forever offering advice to my fellow musician friends about the importance of getting the fundamentals of their chosen instrument(s) under their belt before worrying about learning a bunch of songs that are beyond their current capabilities. Sometimes I am asked for my opinion; at other times I simply offer it up - like the rest of the world.

For someone who offers up so many opinions you'd think perhaps that I was an expert musician, but of course, I can barely play anything myself. Do you need to be an expert to offer solid advice though? I don't think so. Right or wrong, I consider myself to be a pretty good observer, and from my observations and experiences, I figure I can offer some reasonable advice from time to time. Maybe not always, but at least on occasion.

On his DVD Playing Banjo By Ear and Learning The Chords, Ross Nickerson says "when you lose the chord structure of the tune, or the timing, music can simply fall apart." I couldn't agree more. My advice today will focus on the timing aspect of music and the importance of practicing with a metronome.

It seems to me, the majority of people simply refuse to put the required amount of time into this important aspect of their playing. When I ask people why this is, the answer is almost always something along the lines of "I know I should, but it's boring." Boring or not, it's important, and right now is as good a time as any to change your mindset before you develop a bad timing habit even further!

So big deal - it's boring! Get over it! Nobody is suggesting you sit down with a metronome for hours on end and play along with it. I agree - it is boring and if you're not alert, it can put you to sleep. However, if you can convince yourself that 10 or 15 minutes a day with a metronome won't kill you, I think you'll be very pleased with the improvement in your timing.

Some of us think "I don't need no stinkin' metronome." Let me tell you friend - you do. Your timing may not be as perfect as you think. In fact, it's not! Everyone can improve with a metronome no matter how long they have been playing music and no matter how good they think they are.

It never ceases to amaze me when I hear the local yocals say something like "why do we need to practice?" before playing a gig. Ron Block, who plays banjo and guitar with Alison Krauss & Union Station, plays with a drum machine or metronome almost every day of his life. Ron's timing is so flawless that you could probably say the man is a human metronome! Gee, I wonder why his timing is so good? How is it then, that a lot of us think our timing is good enough that we don't need to work on it?

I just want to make sure I have this right. Ron Block, who has been playing music nearly all of his life still thinks he needs to work with a metronome every day to keep his timing up to snuff, but most of us amateurs don't spend 10 minutes a month working on our timing because our timing is "pretty darned good." Some of us don't even know what a metronome is! Is it simply that we just don't care?

Another aspect of playing with good timing is to listen to what others are doing on their instruments when playing music. It's really frustrating to be playing at a certain tempo and then have the tempo of the tune change when someone does their break or begins singing.

Let's face it - as amateur musicians just trying to have a little fun at a jam session, we know it's not likely that we'll be the next Ricky Skaggs & Kentucky Thunder, nor are we trying to be, but does that mean we shouldn't try to improve? Most of us know all too well how "not fun" it is to play with someone whose timing is so bad that you just wish the person wasn't there; they can make a jam session spiral downward real fast. It's not nice having such thoughts about another person, but man!

When we think of how bad another person's timing is we should also question whether our own timing is good relative to the other musicians in the group. In some cases maybe we are the person whose timing is the worst. Who would want that?

I'm not implying that we shouldn't try to help others by playing music with them, on the contrary. However, if the "other person" never does anything to improve and makes it known they have no intention of practicing, it's not long before I won't be inviting that person to my jam sessions. As long as I see improvement or intent to improve, I'm okay with anybody. I still question why anyone would allow me at their jam sessions; I'm just glad they do.

Earlier this morning I was working on that tough lick (Sourwood Mountain) I spoke of in my previous post. After some frustration, I took my own advice and said "it's time for the metronome." Not only did my timing of the lick improve, but at the end of the exercise I was able to insert the lick into the tune without stumbling. That's enough evidence for me.

These days you can get an electronic metronome for very little money; I paid just under $20.00 including taxes for a WC-1000 (shown in image above) . There are also lots of free metronome programs that you can run on your computer. I mostly use a computer program called Weird Metronome, simply because I'm in front of my computer a lot, practicing with other tools such as Transcribe! from Seventh String Software.

Commit to using a metronome for 10 or 15 minutes every day you practice - it won't kill you; it can only help. The boredom excuse just doesn't cut it. Now, get at it!

Tough Lick Story

2008-09-23T22:56:00.018-03:00

There's an old tune called Sourwood Mountain that Ron Stewart recorded on a CD titled Team Flathead - The Huber Banjo Sessions - a project that was originally intended to showcase the exceptional tonal characteristics of Huber banjos. If you're a fan of Huber banjos like me, you may be interested to know that Ron used a Lexington model Huber banjo (serial #102-4) with a maple neck and resonator to record this tune. If you're not a Huber banjo fan, I don’t know what your problem is, and you can just ignore the details mentioned above.

Back to Sourwood Mountain. I liked the song the very first time I heard it, but it really caught my attention when I purchased Ron Stewart's instructional DVD titled Ron Stewart - A Bluegrass Banjo Professional. The DVD by the way, is available from Acutab Publications.

Each tune to be taught (on the DVD) is played at full speed by a three piece band consisting of only bass, banjo and guitar. After the full band version, each song is then discussed and played at slower speeds with just the banjo for instructional purposes. For all you fans of the banjo, Ron is playing a Lancaster model Huber on the DVD which is owned by John Lawless. And once again, if you're not a banjo enthusiast, I don’t know what your problem is; you should just ignore the banjo details.

Bluegrass, being a highly improvisational style of music, allowed Ron to move away from the melody (just a bit) on the second break of the song. It was this moving away from the melody with a syncopated lick near the end of the second break that actually caught my attention the most about Sourwood Mountain. This syncopated lick is not on the Team Flathead recorded version, nor is it played during the instructional parts of the DVD; it was just something Ron did on the fly while playing the song at normal tempo with the band.

Now here’s the tough lick part of the story. I just spent close to two hours trying to insert that syncopated lick into Sourwood Mountain without success. Using a piece of software called Transcribe! from Seventh String Software, I was able to slow the tune down enough to figure out what notes Ron was playing and figure out a roll pattern to execute the lick. For reference, here is a link to a 9 second clip of Sourwood Mountain; the difficult lick starts at the 6 second mark.

It seems I can play the lick repeatedly without making a mistake while practicing, but I can’t seem to get it right in the context of the tune. My fingers know how to do it, my brain wants to do it, but they won’t cooperate. In my experience, one thing is for certain; whenever you hear the word "syncopation" in the context of playing a 5-string banjo, you know there’s trouble ahead!

I shall conquer this dilemma. Somehow.

UPDATE - Sep 25, 2008
After another hour (last night) of trying to make this difficult lick work, I was finally able to get it right a few times at the end of my practice session. The question is, will I be able to repeat it tonight? And the answer is, probably not; at least not at first.

30th Annual Thomas Point Beach Bluegrass Festival

2008-09-03T15:58:00.040-03:00

Note As you read along, feel free to click on any of the images to see a larger version of the same.

The Bluegrass Widow (Helen) and I, along with our friend Kenny Innis, just returned from the 30th Annual Thomas Point Beach Bluegrass Festival in Brunswick, Maine. We saw many of our Bluegrass Friends from Saint John, New Brunswick while we were there; I can think of 23 right off the top of my head.

As you enter the park and look to the left you'll see five animal carvings. All of the carvings were done by Tim Pickett from Eliot, Maine. The first, Tommy P. Banjo Bear was done in 1998. In 1999, Trudy P. Bass Bunny was carved. Then in 2000, 2001 and 2002, Toby P. Coyote was carved playing guitar, Trixie P. Fox was carved playing fiddle, and Tallulah P. Moose was carved playing mandolin. All of the carvings were made completely using a chain saw and all were done within the 4 day period of each festival in the years mentioned. That's impressive!

The photo above right is one of the Bluegrass Widow standing beside Trudy P., the bass bunny.

As usual, the festival was one of the very best I’ve ever attended, although I’ll admit I wasn’t too thrilled on Friday due to what I thought was a lack of Bluegrass content. Saturday and Sunday proved to be spectacular days, however.

Of course, the highlight of the entire event for me was Jim Mills and Kentucky Thunder on Saturday night. Go Jimmy! Pardon me, I meant to say Ricky Skaggs and Kentucky Thunder.

Above left is a picture of Ricky Skaggs and some of the Thomas Point staff right after the show ended.

On the right is a picture of the Bluegrass Widow with Jim Mills (from Ricky Skaggs & Kentucky Thunder). I know what you're thinking... but you're wrong; the Widow is not all dreamy-eyed for Jimmy, she's just tired, okay? Actually, the real story here is that the Widow's eyes are faster than the speed of light itself... and there is no way you will ever get a picture of this girl with her eyes open if a camera flash is nearby. I once took 60 photos of the Bluegrass Widow and of those sixty pictures, there were only three in the whole lot in which she had her eyes open - and those three pictures were the only ones that didn't involve flash.

Doyle Lawson and Quicksilver, the Grascals and the Del McCoury Band also performed outstanding shows. In addition to the big boys, there were several other lesser known groups that performed very well; 24 bands in all, I believe.

We arrived on Friday around 1:00 PM, so we missed the Rhonda Vincent shows on Thursday. However, we did see Rhonda Vincent & The Rage in Rogersville, NB the weekend before. If her shows were anything at all like the Rogersville shows, then I’d have to say you probably got your money’s worth there as well.

It’s hard to know where to begin describing this festival. They advertise it as "The Spirit of beautiful Thomas Point Beach and Bluegrass Music!... Experience the MAGIC." Certainly, there definitely is a feeling of magic in the air at this festival. Unlike many other festival grounds that only have a stage and a big open field, Thomas Point Beach has everything you could ever want for a pefect holiday weekend.

First and foremost of course is the music, which is pretty much non-stop for three solid days. The camping areas of the park at Thomas Point Beach are just beautiful - full of tall pine and oak trees that provide you with just the right amount of shade while providing you with scenic beauty at the same time. The park was absolutely loaded with RV’s, trailers and tents this year - the most I’ve seen in the very few years I have attended the festival.

All through the day and into the wee hours of the morning you can take part in (or just listen to) one of several jams going on. At any given time, I wouldn’t be a bit surprised if there are at least 50 jams taking place, with the number probably doubling after the main shows have ended at night. As you walk around from camp site to camp site, you can hear the camp fires crackling and smell the smoke in the air.

While the stage shows were going on, there were also several workshops taking place. I managed to take in a mandolin workshop that was put on by Danny Roberts of the Grascals and also a banjo workshop put on by Aaron McDaris, also a member of the Grascals.

Helen and I spent a fair bit of time walking through the park, stopping to talk to total strangers and listening to several jam sessions. For the most part, we tried to stay out of the way of our Saint John friends so they could enjoy their weekend away. We made a new friend in Sharon from South Portland on Sunday evening and we exchanged addresses. I’m looking forward to visiting with her in the near future.

We had full intentions of going to the Sunday morning church service on the beach front, but alas, we stayed up just a bit too late with the jammers on Saturday evening. We almost made it, but not quite. We did take part in a Sunday morning gospel jam at 10:00 however. We saw fellow Saint Johners Tom Mason, Larry and Carlotta Walsh, David Maguire and Loretta and Clay Johnson and Irene at the gospel jam as well.

We spoke very briefly with Ricky Skaggs and Jim Mills before they headed out; Jim Mills said he remembered us from last May in Moncton, NB. Ricky and Kentucky Thunder had to make a very quick exit as they had to catch a flight from New York City at 4:00 AM. Just the same, they took time to sign autographs and had their picture taken with several fans. They didn’t leave the festival grounds until shortly after midnight, eastern standard time. I wonder how their flight worked out?

Now for the sad news if you don’t already know. The 30th Annual Thomas Point Beach Bluegrass Festival was the final one, as Patti Crooker, camp ground owner and festival organizer is retiring. I don’t know what will happen, but it sure would be good if someone took the festival over. There are rumors of the County Bluegrass Festival in Fort Fairfiled, Maine picking up the Labor Day weekend dates, but it certainly won’t be the same as the Thomas Point festival. I just can’t imagine what could possibly generate the same magical feeling that you get at Thomas Point Beach in Brunswick, Maine.

The people that own the bus in the photo to the right have attended every Thomas Point Beach Bluegrass Festival for the past 30 years and what's more? They have parked their bus in the same spot for all of those years! The sign on the bus reads "On The Same Spot For 30 Years!!" There is another sign on the outside of the picket fence that reads "Eviction Notice," but you can't see the sign on the fence as it is blocked by the gentleman on the roadway side of the fence.

At the conclusion on Sunday evening there was a spectacular display of fireworks as we all celebrated 30 years of Bluegrass music at Thomas Point Beach - a happy and sad occasion at the same time.

Five Types of Applause

2008-07-22T12:30:00.020-03:00

Wow, time sure does fly when you're... busy! It's been three months since my last post. Well, here's a little something I think many of you can relate to. I was inspired to share this with you after a poor performance at last night's Bluegrass Friends weekly jam session.

Some time ago I came to the conclusion there are at least five types of applause, or five reasons why people applaud a performance. Here's my take on it.

Obligatory Polite Applause
The standard, everyday, ordinary applause is what I would call the Obligatory Polite Applause. This is the applause which is imposed on one by authority, command, or convention; probably mostly by convention. This is the standard applause that people give out of respect, whether they liked your performance or not. It’s something you do because "it’s the right thing to do."

The Genuine Applause
The Genuine Applause is one of real appreciation. This type of applause is given when a performer does something that stands out from the crowd. Frequently, this type of applause will erupt right in the middle of a performance. Examples of when this type of applause might be given are when somebody does an outstanding instrumental break or holds a vocal note for a long time; like twenty-one and a half seconds. The crowd is truly indicating "we like what you’re doing, keep it coming."

Two other forms of applause are the scream and the whistle. This is when people either scream "more... more" at the end of a performance or they put two fingers in their mouth as they ready to take the eardrums out of whomever is sitting adjacent to them. I figure both the scream and the whistle best fit into the Genuine Applause category.

Good For You Applause
The Good For You Applause is most often given to performers of lesser talent or to people that have been holding back from performing for some time, while they’re building up their courage to perform for the first time. The audience isn’t saying "wow, that was great," but simply saying "well good for you, I’m glad you got up and did your thing."

Pity Applause
The Pity Applause is a step below the Good For You Applause. In essence, the audience is saying "Bless your poor soul. You really have no talent at all do you? You're so precious!" The pity applause is reserved for people who think they have talent, but really don’t have any at all. We don’t want to make these people feel bad, so we offer up some pity applause. The pity applause is obligatory like the standard, everyday, ordinary applause, but demands a category all its own.

The pity applause is not something anyone should strive for, although it is slightly better than being booed or heckled off the stage.

The Prompted Applause
I can't leave out a mention about the Prompted Applause. The prompted applause happens when someone in the audience or somebody on stage gets the attention of the audience and signals they should give applause. This type of applause is usually reserved for somebody that is "supposed" to be pretty hot, and perhaps we should let them know just how hot we think they are by responding to the person who is prompting us to "give it up" for so and so. This applause is often prompted by the promoter of an event, but certainly not always.

Sometimes a prompter will get confused and prompt an audience when the line of thinking is 180 degrees out of phase with what I've described in the above paragraph. That is to say, in reality, an applause based on pity is called for.

Bluegrass And Geometry

2008-04-19T18:50:00.010-03:00

Let's talk geometry for a few minutes. Specifically, let's talk about triangles with all three sides equal in measure - the Equilateral Triangle. Do you remember when you were in the grade school band with triangles and wooden blocks? Were those not the good old days? This is what my Bluegrass life has been reduced to - the lowly triangle; but at least I get to recognize the worth, quality and importance of my childhood.

It's a sad story really, but I'm not looking for your sympathy. The first instrument I tried to learn was a 5-string banjo. Well, that proved to be a tad difficult for me, so I moved on to a stand-up bass. "How hard could it be?" I wondered. Well, let's just say the bass proved too difficult as well. So, yesterday afternoon, I went to the MusicStop store in Saint John and bought me a triangle! How hard can it be?

Everyone knows I have strict rules as to the instrumentation I will allow at my Bluegrass jam sessions, so let me clarify why I need a triangle in a Bluegrass song. A small group of people, of which I'm a part of, have been working on the Flatt & Scruggs version of the Petticoat Junction theme song. Remember that old TV show that ran from 1963 to 1970? Well anyway, there are a couple of sound effects in the song that are done by a trainagle; at least that's what I think is being used to create the sounds. One of the sounds is a train bell and the other is a dinner bell. Come and ride the little train that is rolling down the tracks to the junction - ding ding ding ding ding ding...

While it is true the triangle is a bit easier than playing an upright bass and a whole lot easier than playing a banjo, I wouldn't want you to get the wrong idea; there's more to it than you think. I mean, you have to hold the thing... and then hit it with the striker... with the proper timing, touch and tone. Through trial and error I discovered some of the intracasies of handling the triangle at various points along its sides and at its vertices. Wow, that's a big word. Any instrument that can be described with a word like that must have some degree of complexity associated with it, don't you think? Seriously though, the most difficult part of using it in Petticoat Junction is getting the timing just right with the proper tonal characteristics.

Just in case you're thinking you can bring a triangle to the Bluegrass Friends Weekly Jam Sessions and play along to all of the tunes being played, let me assure you, this will NOT be allowed. The use of the triangle in Petticoat Junction is a special effect. We're also planning on having a train whistle sound and a shaker to simulate a train chug. This is going to be really fun to play, or really corny, or both; you decide. I guess you could say from a literal point of view that we're going to have all the bells and whistles in this song. And guess what I get to play?

And you thought no one would ever put to use any of their grade school geometry skills later in life, didn't you? Come on now, tell the truth.

Bluegrass Jam or Bluegrass Boot Camp?

2008-04-02T19:17:00.005-03:00

By now, you may be aware that I am going to resume (after an 11 month break) the weekly Bluegrass jam sessions at the Saint John Marina with the help of my wife Helen and some of my Bluegrass Friends.

When I started the original Bluegrass Friends jam sessions on July 25, 2005, everyone in attendance was enthused and excited; everyone was happy they had another place to jam and lots of people said "thanks for doing this." It didn’t take long however, before I realized I couldn’t keep everybody happy. I tried my best to accommodate everyone, but whenever I did something to make one group of people happy, I was making another group angry.

I had never done anything like this (organizing a jam) before and I didn’t know what to do about the unhappy people. It didn’t appear to take much to make some people unhappy either; something as simple as asking somebody to sit in the jam circle could set certain people off - who was I to make such a ridiculous suggestion?

After a couple months of organized chaos, I came to the conclusion that I had to stay true to my original intent of the jams; namely, to learn and play Bluegrass music. From that point on I was on a mission and I'm here to say that it wasn't easy trying to enforce the rule I had set forth - Bluegrass music only! Not John Prine, not country music, not rock & roll! Bluegrass!

I bet many people won’t believe this, but before I started the jam sessions I was mostly an introvert. Thanks to having to deal with the public at the jam sessions, I am no longer an introvert. In fact, I pretty much speak my mind now. Some people respect that; others don’t.

Some people equate the enforcement of the jam session rules with the idea that I like to tell people "the way it's going to be." Nothing could be further from the truth. I don't like having to confront people when they are not following the rules any more than the next guy, but it needs to be done from time to time for the sake of keeping the jam sessions on track and true to their purpose.

I find it very awkward when I have to speak to someone and I wish I never ever had to do it. There are lots of people that want to say something to somebody, but often times they let me be "the heavy" because in their minds I don't mind taking on that role, but as I said, this is not the case at all. I have even had people say to me "I don't want to say anything, but you can do it - you're used to it."

Something people have learned about me is that I’ll tell the truth when asked a question. With that in mind, you’d be much better off asking your questions to someone else if your only reason for asking is to hear a positive remark. I'm not saying that I never respond with a positive remark; I'm simply saying that you had better be prepared for a possible negative response as well. If a positive answer is appropriate, that’s what you’ll get. If you want an honest opinion, by all means, ask me. Again, some people respect me for my honesty, others don’t like it at all.

My son has accused me of running a Bluegrass Boot Camp at the weekly jam sessions. He says "just let people play what they want. You might hurt their feelings." I say "that's just too bad!" From the very beginning, inclusive of the first e-mail newsletter I published on July 18, 2005 announcing the first jam session, I stressed the purpose of the Bluegrass Friends jam sessions, which is to learn and play Bluegrass music; and I reminded people week after week after week until I sounded like a broken record.

If people don't want to conform to the Bluegrass only rule, there are several jam sessions in the Saint John and surrounding areas that offer a "do whatever you want" format, and that is precisely where I would suggest they go; others may suggest another place. I'm not offering a free-for-all type of jam; I have a mission and I'm going to do whatever I can to see it accomplished. If people don’t like Bluegrass music they shouldn’t be going to the Bluegrass jams. Why would anyone attend an event they don’t care for? If they do like Bluegrass, then the Bluegrass jams should be right up their alleys.

So, am I running a Bluegrass boot camp? Well, if you perceive trying to keep a Bluegrass jam on the straight and narrow Bluegrass road, then perhaps to you, I am.

The Bluegrass Friends weekly jam sessions will resume at the Saint John Marina on June 2, 2008. Welcome.

Keep pickin' and keep it Bluegrass!

Fun Day Recording at Studio 16

2008-03-10T00:49:00.027-03:00

My good friend Kenny Innis was up to visit me on Sunday afternoon (March 9) and we had a good time playing around with the new recording software (Adobe Audition) and M-Audio Delta 44 sound cards that I purchased shortly after Christmas.

The purpose of this session was to give the software its first test drive and to determine the sound quality I could expect. I used an MXL 2003 large diaphram condenser microphone and Kenny used my Martin HD28P guitar to play an instrumental tune that he wrote.

I experimented a bit by placing the microphone at various distances and angles from the guitar to determine what effect each would have on the final sound quality. We did the recording in my living room. Although not a perfect studio setup, I think the room was fairly well suited (acoustically) for the task with its 12 foot cathedral ceiling and open end on one wall.

I was extremely pleased with the results we obtained and I'm looking forward to recording a jam session similar to the way the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band recorded their third Will The Circle Be Unbroken CD in an open environment with everyone in the same room. I've got some ideas as to how I might (for the most part) isolate the instruments from one another so as to be able to mix the various instruments at the proper levels on the mixdown track. I guess we'll see how that works out in the future. Right now, it's just one big experiment.

During our visit we played around with another tune we've been working on called I Corinthians 1:18 written by Ricky Skaggs. I really like this medium tempo tune that Ricky says came to him while he was reading his bible. I'll give you one guess as to which book, chapter and verse he may have been reading when the melody came to him?

Kenny has put in a considerable amount of time on this tune, ensuring every slide, hammer-on and choke is in the right place on the mandolin parts. Truth be told, when I first asked Kenny to learn the tune with me, I didn't think he would put the required amount of time in, but he certainly did and I know he has learned a lot from mastering this tune. Thanks Kenny, and I'm sorry that I had doubts regarding your commitment level. Experience has shown me that the majority of people talk a lot, but seldom follow through with any action. And you know the old saying - actions speak louder than words.

In fact, this time it was me that was delaying the action part. After Kenny learned his parts, I knew I had to follow through with the banjo parts. The first few times I tried to learn the banjo parts were very disappointing for me; it seemed like it would be a near impossible task learning the new hand movements required. For any normal person, I think the hand movements are simple, but I don't have the best left hand dexterity in the world. Anyway, one day last week I tackled the job again and the pieces started to fall in place for me. I Corinthians 1:18 is one of those tunes that is full of emotion and it must be played with a lot of feeling in order to get it to sound good.

The Bluegrass Widow witnessed Kenny and I playing I Corinthians 1:18 and gave us a thumbs up. No doubt she is a little biased, but for the most part I trust and appreciate her comments. She knows what I'm about regarding my desire to hear the truth - I can handle it. I'm not implying we've got it down perfect - we don't, but it's coming along quite nicely and I'm pleased with our progress. We now have to seek out a fiddle player and a guitar player to round out this tune.

As for the tune that Kenny recorded, my job is to learn the chord progression and come up with a banjo break. I have an idea of what I'd like to do, but just how many months it will take to conquer the task remains to be seen. The tune is in A minor - oh, the perfect banjo key - NOT!

I hope your musical endeavors are proving to be as much fun as mine are at this time. Of course, I'm hot and cold with my musical undertakings; it was just two weeks ago that I was part of a jam session that I'm sure was delivered straight from Hell. That wasn't fun.

Keep pickin' and keep it Bluegrass!

I Walked Into It - Again!

2008-03-04T15:30:00.005-04:00

Earlier this afternoon I was discussing transportation plans for tonight with the Bluegrass Widow. I have to practice with Kenny, Deek and Loraine for an upcoming gig at Rocmaura Nursing Home. The Widow and I have been down to one vehicle for the last few years and transportation to and from all of the events in our lives can be troublesome from time to time.

Tonight, I have to go to east side of Saint John while the Widow visits her father at the Saint J ohn Regional Hospital. I told her she could drop me off at Kenny's place on the way to the hospital and Kenny would drive me to Loraine's place, then back to his place where she could pick me up. Then, in the back of my mind I could see all of the timing conflicts.

Feeling like I've been a burden to Kenny for the last few months (because he is always picking me up to go to jams and other events) , I suggested that perhaps I could take the car and drop her off at the hospital, pick Kenny up, drive to Loraine's, end our practice at 9:00 PM and then pick her up on my way home. Then, in the back of my mind I could see all of the timing conflicts.

At some point in the conversation, one of the scenarios left me without a drive home and the Widow asked "how will you get home?" to which I stupidly replied "I'll hitch-hike." It was precisely at that moment that I realized I had yet again given the Bluegrass Widow more buckshot to play with. Without a bit of hesitation she quickly replied "You're going to hitch-hike? Who's going to pick you up with a banjo in your hands?"

Hag Still Miffed by Grammy Snub. Well, Get Miffed and Get Over It!

2008-02-10T16:23:00.000-04:00

On November 2, 2007 the Bluegrass Blog made a post titled "Grammy committee says Hag is not bluegrass," in which they stated:

"The nominating committee for the National Academy Of Recording Arts & Sciences, who distribute the Grammy Awards each year, decided yesterday that the new release from Merle Haggard, titled The Bluegrass Sessions would not be eligible for Grammy consideration in the Best Bluegrass Album category in this year’s voting."

The Bluegrass Blog has updated us (Feb 8, 2008) with another post titled "Hag still miffed by Grammy snub." There is also a story on the iBluegrass.com web site. The story is currently on the front page of iBluegrass.com but will probably be archived on another page in the coming weeks.

Personally, I cannot believe some of the things I'm reading in these posts. Things like:

"Anyone who knows the bluegrass community knows that its members like to debate definitions," McCoury Music's General Manager Chris Harris said. "But this is an album that Merle and Del decided to call The Bluegrass Sessions, produced by a bluegrass musician with bluegrass musicians, recorded at a bluegrass studio, released on a bluegrass label, racked under bluegrass in record stores, aired on bluegrass radio, covered by the bluegrass press, and it's currently in it's fourth consecutive week at # 1 on Billboard's Bluegrass chart. If that's not enough, even The Washington Post wondered why 'no one had thought to pair Merle and Bluegrass together before.' "

Let's analyze some of these statements, shall we?

"...this is an album that Merle and Del decided to call The
Bluegrass Sessions..."

That's nice. You can call something whatever you want to, but a name or title doesn't turn something into something it's not.

"...produced by a bluegrass musician with bluegrass
musicians..."

Oh. Well excuse me! I guess the simple fact that the CD was produced by a guy that normally plays Bluegrass music himself and because Bluegrass musicians were involved, that automatically makes the CD a Bluegrass project. Honestly, where are these people coming from?

"...recorded at a bluegrass studio..."

Well, la tee da. Of course, you know what la tee da means don't you? That's hillbilly for "c'est la vie." Anyway, please excuse me again; I should have realized. Yes, I remember the rule now. I think it's rule number one. Anything recorded in a "Bluegrass" studio shall be called Bluegrass. What I'd like to know is this: what exactly, is a Bluegrass studio? Is that a studio that is owned by a Bluegrass musician or is it a recording studio within the sate of Kentucky? I'm obviously missing something here!

"... released on a bluegrass label..."

Yeah, whatever! What is a Bluegrass label? That's right, it's just a label!

"... racked under bluegrass in record stores..."

Of course it is - they're trying to pawn this project off as Bluegrass. In just what category do you think they're going to put a CD titled The Bluegrass Sessions? Um, hello?

"... aired on bluegrass radio..."

Don't even get me started on this one!

"...covered by the bluegrass press..."

Again, of course it is. Check the title of the CD.

"...and it's currently in it's fourth consecutive week at #
1 on Billboard's Bluegrass chart..."

That's because the Bluegrass radio stations are playing it every chance they get. Have you checked the title of the CD? In my opinion, this CD has no business being played on any Bluegrass radio stations but, hey, you can't get a country radio station to play the Hag any longer (through no fault of the Hag), so where else are you going to play it? It also happens to be true that by my estimation, the vast majority of Bluegrassers are also Merle Haggard fans, so they're not going to complain about it, are they? But, the fact that it's being played by Bluegrass radio stations and has been at the top of the charts for a while still doesn't mean it's Bluegrass music. Have you checked out some of the other non-Bluegrass content being played by these "so-called" Bluegrass radio stations?

Nonsense like this is the kind of stuff that tends to make my blood boil, but I'll settle down before I blow an artery. I can't tell you how pleased I am that the NARAS has not bowed to pressure and made decisions based on "who" the artist and producers are rather than the content. Good job NARAS; you have my full support on this one!

Now that I've got all of that out of my sytem and I don't feel like I'm going to have a stroke, I would like to point out that I have nothing but the highest respect for Del McCoury and Merle Haggard as musicians, and I think "Merle Haggard - The Bluegrass Sessions" is a fine CD, but PLEASE, don't try to pass it off as being Bluegrass. It's not! Not by any stretch of the imagination!

Merle Haggard says

We intended this to be accepted by people who like bluegrass music, and I want to know how I missed that...”

Well Merle, it is accepted by people that like Bluegrass music. Most of us like it. We just won't accept it as Bluegrass; the exception being all of the Bluegrass radio station owners - they'll play anything with the word Bluegrass in it.

If you want to know how you missed it, I'll be happy to tell you. It's not sung in a Bluegrass style - not at all - not even a little bit. I don't care who produced the CD or who is playing on it. This only serves to support the notion that "just because it's got a banjo in it, doesn't mean it's Bluegrass" idea. The music on this CD is sung in a 100% old country music style. Nothing wrong with that, it's just not Bluegrass.

It's not that I don't like Merle Haggard or Del McCoury. I do. I like both of them. I'm just having a small problem with their logic, which appears to go something like, if I say the word Bluegrass a thousand times, my music will turn into Bluegrass music by mere association. I'm really confused as to how two professional musicians (and they are not the only ones involved in this project that share the same line of reasoning) that have been in the music business for as long as Del and Merle have, could come to such conclusions. Actually, I think they know full well this project is not Bluegrass, but it makes for a great debate and publicity - it's all about money and marketing. But, as usual, what do I know? They're the pros; I'm just a consumer of the product.

You can listen to samples of Merle Haggard's CD, The Bluegrass Sessions, on the McCoury Music web site and come to your own conclusions. In fact, please do.

Isn't She a Beauty?

2008-02-07T14:36:00.002-04:00

Just look at her. Isn't she a beauty? Everything from her scroll and machine heads, to her slender neck and fret board, upper bouts, c-bouts and lower bouts, top, back, sides, bridge and tailpiece; she has it all! She's a 1963 model.

Pretty as a picture, she is! And she makes a fine piece of furniture too! What's that? You thought I was talking about the Bluegrass Widow? Nah, but she's not bad either. Say, old friend, what tipped you off that I wasn't talking about the Widow? Was it the fine piece of furniture comment or something else?

Actually, I am talking about the Bluegrass Widow's beauty metaphorically speaking, excluding the furniture remark, of course. Is she not beautiful? I certainly think she is. The Widow is not a 1963 model however. She's a...

Now you may be thinking, what kind of trouble are you in that makes it necessary to write a post like this? And the answer is none - no trouble at all. Perhaps you're thinking I'm simply trying to bank some extra points for those times that you know I'm going to mess up in the future. Nope, that's not it either. On the other hand, if there are points to be gained, I'll take 'em, but don't mention it to the Widow because it would just cancel them out if she thought the only reason I said somethhing nice was to get extra points.

I did read something in an e-mail just the other day though, the subject was Why Men Are Never Depressed and it said men get extra credit for the slightest act of thoughtfulness. Sounds reasonable enough, I guess. But really, who does something hoping they'll gain extra points? Certainly not me - that's just nonsense.

I've just been taking extra notice of the Bluegrass Widow's beauty these past few months and I can't help but remark about it. Of course, you haven't seen her in the morning like I have. Did I just lose some points?

Click on the image to see a high quality version.

Think of What You've Done

2008-02-03T19:01:00.000-04:00

Where to start? How about the jam last Friday evening with nine Bluegrassers in attendance? In terms of numbers, that's a few more than we would normally have at a private jam due to the possibility of having the noise level get out of control. While in fact it did get loud at times, I found it to be a very enjoyable evening regardless. Maybe I’m mellowing out. No, that’s not it; it was just a lot of fun! We started at 7:30 PM and didn’t end until 1:00 AM.

I started out playing the banjo but wasn't doing much with it, so I handed it over to Mike Scott and took over on the upright bass. As a result of playing the bass I had the opportunity to experience what the phrase "blistered fingers" really means. I played for some 4 hours pretty much nonstop. If you consider the fact that I'm not a bass player, you'll realize my fingers aren't toughened up in the appropriate places yet. Youch! I think that's going to change though, because playing bass is a ball. Who needs a banjo? Actually, I learned quite a bit from trying to play bass and it has made my resolve to play banjo all the more.

With the banjo in mind, I've been working on a tune called Think of What You’ve Done from an old Ricky Skaggs long play album titled Family & Friends. I bought the album when I was still in high school, so you know it’s a few years old. I remember buying it at the music store in Lancaster Mall; I think the store was called A & A Records or something like that.

I used to hang out at the Radio Shack store in the mall every day after school. You know how people that hang around skating rinks become known as rink rats? Well, I was the local Radio Shack rat; not the snitch type, but rather the hang around type. Anyway, I rushed right on over to Radio Shack, removed the cellophane wrap and put the album on one of the turntables and cranked the volume.

Wow! Did I ever get a surprise! About 5 notes into the first song I reached for that volume control and couldn’t get it to zero fast enough. My face turned five shades of red as I wondered what everyone around me was thinking. Actually, I think I knew what everyone was thinking! I had already grown used to being called names like "hayseed" and whatnot and it didn’t bother me a bit, but for some reason I wasn’t ready for the next wave with this Bluegrass stuff. That high lonesome sound is pretty extreme when you think about it.

That was the first and only time I have ever been embarrassed by playing music (except for when I’m trying to play it myself, that is). I had been playing a lot of Skaggs’ material but it was his country stuff; I just didn’t expect the album to be Bluegrass! In fact, I really didn’t know a whole lot about Bluegrass, so it was a bit of a shocker. For the record though, I love this album; it’s top drawer all the way.

I’ve been working on the intro to Think of What You’ve Done for about 4 days now. Nothing in the intro is particularly difficult in and of itself, but trying to play the right licks in the proper sequence is proving to be a bit of a challenge for me. I know the rolls in it, but I just can’t seem to get my brain and hands to work together with regard to the sequence of licks. And of course, timing is everything to get the right feel for this song. On any song, I know my timing is good when I hear that nice steady plunk that results from playing the 5th string repeatedly. Now that is music to my ears!

I worked on this tune for 3 hours in total yesterday, so it shouldn’t surprise you when I tell you I didn’t sleep well last night because I couldn’t get the tune out of my head. But, can anyone offer a suggestion as to why the Del McCoury Band singing "We’re Gonna Have A Bluegrass Christmas" was a contender as well?

I am so very tired right now.

New Old Bass

2008-01-28T14:18:00.001-04:00

The Bluegrass Widow's new bass has finally been delivered to its final destination - our living room! She's a beauty too.

There it is, pictured on the left. (Click on the picture for a larger view.) It's a model "C-1" with serial number 47452. According to Roger Stowers Kay Bass Information Page, that serial number would indicate it was manufactured in 1963.

Apparently, this bass has been in a closet for 20 years without a neck attached. Luthier George Barkhouse from Bedford, Nova Scotia carved a new neck for this bass, one that is wider than the original Kay neck. He also changed the dovetail joint that attaches the neck to the body, which, from what I understand was a problem on many Kay basses; the problem being that the joint would not release and break free in the event of a jolt to the bass, such as hitting a pothole while transporting or perhaps dropping the bass. Such a jolt would often break the neck rather than simply breaking the joint.

In addition to a new neck there is also a brand new solid ebony fingerboard and new strings. The tailpiece with the Kay logo is original as is the body and end-pin. According to George, the top-hat tuners are antique and at least 100 years old; a conversation piece if nothing else, especially among bass enthusiasts.

George left the action a little high until I had a chance to check it out for myself. I decided it was a little too high for my liking, so he took some measurements and proceeded to cut approximately 1/8 inch from the top of the bridge, made new string slots and sanded it to a smooth finish; it's almost as if he knew what he was doing!
Actually, from my first conversation with him in mid August of 2007, I got the impression that George Barkhouse was "the" bass setup and repair man in the Maritime provinces. He was recommended to me by Saint John bassist Peter Kindred and after visiting his shop and seeing him in action, I too feel very confident in recommending him for any bass repairs or adjustments you may need.

The two photos above are of George taking some initial measurements before cutting the bridge to adjust the action and sanding the bridge after cutting it on the bandsaw.

George Barkhouse isn't just a bass setup and repairman; he is a very accomplished bassist as well, having played for many years in Bluegrass, country and jazz bands. When he played a few licks and runs on the bass, Harvey and I just looked at each other with our best "deer in the headlight" looks, while I muttered "I'll never be able to do that." George assured me I would be able to do "that." We shall see. Thank you for the encouragement George.

George owns no less than seven basses of his own and this next photo is one of him showing us the bass he would be playing that very afternoon in a jazz ensemble; it's a 5-string bass. What a beautiful piece of equipment - immaculately finished and a pleasure to look at; I bet even more of a pleasure to hear in a full band setting.

Banjo players often speak of something called banjo acquisition syndrome (BAS) , but I dare say with seven bassess to his credit, George may very well suffer from another form of BAS, which of course is bass acquisition syndrome. I just want you to know George, there is help out there, but first, you must admit you have a problem. Suffering myself from a mild case of the general form of this disease, instrument acquisition syndrome, or IAS, that's all I'm going to say on the topic, but remember, we're all in this thing together.

Harvey Arbo sacrificed last Saturday to help me transport the bass from Bedford, NS to Saint John, NB where it is now adjusting to its new surroundings. Thank you Harvey for your help and friendship.

Harvey pulled into my driveway at 6:30 AM Saturday morning past, and for once in my life, I was ready and on time to leave; but that's only because I got confused. You see, I thought he said he was going to be there at 6:00 AM. According to the Bluegrass Widow however, I told her 6:30 AM. I am now looking in my Sent Items e-mail box and sure enough there is a message I sent to Helen stating "Harvey is going to pick me up at 6:30 AM tomorrow morning. We are going fishing for bass." Here's the thing. I was actually ready at 6:00 AM. Honest, I was! I know, it's a first, but it's true.

We played Bluegrass music from CDs and gabbed all the way down to Bedford. We stopped for gas, did the pee break thing and gabbed some more. When we were finished gabbing, we gabbed some more. I don't even know what we talked about. Mostly about nothing, I guess.

We arrived at George's house just before noon. Hey, those pee breaks take time and we weren't in a big rush anyway. We were having a great time; I think. Well, I was. To himself, Harvey was probably thinking "how do I get this guy to stop talking?!"

We spent close to 2 hours at George's place while he adjusted the bass, showed us several other basses he had in the shop and gave a few bass tips. That's Harvey in the photo near this text by the way, checking out the final adjustments made by George. Harvey approves!

On our way back home, we played Bluegrass music from CDs and gabbed. We stopped in Truro, NS for lunch. We tried Tim Hortons and discovered the small store was just a drive-thru. We decided Wendys would be okay, only to find out the store was closed for rennovations. We were 0 for 2. In the end, we settled on Pizza Delight.

So, we're back on the road headed toward Saint John, playing Bluegrass music from CDs and gabbing. Well what are we supposed to do?

Our last stop for gasoline was at the Magnetic Hill Esso in Moncton at which point Harvey asked me if I wanted to drive, so I did. We pulled into my driveway at 6:00 PM, unloaded the bass and Harvey was on his merry way. An enjoyable 12 hour day.

When Helen arrived home later that evening, she seemed quite excited; more than I thought she would be. After seeing the bass, I thought she might say something like "must we have that thing in our living room?" But no, quite the opposite. Instead, she remarked on its look of character and distinction and how nice it sounded.

I suppose if Helen starts playing Bluegrass music with us we might need to change her handle from Bluegrass Widow to something more appropriate, for she may no longer be a Bluegrass Widow. Let us see how it works out.

Things Are Not Always As They Appear

2008-01-21T11:21:00.000-04:00

Me, Kenny Innis, Clay Johnson and the Bluegrass Widow (Helen) made a trip to North Lake to visit Ed & Becky Betts at their cottage for a Bluegrass weekend. Thank you very much Ed and Becky for your hospitality; as usual, first rate. Two nicer people I've never met.

Helen and I very much enjoyed our visit and I know Clay did as well. Unfortunately, our good friend Kenny Innis had to leave the jam early Saturday evening, but I know he enjoyed the time he was able to spend with us.

Bob and Inez Jones as well as Ed's Friend and Side Effects band mate, Dr. Gary Beatty joined the jam Saturday afternoon and evening. On Sunday afternoon Ed, Clay and I had a fine jam indeed while Helen and Becky endured the noise we were making. What I mean to say is "enjoyed." These words, endured and enjoyed are so easy to confuse in the context of jamming, plus they kind of sound the same. Yes, while Helen and Becky enjoyed the noise we were making is what I meant to say.

The photo at the top of this post was taken just before we left Ed and Becky's cottage at 3:00 PM Sunday afternoon. From left to right, that's Ed Betts, Helen Floyd on upright bass, Becky Betts and Clay Johnson. And that's where the title of this post comes in - Things Are Not Always As They Appear.

I know many of you are thinking - "Oh, isn't that nice? The Bluegrass Widow plays bass". Some of you are saying, "I didn't know Helen played bass." Well, things are not always as they appear are they? She doesn't play bass - yet! But doesn't she look like a natural the way she clutches that thing?

In fact, Harvey Arbo and I are planning to pick up the Bluegrass Widow's new bass this Saturday morning in Bedford, Nova Scotia. Actually it's not a new bass; it's an old 1940 something Kay bass with a brand new neck, new ebony fingerboard, new strings, 100 year old tuners and completely set up by George Barkhouse. From what I'm told, it's a beauty, just like the Bluegrass Widow - so hopefully, they'll be a good match for each other.

Hey, I told Hunny way back in August, "Merry Christmas," and then I ordered me up that fine bass. Of course if I recall, when I got my first banjo (the Deering Deluxe) I told her "happy birthday." When I ordered the second banjo (the Huber Jim Mills model) I think I told her "happy birthday" again. I'll let you come to your own conclusions about how all of that works but, if seeing me happy makes her happy, I'm very much looking forward to her next birthday!

I'm really looking forward to having the Widow, or should I say the wife (she hates it when a man refers to his spouse as "the wife"), take a stab at joining in with all of the Bluegrass fun we have. Who would ever have thought such a day would be upon us? I bet when she was growing up she never thought she would ever be listening to "hillbilly" music, let alone playing it. But, then she met me; hard-core Bluegrass hillbilly deluxe. Well Hunny, when we took our vows and said "for better or worse," I guess you got the "better."

I'm sure the Bluegrass Widow will have her own account of our visit with the Betts' shortly, so check her blog out if you're interested in some of her antics.

Not Much Banjo Playing Going On Around Here

2008-01-13T15:39:00.000-04:00

The title of this post says it all - I haven't played either of my banjos for 3 ½ weeks, but it's not because mama don't allow no banjo pickin' 'round here! Truth be told, I'm almost afraid to start up again because I don't want to find out what I've forgotten. I'm not quite sure how the lapse happened in the first place, but it did. Worst of all, I just can't seem to get in the mood to start.

As of late, I have been spending a lot of time evaluating Adobe Audition®, a multi-track recording, mixing, editing, and mastering software program for professional audio production. After installing the software and starting it up for the first time, I was absolutely overwhelmed with the interface. I didn't know where to begin, so I began reading every single page of the help file, beginning at page 1. As I make my way through the help file, I'm trying most of the features out so as not to forget all of the things I have learned. I must say, this is one full-featured piece of software for audio production.

I have a few days left before my evaluation copy of Adobe Audition runs out, but those of you that know me will realize I won't stop at the evaluation process. I already ordered and received two professional broadcast quality sound cards for my computer which will give me a total of 8 balanced inputs and 8 balanced outputs; that's as technical as I'll get. Suffice it to say I intend on producing some low-noise recordings.

My intent is not to become the next recording studio in Saint John, at least not right now. Instead, I'm simply adding another page in the book of music fun with my musical friends.

Review - Blue Ridge at Historic Everett's Music Barn

2008-01-13T15:30:00.000-04:00

Have you ever heard of a Bluegrass artist or group and failed to take notice, only to find out later that you had been missing out on some fantastic music? That's exactly the case for me when it comes to the now defunct Bluegrass band once known as Blue Ridge.

I recently stumbled on a web site called Bluegrass Roots TV and was delighted with high quality video samples from performances of various Bluegrass bands, including three videos from Blue Ridge that were recorded in October of 2005 at the Everett Brothers Music Barn.

It was the lead vocal singing of Junior Sisk that grabbed my immediate attention, emotionally charged with a soulful traditional sound that I can't get enough of. I had heard of Junior Sisk in the past but only in passing. Consequently, I paid no attention, and that was my loss. However, after viewing the video samples on the BGRTV web site, I didn't need much more convincing before I decided to contact Jack Poston from Bluegrass Roots TV to order a Blue Ridge DVD/CD set.

Junior is a very successful and accomplished songwriter, penning such songs as Game That I Can't Win and Tears Are Blinding Me, both which were recorded by the Lonesome River Band, and No Where Bound, which was recorded by Ronnie Bowman.

Since Blue Ridge has departed Junior has reformed his old band, Junior Sisk and Ramblers Choice. In addition to the great video samples at BGRTV.com, you can check Junior's myspace music page to hear some samples from this fine traditional Bluegrass performer.

The next attention getting aspect of Blue Ridge was the mandolin playing of Alan Bibey - this time, a name that I had heard quite a few times, but still failed to pay much attention to. After seeing the video samples I began to pay a little more attention. Alan Bibey is now part of Grasstowne. Alan also has a solo project available on his own web site and has an instructional DVD and tablature book available from Acutab Publications.

Next in the the Blue Ridge line is Alan Johnson on fiddle and bass vocals, now with Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver. A one-time member of Larry Cordle & Lonesome Standard Time, Alan has also played with several mainstream country artists, including Lorrie Morgan and Terri Clark.

Also on this DVD is Blue Ridge member Eddie Biggerstaff on bass and tenor vocals. Eddie has played and recorded with some of the top bluegrass and acoustic performers in the world before joining Blue Ridge including Larry Rice, Junior Sisk and Rambler’s Choice and Herschel Sizemore.

Last but not least on the Blue Ridge DVD is Joey Cox on banjo. At the ripe old age of 22 years Joey was already well on his way to becoming a seasoned pro on the banjo. He has appeared on both of the Huber banjo CD's, Team Flathead and 'Cuppa Jo, and is making quite a name for himself in the banjo world. Joey is currently playing with Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver.

DVD Quality
I was suitably impressed with both the video and audio quality of the Blue Ridge DVD, especially considering it was shot at a live performance in a small venue. During the second set of the performance, the upright bass appears to be on the verge of feedback which can be a bit distracting, and in fact, there are a few times where you hear a small amount of feedback during the performance, but nothing too serious. Regardless, this DVD is well worth $20.00 and if you desire, you can purchase a DVD/CD set for $25.00. You cannot purchase a CD by itself.

One thing I really like about the audio quality is that it has a raw sound - meaning the instruments are very natural sounding - you'd think you were standing right beside the performers. It is not over-produced.

There are several Bluegrass selections on this DVD that I had never heard until now. Any fan of traditional Bluegrass music should have a copy of this DVD. Contact Jack Poston at Bluegrass Roots TV to order a copy.

Other DVD/CD sets available from BGRTV include (descriptions provided by Jack Poston):

David Parmley & Continental Divide: Three Cameras. Fabulous show, great singing and playing.
Steep Canyon Rangers: Two Cameras (But they sing into one mic, so that's all that's necessary.) Quite entertaining, great original songs.
James King: Three Cameras. Some classic James King and Kevin Prater songs.
Aubrey Haynie: Premier fiddler backed by some great musicians including Barry Bales and Alan Bibey.

Rhonda Vincent - Good Thing Going

2007-11-25T13:09:00.000-04:00

The fan appointed queen of Bluegrass has a good thing going with her latest release titled Good Thing Going.

Rhonda Vincent's latest release, which isn't due out until January 8, 2008 is a mix of hard drivin' Bluegrass, country and swing material. The project was recorded in Rhonda's brand new home studio. Both the material and the tonal quality of this project give a slight contemporary feel to all of the selections.

The 12 tracks are comprised of 7 Bluegrass selections, 4 country songs and 1 swing tune. Those of us with an appetite for hard drivin' 'grass will be satisfied with at least 6 of the 7 Bluegrass selections including the first cut which is titled I'm Leavin'. The seventh Bluegrass selection, Scorn Of A Lover, is a slower number in 3/4 time.

World's Biggest Fool is a decidedly swing tune. The title track, Good Thing Going immediately caught my attention with its banjo intro; the vocal style seems to be a mix of country and Bluegrass; parts of it remind me of Loretta Lynn's You Ain't Woman Enough (To Take My Man). The last cut on the CD, Bluegrass Saturday Night is a fan appreciation song. A hard diving rendition of the Jimmy Martin classic Lover's Hit Parade is also included on the project. I Gotta Start Somewhere is a beautiful song but it's definitely not Bluegrass. Complete with drums, this country song sounds like something right out of the Brad Paisley catalog.

I'm definitely pleased with this CD. I could take or leave the swing tune and 3 of the 4 country tunes included, but I know after repeated listening, even these will grow on me. Still, this project is sure to please almost any Bluegrass fan and no female artist delivers Bluegrass better than the Queen of Bluegrass, Rhonda Vincent. In fact, I think it's safe to say that nobody, male or female, does a better job at delivering the Bluegrass message than Rhonda Vincent.

Ron Block - A Man of Much Wisdom

2007-11-06T16:54:00.000-04:00

Ron Block has been a member of the Alison Krauss & Union Station band for over 15 years as banjo/guitar player extraordinaire. At the ripe old age of 43 he seems to be a man of much wisdom. Ron is deeply rooted in his Christian faith. An avid reader of the Bible, I suspect this is where much of his wisdom comes from. I really admire Ron as a human being and as a musician.

I like to visit Ron's web site from time to time; it has so much to offer for musicians and for just anybody that is looking for advice on life in general. Ron recently posted a series of articles under the Music --> Instruction --> Banjo and Guitar section of his web site relating to the study of music. Of particular interest to me is Ron's philosophy about what it takes to become a good musician and guidelines to follow while learning how to play an instrument. Several of the articles repeat the philosophy which really drives the point home, at least for me.

In no way would I suggest that I have the same kind, or amount of wisdom that Ron Block has acquired, but I can identify with Ron's music philosophies wholeheartedly; this is because many of the points he tries to make, which of course are his opinions, are the exact same points I try to make. Ron does a much better job at communicating his ideas than I ever could, however.

I think it's mighty fine of Ron to take the time to share some of his wisdom with us and it's nice to see Ron's view in print; it reminds me that I am on the right track with my musical endeavors. I realize when I offer the same advice it carries very little weight, but it is my hope that you will take Ron's advice seriously, taking the time to evaluate what he is saying. I only have a few years under my belt as a want-to-be musician; Ron has several years under his belt as one of the finest musicians you'll ever meet and he speaks from experience. My advice is for all of us to take some time to read some of Ron's articles and give them serious thought to them. It will be worth your time.

Ron has also provided some free banjo tablature on his site, as well as an exercise or two on string bending which is probably the most recognizable attribute of his banjo playing. That, and of course, his rock solid right hand relating to timing and tone.

In addition to his musical writings, Ron offers many articles on day to day living in the Christian faith. There is definitely some great reading here. He has a section titled "A Reader Writes..." where he answers questions on people's minds relating to living a Christian life. For example, one of the questions he answered was "Can a Christian Play the Ellen Degeneres Show?" There are some very well researched answers in this section of his web site.

You could spend several hours on Ron Block's web site which I think would be time well spent. At first, I found his new web site a bit confusing to navigate. The main menu system is on the right side of the screen; this is where the menu selections like About, Latest, Music and Store are located. When you click on one of these links, that section expands to show more selections. Clicking one of the sub menu items will display Categories on the left side of the screen. You need to click a category to see all of the individual articles.

Oh by the way, if you are looking for the lyrics to A Living Prayer, these are available on Ron's web site under Latest --> Writings --> Music. Ron says "I've put the lyrics and chords here for anyone who is interested in using the song in church or for other services."

Why Do You Like Bluegrass Music?

2007-11-04T16:47:00.000-04:00

If I were to ask you why you like Bluegrass music, what would you tell me? If I asked what it was that first got your attention about the Bluegrass style of music, what would you say to that? Have you ever pondered the reasons?

Like so many Bluegrassers before me, I got all fired-up when I heard the "fancy banjo" sounds of Earl Scruggs. Do you have any idea how many people claim the exact same reason for being steered toward this great music we call Bluegrass? Despite all of the rude banjo jokes, it would appear to me the banjo is one of the main driving forces behind the popularity of Bluegrass music. Many people that have been lead to Bluegrass by way of a steady stream of banjo notes don't actually play a banjo, nor do they have a desire to play one - they just like the sound of a Bluegrass banjo and there's certainly nothing wrong with that!

Among many, did you know Del McCoury of the Del McCoury Band, Tim Stafford of Blue Highway and Dan Tyminski of Alison Krauss & Union Station all started out playing banjo? Del said he couldn't get up to Earl's caliber so he quit after 10 years of playing. Both Dan and Tim moved over when a more skilled banjo player came along in each of their first bands respectively. My point here is simply that the banjo seems to have drawn many to Bluegrass music and in my opinion, continues to do so.

Of course the banjo isn't the only reason people like Bluegrass music, and even though it lead me to the music, it certainly isn't the only reason I continue to like it. Moving to Bluegrass was an easy transition for me as I had been exposed to country music at a very early age; my father was always listening to Hank Snow, Johnny Cash and other pioneers of early country music. I figure this transition would be easier to make than coming from rock and roll, which is what the rest of the kids my age were listeng to. Like Barbara Mandrell, "I was country when country wasn't cool." To this day my father doesn't care for the banjo or Bluegrass. I don't know what's up with that!

I like all of the other instruments used in Bluegrass music equally well - fiddle, mandolin, guitar, resophonic guitar and upright bass. All of the instruments play important roles, although they are not all used in all bands. Whereas most people tend to start out playing guitar, I chose the 5-string banjo as my first instrument simply because the sound of a Bluegrass banjo speaks to me in a special way.

Did you know Jerry Douglas, one of the best and most well known Dobro players of all time, started his musical career playing mandolin and singing until he discovered Dobro guitar? He said "after I heard the sound of a Dobro, I just didn't care if I ever sang again" and went on to say "the Dobro became a musical conduit to express my feelings."

I can't talk about the reasons I love Bluegrass music without mentioning harmony vocals. Good harmonies can make the hair on the back of your neck stand up on end and I just can't get enough of it when it's done well. In particular, I like the high lonesome sound of Bluegrass music, especially with great harmonies added.

Aside from the music itself, comprising of instruments and vocals, there's something else special about Bluegrass music and that would be the Bluegrass community. A main stage for Bluegrass music is the outdoor Bluegrass festival. Through the festivals, a close-knit community has been formed between festival goers and musicians alike. How many other types of music concerts can you go to where you can talk to the stars after the show? When you go to a festival you'll meet hundreds of people that you can jam with if you're a musician and there's a good chance you might even jam with the best of the best like Rhonda Vincent or Ricky Skaggs. It's just the way the Bluegrass community works.

I've heard some people refer to Bluegrass as "show-off music," especially when they see somebody do a solo at breakneck speed. You can call it what you want, I love the sounds of those solos and the talent that goes with it. I have also heard Bluegrass described as "hillbilly" music with the word "hillbilly" used in a derogatory way. When people call me a hillbilly, I simply acknowledge it and say "proud of it." So, it ranges from hillbilly to show-off; that's quite a span.

I say what's not to like about Bluegrass music? How did you get drawn in?

Feel free to leave a comment.

I Am Sooooo Guilty!

2007-10-27T09:33:00.000-03:00

Eight of us gathered at the home of Ed and Becky Betts for a jam last night; Matt Hayes on fiddle, Kenny Innis on mandolin, Clay Johnson on Dobro, Deek McCluskey on guitar, Harvey Arbo on banjo, Glen Vautour on upright bass, Ed Betts on guitar and me on second banjo.

I had a good time at the jam but I broke a rule. You see, ~~on occasion~~ frequently I complain about the noise level at jams. Last night I was part of the problem rather than the solution. I was thinking about the jam this morning and came to the realization that I am sooooo guilty. Guilty, guilty, guilty!

I was a good boy at first. Since we already had one banjo I decided not to play much. When I did play, I made sure I was non-obtrusive. After sitting out for several tunes I started adding my banjo into the mix, again very softly at first. But now that I've had time to reflect on the evening, I realize I was stomping all over Harvey's playing. There were a couple tunes where I just plain took over. I'm sorry about that Harvey, it wasn't intentional - I just got caught up in the moment. It can happen. I think "dang me, dang me, they ought to take a rope and hang me" would be fitting lines right about now.

Overall though, I think the night went pretty well and I enjoyed myself. It was good having a couple new members for a change, Glen and Deek. I don't remember getting any dirty looks from Harvey even though they would have been well earned. On a couple of occasions I actually received the nod of approval from him; I think that happened when I threw in my newly learned Sammy Shelor lick on New Love.

We tried to play Third Shift At The Mill last night, a David Parmley & Continental Divide song. I came to the realization there are some tunes that just can't be done in a jam situation unless everyone in attendance knows the tune - this would be one of those. I think we've tried this song on three occasions now, with the same result each time. Time for a little practice boys! Groundhog is another tune that requires some knowledge beforehand, although we didn't try that one last night. Some tunes are very easy to jam along with even if you've never heard them before, while others are not.

I'm sorry for making a little too much banjo noise last night. Somebody needs to put me in my place!

The Importance of Transcribing and Learning Solos Note-for-Note

2007-10-26T12:47:00.000-03:00

If it was important to Ron Block, Jim Mills and Ron Stewart, then I don't see why it wouldn't be important to me as well. I'm talking about the study methods these great players used while learning how to play 5-string banjo, that cornerstone instrument of Bluegrass music.

I have been criticized a great many times for wanting to play something exactly the way it was recorded on a CD. I've run out of fingers and toes trying to keep track. I am open to constructive criticism, but this particular criticism is something I have never understood. I have always asked "what is so wrong with it?" One frequent response I get is "you're setting yourself up for failure" and another common response I hear from people is "I like to put a little of myself in there."

Ron Stewart studied every lick that Earl Scruggs and J. D. Crowe ever played on a banjo and yet, I have very little trouble being able to tell when Ron Stewart is playing. After learning all he could from these two masters of the 5-string banjo, Ron went on to add his own variations and techniques. Studying the masters did not hurt Ron one little bit.

Jim Mills studied Earl Scruggs' music and techniques in great detail. Despite the amount of time Jim put in learning as much as he could about Earl's playing, Jim Mills has one of the most distinct sounds I've ever had the pleasure of hearing as it relates to traditional style banjo playing. I can tell Jim's playing a hundred miles away.

On his web site, Ron Block just posted (Oct 21, 2007) an article titled The Importance of Transcribing and Learning Solos Note-for-Note and says "there is incredible value in transcribing and learning things note for note - especially from people like Scruggs or Crowe." Ron also discusses the importance of experimenting with one's own sounds.

The point here is simply that Ron Stewart, Jim Mills and Ron Block all studied what the masters before them had done and for the very same reasons, I study the techniques of my musical heroes as well. Is there anything wrong with that? I say if it helped these three great banjo players get to the level they are at today, then I sure don't see how it could hurt me. I really can't understand why people get on my case about this particular issue!

I didn't even have to read any articles or hear from these people in order to know this would be a logical step toward learning how to play a banjo. The logic is simple. I don't know how to play a banjo and these guys do. Furthermore, these guys are producing sounds that I just can't get enough of; therefore the logical choice would be to learn as much about these folks and their playing as I can. I want to make the same kinds of sounds with my banjo that these guys are making with theirs.

I'm not worried about sounding too much like any of the people I'm studying. And even if I could, that day is a long, long way off. There will always only be one Earl Scruggs, one J. D. Crowe and one each of Ron Stewart, Ron Block and Jim Mills. My style, if there is one, will come automatically as I try to integrate a combination of all I've heard. Actually, I'm already developing my own style; on occasion I add something that I never hear from any of the pros I've mentioned. And no, I'm not talking about the mistakes I make.

If you are an aspiring Bluegrass musician and you find yourself not producing the "grassy" sounds you are after, I highly recommend you start paying more attention to the sounds of your chosen instrument (or vocalist) when listening to your favourite CD's. You might want to get a little more curious too, and ask yourself "how are they getting that sound?" You might just as well learn from someone that already knows what they're doing.

In addition to becoming a bit more curious while listening to your favourite CD's, take advantage of the unprecedented amount of fantastic instructional material available by way of the internet, books and DVD's; much of it is taught by the very pros we listen to every day. Other tools are available as well, such as software capable of slowing down, speeding up or changing the key of a song in real time. One such piece of software is called Transcribe! which is available from Seventh String Software. I find this tool to be invaluable and certainly worth the $50.00 I paid for it.

I've tried to point out that when it comes to learning how to play an instrument, I'm not all that different from some of our favourite Bluegrass musicians. Now that you know the viewpoint from some of the pros, maybe my method for learning will seem more relevant to you. At the very least, you are now more aware of the reason I find it so important to get as close to the original recording as I possibly can. It is not necessarily because I want to sound exactly like Jim Mills or whoever, it's what I'm learning along the way that counts most.

You'll have to come up with a very compelling reason to get me to change my approach on this topic. By the way, for the record, I wouldn't mind sounding like Jim Mills on the banjo. Now, get off my case and go practice!

Finally, A Good Play

2007-09-23T07:15:00.000-03:00

It finally happened - last night. I played at the Renforth Boating Club in a room no bigger than my kitchen with Deek McCluskey, Kenny Innis and Lorraine Goldie at a private function for some of Deek's relatives. I was totally relaxed and played the best I've ever played while standing in front of people. It was a small crowd of probably no more than 25 people.

Did I make mistakes? Sure I did, lots of 'em, but it was still one of the best playing experiences I've ever had. I'm not sure why I was relaxed so much; maybe I'm finally becoming confident that "I can do it." No, that's not it. I just had a good night. Did I sound like Earls Scruggs? Uh, no - it wasn't that good!

I sure hope this experience continues into the next several times I get to play in front of people, and I especially hope I play with as much confidence on December 8 at Harbour View High School. Wish me luck.

December 8, 2007 Christmas Show Planned, Proceeds to Local Food Banks

2007-09-03T01:31:00.000-03:00

In my last post I talked about how I played Jingle Bells in the middle of August with a few friends while practicing for an upcoming performance at a nursing home. Since that little incident I haven't been able to get Christmas music, Bluegrass Christmas music in particular, out of my mind. I've been listening to Christmas music ever since that night. In fact, after the practice that night, I came straight home and played my Bluegrass & White Snow CD by Patty Loveless. That little Jingle Bells incident got me to thinking about last year's Bluegrass Friends Christmas party and how a group of us had practiced a few Christmas songs over and over for about a month.

Ever since I began playing music I've wanted to put on a show at a venue like Harbour View High School or at the Imperial Theatre in Saint John. I just want to produce a show with Bluegrass music in it; I don't necessarily have to perform in it. I figure now is as good a time as any and a Christmas show with all proceeds going to the local food banks is certainly a good reason to go forth.

So it's official. I'm planning a show at Harbour View High School on December 8, 2007. The format will be an all Christmas music show with an hour of Bluegrass Christmas music broken up into two 30 minute sets. In addition there will be two other 30 minute acts. One of those acts is the Living Water Quartet. The third act is unconfirmed at this time.

Believe it or not, for the Bluegrass portion of the show I've got 12 people involved and every one of them has commited to a weekly practice from now until the week of the show! I've laid out what I expect from the musicians in terms of commitment and quality and they have all agreed to produce. That's pretty encouraging, especially since Christmas is over three and a half months away.

I've got a great bunch of musicians and singers assembled and we have some excellent tunes in the works such as Bluegrass, White Snow, Santa Train, Merry Christmas From Our House To Yours and a whole lot more. I might even throw Jingle Bells in the mix since that's the song that seemed to get the ball rolling. If everything goes according to plan you can expect one of the best locally produced shows you've seen in a long time.

Come December 8, 2007, I'll be looking for your support by attending the show. Remember, all proceeds from the show will go to the Saint John and area food banks, so it's a very worthy cause. Tickets will most likely be in the $10.00 price range and will be available in late October or early November.

As the show date draws near I'll post updated information about it on the Bluegrass Friends web site so check there often. I would love to see a full house so we can present the food banks with a large donation. Please tell all of your friends, co-workers and relatives to set December 8 aside on their calendars.

It's Never Too Early to Play Christmas Tunes

2007-08-15T05:07:00.000-03:00

Last night I practiced with Lorraine Goldie, Deek McCluskey, and Kenny Innis for a one-hour set that we'll perform tomorrow night at the Rocmaura Nursing Home in Saint John, NB. The practice actually went very well. We played a few really nice tunes that were unfamiliar to me.

Not too long into the practice we began to play Jingle Bells. I don't recall exactly how this came about, but I think it was Deek that started it. I joined in, then Kenny and Lorraine. Before we knew it, we were doing a full blown version of Jingle Bells. It was a lot of fun.

Did you know that according to some research I did, Jingle Bells was written in 1857 by James Lord Pierpont, was originally titled One Horse Open Sleigh and was meant for a Thanksgiving program at a church in Savannah, Georgia where Pierpont was organist? Apparently, the song was so well accepted that it was again sung on Christmas day and since then became one of the most popular Christmas carols. There you have it; a little Jingle Bells trivia.

I was amazed at how much of the song (Jingle Bells) I was able to remember on the banjo. Playing it reminded me of all the fun times I had last year at the home of Ed & Becky Betts, practicing for the Bluegrass Friends Christmas party. In particular, it brought back fond memories of singing and playing our rendition of Patty Loveless's Bluegrass, White Snow.

I try not to dwell on the fact that when it came time to perform Bluegrass, White Snow at the Christmas party, it was a train wreck. There must have been 47 people on the stage. Alright, there weren't 47 people, but there were way too many for sure! I remember Harvey Arbo was standing on the extreme left edge of the stage; how he kept his balance I'll never know. I was standing to Harvey's immediate right. I remember not being able to move an inch lest Harvey get the headstock of my banjo in his forehead! Everything that could have gone wrong while trying to perform this song did in fact come to pass. We had a lot of fun practicing this tune however, and I remember doing what I thought were some really good renditions during practice. I can't wait to start playing this song again. Ed, I hope you're ready.

Once we had Jingle Bells out of our system, we continued with our normal practice. The practice went very well and I'm looking forward to playing at the nursing home. I know both the staff and the residents look forward to the entertainment provided. If nothing else, it puts a smile on their faces for a short while and that makes the effort well worth the time. I try to keep this at the center of attention, even when I know I'm not very good at playing my instrument or when I don't feel like doing it.

To end our practice we played Jingle Bells one more time. I thought I started playing Christmas tunes early last year but I think I've broken my own record this year!

It's Just a Church - What Does That Mean?

2007-08-13T01:45:00.000-03:00

I played at the Grand Bay Wesleyan Church yesterday with a group of Bluegrass Friends. I was commenting on the high temperature in the church and about how I don't handle the heat very well. At some point during the conversation the question of how can we become a tighter group came up. Of course, that left the door wide open for me to do some more complaining about how this could be better and how that could be better, especially when speaking about myself.

At some point during the conversation however, someone said "don't worry about it, it's just a church." If the person who made that statement just happens to be reading this blog, don't get too upset with me for mentioning it. I'm not singling you out. You are just one of MANY people that have made the exact same remark, which is why I decided to write about it. I have a question that relates to it, and it's this: what does that mean?

I think I know what it means alright! I hear the same comment being made with regard to other places as well, such as nursing homes for instance. Translated, I think it means who would bother putting in enough practice time in order to get good to play at one of these lowly places? Maybe lowly is a bad choice of words here, I just can't think of another way to convey my thoughts about it.

It's as if to say all of the "old folks" that generally attend the kinds of events that we play at wouldn't know the difference between good, bad or indifference when it comes to the music we are trying to play. But I'm here to tell you differently, or at least I disagree with that way of thinking. To be certain, there probably are some people that fit this line of thinking, but it's not everyone. A lot of people may not know why something sounds good or bad, but they know the difference between a so-so band, a pretty good band and a fantastic band. They can't explain it, but they know.

I have one question to ask. If we're always willing to fall short of our best simply because the venue doesn't warrant the practice time, what venue WOULD actually warrant putting in the required amount of practice? Are there any? I guess that's two questions.

Lousy Tone

2007-08-06T10:11:00.000-03:00

So, I'm sitting in my office practicing a banjo break for one of the songs I'm supposed to help out with in the upcoming gospel show to be held at the Grand Bay Wesleyan Church on August 12, 2007, from 2:00 - 4:00 PM. The song is In the Sweet By and By. Having played it a few hundred times by now, I'm feeling reasonably comfortable with it, and I'm thinking "hey, this doesn't sound too bad!" At this point I've even got the speed at a reasonable pace while maintaining a fairly clean sound. At least that's what I'm thinking.

I get up from my chair to see if I can play it as well while standing up. I go to the closed window and face it so as to hear some of the sound reflect back at me and that's when I get the rude awakening. My tone sucks, and so does my playing in general. Pull-offs aren't clean nor consistent, hammer-ons are weak and I can't pull decent tone out of the banjo.

It's not the fault of my new Huber banjo. I know that because it sounds great when Jim Mills and Harvey Arbo play it, although the tone from each player is completely different. That's how I expect it to be with me too - a different tone, but not the cruddy one I'm producing! And even though my strings need changing, I can't blame my poor tone on them either.

Banjo players - listen up! This is more evidence, proof as far as I'm concerned, that at least 80 percent of the tone produced comes from the hands of the player, not the instrument. Obviously, a decent instrument is required as well, but hear me well when I tell you the tone you are able to pull out of your instrument is largely dependent on your technique. A lot of people claim it's the picking hand that counts the most, but I'm hear to tell you your fretting hand is every bit as important when working on producing great tone.

I've had this rude awakening before. In fact, I've posted about it previously at least twice back in July and August of 2006. Here's some advice: if you want to work on your tone, face a wall or a window while playing so you can hear the sound of the banjo coming back at you. On the other hand, if you don't want the possibility of being disappointed, stay away from the walls!

County Bluegrass Festival

2007-08-04T18:53:00.001-03:00

Ed & Becky Betts, along with Kenny Innis and I took in the County Bluegrass Festival in Fort Fairfield, Maine on Saturday, July 28, 2007. My first question as we were entering the site was "where are all the vehicles parked?" I was very surprised at how few people were in attendance at this festival, and I doubt very much if there were 400 people there - a very small festival indeed for the 5th year of its existence.

The headline act was the Lonesome River Band. This would be my first time to see Sammy Shelor pick on the old (actually, a fairly new Huber) 5-string banjo and of course, I got his signature on my banjo head of fame. Other bands included the Blistered Fingers Bluegrass Band, White Mountain Bluegrass, The Eddy Poirier Family and Friend, The Muellers, Borderline Bluegrass, The Adrians, James Delnero and Lost Mountain and The LaClaires.

I've got to give my honest opinion on the performances at this year's festival. I'm not complaining, just stating what I witnessed. Maybe I am complaining a little bit. While I truly did enjoy my weekend away, the festival was the least entertaining part of it and the jamming at Ed & Becky's cottage was the most fun. I never thought I would ever say something like that, but it's true. But don't get me wrong, I did enjoy my day on the festival grounds as well.

Just another sign of how Bluegrass music is changing into country music played with what we consider typical Bluegrass instruments, I'd have to say it would have been more accurate to call the festival a country music festival with the odd Bluegrass tune. I wouldn't blame the festival organizers as much as I would the performers for this troubled trend in Bluegrass music. It's not a specific problem of the County Bluegrass festival, but a more widespread problem at all Bluegrass festivals. To set the record straight, what I'm saying is that while most of the music wasn't all that bad, there was more country than Bluegrass. Sorry, when I go to a Bluegrass festival I want to hear Bluegrass music. I don't mind the odd country tune thrown in the mix, but I don't want to hear country music dominating the festival. This trend finds me staying away from more and more festivals. I'm just not going to continue to spend hundreds of dollars each year to hear country songs at so-called Bluegrass festivals. Now, if the country songs are suitably grassed up, I'm okay with that.

Of all the groups I heard, two stood out above all - the Eddy Poirier Family and Friend (yes, it's friend - not friends) and the Muellers. Based in new England, the Muellers are a true family band comprised of six children ages 5 to 19, plus Mom and Dad. I really found the group to be highly entertaining and the talent of the children reminds me of the Cherryholmes family, although maybe not quite at that level yet. For me, they were the high point of the festival.

I've seen Eddy Poirier a few times now, but I've always seen him playing accordian or fiddle and up to this point, I had never heard him sing. I'd say the Eddy Poirer Family and Friend played more traditional Bluegrass tunes than any other group by far, and to boot, they can sing! I was reasonably impressed. As for the rest of the groups, including the Lonesome River Band, I'd like to hear a little more grass. I cant't say anything about James Delnero and Lost Mountain or the LaClaires because we didn't arrive in time to catch James Delnero and the LaClaires were not going to be playing until the following day.

During the supper break at the festival, Kenny, Ed and I had a short jam at the tailgate of Ed's vehicle. That's where I think I lost my $65.00 Frank Neat banjo capo that I purchased from Little Roy Lewis at last year's Thomas Point Beach festival, probably never to be seen again. Oh well, what can I do about it? Not a thing! Purchase another one and get over it!

I missed the performance of the Blistered Fingers band. I was visiting Eddy Poirier at this time, getting a few pointers. Eddy played my Huber Jim Mills banjo and said it was "top notch." That's a good thing, right?

At the conclusion of the festival for the day we drove back to Ed & Becky's cottage where Kenny and I stayed for the night. I think we arrived at the cottage somewhere between 2:00 and 2:30 in the morning. Man, was I ever tired. I had only gotten a couple hours sleep the night before. I was so tired that I was fully prepared to sleep in Kenny's car with the seat reclined but Ed and Becky made me come in to the cottage which of course was the only sensible thing to do.

On Sunday morning Ed, Kenny and I jammed while as usual, Becky listened in. Becky, are you really enjoying this or do you just put up with it? This is where I had my first attempt at playing the upright bass. It was a lot of fun, even though I didn't really know what I was doing. I have been wanting an upright bass for some time now, but that day at the cottage has firmly planted the idea in my head that I MUST HAVE ONE SOON. I have been researching upright basses ever since. Sorry Hunny, maybe we can get rid of the sofa to make room for it!

Kenny and I departed Ed & Becky's place at about 2:30 PM and arrived home shortly after 4:30 PM. All in all, we had a good time. Thank you again Ed, Becky and Kenny for another nice weekend with music and friends.

Ralph Stanley and The Clinch Mountain Boys Concert

2007-07-20T08:00:00.000-03:00

Helen (aka the Bluegrass Widow) and I booked a short getaway package with our friends Ed & Becky Betts to go see Ralph Stanley & The Clinch Mountain Boys in a little town called Brownfield, Maine on Sunday, July 8, 2007. The concert was held at the Stone Mountain Arts Center, a humble 200 seat timber frame music hall nestled in the foothills of the White Mountains. We stayed at a quaint little place called Inn at Crystal Lake in Eaton, New Hamshire, about 15 minutes from the Stone Mountain Arts Center. It was a good 6 hour or better drive from our starting point of Saint John, New Brunswick - Canada.

I figured if I was ever going to have an opportunity to see Ralph Stanley & The Clinch Mountain Boys, this might very well be as close as they would ever get to my part of the world, so a few months earlier I asked Ed and Becky if they might be interested in going as well and they said yes.

Ralph Stanley is a living legend and a pioneer of Bluegrass music - mountain style. Among the many awards that have been bestowed upon him, he did actually receive the Living Legend Award, two years ago if memory serves. I had never seen Ralph Stanley in a live performance so I jumped at the opportunity when it came along. I'm real happy Ed & Becky decided to go as well, for Helen and I might not have made the trip on our own. Thank you Ed and Becky.

We checked in at the Inn at Crystal Lake. It was a real old place with tons of "old stuff." Everyting seemed old. The building was old, the pictures on the walls were old, all of the ornaments and decorations were old. The owners were not old however, but everything else was definitely old or old fashioned. Actually, it was very nice and I would stay there again without hesitation, although I must admit I didn't care for the separate cold and hot water faucets in the bathroom.

The getaway package included a meal at the inn before the concert. We had a small amount of time to pass before dinner so Ed and I decided to practice a few tunes in my room for about 45 minutes while the ladies suffered it out. Well, they should have known better!

Near the end of our little jam session as Ed was finishing up Banks of the Ohio, out of our window we saw a turquoise colored bus go by the inn. We noticed the letters "RS" on the back and concluded that it must be Ralph Stanley & the Clinch Mountain Boys on the way to the arts center. Quite the detectives aren't we?

The inn served up a beautiful meal. The menu was printed just for the occasion and read Ralph Stanley Menu at the top - a nice touch. Helen, Becky and I had salmon with some kind of "special rice" while Ed opted for some kind of pork dish. I do remember the meal being very satisfying, something I don't often experience in a restaurant setting.

Okay, a small mention about the photos in this post is in order. The first photo at the top is one of Ralph Stanley & The Clinch Mountain Boys on stage near the beginning of the performance. The next picture is Dr. Ralph Stanley putting his autograph on what I call the banjo head of fame. It's a banjo head that I purchased at the Thomas Point Beach Bluegrass Festival two years ago especially for collecting the signatures of great banjo players. I was able to get two signatures on this trip - Dr. Ralph Stanley himself and Steve Sparkman, Ralph's current banjo player.

The third photo is one of Ed & Becky Betts standing in front of Ralph Stanley's tour bus, and the next photo is of my wife, Helen, in front of the same bus.

I took a few group pictures of Ed, Becky and Helen in front of the bus, but Helen decided to close her eyes for most of the pictures. In the one picture where Helen decided to keep her eyes open, Becky decided she would close hers. I just thought I'd explain that in case you were wondering why you don't see the three of them together. Now that I think about it, I'm feeling quite confident those thoughts never crossed your mind at all.

The next photo is Ed Betts posing with Ralph Stanley in what you might term "not the ideal lighting conditions" for taking a photo. Picture #6 is the great Steve Sparkman, a master of Stanley style banjo picking. Interestingly enough, Steve did not play a Stanleytone banjo at the concert, but instead was playing a Gibson archtop banjo with a neck made by Frank Neat.

The last picture is in fact a picture of Helen, Ed, and Becky standing on the stage after the concert was over. By the way, you can click on each image to view a larger version of the same.

Back to the subject at hand. The getaway package also included a shuttle service from the inn to the concert and back, but we decided to forgo the shuttle service. We had different plans for after the concert, like getting to know Dr. Ralph Stanley and Steve Sparkman a little better. We didn't want to be forced to leave early because of the shuttle service.

Ralph Stanley and the Clinch Mountain Boys put on a great performance. Dr. Ralph's voice was exactly like I've heard him on television several times before. He's got an old sounding, yet smooth voice that reminds you of the mountains themselves. One thing to note about Dr. Ralph Stanley is that even though he may be getting on in years, he is always on key when singing, at least that's what I've noticed.

Ralph's 14-year old grandson, Nathan Stanley filled in on guitar for the missing James Shelton whose mother had passed away the day before. Nathan did a great job and he's quite a singer and songwriter in his own right, and at a very young age.

Of course, one of my key interests was in Steve Sparkman, the banjo player. I was watching every move he made as he played all of the signature Stanley style licks on his archtop banjo. Like all other great players, he makes it look so easy.

Playing fiddle was Dewey Brown, a very good fiddler indeed and a good harmony singer as well. I was really impressed with the bass playing of Jack Cooke who has been with Ralph Stanley for an amazing 37 years! Jack really adds life to all of the tunes with his bass style and his onstage antics.

During the concert, Ralph Stanley and the Clinch Mountain Boys played several of the most popular tunes in the Ralph Stanley repertoire, of which there are many. I was very surprised when they ended the show with Orange Blossom Special, simply because I had never heard Ralph Stanley do a rendition of that tune before.

We were able to speak with the band members both before and after the show. I found Ralph Stanley to be very humble and obliging and Steve Sparkman was equally so. We didn't really spend much time with the other band members. I guess you have to be a banjo player to get any attention.

Before the show I had asked Steve Sparkman about a lick used in Pretty Polly and he said "come see me after the show and I'll be happy to show you how it's done." That's exactly what I did, and it's for reasons like that opportunity that we opted out of the shuttle service. I didn't realize it at the time, but Becky captured the Pretty Polly lesson on video with her digital camera. Becky sent a copy of the video to me and I have received permission from Becky and Steve to post the video. The Pretty Polly video (8 MB) is on the Bluegrass Friends web site.

The following morning we had a nice breakfast at the Inn at Crystal Lake before departing. We packed up our belongings and prepared for the 6 plus hour drive home, listening to the sweetest sounds on earth all the way home - Bluegrass music. We had a good time.

Grand Manan Trip - David Parmley and Continental Divide

2007-07-10T16:30:00.000-03:00

Here is my report on the David Parmley & Continental Divide concert that was held at the Grand Manan Community School on July 3, 2007.

Before The Concert
The trip started with Tom Mason picking me up at my house at 8:45 AM. As expected, he was wound up tighter than a spring in a 7-day clock with excitement. If you know Tom, I'm sure you can picture his enthusiasm. Whenever someone mentions an opportunity to jam he's like a little kid with a new toy. Personally, I don't get it because I don't really care for jamming, and furthermore, I'm not sure I can even say I like Bluegrass music any longer. Truth be told, I'm not sure I ever did! I'm beginning to identify with what my son once said when I tried to lure him to a Bluegrass festival a few years ago. He asked "who wants to sit in a field with a bunch of old people listening to music that nobody likes?" I guess that puts it all into perspective doesn't it?

A group of 14 people from the Bluegrass Friends jam sessions met at the Blacks Harbour ferry terminal at 10:00 AM, one and a half hours earlier than the scheduled ferry departure. That's when and where the first jam started. You read it correctly - we were there early to get a parking lot jam going. Making sure we were in the lineup for the ferry was only of secondary importance.

In attendance for the parking lot jam there were also a few people that I've met over the last year or so from Blacks Harbour, as well as Esther Prosser and her husband Earl, from Moncton, and her sister Lynn Hutchinson from Sussex. I'm glad they made the trip again this year. If you'll recall, last year's trip to Grand Manan was for the Cherryholmes concert.

At 11:15 or so we boarded the ferry and of course, we jammed on the ferry all the way over to the island. The crew members seemed to enjoy it and none of the passengers complained, but I'm sure there must have been someone besides me that was wishing we would stop. Oh well, no one asked us to stop. It was just a big noisy racket to me.

Let me see, when we got on the other side (Grand Manan) we stopped to make a ferry reservation for the return trip. I learned from last year's trip that there seems to be a whole lot more people trying to leave the island than coming to visit, and that you just might not get to depart at your desired time without a reservation. From there, we checked in at the Surfside Motel, about one minute from the ferry terminal. The Surfside Motel is a nice little place with reasonable rates and friendly staff.

What now? Oh yeah, how could I forget? More jamming, of course! Stupid me. This time we're on the back lawn at the Surfside Motel. Of all the jamming we did, that was the worst! I couldn't keep my banjo in tune for more than 30 seconds at a time due to the heating and cooling effects of the sun and wind. First, the sun would heat the banjo up, so I'd have to tune. Then, moments later, the wind would cool it down. This went on for the entire duration of the jam and I was becoming agitated with the torment of it all. When I suggested we stand behind a van where the wind was greatly diminished, I was promptly told "we're not standing behind a van" by somebody that apparently had some kind of affliction with vans. Okay, fine - sorry I brought that idea up.

As the afternoon wore on people were beginning to show signs of hunger. This was indicated by people saying things like "we're not jamming behind no stinkin' van, okay?" and "I'm getting hungry." Well anyway, off to the Area 38 restaurant we went for a bite to eat.

We left the restaurant and headed straight to the Grand Manan Community School to arrive there at 6:00 PM sharp! Wouldn't want to be late for the show. Everyone wants to get a good seat and my goodness, we wouldn't want to get caught in a traffic jam in the big metropolis of Grand Manan! What is it with all of you people thinking you have to arrive so early to get a good seat at these small venues? The school's auditorium only holds 450 people! There are no bad seats! There are no traffic jams - it's Grand Manan, population - 2000! Someone mentioned jamming in the school parking lot but it never came to pass. Hallelujah! One of my prayers was answered!

So, now we're all standing in the school entrance for an hour waiting for the doors of the auditorium to be opened. Finally! We're allowed into the auditorium and since we were the first ones in line, we get to pick the seats of our choosing. Man, it's a good thing we were there early, that's all I can say!

The Concert
Robert Dignard had warned me earlier in the week that David Parmley & Continental Divide can play some pretty "funky" stuff. It had better not be "funky" because I'm planning on hearing some good traditional Bluegrass music!

As it turned out, David Parmley & Continental Divide did not disappoint. They played traditional style Bluegrass music all night long with just two or three country tunes thrown in, which I'm not complaining about.

David Parmley is a founding member of the internationally acclaimed Bluegrass Cardinals. He has a voice very well suited to country music but it also works very well as a lead voice for Bluegrass. David plays rhythm guitar for the group.

Mandolin player Randy Graham was the emcee for the band and very entertaining. He's got a great high tenor voice and can also sing lead very well.

The band's newest member, Jimmy Cameron has only been with Continental Divide for 8 months. He played bass for the band but is also a fine mandolin player in the tradition of his hero, Bill Monroe. Jimmy sang lead on a couple Monroe tunes that I'm sure Bill would be very proud of. He did 'em just like Bill did. Wow! What a voice!

That brings us to Dale Perry, the banjo player for the group. Actually, Dale is multitalented in that he plays finger-picked guitar, bass, banjo and who knows what else? Dale is also a very fine bass vocalist.

Billy Hurt, Junior is certainly no stranger to the fiddle and has been fiddling since the age of 10. I really enjoyed his style of fiddling. It is said that Billy plays what needs playing… no more, no less.

You can meet the entire band by visiting the David Parmley & Continental Divide web site.

The quality of the sound was very good at the concert, yet another talent of Dale Perry. It was crystal clear. Two microphone stands were used; one in the center of the stage and one off to the left. The one off to the left was mainly used for the fiddle, but was also used when Dale Perry sang bass on a song or two. The center mic stand had a condenser mic at the top for the lead singer. Midway up the mic stand was a cluster of three microphones for instruments. One pointed straight ahead and the other two pointed slightly to the left and right for whoever was doing a break. I believe all of the microphones used were condenser types. The guitar was not boomy at all. One more thing to note about the sound is how "hot" the mics were. Instruments were being picked up from several feet away without a hollow sound. I was very impressed with the quality.

The band was very good at working the microphones, knowing just when to step closer or back away. The mix was almost like that on a CD. The vocals blended very nicely and sounded very rich when harmony was added. Once again, I was impressed.

At the halfway point of the concert a 20 minute break was taken. When the concert resumed, 73 year-old Don Parmley, David's father and former member of the Bluegrass Cardinals joined the group for a Bluegrass Cardinals reunion. I'll tell you what. Don added the most wonderful Bluegrass harmony that you could ever ask for. I couldn't believe what I was hearing from his voice at the age of 73. It sounded like the voice of a 30 year-old to me. It really was incredible.

Don Parmley played banjo during the reunion while Dale Perry took over on bass. Jimmy Cameron, who was playing bass, stepped off the stage because he was not a part of the former Bluegrass Cardinals at any time in the past. Don did make a couple mistakes while playing the banjo, but he still did a fine job. I can only hope to get as good as he is. Did you know Don Parmley played all of the filler banjo music on the Beverly Hillbillies television show? Apparently so.

The very talented Ray Legere and Lee Alward (from New Brunswick) were in the audience. Before the night was over, they were both on stage performing with The Bluegrass Cardinals. Backed up by Ray and the Bluegrass Cardinals, Lee sang Father's Table Grace, a recital made popular by Lester Flatt. Ray went on to play two or three more tunes with the band.

After The Concert
Earlier in the day, Sheldon Frost had invited us (the group of Bluegrass Friends) back to his home where a lunch was prepared. David Parmley & Continental Divide were there as well, and I got to talk to all of the band members. I spent quite a bit of time with Dale Perry, who was playing a brand new Huber Kalamazoo banjo. I also spent some time with Don Parmley and we talked banjos as well. He was playing a 1927 Gibson RB3.

Lee Alward finally announced he was going to get his guitar, and in a few minutes the entire house full of guests were in Sheldon's garage enjoying a jam session with the band. I was paying close attention to the left hand movements of Dale Perry. The jam ended at 2:30 AM.

Murder on Music Row?

2007-06-29T16:18:00.000-03:00

Did you know the country music award-winning recording Murder On Music Row sung by George Strait and Alan Jackson was written by Larry Cordle and Larry Shell, and was named Song of the Year at the 11th annual International Bluegrass Music Awards on October 19, 2000? That song stirred up the country music industy when Strait and Jackson collaborated on it, but it was first recorded by Bluegrass artist Larry Cordle with his band, Lonesome Standard Time. Murder On Music Row is a fantastic country tune. It doesn't sound a bit like Bluegrass, not even when sung by Cordle, who in my opinion has never been all that Bluegrassy in the first place. Yet, somehow it wins an IBMA award. Well, I believe it should be award-winning, but not Bluegrass award-winning.

Ricky Skaggs' CD titled Instrumentals was recently awarded a 2007 Grammy for Best Bluegrass Album. This CD features stellar musicianship by Skaggs and his band Kentucky Thunder but, at best, it has four tracks that remotely resemble Bluegrass, yet it's another Bluegrass winner! Even Skaggs himself said "I'm surprised it was nominated for a Bluegrass album." So you tell me, how does it win a Best Bluegrass Album award?

BluegrassRadio.org has a slogan on their web site that says "if you plug it in or beat it with a stick, you won't hear it here." I beg to differ. I'm pretty sure I've heard some snare drums and... oh, never mind. I guess electric bass is an exception when we're talking about plugging in. We don't want to go there do we? But if you do, see my post titled Electrified Instruments in Bluegrass - The Debate Continues from May 21, 2006.

I would venture to say for every song played by BluegrassRadio.org, there must be at least five non-Bluegrass tunes played. That's where I first heard Seven Miles From Wichita by Carrie Hassler and Hard Rain. Shortly after hearing it, I was browsing around one of the discussion forums at Bluegrass Works. Somebody made a post and said "check out the new videos by Carrie Hassler & Hard Rain with Special Guest, Jim VanCleve." I replied "Seven Miles from Wichita is a great tune, but can somebody, anyone, tell me how it could even remotely be considered a Bluegrass tune?" The response? "It's radio friendly Bluegrass."

I've heard it said by many that in order to draw a younger crowd to Bluegrass festivals, and therefore ensure Bluegrass music will live on for generations to come, that we have to allow this watered-down and sometimes altogether non-existent Bluegrass content. Excuse me. Exactly what is it that we are preserving? How is it that we are preserving Bluegrass if we are changing it into something else? That's not preserving - it's replacement. In fact, by replacing Bluegrass with something else, are we not doing the exact opposite? Are we not pushing Bluegrass out of the music scene rather than preserving it?

So as not to cause any confusion, let me set the record straight. I'm not debating for a single minute whether the material produced by today's "Bluegrass" artists is "good stuff" or not. In fact, I'd be one of the first to say that some of it is fantastic material, but let's not be hoodwinked here - MUCH OF IT IS NOT BLUEGRASS! Why can't we call it what it really is? Oh, right, I forgot. Today's country is "hot country" and today's Bluegrass is turning into what we used to call country. But it's not just country that is being labeled Bluegrass these days. There are plenty of so-called Bluegrass tunes that belong in buckets other than the one labeled "country." For example, some belong in the Bob Dylan bucket. And newgrass? Don't get me started on that one!!!

Obviously, there are people that like some of this non-Bluegrass material, including me, but I don't see why we can't call it what it really is? We are just confusing newcomers to the genre. As far as using other forms of music to draw in a younger crowd I have this to say about that: if you don't like Bluegrass for what it is, that's just fine with me. Don't listen to it. You don't have to like it - no one is asking you to.

And just who is responsible for the direction Bluegrass music is taking? Is it the artists' fault for choosing to record non-Bluegrass tunes on their so-called Bluegrass CD's? Is it the consumers' fault for buying it, thus saying "I'm okay with it?" Is it IBMA's fault? Is it the fault of all these so-called Bluegrass radio stations for playing all of the non-Bluegrass material? I think the blame goes to all of the above.

It's no wonder very few people seem to have a clue as to what Bluegrass music is. If you don't know what to call it, put a Bluegrass label on it. Here's your Bluegrass sign!

Personally, I don't like the direction Bluegrass music is headed. I hope my thoughts are wrong about where I think it's going to end up. I certainly hear a lot of people complaining about what has happened to country music. I'm now beginning to hear a lot of the same comments about Bluegrass music as well. This cannot be a good thing.

Murder on Music Row? I think so!

Bluegrass Friends Talent Never Ceases To Amaze

2007-06-16T12:18:00.000-03:00

Is it possible to acknowledge some of our Bluegrass Friends without offending others? I'm not sure, but I'm going to take a stab at it!

If you've been paying attention at the Bluegrass Friends weekly jam sessions, I'm sure you've noticed a great deal of talent. The talent pool continues to grow and never ceases to amaze me, which is just what we need to keep the jams moving forward and exciting.

Every one of the attendees at the jam sessions contributes to its overall success but, there are some key players that help keep the jam moving forward and exciting. I would like to reflect on some of those individuals now, for without them, we wouldn't have much Bluegrass content, nor much of a jam.

From day one (July 25, 2005) of the Bluegrass Friends Jam Sessions, Harvey Arbo has been the banjo go to guy. Harvey has provided us with a good number of solid 5-string banjo tunes and is more than willing to provide banjo backup for the rest of us when asked to do so. He entertains us with his jokes and funny songs such as Puttin' On The Dog and The Naked Song which are crowd pleasers for sure, he's a great emcee and he also gives us a good dose of serious Gospel tunes to think about. Harvey has also volunteered to share his knowledge of Bluegrass music at the workshop sessions held on the last Monday of each month. Clearly, the Bluegrass jam sessions would not be where they are today without the reources of Harvey Arbo.

Kenny Innis, another longstanding attendee of the jam sessions has been providing us with all the mandolin breaks we need. Kenny has the ability to figure out a mandolin break on the fly for almost any tune played at the jam sessions. Kenny also has a creative side to him and he has written a few mandolin instrumental tunes. In addition to his mandolin tunes, Kenny Innis has written several country tunes and is an accomplished country style guitar player, although he sticks to the mandolin at the Bluegrass jam sessions.

Not too long after the jams started, Reg Gallant got wind of them and decided to try one out. He's been a faithful contributor ever since and he's pretty much the only one at the jams that can improvise a guitar solo for almost any tune. He also plays the odd mandolin or banjo tune from time to time. Reg is best known for his long history of involvement in the country music scene in New Brunswick and for his Port City Jamborees. His Bluegrass repertoire is growing slowly but sure. On the rare occasions when Harvey Arbo is not able to attend a jam session, Reg steps up to fill in as emcee.

Then there's Murray Sheils. Murray has a great voice but doesn't use it as often as he should. Still, he is a faithful attendee. Murray has a very good mandolin chop and is ready to fill in on upright bass whenever required.

That brings us to Gerard Rooney who stands at the back of the room every Monday night thumpin' away on the upright bass. Gerard never says a word unless spoken to - he just shows up week after week, except for the summer months.

Along came Ed Betts in late June of 2006. Ed was a great find. Actually, Ed found us, but in any case I'm sure glad to have him. Ed is a great vocalist and he is constantly learning new songs; he never sings the same song two weeks in a row.

Shortly after Ed came along, Tom Mason found his way to a jam session and all of a sudden Bluegrass Friends had harmony; an important Bluegrass component that we were missing. Tom's vocal abilities are fantastic, he's enthusiastic about Bluegrass music, and like Ed Betts, he is always learning new tunes.

Somehow, Angela Curran found out about Bluegrass Friends and we were blessed with a great female lead vocalist as well as a good harmony singer. More harmony - wow! Some people talk about how they couldn't carry a tune in a bucket. I'm here to tell you Angela Curran does not require a bucket to carry any tune she sings. Like Ed and Tom, Angela is willing to learn new tunes as often as required.

Ed Betts, Tom Mason and Angela Curran are all relatively new to Bluegrass music but, it appears the bug has bitten them hard - all three of them appear to be hooked on Bluegrass music and that's just how we want to keep it!

I can't forget Matthew Hayes who is pretty much the only fiddler we have at the jams, but boy did we get a good one. Matt was a latecomer to the Bluegrass jam sessions but, a real welcome addition. Matt can help make anyone sound good. He's one of the few fiddlers I know of that can get a Bluegrass sound from his instrument. Matt never says no when asked if he can learn a new tune.

Denise Arsenault has been attending the Bluegrass jam sessions since they started two years ago. Denise doesn't play a musical instrument but, she has always been a fine vocalist and has been contributing Bluegrass tunes since day one.

We've had some recent contributors. Wade Townes has been showing up for a few months now. Wade is probably the best rhythm guitar player in the Bluegrass style of music that we have seen thus far at the Bluegrass jam sesions and he knows how to get a Bluegrass sound out of a tune. Wade has also volunteered to share his knowledge of Bluegrass at the end of month workshop sessions.

Jessica McLaughlin and Nicole Doucet from Lawrence Station have dazzled us many evenings with their incredible vocal talents. Both of them are big fans of Rhonda Vincent and Alecia Nugent so they get my stamp of approval! Jessica has the wonderful ability of being able to produce the "high lonesome" sound of Bluegrass music. Nicole demonstrates an aptitude toward song writing.

Mike Scott has graced us with his presence a half dozen times since shortly before Christmas of 2006. That boy has some speed goin' on with that banjo of his; there aren't too many that can keep up with him. Mike also plays a mean guitar and mandolin and is a member of the Porcupine Mountain Boys based out of Black's Harbour, NB.

I'm sure I have left someone that I should have recognized off the list - if I have, I apologize.

Thanks to everyone that attends the Bluegrass Friends jam sessions - spectators and participants alike, talented or not. You are all welcome to attend the Bluegrass Friends jam sessions.

Review - Learn To Play Bluegrass Banjo

2007-05-30T08:00:00.000-03:00

A few weeks ago a friend loaned me the Learn To Play Bluegrass Banjo series of instructional DVD's taught and produced by John Lawless of Acutab Publications. This 3-DVD set of instructional DVD's is geared toward absolute beginners and newcomers to the 5-string banjo. Combined, the DVD's feature 4 hours of instructional material.

I won't go into full details of each DVD, but I'll highlight the content. The DVD's include such basics as tuning the banjo, reading tablature, fitting your banjo picks, proper left and right hand positioning, picking out basic melodies, right hand roll patterns, drills for memorizing roll patterns, using a metronome, adding roll patterns to simple melodies, left hand techniques such as hammer ons, pull-offs and slides and drills for coordinating movements of the left and right hands.

John Lawless answers a common question which is "Okay, I've got a banjo and I'm ready to learn, but where do I start?" John's experience of teaching banjo lessons in person over the years has allowed him to compile the information required and figure out the best way to deliver the message to beginning banjo players. He does a superb job with his instruction, emphasizing very important points in an effort to help you form good banjo picking habits from the very beginning.

I highly recommend this DVD series for beginning banjo players. Each DVD can be purchased separately for $30.00 but the entire set is available at a discount of all 3 for $59.85 on the Janet Davis Music web site. It is also available as a set on the Acutab Publications web site.

I Met Jim Mills

2007-05-20T16:03:00.000-03:00

Did I mention in my post about the Ricky Skaggs concert that I met Jim Mills in person? Oh, well I did.

I've been waiting a long time to meet Jim Mills in person. Without a doubt, I think I would have to say of all the professional banjo players, Jim has been, and continues to be my number one influence with regard to learning how to play the 5 string banjo, followed closely by Ron Block; I love both of their styles.

The plan to meet "Jimmy" started over a year ago when I found out Ricky Skaggs & Kentucky Thunder were coming to Moncton, New Brunswick. About two and a half months before the concert, I sent an e-mail message to Jim and told him of my desire to meet him in person. I also mentioned that I was expecting a new Huber Jim Mills banjo to arrive before the concert and asked him if he would play a tune on it.

That dream was fulfilled last night after the Ricky Skaggs & Kentucky Thunder concert ended. I was standing near Mr. Mills in the lobby and he offered his hand for a shake and howdy. I told him I was the person that e-mailed him and he asked if I had the banjo with me. I said "I sure do," and told him I'd be right back.

I made a beeline to the auditorium where the banjo was, being closely guarded by a group of Bluegrass Friends (Ed & Becky Betts, Reg Gallant, Tom Mason, Angela Curran, Ed and Eleanor Blackier, and my wife). I heard later that when Ed saw me coming toward them he said "Mike looks like he's on a mission." I guess Ed knows best, 'cause he was right.

I told them "Jim is waiting for the banjo" and out to the lobby we went. Jim suggested we find a place where we could talk and he could play the banjo so we headed down the hallway of the school looking for a room. We wound up sitting on a park-style bench in the hallway.

I opened up the banjo case and Jim inspected it for workmanship - it passed the grade. He opened up his own banjo case and said "let me get some picks on and we'll try this thing out." As Jim proceeded to play a few licks, the small group that was watching and listening were all grinning ear to ear as Jim played the banjo.

As I said, I had been looking forward to this moment for a long time, but it was made even more special by having a few friends around to witness the event.

I've heard many people speak so highly of Jim Mills in the past. Everyone I've ever spoken to has mentioned how personable and likeable Jim is. They've all said it's not a show, that's just the way he is. He certainly showed that side last night.

I asked if I could take some photos of him with my friends and he intantly said "yeah, I'd be happy to" in that southern accent of his. You can add me to the list of people saying "yes, Jim Mills is a truly genuine person and most likeable."

I had Jim sign my banjo head of fame which has the signatures of many fine banjo players including our very own Harvey Arbo. I also asked him to sign the head on the new banjo, which he did. It says "Keep Pickin' - Jim Mills."

It was a real thrill to meet Mr. Mills and have him play my Huber banjo. He said he thought it sounded better than his own did when it was "right out of the box" and that it was going to get even better as it was played. It sure did sound good with his hands playing it - now I know what it is capable of.

Thanks to Jim Mills and thanks to the friends who witnessed the event.

A series of pictures with Jim Mills can be viewed at http://bluegrassfriends.com/images/mills/index.html.

Ricky Skaggs & Kentucky Thunder Concert

2007-05-20T14:43:00.001-03:00

Where should I start? It was an awesome night!

Helen and I drove to the concert with Ed & Becky Betts and Verna, from Grand Manan.

When we arrived at the school, six friends and I were allowed to enter the auditorium through the back doors and therefore were afforded the luxury of choosing whatever seats we wanted - we were the first people allowed in the building. We chose seats in the center floor section just a little ahead of the halfway mark from the stage. I suggested these seats as I thought we would get the best sound quality in this area. I asked everyone else if the seats I suggested were okay with them and they all said yes, so that's where we planted ourselves.

The Bluegrass Diamonds opened the show and they did some great tunes. I've always liked the Diamond's style of Bluegrass. They rendered a real nice grassed up version of Merle Haggard's I'm a Lonesome Fugitive that I really liked, and I could see it also caught the attention of Reg Gallant. Hmmm... I wonder why?

The Bluegrass Diamonds put on a good show, but unfortunately, I found the sound to be extremely boomy and harsh, all at the same time. I also thought it was a bit loud, and perhaps if the volume was turned down a bit, the boominess might not have been so pronounced. Kenny Innis however, who was sitting in the balcony, said people up there were asking for the volume to be turned up. Overall, I was pleased with the Diamond's performance, but disappointed with the sound.

After the Diamond's finished their show there was a 15 or 20 minute intermission while the stage was being set up for Ricky Skaggs & Kentucky Thunder. When they were being introduced the crowd was thunderous, in fact, the crowd was thunderous all night long which really seemed to move Kentucky Thunder.

Several condenser mics were used and Ricky had his own sound man who obviously knew what he was doing because the sound for Ricky's show was clear as a bell and you couldn't have asked for anything better. That definitely made for an enjoyable evening.

This was my first time seeing Ricky Skaggs perform live as a Bluegrass act. What can I say? That boy is a smooth operator. He seems to talk just the right amount with just the right amount of wit and humour.

The entire Kentucky Thunder band consisting of Andy Leftwich on fiddle, Coldy Kilby on lead and rhythm guitars, Ricky Skaggs on mandolin and guitar, Paul Brewster on rhythm guitar and harmony vocals, Darren Vincent on rhythm guitar, mandolin and harmony vocals, Mark Fain on stand-up bass and of course Jim Mills on 5 string banjo are all killer musicians. In my opinion, all of these guys are the cream of the crop as musicians go.

I was sitting in an aisle seat with Helen (my wife), Reg Gallant, Angela Curran, Tom Mason and Eleanor and Ed Blackier to my left. Ed and Becky Betts were sitting in the row behind us directly behind Helen and me on the two outside aisle seats. I had to choose an aisle seat because I had my new banjo with me and needed a place to put it (in the aisle on the floor, tight against my seat) while the concert was going on. I had e-mailed Jim Mills several weeks before the concert and was looking forward to meeting him and having him play a tune or two on the banjo.

As I said before, the sound was excellent and the band just continued to amaze us one song after another. I can't believe how smooth Ricky Skaggs is. He really is a great performer. The instrumental breaks performed by the band members blew me away.

From time to time, I'd look to my left past Helen just to to see the expressions on Reg's, Toms's and Angela's faces. They sure appeared to be enjoying the show and having a good time. At one point I leaned over to Helen and said "I want to marry Jimmy." Of course I was trying to be funny and she leaned over to Reg and told him what I had said to which he replied, "that's okay, I want to marry the guitar player!" Well, that got a good chuckle, but I think Reg was serious. Could it be that both Reg and I need some kind of therapy. Yes, maybe we like good music just a bit too much. When I think about it, I don't even know why I was there in the first place since I've been quoted as saying "I don't even like that kind of music."

This Ricky Skaggs concert experience was one of the best I've ever had - I thoroughly enjoyed it to the maximum possible extent. That means I liked it. Judging the reaction from the rest of the audience, I'd have to say I don't think anyone was disappointed with the performance.

Road Trip Realized, Banjo Home Sweet Home

2007-05-19T08:38:00.001-03:00

Photo: Ed Betts, Kenny Innis, Harvey Arbo

This is my account of how the big road trip to pick up my new Huber banjo went down. The characters in this story are real.

The Lead-Up
Ed Betts receives a telephone call from his friend in the USA at approximately 1:30 in the afternoon on Wednesday, May 16. His friend informs him "a banjo has arrived from Tennessee" and he sounds quite excited about it. Ed calls me and we make plans to leave at 8:00 the next morning. I called Harvey Arbo and Kenny Innis, who are coming along for the road trip, and tell them of the planned departure time. All is good - the trip is planned and I can't believe it's actually time to take posession of that new Huber Jim Mills banjo after a wait of over ten months.

At 9:00 PM that same day, my wife, Helen and I were driving back from the Fredericton hospital after having a visit with her mother when my cell phone rang. It was Ed. "Things aren't looking up," he said. His friend, who now has the banjo in his posession, has been admitted to the hospital with heart troubles. "Well, there's not much we can do, we'll have to wait and see what happens," I said. "Maybe we'll have to get it Friday, or maybe we won't be getting it until after the Ricky Skaggs concert." At this point, I'm truly hoping Ed's friend is okay, but I'm also wondering how we're going to get that banjo. As it turned out, Ed made an arrangement with his friend's sister the next day and she agreed to meet us at noon on Thursday.

Our original plan was only pushed back two hours and we headed out at 10:00 on Thursday morning. The big road trip to pick up my new banjo is actually going to happen! It's a little exciting to think about - four guys that share a common interest in Bluegrass music - and three friends that want to help make my day special!

It was Ed's idea to do the road trip thing and I'm sure he was every bit as excited as I was, maybe more. Both Harvey and Kenny said they wouldn't miss it for the world and I'm real happy all three of them wanted to be a part of this time in my life. Thank you Ed, Harvey and Kenny, I really appreciate you as friends.

The Road Trip
After driving a little over two hours we arrived at the Houlton, Maine, USA border crossing. The guard on duty was very friendly but asked us several questions - you know, all the normal stuff. He decided to have a look in Kenny's suspicious looking fur-covered mandolin case and left the rest of our instruments alone. I think he felt sorry for us when we told him we were going to a friend's house to pick up a new banjo. Off we went.

We arrived at the home of Ed's friend some 30 minutes later and knocked on the door. We were welcomed into the kitchen and there it was - a cardboard box from Huber Banjos. Wanting to record the history of the entire trip, I took a picture of the unopened cardboard box. I opened the box to find quite a bit of bubble wrap and newsprint acting as shock absorbers to protect the banjo. The bubble wrap was removed and we pulled the banjo out, which was protected in a TKL brand instrument case - made in Canada no less. Inside the banjo case was more protective material holding the banjo securely in place. Another picture was taken with the banjo still in its case.

I took the banjo out of its case and we all inspected it for damage and admired its beauty. The workmanship of this banjo is flawless and the fit of the neck to the rim is superb. On the peghead is the Huber logo and at the 20th fret there it is, the inlay with Jim Mills name on it.

The Huber Jim Mills model banjo is an exact replica of one of Jim Mills' banjos; a one-of-kind Gibson RB-75 made in 1939. Steve Huber is an extemist when it comes to detail. As Jim Mills says, it's all there from the satin finish, engraving pattern, gold plating, fit and feel. The banjo features a V-neck profile, something that wasn't common on an RB-75 back in the day. Steve even used hide glue just like they did in 1939, and had special screws made to hold the resonator L-brackets in place, just like the ones used in 1939. You couldn't get a more exact replica if you tried!

Okay, it's time for a tune. I had stated in an earlier post that I was going to let Harvey Arbo play the first notes on this banjo, and he did just that, but you know what? I don't remember what tune he played first. The banjo was pretty much in tune right out of the box. Harvey fooled around a bit, getting used to the feel of the V-neck and checking out how true and clear the sounds were up the neck. We were all impressed with the tone coming out of this monster banjo!

There's always a little bit of apprehension when you order an expensive instrument sight unseen. Questions arise. What if I don't like it? Will I be able to get used to the V-neck? What if it doesn't sound the way I'm expecting it to? Is the quality that Steve Huber has buit his reputaion on really there or is it just hype? Am I going to get that one lemon in the lot?

Harvey played a few more tunes on the banjo while Ed, Kenny and I took pictures. We thanked Ed's friend and said good-bye.

Flatt & Scuggs Experience

Our plans for the day included stopping at Ed and Becky's cottage "for a tune" before heading home. We came back into New Brunswick at a Canada Customs border crossing out in the middle of the sticks. I wouldn't describe it as the busiest border crossing I've ever seen. There was only one guard on duty and for the duration of our stay at the crossing, which was about 30 minutes, not a single other vehicle pulled up.

You know how in the Beverly Hillbillies television show, Lester and Earl dropped in on a couple episodes, and they just happened to have their instruments with them? Well, we had one of those experiences. Ed knew the lady at the Canada Customs crossing and I think he suggested I play a tune for her, knowing that she liked music and would get a kick out of it.

I paid the HST on the new banjo and got a registration card for it. While I was at it, I registered my Deering banjo as well. I didn't play a tune, but Harvey did. It really felt like one of those Beverly Hillbillies episodes. Ed brought his camera out for a picture and I took off running. The customs officer thanked us and we were off to Ed's second home to "have a tune."

I'm not sure of the exact times, but I think we got to Ed's place at 2:00 PM or so and left at about 6:00 PM. While we were there, we played a good number of tunes. Harvey even let me play the banjo! I'm just kidding. Harvey did play the banjo for a bit and then handed it over to me. He's always encouraging. It doesn't matter if you're tripping all the way through a tune or picking it like a pro, Harvey is always there for you. Kenny and Ed are the same way as are some other folks I know.

Earlier in the week I had sent Kenny a version of a tune called Train 45. It has this little bendy note played by the mandolin at the beginning of the tune to intro it. He must have wanted my attention and he got it, because as I was walking away from him he played this bendy note I speak of. My ears perked up and I stopped dead in my tracks. I just love strings being choked - that's what those bendy things are called. We played Train 45 two or three times and I had a ball with it! That has got to be one of the most fun tunes to play and its got amazing Bluegrass drive. As of late, I'm especially drawn to the sounds produced by choking the strings and I try to throw them in on the banjo when I can. Ron Block, the banjo player for Alison Krauss & Union Station is the person who coined the phrase "those bendy things I do."

The day wasn't over yet. We decided since nobody had to be home by a particular time that we would stop at the Irving Big Stop in Lincoln. We had a good chat with each other and learned that our waitress was a rednceck (she said it first) who has a brother that plays 5-string Bluegrass banjo, and is currently serving in Afghanistan.

We left the restaurant somewhere in the vicinity of 9:15 PM and were home within an hour. It was a good day indeed.

About the Banjo

The new Huber Jim Mills signature series banjo has met all of my expectations and more. It has absolute "killer" tone and the playability is excellent. It's also a very pretty banjo to boot. It's got beautiful clear tones all the way up the neck, something Huber banjos are noted for, and a nice growl in the lower positions. I'm tickled to death with it and think it's worth every penny paid. I called Steve Huber on the telephone yesterday to let him know how pleased I was.

Pictures

There are 40 pictures of the road trip on the Bluegrass Friends web site at http://bluegrassfriends.com/images/road_trip/index.html.

Road Trip!

2007-05-10T23:36:00.000-03:00

Today at approximately 1:00 PM I finally got the call I've been waiting over ten months for. Steve Huber from Huber Banjos called to tell me my new Jim Mills signature series banjo was ready to ship. That's exciting news!

When Ed Betts first heard about my plan to have the banjo shipped to an undisclosed location in the USA, he suggested a location and also suggested we make a little road trip/jam session out of it. When he read (right here on this blog) I was giving Harvey Arbo first chance to play the new banjo, he immediately said "We'll bring Harvey along with us. We can pick the banjo up, stop by the cottage for a couple of hours, have a tune, then come home." I think Ed is more excited than I am. Now that's a friend!

The banjo won't be shipped until Monday, May 14. Why a couple more days of delay? Well, it's just another example of the detail that Steve Huber thinks about when it comes to all things banjo. He doesn't want the banjo to sit in a UPS warehouse over the weekend in a location where the weather forecast is calling for high temperatures; he wants to protect the banjo from the extreme temperature.

If the banjo doesn't get damaged or lost in shipping it should reach its final USA destination by Wednesday, May 16. Ed, Harvey and I should be on the road the next day to pick it up. This will be just in time for the Ricky Skaggs & Kentucky Thunder concert in Moncton, NB just two days later on Saturday, May 19 where I'm hoping Jim Mills will autograph it and play a tune or two with it. Here's hoping all goes well!

On Forming a Band

2007-04-28T09:29:00.000-03:00

In this age of Bluegrass popularity are there any hardcore Bluegrassers left?

I've been having conversations with various people, some of them not musicians, about the idea of forming a band. I'm certainly not considering such an endeavour at this time, but the conversation has come up. As a result of these conversations it has become clear to me that the desire to form a band does exist for some of the people I've conversed with.

My thinking may change down the road, but at this time in my life, if I was having thoughts about forming a band, I'd be looking for some hardcore Bluegrassers - people that want to play "real" bluegrass - not this watered down stuff that I hear so much of today. If I'm going to go around calling my band a Bluegrass band, that's what I'd want to portray. None of this borderline, is it Bluegrass or is it not? Is it pop with Bluegrass instrumentation? Country? What is that stuff anyway?

Is there anything wrong with these other genres of music that I've mentioned? No, not at all. It's just not what I currently want to be involved with, and I don't want to be in a band that plays half and half either. I'm into Bluegrass and that's what I'm going to focus on! If at some point in time down the musical road I run into some like minded people that I think I can get along with, I think I would consider forming a band.

There are so many things to think about when considering such an endeavour. Could you get along with everyone in the band? Would all of the members have the same goals as you? Would they be as committed as you? Would you be as committed as the rest of the band? Will there be a band leader? Who will it be? Could the rest of the band take direction from someone else? What about work schedules and personal schedule conflicts? Personality conflicts? Travelling? Practice time? It's a never ending list.

In thinking about forming a band, I've come to the conclusion that it would be nearly impossible to satisfy all of the concerns I've mentioned above, but my biggest apprehension is that concerning the committment to get better. Are you and the rest of the band members going to do what it takes to become a band that actually sounds Bluegrassy? Are you going to take the necessary time to learn the licks, intros and breaks that will set you apart, or will you be happy with a hum-drum sound?

Fortunately, forming a band is not something I have to be concerned with anytime soon, or ever I suppose. For now I'll just be content with playing along to my CD's and getting together with some friends at private jams, which is what I enjoy the most - and there's no pressure at all to get better. Playing well enough to be in a band is not something I ever expect to achieve, but I'm going to keep working at playing the best I can regardless of how good or bad that may be.

I'm not an optimist as you might be able to tell, but I'm not a pessimist either, although I know many who would disagree. I like to call myself a realist. I have concern for fact or reality and rejection of the impractical and visionary.

Keep on pickin' everybody.

I Need a Stanleytone

2007-04-24T18:07:00.000-03:00

I need another banjo to play all those Ralph Stanley tunes; I mean in addition to the Deering Deluxe that I currently play and the Huber Jim Mills model which hasn't made it to my doorstep yet. By the way, I guess I'm looking at another three weeks minimum before the Huber arrives.

A nice Stanleytone just like the one Steve Sparkman (shown in photo at left with his Stanleytone) plays for Ralph is what I'm thinking of. I can't help myself, every time I hear Pretty Polly or some other Ralph Stanley tune I get banjo fever all over again. It's true, I'm addicted to banjo sounds. My name is Mike and I am a banjoholic in serious need of a 12-step program to help me learn how to play all those banjos! Before I'm done I'll have a great banjo collection of some of the highest quality banjos around. It's a shame that I'll probably never be able to play a single one of 'em, but it'll be a dandy collection nonetheless!

I like my Deering and I know I'm going to love the Huber, but a Ralph Stanley tune just doesn't sound right when played on a flathead banjo. You've got to have an archtop style banjo, which is exactly what a Stanleytone is. Oh sure, I know I can play close to the bridge to try to simulate the Stanleytone sound, but it just doesn't cut it. You've got to have the real thing. One of my biggest problems? I'm a sucker for quality and authenticity.

A well known banjo builder by the name of Frank Neat builds Stanleytone banjos and I just happen to have his telephone number nearby so I've got to run and make a phone call. Ed Betts, if you're reading this post, we may have to plan for a second road trip. I sure hope my wife isn't reading this!

MusicMoose.org

2007-04-22T10:28:00.000-03:00

I just stumbled on a great free music lessons resource that I thought I would share with you. It's a web site called MusicMoose.org. There are several free video lessons for banjo, guitar, mandolin and fiddle, as well as lessons for harmonica and saxophone. I noticed there was a placeholder for Dobro lessons as well, but there are no Dobro lessons yet.

I sampled several lessons and found both the material and quality to be very good. There are beginner, intermediate and advanced lessons. There's also a discussion forum related to the site where you can ask the instructors questions. This site is a great resource. You'll need Apple's QuickTime movie viewer to watch the lessons. You also need to register for a free account.

To gain access to the lessons, click the Lessons link just under the logo near the top of the page. You'll notice there are several ways to have the the lessons displayed on your screen - the default is to show all lessons with the most recent lesson at the top. While actually searching for lessons I found this to be very confusing because you'll be jumping all over the place with no rhyme nor reason. To make it easier, I might suggest you choose the instrument category you are interested in, then choose Date created asc in the dropdown listbox. This will order the lessons the way they were originally created, earliest to latest date. If you are following a series of lessons, displaying the lessons in this manner will let you go from one lesson to the next in the order they were intended to be watched.

While sampling the site, the first lesson I checked out was about using a capo on guitar. I then watched several banjo lessons and several mandolin lessons. I was impressed with the content. Admittedly, I spent most of my time on the banjo and mandolin lessons which I found to be very good.

If you are a musician or someone just thinking about learning how to play an instrument, check this site out.

Who Would You Like to See in a Live Performance?

2007-04-15T13:23:00.000-03:00

Ralph Stanley & The Clinch Mountain Boys - that's who I'd like to see.

I get the feeling there are a lot of people that think Ralph Stanley couldn't sing his way out of a wet paper bag - I don't know why, that's just the impression I get. If that's the impression you have, you need to listen a little closer.

Ralph Stanley was born in Stratton, VA, in 1927. He is a living legend in Bluegrass and old time mountain music. I never paid Ralph all that much attention myself until recently, but I find the more I listen to him and learn about him, the more I appreciate him and his band members.

The sound of Ralph Stanley is unique. He has the sound of centuries past, with incredibly soulful undertones. His high lonesome sound makes you feel like you're in the Appalachian Mountains, standing right beside him. Patty Loveless describes Ralph Stanley as the "King of Mountain Soul."

I was looking at his tour schedule to see how close to this part of the world he might be travelling. The closest place I could find was at a place called the Stone Mountain Arts Center in a rural town called Brownfield, in the state of Maine. Brownfield is a little more than an hour past Portland, Maine. Curious as I was, I typed "Stone Mountain Arts Center" into the Google search engine and sure enough, I hit pay dirt.

Once at the Stone Mountain Arts Center web site, I was intrigued; so much so that I read much about its history, background and owners. From the Stone Mountain Arts Center web site:

Nestled in the foothills of the White Mountains, the Stone Mountain Arts Center is a beautiful timber frame barn hosting national acts up close and personal in an equally beautiful setting.

This unique space is located just over the border from NH in Brownfield, Maine. Drive up a country road, with the mountains as your guide. When you reach the top there with it’s red clapboards, this special performance space towers over Noonan’s 200 year old farmhouse providing you with a dramatic audience experience you will not soon forget.

The timber frame barn is what really caught my attention. The more I read, the more I couldn't stop.

It just happens that Ralph Stanley & The Clinch Mountain Boys are doing a concert at this 200 seat location on Sunday, July 8, 2007. This may very well be the road trip of the year for me. If you think there is a possibility that you too might like to go this event, I wouldn't hold off reserving tickets.

There's a host of other well known names appearing at this venue as well. The Grascals, Kathy Mattea, Marty Stuart & His Fabulous Superlatives, Crooked Still, Suzy Bogguss and Béla Fleck and the Flecktones to mention a few. Visit the Stone Mountain Arts Center web site to view their complete calendar of events.

Latest and Greatest Feedback Eliminator

2007-04-09T12:10:00.000-03:00

I've been asked many times about the electronic equipment I use at the Bluegrass Friends jam sessions. I keep things pretty simple. I use a 12-channel Yamaha EMX5000-12 powered audio mixer, two Marshall Electronics MXL-2003 condenser microphones for vocals and either one or two (usually just one) Marshall Electronics MXL-603S condenser microphones for instruments. I also use a Behringer DSP1124P feedback eliminator which does a reasonable job at notching out the unwanted frequencies in a less than perfect room, speaking from an acoustic point of view.

While the DSP1124P is a pretty good unit for removing unwanted signals in the audio chain, as of late I've been employing an additional feedback eliminator. This new unamed model removes feedback of an entirely different type and it works great! I think I'll call it the Feedback Destroyer Pro II. See photo on right. Do it yourself types can easily fabricate one of these in less than 5 seconds. By far, it's the most effective feedback eliminator I've ever employed.

Applications for this model are unlimited. To date I've been able to use it while watching television, at concerts, and when I'm on the telephone with my friends. You'll probably find even more uses for it, limited only by your imagination.

Hunny Wants to Blog

2007-04-06T14:33:00.000-03:00

Hunny made a decision - decided she wants to blog - muttered something about Bluegrass Widow the other day.

Widow: a woman whose husband leaves her alone frequently or for long periods to engage in a usually specified activity (like Bluegrass music).

Hey, she doesn't have to be a Bluegrass widow! I've been trying to get her to play an instrument for some time now but she's not bitin'. I invite her to accompany me at all of the Bluegrass festivals but she doesn't go for it. I ask her to go to all of the Bluegrass concerts, but she doesn't do that either. Is it really my fault she feels like a Bluegrass widow? Is it unreasonable that I play Bluegrass music in the morning while eating breakfast, while getting ready for work, in the car, at work, before bed and while trying to sleep? I'm listening to Bluegrass right now. The fact that Hunny isn't as enthusiastic as I am about all things Bluegrass can only mean one thing - the girl clearly needs help!

Do you see the jacket she's wearing in the photo above? I call that her mandolin jacket. Why? Because she'd look great with that jacket if she was holding a mandolin! Go ahead, visualize - I'll wait. There, see what I mean? But, because she has no interest in learning how to play a mandolin, it's just a waste of a good jacket!

I'm not exactly sure what Hunny is going to blog about, but I can only imagine a site riddled with jokes about everyone's favourite instrument, and you know which one I'm talkin' about - you know, the one with 5 strings. She seems to thrive on those jokes.

For those of you that might be interested in whatever foolishness she comes up with, here's a link to the Bluegrass Widow Blog: http://bluegrasswidow.blogspot.com/. Whatever you do, don't let her steer you away from Bluegrass music. Always remember, in the words of Lee Alward, "there's no doubt about it, Bluegrass music is the sweetest sound on earth!"

Huber Banjo Update

2007-03-17T09:54:00.000-03:00

Jim Mills and his Huber on the Grand Ole Opry stage.

I was speaking to Sam Calveard of Huber Banjos once again; this time just two days ago. Sam told me my new banjo was 13 days away from coming out of the 28-day finish factory cycle. After the finishing process is complete it will probably take a week to assemble and tweak the banjo, then it will be shipped to me.

I'm getting real excited to play (make noise with) this banjo. For those of you that don't know, it's a Huber - Jim Mills signature series model. I've ordered it stock so as to keep it as authentic as possible. What's special (to me) about this banjo is that it's an exact replica of Jim Mills' one-of-a-kind 1939 Gibson RB-75. It's detailed right down to the type of glue that was used in 1939 and Steve Huber even had special screws made to attach the resonator L-brackets just like the ones used in 1939.

It turns out there is something else that will be special about this banjo. It's one of the last Huber banjos to feature the double cut peghead shape - all new Huber banjos will have the Huber peghead shape. As I understand it, approximately 40 Jim Mills signature series banjos have been produced. I'm not sure if my banjo will be "the last one" or just "one of the last ones" to feature the double cut peghead, but in any event, it may very well make these banjos worth more money to collectors in the future, as the new models won't be an exact replica any longer.

The reason for the change is because of threats from Gibson Guitar Corporation to sue companies that use what Gibson is claiming as theirs; in this case it's the peghead shape. Huber's lawyers claim no infringements are being made by Huber Banjos, but Steve Huber says as a small company, his pockets simply aren't deep enough to warrant a fight, even if the law is on his side. Isn't the legal system great!? If you are interested, you can read A Personal Message From Steve Huber on the Huber Banjos web site where Steve explains his position on the matter.

I've already made arrangements to meet "Jimmy" (Jim Mills) and have him autograph the banjo for me at the Ricky Skaggs & Kentucky Thunder concert on May 19, 2007 at the Moncton High School.

Harvey Arbo, if you're reading this post, I want you to know you'll be the first one to play this banjo - even before me. Now, if I just pluck a string or two would that be considered playing? It's been a long wait - 9 months and 12 days so far, not that I'm keeping track or anything. It's going to be hard to resist not playing it, so you'd better be in the country! Once Harvey performs the official christening of the banjo, it's fair game!

The Worst of Bluegrass

2007-03-10T14:34:00.000-04:00

Would you agree that nearly all of the Bluegrass CD's with titles along the lines of Best of Bluegrass, 50 Years of Bluegrass, Bluegrass Greats, Bluegrass Hall of Fame and many of the Bluegrass sampler CD's put out by the big record labels are actually the absolute worst of Bluegrass? Or is it just my narrow way of thinking?

I've purchased a few of these CD's, listened to them once and thrown them in my pile of never to be listened to again CD's. I've also had a few given to me by people that came to the same conclusion as me. I'm actually quite happy when people give me these CD's because it tells they know the difference as well.

A lot of the CD's I'm talking about contain material that has little to no harmony in it, they often include instruments that would make any hardcore traditionalist cringe, such as drums, pedal steel guitar and electric guitar, and generally speaking they don't have any Bluegrass drive whatsoever! I have nothing against any of the above mentioned instruments in other genres of music. In fact, I have always loved pedal steel guitar - but not in Bluegrass. In my opinion, if you want to kill the Bluegrass drive in a real big hurry, just add some of these instruments to your Bluegrass mix - instant non-Bluegrass music. There's more to Bluegrass music than the instruments played, but there are also some definite no nos.

This is precisely why I insist only the six traditional Bluegrass instruments are allowed at the Bluegrass Friends weekly jam sessions. These include 5-string banjo, 6-string acoustic guitar, upright bass, fiddle, mandolin and resophonic guitar (commonly referred to as Dobro®, after the Gibson registered brand name).

If my mission was to convert people to Bluegrass music I would definitely not suggest one of these CD's. As far as I can tell they only serve to confuse people about what is and what is not Bluegrass music. I do realize the range of Bluegrass goes a little to the left and a little to the right of what I would call ideal, but once you get outside the left and right boundaries you've gone too far to keep calling it Bluegrass.

That's my take on the Worst of Bluegrass. If you've got an opinion on this topic feel free to post a comment.

No Excuse For Not Learning Proper Bluegrass Techniques

2007-03-03T10:15:00.000-04:00

I was just on the Banjo Hangout web site a few moments ago. Somebody asked for a review of the Jim Mills instructional DVD for 5-string banjo which I willingly chimed in with my 2 cents worth. That's what prompted me to post this blog entry.

For quite some time I've been telling people that there is no excuse for not learning some proper Bluegrass techniques as applied to their instrument of choice. We're living in a time when there is a record-breaking amount of instructional material available through books, CD's, DVD's and internet lessons. Many of the internet lessons are free.

I'm not advocating that people stop taking lessons from local music teachers in favour of alternate methods of learning, but I am saying there is one pile of good material to be had these days which can be used to supplememt lessons from your local teacher or even replace them in some cases. I own several instructional DVD's for 5-string banjo. Some are better than others, but each one offers something different and I don't regret buying any of them.

I'd like to take a minute to talk about finances. Almost every week through the Banjo Hangout discussion forums, and face-to-face when talking to people at the Bluegrass Friends weekly jam sessions, I hear people say how they don't know if spending the money for a DVD would be worth it to them, especially if at the time, they only want to learn one song from the DVD.

Look people, I realize not everyone is wealthy and I also realize not every one of us is so passionate about learning Bluegrass music that they are willing to spend hundreds of dollars in learning materials as I have, but let me throw this at you. If you were to take lessons from a local teacher you would typically take a lesson at least once a week, yes? How much would you spend on that weekly lesson? and how long would the lesson be? a half hour? full hour? And how much would a single lesson cost? Twenty-five dollars? Thirty dollars? More?

There are a few great things about learning from a DVD. First, most DVD's contain several lessons, not just one. Let's use the Jim Mills DVD as an example. On this DVD Jim Mills teaches you how to play 12 of his tunes. That's twelve people, twelve! Not one, but twelve! The DVD is 110 minutes long and includes a tablature booklet with of course, the tablature for each song on the DVD. The DVD has close-up views of Jim's hands in action and Jim explains many facets of each tune. You're being taught by one of the absolute best banjo players in the business and you get all of this for $35.00 US. You tell me if all of that isn't worth thirty-five dollars? On top of that, you can rewind a DVD and watch the same lesson a hundred times if need be.

If you don't play banjo, not to worry, there are several great videos for other Bluegrass instruments. Chris Jones' The Art of Bluegrass Rhythm Guitar is fantastic. I hightly recommend this video to anyone wanting to improve their rhythm guitar playing in a Bluegrass environment. I think this video can be had for 29 dollars. It's a steal. If you're an advanced player looking to learn some great Bluegrass guitar solos you might check out Kenny Smith's double DVD set available from Acutab Publications. This one's a little more pricey at $60.00, but I bet it's worth every penny!

There are some good DVD's for mandolin, dobro, fiddle and bass as well. Besides Acutab Publications, Homespun Tapes has a very large selection of videos as does Musician's Workshop. Absolute beginners might enjoy The Murphy Method series produced by Murphy Henry.

I get tired of people telling me they don't have access to Bluegrass CD's or DVD's, apparently one of the reasons they feel justified in making copies of their friends materials. Exactly what does "I don't have access" mean? I wonder where they think I obtained my copies? Do they think I manufactured them in my back yard? I'll be very blunt and to the point. Stop being so cheap and go purchase a DVD or two.

Of course, before any of us decide to take lessons or purchase DVD's, we have to want to get better at playing Bluegrass music the way it's supposed to be played, don't we? For some people, the reason for not seeking a teacher or other learning methods could simply be that they just don't care what kind of noise they are making. Still for others, they may be too lazy to put the required effort forth. What's your reason?

Bluegrass Happenings

2007-03-02T20:47:00.000-04:00

New Banjo
I had another conversation with Sam Calveard at Huber banjos about a week ago. He tells me a neck, resonator and rim have been matched up for my Huber Jim Mills signature series banjo. It is supposed to go to the finish shop within a week (that sounds familiar, doesn’t it? - it's basically what I was told a month ago) and will be there for 28 days. I’m expecting delivery of my new banjo approximately six weeks from now.

Jim Mills
In the meantime, I’ve conversed with Jim Mills via e-mail about meeting him at the upcoming Ricky Skaggs concert in Moncton, NB on May 19, 2007. For those of you that don’t know, Jim Mills is the banjo player in Ricky Skaggs’ hot Bluegrass band, Kentucky Thunder. I’m looking forward to meeting Mr. Mills in person and he says likewise. Just from reading about Jim, e-mailing him and seeing him on some DVDs, especially his instructional DVD from Acutab Publications which is titled Jim Mills - A Winning Banjo Style, I feel like I’ve known him for a long time.

For anyone interested, the May 19 Ricky Skaggs concert is sold out but there are still some tickets available for the second show on Sunday, May 20, 2007. If you want tickets, please contact me - I've still got a few for sale.

Fund Raiser Concert
I’m playing in a fund raiser event at Harbour View High School for the HVHS Alumni tomorrow night at 7:00 PM. A few of my fellow Bluegrass Friends (Angela Curran, Tom Mason, Murray Sheils, Matthew Hayes, Larry Walsh and Clay Johnson) are performing an 8 to 10 song Bluegrass set. Actually, one of the songs is going to be Travelling Soldier by the Dixie Chicks, but other than that it's all Bluegrass.

Honestly, I don’t know why I let myself get roped into these things. You want to help people out and be cooperative, yet, at the same time you know you’re in over your head. It’s a dilemma for sure. Do you get up in front of a 400 plus crowd and make a fool of yourself again? or just say no? I feel I have no business playing in this event, yet, here I am in the middle of it. All I can hope for is that I don’t mess up all night long, which is exactly what I do whenever I play in front of people - it’s what I do. It really comes down to lack of experience and ability.

And speaking of lacking experience and ability, I need to get practicing right now! Until next time, you all take care.

I Should Be A Pro

2007-01-14T22:02:00.000-04:00

I should be a pro musician, but I'm not!

Of course, I'm saying this based on the amount of instructional material I've purchased over the last two years. I have several instructional banjo DVD's, a few banjo books, a couple play along jamming CD's, tablature files by the dozens and I even have software that can slow down or speed up music without changing the pitch.

My most recent acquisition of instructional material includes two more DVD titles which I just received tonight; Vocal Harmony Workshop taught by the Nashville Bluegrass Band and Understanding The Formula of Music Makes it so Easy! by Dan Huckabee. Thanks Hunny! And of course, I have a large CD collection of Bluegrass music which I listen to every single day! All the pros say in order to get the music to your finger tips, you have to get it into your head first. I agree. Hunny, I need another CD.

I don't buy all of this learning material thinking that I'm going to find that one ticket that will turn me into a great banjo player overnight. We already know that's not going to happen, don't we? I buy it because I find it both interesting and useful to study the methods and ideas of as many others as possible. Equally important and interesting is seeing how the views of others differ on the same topic - even among the pros. Truly, there is something to be learned from everyone. I can even say that about the instructors on the DVD's that aren't necessarily at the top of my favourites list.

I think I've got just about all the learning materials one could ever need or ask for. It's time to develop the physical abilities to be able to put all of the information I have acquired into practice. Just how I'm going to do that, I haven't figured out yet. On his long play instructional album that accompanied his book titled Earl Scruggs and The 5-String Banjo, Earl said "you may experience some cramping in the fingers and wrist, but this is only natural and will be overcome by practice. Don't expect too much of yourself at first." I have one question. When Earl, when? I've been working at this for nearly 3 years and I can't hardly make a D-chord, and my wrist hurts every time I try. Are you sure you know what you're talking about?

Well, there you have it. Based on the amount of instructional material I own, I should be a pro - but I'm not!

Getting Anxious

2007-01-05T12:18:00.000-04:00

I just got off the telephone with Sam Calveard from the Huber Banjos and Accessories company. We had a good chat about all things banjo; tone rings, bridges, string brands, setup and all that kind of stuff. We even talked about the weather.

You may recall from an earlier post, that I ordered a Huber Lexington model banjo on July 5, 2006. The Lexington sure has a nice "crack" to it, but I had second thoughts about an all maple banjo when I thought about the kinds of tunes I would likely be playing. After a couple months of self torment I modified my order to a Jim Mills signature series mahogany model.

I'm told my new Mills model banjo will be going into the finishing department any day now. That means at best, I'm still looking at mid to late February to take delivery on this banjo. I'm not so excited that I'm losing sleep (at least not because of the banjo), but I am getting pretty anxious to try this new banjo. I sure hope it's everything I'm expecting, and more.

I think I should consider taking the new banjo to the Ricky Skaggs & Kentucky Thunder concert (in Moncton, New Brunswick, Canada - May 19, 2007) and ask Jimmy to play a tune (or two or three or four) on it. What do you think? I've heard from several people that Jim Mills is one of the friendliest, most down to earth guys you'd ever want to meet. I guess that must be why everyone calls him "smilin' Jim."

If you haven't guessed already, I'm a huge fan of Jim Mills. Although there are many great Bluegrass banjo players out there, I'd have to say Jim Mills has influenced me the most in my quest to conquer the 5-string banjo. I don't know if I'll ever reach my goal, but I'll keep trying - at least for a while longer.

Another Bluegrass Friends Christmas Party In The Past

2006-12-18T23:11:00.000-04:00

Another Bluegrass Friends potluck Christmas party has come and gone. It was a lot of work setting up for it, but definitely worth it. Thankfully, this year I had some help setting up the gear and preparing the building. Thank you Ed Betts and Kenny Innis for putting in several hours to help out.

I also had some help at the end of the show, tearing down the equipment. Thanks Murray Sheils, Tom Mason, Kenny Innis, Denise Arsenault and Camille Arsenault. Thanks also to Bea Arbo, Wanda Cyr, Becky Betts, Leola Brown and Louise for helping out with the potluck portion of the party.

Harvey Arbo was Master of Ceremonies for this year's event. Thanks Harvey. And last, but certainly not least, I want to thank the biggest supporter of all my endeavours, the rose in my garden, my wife, Helen. Thank you Hunny for all the support you've shown over the years. My mother says she doesn't know how you put up with me, and you know what? I believe I can see where she's coming from.

The Party
I rented some curtains this year to see how much of an improvement could be realized with regard to the sound, and there was a noticeable improvement. The curtains also gave the room a nice ambience. Still speaking about the sound, I do regret not sticking to my plan of using the good condenser microphones we use every Monday night at the jam sessions. I think if I had, the sound could have been that much better.

From what I observed, it looked like everyone had a great time at the potluck party. There was enough food to feed a small army and the variety of dishes was considerable. A few people commented about how the Christmas parties make up for any frustrations they may experience throughout the year.

As far as musical performances were concerned, I'd have to say everyone did a fine job with all of their selections. At the end of the official concert, some informal jamming took place which ran until about 6:00 PM. By 7:00 PM, all of the rented curtains were packed away and the sound system was dismantled. It was a fun day, but also a long day. I know Helen and I were glad to get home.

A few people took pictures which I will try to obtain. When that happens, I'll post them on the Bluegrass Friends web site.

Merry Christmas everyone!

All Set for Bluegrass Friends Christmas Party

2006-12-15T20:51:00.000-04:00

Well, almost, and it's only 1 day, 15 hours, 38 minutes away at the time of this writing. Unfortunately, I've caught a cold. I sure hope I'm feeling better by Sunday!

There are 15 acts lined up for the party, with what I would consider to be some pretty good talent. I'm really looking forward to each performer taking the stage in a controlled environment. Ah, yes, a controlled environment! I still remember last year's Christmas party; everyone was quiet and listened to each performer intently, and it was good. I didn't even have to remind people to be respectful of the performers - it happened on its own. I'm hoping for the same type of respect this year.

I rented 150 feet of burgundy backdrop curtains from Master Promotions with the hope of achieving the very best sound quality possible for the party. Helen is going to kill me when she finds out, but you're going to love (hopefully) the better sound quality. Yes, I agree, love is a powerful word. Perhaps I could use the word "appreciate" instead. Yes, perhaps you will appreciate the better sound quality.

Covering the windows should reduce the reflection of sound waves to the point where feedback problems will become negligible, thus reducing the dependency on the feedback eliminator, and ultimately giving us the fullest sound we could possibly expect. I hope it works out well, but hey, it's an experiment. If it does work out, I think we should consider a fundraiser event to purchase permanent curtains for the windows at the Saint John Marina.

The potluck dinner certainly seems to bring people around - I don't know why. Is it the food? The party will certainly make for good fellowship time with the new aquaintances and friends we've made while attending the Bluegrass Friends jam sessions. Do you realize I have met over 100 people as a result of the jam sessions? I suppose you probably have too.

Originally, I wanted to keep the concert to a 2 hour limit because people become fidgety when they have to sit still for too long. With 15 acts however, the concert will take approximately 2 hours, 40 minutes which includes a 10 minute break at the halfway mark. Hopefully the break will be enough to keep people happy.

I really do think the talent is going to be awesome this year, and I really do think everyone in attendance is going to have a great time. Helen Floyd will be the master of ceremonies for the event.

Helen will be raffling off a quilt and taking donations to help families who are much less fortunate than most of us. Although I think we should always be thinking of people who are worse off than ourselves, this time of the year always brings out the best in people, and we tend to think of others more than we normally might.

Well, I feel the Neo Citran kicking in so I'll sign off. I hope to see each and every Bluegrass Friends attendee at the party. Don't forget to bring your family along.

Merry Christmas everyone.

Bluegrass, White Snow

2006-11-19T21:23:00.000-04:00

Bluegrass, White Snow, written by Patty Loveless and Emory Gordy, Jr. is just one of many great songs on Patty's CD titled Bluegrass & White Snow, A Mountain Christmas. Included on the CD are some other upbeat Bluegrass tunes such as Christmas Time's A Comin', Santa Train and Christmas Day At My House, along with some traditional tunes including Away In A Manger, Silent Night, O Little Town Of Bethlehem, Silver Bells and more. This is definitely a must have Christmas CD - if it's not a part of your Christmas music collection, it should be!

The title cut, Bluegrass, White Snow is the tune I can't get out of my head at this particular moment; it's a real catchy tune. I worked out and practiced the banjo solo for approximately 4 solid hours today! Thanks to Ed Betts for suggesting we try this song last night while having a jam at his home. I've been waiting for the time when I would finally be capable of playing it, or at least be to the point within my banjo playing ability to have a stab at it, and for someone to sing the song as well.

At first, I thought the song was out of the realm of possibility for me, but a little determination and perseverence goes a long way. How about you? Have you been practicing your Bluegrass skills? Have you been practicing any Christmas tunes in preparation for the Bluegrass Friends Christmas party being held on December 17? If not, you'd better crack the whip!

Christmas Time's A Comin'

2006-11-12T22:54:00.000-04:00

I know it may seem far off to some, but really, it's just around the corner! I'm talking about the holiday that celebrates the birth of Jesus Christ - Christmas.

It was just about this time last year when I was pleading with people to start practicing some Christmas tunes for the Bluegrass Friends Christmas party. Why would I do that? Quite simply, because I know the human nature in all of us will cause us to put it off until it's too late.

Most people acknowledge they should begin learning or brushing up on some Christmas tunes, but they usually wait until a week or two before Christmas when they are just too busy to put any kind of effort into it - then it's too late and they say "oh well, maybe next year." Does this sound familiar at all? Are you listening to me?, 'cause I'm talking to you!

I got some practice time in on Jingle Bells tonight. I was actually pleasantly surprised with how much I remembered from last year, which was the first time I had ever played it. I like Jingle Bells because it's a lively tune that gets your toes a tappin'. At last year's party, I had planned the song as an instrumental, but Kenny Innis surprised us by singing one verse, and it sounded great.

I'll also do Silent Night again this year if I can get some help with a mandolin and a resophonic guitar (Dobro). Silent Night is such a pretty tune, and I like it for its biblical meaning. How could anyone not like Silent Night?

Right now, I'm listening to one of my favourite Christmas CDs - Bluegrass & White Snow - A Mountain Christmas by Patty Loveless. Can that girl sing or what? You know, before I got into playing music, I would have thought the same thing you're probably thinking right now, which is "this guy must be half crazy, listening to Christmas music this far in advance of the Christmas season." Well I want to set the record straight - I'm more than half crazy!

If Bluegrass & White Snow is playing right now, that means Christmas Wishes by the Statler Brothers isn't far off - now that's a good album. It's got the best sung version of Jingle Bells I've ever heard! Helen and I both love this album; we always listen to it while decorating our Christmas tree - it's become a tradition. We love it, our children hate it! Does this also sound familiar?

Now, if the second Bluegrass Friends Christmas party does in fact become a reality, which of course is dependent on the level of interest shown by the Bluegrass Friends musicians, I'll have at least two songs ready to play. Here's hoping!

Good Food, Good Music, Good Fellowship. What Else is There?

2006-11-05T23:31:00.000-04:00

Yesterday proved to be a very satisfying day indeed. It started around 3:00 PM with all of the Hungry Hill Bluegrass Band members (Jenny Lester, Bob Hamilton, Mark Thibeault, Nadine Landry and Ross Nickerson), Brad Goguen from Southern Flavour Bluegrass Band, Helen Floyd and me, meeting at Richard and Heather Brown's big old farm house in Bloomfield.

After a short stay at the Brown's home, and with introductions out of the way, the majority of us met at the Norton Catholic Hall to set the sound equipment up for the performance to come later that evening. When the sound check was complete, Hungry Hill had a short practice, then we all met at the Brown's home for a nicely prepared meal. For me, that was a real nice feeling of fellowship time.

At 7:00 PM, Helen, who acted as emceee, introduced Southern Flavour Bluegrass Band (Heather Brown, Richard Brown, Winston Rees, Brad Goguen). Southern Flavour kicked the the show off in fine style, playing a half hour set, paving the way for Hungry Hill.

Hungry Hill dazzled us with their talent. Jenny Lester is a fine fiddle player and sings wonderful lead vocals. When she's not playing fiddle, she plays rhythm guitar. Nadine Landry really knows how to handle an upright bass and has incredible vocal talent. I was really impressed with her singing. Bob Hamilton played mandolin, was lead vocal on a few tunes and provided harmony vocals on several numbers. Mark Thibeault played resophonic guitar and rhythm guitar. We learned Mark is a luthier and built two of the guitars being used by Hungry Hill. The workmanship of his guitars is very good - visit his web site, Rayco Resophonics. Last but not least, Ross Nickerson tore it up more than once on the 5-string banjo. The band put on a great performance. I talked to several people at intermission who said they were impressed, and rightly so.

The show was ended with Hungry Hill and Southern Flavour doing one of Heather Brown's favourite songs - Hard Times (Come Again No More). Earlier today, Heather told me it was the highlight of the day for her.

As good as the performance was, there was more fun to come. We ended up having a jam in the kitchen of the performance hall; a true kitchen party. The jam lasted for two hours and was a lot of fun.

Other than Nadine Landry, originally from Quebec, just a few minutes from the Campbellton, NB border, none of the Hungry Hill band members had ever been in the Maritime provinces and were enjoying their visit. I think we gave them a nice Maritime welcome and they appreciated it.

I want to thank Richard and Heather Brown for their exceptional hospitality and down to earth approach to life in general. Although I was the "organizer" of this event, one thing is certain - without the help of Richard and Heather, this event would not have been possible. Thanks for opening up your home to all of us Farmer(s) Brown.

I Don't Know What I'm Doing Here... I Don't Even Like This Kind of Music!

2006-09-04T22:11:00.000-03:00

Photos from Thomas Point Beach Bluegrass Festival
Aug 31 - Sep 3, 2006

Photo 1: Little Roy Lewis looking pleased with himself about what he'd done, and me (Michael Floyd) talking to Earl Scruggs
Photo 2: Little Roy Lewis and Lisa (aka Jeepster) from Connecticut
Photo 3: Rob McCoury signs my banjo head
Photo 4: Del McCoury and Kenny Innis

I just got back from the Thomas Point Beach Bluegrass Festival. It was an unplanned trip, as I had already decided earlier in the year that I wouldn't be attending the 2006 festival. Several people from Saint John attended the festival this year; let me see, 1, 2, 4, 5... there were 20 people that I know of.

Unfortunately, Helen (my bride of 22 wonderful years and the most supportive person on the planet concerning my musical endeavors) couldn't make it to the festival. Instead, Kenny Innis accompanied me, and made the 5 hour drive to and from Thomas Point Beach seem like it was only 2 hours each way. Thanks Kenny! By the way, it was Kenny that twisted my arm to go, although he didn't have to twist it that much. I think the conversation went something like this:

Kenny: Visits me at my house Wednesday morning at about 10:00. "What time are we leaving for Thomas Point Beach?"

Me: I'm in my back yard getting ready to do some more landscaping work - my favorite thing to do. Not! "Oh, I don't know Kenny. I said I wasn't going this year. I went to the Rogersville festival last weekend and I'm going to see IIIrd Tyme Out in Moncton next Saturday. Plus, I have to get this back yard finished."

Kenny: "Oh, I think you should go, Mike."

Me: "Well, let's go inside and call the Atrium Inn to see if they have any rooms available, just in case we decide to go."

You can figure out how it went from there, but I'll give you a hint. I gave my VISA card number to the Atrium Inn.

Upon our arrival at the festival location, Kenny and I met up with several of our Saint John friends who recounted what I alleged about not going to the festival by saying, "I thought you weren't coming this year?" My response was simply, "I don't know what I'm doing here... I don't even like this kind of music!" That little expression turned into a running joke among my Saint John friends for the duration of the festival; I guess no one believed me! By late afternoon on the fourth, and last day of the festival, I figured it out - my purpose was to connect with Little Roy Lewis of the Lewis Family and make a telephone call to the master of the 5-string banjo, Earl Scruggs, at his home. Just in case you can't see it, there's a big smile on my face right now.

Late Sunday afternoon, I met Lisa from the state of Connecticut, USA. Lisa and I both frequent the Banjo Hangout discussion forums. It's nice to put a face to some of the people you've been talking to on the internet. Sorry about my face, Lisa! We had a 45 minute conversation with Little Roy Lewis - what a character!

Our long conversation with Little Roy (he's long-winded, you know) was every bit as fascinating as talking to Earl Scruggs (keep reading). That man is as crazy off stage as he is on, and a real delight to talk to. Little Roy did most of the talking, I asked a few questions and Lisa, well, she didn't say a whole lot; said she was eavesdropping, and couldn't stay away from a good banjo conversation.

We were talking about the Huber banjo I ordered and Little Roy was showing me his 1932 Gibson when right out of the blue he says "hey, you wanna talk to Earl Scruggs?" "Uh, no, that's okay," I replied. "I wouldn't know what to say." Before I knew it, Little Roy had Earl on his cell phone and was telling him "I'm at Thomas Point Beach in Maine and there's a guy here that wants to talk to you," then he handed me his phone.

Everyone is asking me "what did you say?" What could I say? I never really had much time to think about what I might want to say or ask. "Hello Mr. Scruggs. It's a pleasure to be able to speak with you. My name is Michael Floyd. I'm from Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada. I met you at last year's festival, right here at Thomas Point Beach and asked you to sign my banjo head." "It's a real pleasure to talk to you Michael; I'd like to meet you again, some day." "I sure would like that too, Mr. Scruggs. I hope to see you at another show real soon."

We talked for a few more minutes. Being so caught up in the moment, I couldn't think of anything intelligent to say, but I managed to get through it. I thanked him for what he has done for the 5-string banjo and all that kind of stuff. The whole Little Roy Lewis - Earl Scruggs thing was the highlight of the festival for me.

As for the rest of the festival, there were several big name artists present - Rhonda Vincent & The Rage, Alecia Nugent, The Grascals, Jessie McReynolds & The Virginia Boys, The Gibson Brothers, The Lewis Family, Cherryholmes, The Del McCoury Band and more. There were 21 bands in all, and every one of them put on great performances. There was also plenty of field pickin' and jamming during the four day event. I managed to get four more signatures added to my banjo head, the one I'm going to frame - Little Roy Lewis, Eric Gibson, David Talbot and Rob McCoury.

The weather was beautiful for the first three days, but on the last day it rained from about noon onward. The rain didn't matter. In the usual Bluegrass way, people just sat in the rain for hours on end as they soaked up the sweetest sounds on earth - Bluegrass music.

I met a whole bunch of nice people, checked out about 30 banjos (yes, I am addicted to the sound of a Bluegrass banjo), talked to instrument reps, listened in on several jam sessions and listened to Bluegrass music, pretty much nonstop, for 4 days. I can hardly wait until next year. There's only one thing that could be better - dying and going to Heaven!

Kenny Innis took several pictures which I will post on the Bluegrass Friends web site in the next day or so.

I still have a back yard to landscape!

Ray Legere - Ready To Jam CD Review

2006-08-28T10:24:00.000-03:00

Ready To Jam contains 16 Bluegrass standards performed by nine local new Brunswick singers - Jean-Marc Doiron, Serge Doiron, Francis Cormier, Vincent Cormier, Frank Doody, Gerry Richard, Dominic Cormier, Emile Robichaud and Paul Hebert.

Ray Legere played guitar, mandolin and fiddle, Russell Sawler played banjo, and Terry Poirier played bass. I can't believe how tight this CD is.

In the liner notes, Ray says "this CD was recorded with the hopes of capturing some of the 'fire' and excitement of a live jam." I believe the "fire" was captured!

AlthoughI've heard every song on this CD a thousand times over, and you probably have too, I can reccommend this CD without hesitation. The vocal arrangements are fresh and the musicianship is second to none. I can honestly say I thoroughly enjoyed every cut on the CD. One of my favourite tracks is Paul Hebert's version of Down The Road.

The following songs are included:

On My Way Back To The Old Home
In The Pines
Honey You Don't Know My Mind
Pain in my Heart
Down The Road
Dark Hollow
Don't Give Your Heart To A Rambler
Cryin' Holy Unto The Lord
Hold What'cha Got
I Just Think I'll Stay Around
I Ain't Broke But Badly Bent
Little Maggie
Bury Me Beneath the Willow
Salty Dog Blues
Banks of the Ohio
It Won't Work This Time

An accompanying instructional DVD is in the works to go along with this CD as well as tablature. If you're ready to jam, buy this CD! For more information, visit Ray Legere's web site.

Rogersville Homecoming Bluegrass Festival - 2006

2006-08-28T09:27:00.000-03:00

I just got back from the 2006 Rogersville Homecoming Bluegrass Festival - it was great! I wish more people who claim they love Bluegrass music, but have never attended a festival, would take the time to attend at least one. You don't know what you're missing! I was a little surprised with what I thought was a relatively small turnout for Sunday afternoon, considering the lineup of bands on hand.

The lineup was very good this year, comprised of Rhonda Vincent & The Rage, Don Rigsby & Midnight Call, The Spinney Brothers, Ray Legere & Acoustic Horizon, True Blue, Timberland Express, Blue River, Gospel Connection, Janet McGarry & Wind River, and Eddy Poirier & Fern Maillet. Of course, the highlight of the festival was Rhonda Vincent & The Rage.

Rhonda's first show was a little disappointing for me - not because the band performed badly, but due to the sound not being up to par. It seemed the group had intended on using three condenser microphones, but resorted to using only one due to poor communication between Rhonda and the audience. It appeared Rhonda thought two of the mics weren't working, when in fact they were fine - maybe the monitor feeds for the mics in question weren't working? I'm not sure what the confusion was about. The end result was that Josh Williams' voice could not be heard doing the harmony on all of those great Gospel songs - a critical part of the set, in my opinion. Being familiar with all of the songs in the set, I knew where Josh's voice should have been, and believe me I was straining to hear any trace of Josh - I resorted to reading his lips.

Don Rigsby & Midnight Call, and the Spinney Brothers each had very good performances. Then there's Ray Legere and Acoustic Horizon; in my opinion, these guys are every bit as good, and a whole lot better than some of the biggest names in the Bluegrass business - and I'm happy to say they are from New Brunswick. What can you say about the musicianship of this group that hasn't already been said? They're awesome, and that's all there is to it! All of the other "local" bands had very good performances as well.

The festival ran an hour late, concluding at 7:00 PM, but believe me, it was well worth sticking around for. Rhonda Vincent & The Rage put on a spectacular show. This time 'round, each member had their own vocal and instrument mics, so there was no problem hearing the vocals or an instrumental break, when it was time.

Rhonda's last show was very moving, evoking a large range of emotions, from laughter to sorrow. After performing The Last Best Place, the band received a standing ovation, which brought tears to Rhonda's eyes, and mine as well. What can I say? I'm a softy.

Other than the mix-up with the sound of Rhonda Vincent's first show, I must say the sound was very good. It seems almost every one of us has something negative to say about the sound at a festival or concert, including myself. One of my biggest complaints in the past, has been that you can never hear the banjo - an instrument that you'd think would cut through everything, but I could even here the banjo nice and clear. My congratulations and thanks go out to the sound crew at this festival. Job well done!

More Tweaking, When Will It Stop?

2006-08-12T19:48:00.001-03:00

Warning! This post is another one of those technical ones, where I talk about improving the sound of my banjo.

I'm one of those that like to tinker and experiment - I like to know why things work the way they work! And when I get into something new, I don't want to know just a little bit about the topic, I like to get into it deep. Such is the case with my banjo. It's not enough to just try to learn how to play it; I've got to know why and how it makes the sounds it does.

When I hear a great sounding banjo on a CD, I want to know how much of that great sound is from the banjo itself, how much is because of studio work and how much is from the talent that's playing it. If you are a regular reader of this blog, you already know that I recently had a chance to hear a Huber Lexington banjo up close; in fact, I got to try one out. That's when I learned just how good some of these banjos really sound.

This thirst for knowledge leads me into my experimentation phase. So, here I am again, tinkering with my banjo, looking for that elusive "perfect sound." At the very least, I want to get the best sound possible from it.

Just three days ago, I posted an entry titled "Banjo Head Audio Spectrum Analysis." In that post, I stated there were two prominent notes where my banjo head seemed to be resonant - F# and A#. I also came to the conclusion that, because the A# note was slightly louder, according to the audio spectrum display, the head must be tuned to an A# note, and therefore needed to be loosened because I want a G or G# note.

Experimenting tonight has revealed the two resonant notes (F# and A#) are only present when the resonator is installed. With the resonantor off the banjo, only the F# note is present. This leads to the question, should I tune the head with the resonator on or off the banjo? You might think with the resonator on, since that will be the final configuration when playing the banjo. However, since the resonator needs to be removed in order to tighten the brackets on the tension hoop, and since Steve Huber tunes with the resonator removed, I decided to tune with the resonator off. This means only the cavity made from the pot assembly and the head covering the pot, is involved in tuning. The extra air space provided by the resonator is now out of the picture.

I remember worrying when I installed the new head, about over-tightening, and possibly tearing the head. I have already tightened this head several times, so I'm wondering just how much further I can go without ripping it. As it turns out, the head must have stretched some over the last few weeks, because I found all of the bracket nuts securing the tension hoop to be on the loose side - not sloppy, ready to fall off loose, but certainly looser than I left them the last time I made an adjustment. Having tightened the head several times already, discovering the loose nuts surprised me. It's not like it should have been obvious - the head itself was not sagging.

I have tightened the head once more. At this point, the head is tuned somewhere between a G and G# note; probably closer to a G# note. It sounds pretty good to my ear. I'm using Ron Stewart's Huber Lancaster on his A Bluegrass Banjo Professional DVD from Acutab, to compare the tone of my banjo, which by the way, is a Deering Deluxe.

At this point, I am very happy with the sound of my banjo. I think it's the best its ever been, exhibiting lots of brightness and lots of volume. I may very well be at the point where I'm getting the best sound possible from this banjo!

Ricky Skaggs & Kentucky Thunder - Instrumentals

2006-08-12T17:11:00.000-03:00

Ricky Skaggs & Kentucky Thunder have just released a new CD called Instrumentals. It features 11 tunes, all written by Ricky Skaggs.

The tunes range from traditional Irish tones to jazz and classical, to bluegrass. By and large, the CD is dominated with an Irish sound. One of the tunes, Crossing the Briney, is 7 minutes long - a tad too much for my liking.

I'm finding it very difficult to get into this CD. While the musicianship on all of the tracks is outstanding, as is always the case with anything Ricky does, there's just a bit too much of the Irish sound for me. If you are a fan of Irish music however, you'll love this CD.

By themselves, I don't mind any of the tunes; in fact, some of them are kind of neat - I just can't listen to the whole CD at once. There are a few tunes that are on the bluegrassy side of things, so that makes me happy. I have a feeling this is one of those CDs I'm going to learn to appreciate more and more as I continue to listen to it. My favourite tune on the CD is one called Missing Vassar.

If you're looking for an all-bluegrass CD, this isn't it, but the CD certainly lives up to its name - Instrumentals!

At the time of this writing, CMT.com has a link where you can listen to full-length high quality tracks of each tune.

For a limited time, you can order Ricky Skaggs and Kentucky Thunder Instrumentals for only $11.99 with free shipping to the USA and Canada at SkaggsFamilyRecords.com. Now that's a deal!

An Ear Opener!

2006-08-10T11:20:00.000-03:00

I decided to record myself playing a couple tunes on the old 5-string - Gotta Travel On and Cumberland Gap. The initial reason for doing this was so I could hear how my banjo sounds to others, in terms of tone and sound quality. I actually thought I was sounding pretty good on these tunes, but that was before I recorded myself! Now, I know better, and my ears have been opened. I didn't realize just how poorly I play!

I figure if I sound pathetic on tunes that I actually thought I was sounding good on, it must be downright painful for people to listen to the tunes that I know I'm not doing very well on.

There are two ways to use this experience. I could be pessimistic, and let this discovery consume me, which is what I would normally do. I always knew I wasn't quite on par with Earl Scruggs, but I was a little disappointed, nonetheless.

I could choose to go the optimistic route this time around, which is what I think I'll do. I'm going to use the recordings as learning tools to point out my weak points, like poor timing, and incomplete sounding slides and pull-offs. According to the recordings, I need a lot of work in a lot of areas. Rather than dwell on the problems in a negative way, I'll try to correct them through focused practice sessions.

Another disappointing experience - I guess life is full of them!

Banjo Head Audio Spectrum Analysis

2006-08-09T21:06:00.001-03:00

This post may not be of interest to most, but for those of you interested in the science behind trying to make your banjo sound its best, read on.

There is a technique for tuning banjo heads that involves striking the head with a hard object such as a metal finger pick or your fingernail, and then listening closely to the tone produced after the initial strike. This after-tone is then compared, using your ears, to various notes on the banjo by fretting the high D string at various positions. This technique is demonstrated very well by Steve Huber, on his Killer Tone DVD.

For many banjos, the optimum tone from the banjo will be produced when the head is tuned somewhere between a G and a G# note. Obviously, tone preference varies from one person to the next, so the G or G# note is just a guideline, but considered a good place to start.

Tonight, I took some audio samples of my banjo in an effort to determine exactly what fundamental note the head of my banjo is tuned to. I wanted to see if the spectrum agreed with what I thought I was hearing. In order to reduce the error count, I took several samples, analyzing each one for similarities and differences.

I learned a lot from my experiment. The first thing I learned is how difficult it is to read the spectrum due to the large number of harmonics produced. To get a feel for how the spectrum is displayed, and how to interpret it properly, I took several samples of the middle G string note first. When I was satisfied I knew what I was doing, I took samples to determine where my banjo head was tuned, using the head tapping method described above.

From what I can tell, my banjo head appears to be tuned to an A# note. This corresponds to what I was thinking all along - that my banjo may be a bit too "ringy," although the amount of ring is not dictated by head tightness alone. At one point, while tightening the head, (when I first installed it, not during this experiment), I thought I had the banjo sounding really nice, but then, I pushed my luck and tightened the head a bit more.

You may think it an easy task to distinguish one note from another while listening for the predominant after-tone during the head-tapping process, but in actual fact, it can be very difficult. After analyzing the audio spectrum samples, I used my ears and the head-tapping method to see if my spectrum analysis agreed with what my ears were telling me. The answer is, I think they agree, but I'm not absolutely 100% sure. I heard two notes that seemed to be about the same intensity: an A# note and an F# note.

There are several overtones that occur when the banjo head vibrates, which can be seen in the audio spectrum waveform. This makes it very difficult to determine which note is the fundamental note of interest, but again, I think it's an A# note.

If you look at the image at the top of this post, you will notice two notes of significant amplitude. The first note is an A# (B-flat) and the second note which I failed to label, is an F#. This picture seems to correspond with what I was hearing. Even though the image shows the A# note to be louder than the F# note, to my ears, the F# note was every bit as prominent. So, is the head tuned to A# or F#? Well, because the graph indicates the A# note is more prominent, I'll say the head is tuned to A#; however, if I didn't have access to a spectrum analyzer and had to use my ears only, as would be the norm for most people, I may very well have thought the head was tuned to the F# note.

In any case, it looks like I'll be doing some more tweaking. I figure by the time I'm finished, I'll probably have another torn banjo head to add to my collection, but hey, look at all the stuff I'm learning!

If you'd like to do some playing of your own, the software I used for recording the audio samples was Goldwave version 5.14 from Goldwave Incorporated and the spectrum analyzer capabilities were provided by Transcribe! by Seventh String Software.

New Strings

2006-08-06T00:53:00.000-03:00

In my last post, I made mention that I was unhappy with the tone being produced by my banjo. Just the week before, it was near perfect! Obviously, something changed. I said I would let you know how the banjo sounded after I replaced the strings. You may recall me saying the banjo sounded out of tune even though the electronic tuner said it was right on the mark. Well, I've replaced the strings and the banjo now appears to sound in tune.

When strings become oxidized, and after they have been repeatedly stretched from tuning and bending during play, they start to produce more overtones than they do when thay are new. As Ron Block says, they lose their "snap." In particular, I always notice the third string (G) seems to go "dead" before the rest. Several people have told me that they experience more problems with the B string, including Cia Leigh Cherryholmes.

This time round, I put a set of lighter strings on the banjo because they were the only banjo strings in stock at the music store. The smaller string guages tend to be brighter than the medium strings I am used to. The lighter stings also have a different feel to them, not only on the fretting hand, but on the picking hand also.

Right now, the banko sounds "in tune" but it is a bit on the bright side and has a little more "ring" (as in, listen to that old banjo ring) than I like. I do like bright, but this may be a bit too bright.

I think the banjo head needs to be loosened; however, now that I know where most of the stretching occurs during the tightening process, I'm not really comfortable with the loosening it. If it needed more tightening, I would be fine with that.

Before I touch anything, I'm going to make an attempt at determining what note the head is tightened to. Steve Huber, on his "Killer Tone" DVD, shows how to tune the head to a certain note. With my banjo, I seem to have difficulty discriminating between notes, so I'm going high-tech. As Steve demonstrates, I'm going to tap the head with my finger picks while muting the strings, except, I'm going to record the audio produced. Once I have an audio sample recorded, I'm going to analyze the audio with a spectrum analyzer. I'll let you know how successful I am.

Good Practice, Bad Experience

2006-08-04T17:32:00.000-03:00

On June 25, I wrote about the excellent practice session I had the night before. I talked about how I had good tone, good timing and how comfortable my finger picks were. Two days ago, I had another one of those really good practice sessions. I had practiced for approximately 4 hours, with at least 3 hours where I was very pleased with my playing.

The next day, (last night) three friends and I got together to do a few tunes and I couldn't do a single thing right! To begin with, I wasn't satisfied with the sound from my banjo which is a major show-stopper for me; when things don't sound right, I tend to have much more difficulty. I don't know why, I'm very quirky; at least that's what I've been told from time to time.

I don't know if the extra ringing and overtones I was hearing last night were due to the strings going dead or not, but it's where I'll start trying to make corrections because they haven't been changed since July 3, which is a little long. Closely related to dead strings is the fact that I couldn't seem to make the banjo sound like it was in tune, regardless of what the electronic tuner indicated. I first noticed an objectionable difference in the sound of the banjo at the last Bluegrass Friends jam session, which was held outdoors. At the time, I thought it must have been due to the outdoor acoustics, but now I am questioning that idea. I'll let you know how much of a difference new strings make after I replace them, tomorrow.

I can't lay all the blame on the banjo when I know most of the problem lies within. My timing was off, I wasn't picking the strings cleanly, I was missing notes, my right hand wasn't anchored properly, my left hand wasn't fretting cleanly (oh, I forgot, I always have that problem!) and the list goes on and on. I just couldn't get anything right!

At this little get together, I didn't expect to "tear the house down" or anything, but I thought after having such a good practice the day before, on the very same tunes, I might at least be able to get through the tunes in a manner where they would be recognizable. Aside from everyone agreeing that it sounded like the banjo was a bit out of tune, (even though the electronic tuner said it was spot on) everyone said they thought my playing sounded okay, but I certainly wasn't hearing it that way. Sometimes people just don't want to say things they think may hurt your feelings.

I haven't had the banjo in my hands at all today - I think last night's experience has made me a little afraid to try it.

Huber Banjo on the Way

2006-07-21T12:16:00.000-03:00

I did it! Within an hour after getting home from the Cherryholmes concert on Grand Manan Island (July 4, 2006) , I was on the telephone talking to Steve Huber.

You see, I've had my ears tuned to Huber banjos for some time now, and I was waiting for an opportunity to be able to have one in my own hands and hear one in person. That opportunity was realized when Cia Leigh Cherryholmes let me try her Huber Lexington model banjo. I was blown away with the tone from the Huber and made my mind up to order one, and all of this with my wife's blessings. Not only did she tell me to order the Huber, she's telling me I should keep my Deering Deluxe as well. She must think we're made of money!

I've made a 50% downpayment to Huber banjos and now I'm in the Huber queue. Now the hard part comes - I have to wait at least 7 months before I'll see the banjo, as there is a long list of people ahead of me. But that's not the hardest part. The hardest part is deciding which model banjo I really want.

Because of the long list of people ahead of me, I have at least 2 months to decide on the final configuration of the banjo. I ordered a Lexington model Huber with a maple neck, Keith D-tuners and a speed neck. Now I'm wondering if I should change the options. Maybe I should go for the mahogany neck for that added warmth in tone. Do I really need the fancy engraving and gold plating that comes standard on the Lexington model? I could save a lot of money without it. V-neck or standard profile neck? Standard 1 3/16" nut or a 1 1/4" nut like I'm used to? Speed neck or finished neck? There are too many options. To make things worse, Huber already has a Jim Mills signature series and a Ron Block signature model is only days from being announced. Both Jim Mills and Ron Block are two of my banjo heroes. What am I supposed to do?

In the end, the number one priority is the tone of the banjo. But, if I'm already spending a large chunk of change should I just go for it? Add the fancy options and get the banjo of my dreams? What if I get it and a year or two down the road it's not my dream banjo any more?

When I bought my Deering Deluxe banjo, I thought it was going to be the only banjo I would ever want. And, to be sure, make no mistake about it - it is one fine banjo. It's very playable, the workmanship in it is some of the best I've ever seen and it's got a good sound, especially since I've changed the head on it.

Hello, my name is Michael, and I'm a banjoholic! My wife says "you need help!"

Drop C Tuning on the Banjo

2006-07-19T22:44:00.000-03:00

I love the sound of a 5-string banjo in drop C tuning, also known as standard tuning. The most common tuning today, particularly in bluegrass music, is the open G tuning; however, in earlier times, drop C tuning was commonly used instead. Perhaps this is how drop C tuning became known as standard tuning.

In drop C tuning, the strings are tuned gCGBD as opposed to gDGBD found in open G tuning. The 4th string tuned to a low "C" note instead of a "D" note adds a real warmth to the sound of the banjo, and there's just something about that low C note that catches my ear.

Home Sweet Home was the first tune I ever heard in drop C tuning and it really got my attention. Soon after, I heard Soldier's Joy, Dig a Hole in the Meadow and Pearl Pearl Pearl - all in drop C tuning.

I've been practising Home Sweet Home and Soldier's Joy for the last couple of days. With any luck at all, I'll be able to play them at a Bluegrass Friends jam session soon. Until then, I'll keep plunking away.

Cherryholmes Concert

2006-07-05T15:10:00.000-03:00

I'm back from last night's Cherryholmes concert on Grand Manan Island. Here's how the trip went down:

While waiting (about an hour) to board the ferry in Blacks Harbour, we got our instruments out and started the first of four jam sessions, right there in the vehicle lineup at the rear of Esther Prosser's van. That made the hour go by real quick.

Our picking group included Murray Sheils, Keith Hines, Esther Prosser, Lynn Hutchinson, Ed Betts, Ron Paisley, Buck McLeod and me. There were also a few innocent bystanders at the jam - Becky Betts, a couple friends of Ed and Becky, and a friend of Buck.

Once on the ferry, we had our second jam session. This seemed to make the crew quite happy; actually, they thought it was great, but I'm not sure if all the passengers were enthused.

We arrived on Grand Manan Island around 12:30 PM, which meant we had some time to kill before the concert. I wanted to meet Sheldon Frost, the promoter of the event, whom I had talked to on the telephone several times in the past few months. I called him with my cell phone to let him know I was on the island, then, Murray, Keith and I headed on down to Sheldon's house where the Cherryholmes family happened to be staying.

We met most of the Cherryholmes family, but not Sandy as she was out somewhere. I had quite a talk with Jere and Cia Leigh. Cia let me try her Huber Lexington banjo - I was blown away with the tone and volume coming out of that thing! I asked Cia if she would add her name to my banjo head of fame, which she gracefully did. Keith got most of the family to sign his newspaper clipping.

At 3:00 PM, we left Sheldon's house and headed to the Marathon Inn, where we were staying for the night. We had a jam session under a big old apple tree at the inn. We ended that jam at about 5:00 PM, had some supper, then headed to the school for the concert.

The talent in the Cherryhomes family is really something else; every single one of them has been granted the gift of music. Wow! What a performance they put on - just spectacular.

After the concert we had one final jam at some club, of which the name escapes me right now. We ended at 12:30 in the morning, because it was closing time. I think everyone was pretty tired anyway, I know I was.

I'm really glad all of us made the trip; the performance was well worth it.

Thanks to Becky Betts, here's a link to a few pictures of the trip.

It's Back Together

2006-07-04T00:19:00.000-03:00

I'll try to keep it short. My banjo is back together (see previous post, It's Coming Apart at the Seams, if you don't know what I'm talking about). She's lookin' pretty, and not sounding too bad either, although there is some more tweakin' to do yet.

As I was tightening the new head, I was truly amazed with the various sounds produced as I played the banjo after each adjustment, and believe me, there were many. I was going for that elusive G-sharp tuning of the head - the starting point to get that "killer tone." On my way to the G# tuning, I heard everything from dull thuds to hollow ringing sounds. One particular head tightness emphasized the sound of the finger picks striking the strings to the point where I could barely tell what note I was playing. I just couldn't believe some of the sounds I was hearing, and how such small adjustments of the head affected the tone so dramatically.

I didn't know if I was going to get the sound I was looking for or not. I wondered if I had already tightened the head past the perfect point. Then it came, after one more small adjustment. I couldn't believe how great the banjo was sounding. I truly thought it was sounding very similar to Jim Mills' banjo, and I was extremely pleased.

I took a break for supper. When I agian turned my attention to the banjo, the Jim Mills sound had disappeared into a much more dull sound than I remembered just before supper. "Oh no, how am I going to get it back?" I guess the crispness disappeared because the head was stretching, just like a new set of strings. You wouldn't think a plastic head would stretch that much, but according to Steve Huber, they do stretch.

I made several more adjustments, tightening the head a little at a time. I never did get the Jim Mills sound back, but it doesn't sound too bad. Still, I'm not 100 percent satisfied knowing there is potential for a much better sound. By tomorrow morning, another adjustment may well be in order. On the bright side, banjo heads are only $25.00 and I wouldn't hesitate to try my luck with another one, although it does take a fair bit of time and fooling around.

Well, Ive got to get to bed - I'm off to Grand Manan to see Cherryholmes tomorrow morning; make that later this morning.

It's Coming Apart at the Seams

2006-07-02T20:56:00.000-03:00

It's coming apart at the seams literally, although I didn't know it until I got brave and started dismantling my banjo. What I found was a 3 inch tear in the head. That picture to the right, well that's not proper! That's a picture of the banjo head while I'm holding it up to the light, looking out my office window. I'm not entirely sure, but I don't think I'm supposed to be able to see the trees through it!

Exactly what was it that possessesd me to rip my banjo apart? Well, I wasn't entirely happy with the tonal quality. When playing in the key of A or B-flat, I seemed to be happy, but when playing in G or B, something wasn't quite right; I just didn't like the tone it was producing. So, as mentioned above, I got brave. Now my Deering Deluxe is in a hundred pieces!

Just for a little refresher, I'm going to watch a rerun of "Killer Tone," which details proper banjo setup and maintenance according to Steve Huber. Hunny said "don't you think it would have been a good idea to watch the video before you ripped it apart?", to which I nonchalantly replied, "nonsense - I've got it covered!" Surely, she can't know what's on my mind, which is "what have I done? I've just turned a $2500.00 banjo into rubbish!" But, I'm safe - she never reads this blog, she can't read my mind, and you're not going to tell her. You're not, right?

Okay, I made most of that up. But, I think she was a little skeptical until I showed her the hard evidence. "Look Hunny, a ripped head! See? It wasn't a waste after all."

As long as the banjo is disassembled, I might just as well give it a good cleaning before I put it back together - not that it's terribly dirty. I'm going to install a new Weatherking banjo head that was presigned by Earl Scruggs, which I purchased at the Thomas Point Beach Bluegrass Festival last fall. Some of you may remember I purchased an additional banjo head while at the festival which I was fortunate enough to have Mr. Scruggs sign in person; that one is a keepsake and has many other autographs on it as well.

I have a new set of Schaller D-tuners that were given to me by a good friend and well known musician around the Saint John area, the late John Virgin. I've been talking about installing these for a while, but I've been too lazy to do it. Now seems like a good time since I'm already in banjo maintenance mode, and since I'm now working on a tune that makes use of them. To finish off this unplanned maintenance, I'll throw on a new set of strings, but that goes without saying. When I'm done, it'll be like having a brand new banjo! Maybe I'll be able to get that Jim Mills model by Huber out of my mind for a little while.

This coming Tuesday, I'm going to Grand Manan Island with some friends to see Cherryholmes in concert. I was planning on taking my banjo with me to have a jam or two, but now I'm not sure. With any luck at all, I'll be able to get it back together and sounding half decent before I go, otherwise it's staying home.

Good Practice

2006-06-25T08:48:00.000-03:00

Last night, I had one of the best practice sessions I've had in a long time. Practice sessions like these are few and far between for me, but every so often, perhaps once every 3 or 4 months, everything comes together just right. I had good tone, (imagine that, good tone from a banjo) good timing, and my fingers were very comfortable for a change. Oh, how I wish I could have more days like this. I was working on two tunes, when all of this good fortune occurred - Amanda Jewel by Ricky Skaggs and Banjo Boy Chimes by Bill Keith.

I had probably been practising for at least one and a half hours before I was politely asked if I would stop. It was after all, midnight, and the rest of my family was retiring for the evening. So, I stopped, but I didn't want to - I was on a roll! I really can't complain - my family is very supportive of my musical endeavours, especially my wife, Helen. So supportive is she, that every time I say I'd like to have a new Jim Mills model Huber banjo, (approximately $5400.00 CAD right now, with our dollar equal to .89 USD) she says "you should order one." And she is serious, she's not just saying it to make me feel good. If only I had $5400.00!

Amanda Jewel is primarily a mandolin tune that Ricky Skaggs wrote for his daughter on the occasion of her high school graduation. My son is working on the guitar breaks, and of course, I am working on the banjo parts. That leaves room for a mandolin player who likes a challenge and a fiddle player to complete the tune. Any takers?

Banjo Boy Chimes is a banjo instrumental written by Bill Keith, the mastermind behind the Keith banjo tuners with adjustable stops. Bill is a great banjo player, mostly known for his melodic style. Banjo Boy Chimes doesn't use the adjustable tuners, it's just one of those catchy tunes that makes you want to learn it, so I'm giving it a whirl.

Less is More, More or Less

2006-06-20T19:00:00.000-03:00

When music becomes noise, I can get discouraged in a hurry. This statement holds true whether I'm playing with thirty people at a jam session or with just four or five people in a private setting. Excessive volume, and sounds that don't blend in a harmonious way really gets to me; so much so, that I frequently ask myself "Why am I doing this?" I find it particularly annoying when the worst offenders turn out to be musicians whom I think should know better. Sometimes I'd rather just play along with my computer instead of with other people, and that doesn't seem right!

When playing music, there are two types of noise to consider. The first type of noise relates to the overall volume of the music, that is, how loud is it? The second type of noise is what I like to call noise pollution; it occurs when someone is playing the wrong notes or is a little out of sync with the rest of the group. Unfortunately, I am frequently guilty of contributing to noise pollution; it's an inescapable side effect of being an inexperienced musician.

Obviously, when playing music neither type of noise is desireable, but the noise that bothers me most is the excessive volume. Now, you might think this type of noise only occurs in a large group setting. Well, think again buddy! Actually, it's bewildering how much noise 3 or 4 people can make; unbelievable really.

I don't have all the answers to the noise problem, but, I've been observing musicians I play with and I believe I've gained some insight. To reduce the noise at your next jam session or practice, consider the following list I compiled as a result of my observations:

Know The Difference
In his book, So What's The Difference?, Fritz Ridenour states "To make a difference, you must know the difference." This statement is so true, and it applies to everything in life. The first thing we need to do is acknowledge there is a problem, because you can't fix a problem that you don't think exists.

I have often said of music that is being played from a CD, "that's what we should be striving for," to which I have received replies like "if we could do that, we'd all be in Nashville." Well, that may be true, but it's not an excuse for beating on your guitar haphazardly just to make a noise. I surely know that I am no pro musician - I've got a long, long way to go, and plenty to learn, but I know when something sounds bad and I realize some work is in order. The point is, to make a difference, you must know the difference. Only when you know the difference between confused clattering noise and music, can you take steps to improve.

Sit down and analyze what you are doing. Ask yourself, "what can I do to improve?"

Star of the Show Syndrome
It seems to me, one of the causes of excessive volume is that everyone wants to be the star of the show. We all want to hear ourselves front and center. A new mindset is needed here. Instead of everyone pounding on their instruments with all they've got, we should be thinking of how much better the music would sound if we laid back a bit, when appropriate, which happens to be much of the time.

Think synergy, where the interaction or cooperation of two or more musicians is combined to produce an effect greater than the sum of their separate effects. When playing in a group, it's not about you, it's about making the entire group sound good, and that means blending your instrument appropriately. Don't worry, there will be plenty of opportunities for you to shine when the time comes.

Lack of Dynamics
Dynamics refers to the difference between the softest and loudest sounds played. Sometimes an emphasized lick here and there is all it takes to "pretty up" a song and give it the required dynamics. There may be tunes where your instrument will play a very small part - there is nothing wrong with that.

Dynamics are lost when everyone is playing as loud as they can - there can be no "pretty." If you can barely hear the vocalist or your own instrument, someone, or everyone in the group is probably playing way too loud. Think about it. If you're practising with just four or five people in a circle, should the vocalist really need a microphone?

I recall being at the Rogersville Homecoming Bluegrass Festival 4 years ago when the group Lost Highway was performing. As I was walking around the festival grounds, I happened upon their camp site; they were practising under the awning of their trailer. I couldn't believe how amazing these guys sounded - five musicians in a circle, no microphones, no electronics of any sort. The vocal harmonies and the instrumentation was out of this world. It literally made the hair stand up on the back of my neck, and I don't think I'll ever forget it. Every instrument was at the exact right volume, no one was competing to be the star. The tonal quality of the instruments was outstanding. The dynamics were incredible, better than what they could capture in the studio with the best electronics and technology around. They really were that good!

The point I'm trying to make is that if you work at it, you should be able to achieve similar results, but you must recognize the problem first. Maybe you and I will never get to the level of excellence Lost Highway had shown, but we can try to achieve it by analyzing what we are doing when we play.

Not Listening To Musicians Around You
Learn to listen to the other musicians around you, you're not the only one in the group. I know, this can be difficult at times, especially when the noise is already out of control. When the noise gets out of control, you have to implement measures to fix the problem - it's not going to get better by itself.

The general rule is, if you can't hear the vocalist or jam leader, you're probably playing too loud. If everyone decreased their volume instead of increasing it, the overall volume would be decreased and you'd be closer to making music, rather than noise.

Harvey Arbo once pointed out the compensation effect to me, which I hadn't given much thought about until he shared it with me, but it makes sense if you think about it. I did a little experiment around this idea and discovered Harvey was 100% correct. It goes something like this: someone starts a tune, I'll call this person the jam leader. Everyone else at the jam joins in, and they want to hear themselves, which means everyone plays at a volume to suit themselves. Now the jam leader can't hear himself, so he steps it up a notch. In turn, this leads to all of the jam participants increasing their volume again - because they can't hear themselves. This vicious cycle continues until you've turned a piece of music into pure noise.

The compenasation effect applies not only to jam sessions, but also when playing with a group on stage or in your home. Everyone wants to hear themselves, which is understandable, but you can't let the noise get out of control.

Get on The Same Page
Everyone involved needs to be on the same page. The idea here is to have open and honest communication among all of the musicians. Do you really want to make the best sounding music you are capable of? If so, you should be able to take a suggestion or two without being offended. If you've got a suggestion for someone else, offer it in a tactful way, but, on the other hand, you shouldn't have to dance around on your tip-toes because you are afraid of hurting someone's feelings. That's where the open and honest communication comes in. Everyone should be in agreement as to the expectations.

If the bass player is continuosly playing a wrong note, it should be pointed out. That's not criticism, it's pointing out a fact. If I were the bass player, I'd want to know what I was doing wrong. If the rhythm guitar player is pushing too hard, speeding up, slowing down or playing too loud, shouldn't that be pointed out? Remember, the goal is to make music, not noise.

In my opinion, if you, or the members you are playing with can't take a suggestion without being offended or arguing about it, you have two choices:

get on the same page about what it is you are trying to accomplish as a group so that you'll be better able to deal with the suggestions
find a different group of people to play with, preferably with some members that think more along your line of reasoning. Don't be afraid to bend a little yourself, either.

Conclusion

I play a 5-string banjo, a pretty loud one at that. More often than not, when I'm playing with a group of musicians, I can barely hear the banjo. When I listen to the experiences of other musicians, I find it ironic how they always complain about how loud the banjo is at their jam sessions. My experience has been the exact opposite. I can't believe all of the other instruments can drown out the banjo. Could it be the other instruments are too loud?

At your next get-together, practice or jam session, try to keep some of the things I've talked about in the back of your mind. Better yet, put a few of the ideas into practice. I think you will find that less is more, more or less. Try it, and see if you agree.

The Good Things In Life

2006-06-09T22:54:00.000-03:00

Last Sunday, two friends and I visited at another friend’s home to learn and play some music. The whole experience was terrific. Two things I really enjoy about these small get-togethers is the cozy atmosphere they foster and the closeness you feel as friendships are strengthened.

We played a few good old standard bluegrass tunes along with a healthy measure of gospel tunes, which have always been a favourite of mine. As the day went on, I began to feel more and more at ease with myself and the friends I was with. I was thinking it’s just the four of us, and I don’t have to be perfect, so just before supper I did something I normally wouldn’t do - I decided to sing along with What Would You Give In Exchange For Your Soul? I’m not a great singer by any stretch of the imagination, but I had a lot of fun.

We were called for supper. We joined hands around the supper table as we thanked God for the food we were about to receive, and for the companionship we were enjoying. I could feel the closeness of our relationships building. Yes, this time we were spending together was definitely to be considered one of the good things in life.

After a delicious meal, we had another 45 minutes or so to play before we had to leave, as I had another commitment at 7:00 PM. We tried What Would You Give In Exchange For Your Soul? a few more times, and a couple other gospel tunes.

The next Bluegrass Friends jam session was the next day, and I was asked if I would sing along with the song we had practised quite a bit the day before. I was a little hesitant to do so in front of such a large group of people, but I was reassured I wouldn’t be making a fool of myself and I didn’t want to let my friends down, so I agreed to sing. Regardless of how it turned out, it was a good experience, and I’m glad I did it, I think.

This was a great learning experience for me, and I can only hope it was as much fun for the others as it was for me. I feel I'm making a good investment in the friendships of those involved. Indeed, it was time well spent!

Do As I Say, Not As I Do

2006-05-28T09:51:00.000-03:00

I let two whole weeks pass without picking up my banjo to practise because I just haven't been in the mood lately. Not a good idea! Last night, I decided I was back in the mood for playing. I felt like I was starting all over again!

After a few days of practice, I'm sure things will begin to shape up again, but it's hard to believe how much you can lose in a very short time. We've all heard the expression "use it or lose it," but, in just two weeks?

Do as I say, not as I did. If you play a musical instrument, try to play it every day, even if you can only find 15 minutes. If you're not in the mood, try to get in the mood.

Perhaps, if you're a seasoned pro, you can get away with skipping practice a few days. But, if you're a struggling beginner like me, my suggestion is that you'd better find time to practise every day!

Electrified Instruments in Bluegrass - The Debate Continues

2006-05-21T12:14:00.000-03:00

As many of you already know, there's been much debate about the use of electrified instruments in bluegrass music, particularly electric bass. I personally don't like it; allow me to elaborate.

For me, it's all about the sound. I recently had a discussion with a musician that has been playing music a whole lot longer than I have, and I think this person knows a lot about the business, but we had a disagreement about this topic. Said musician stated, "I don't care what anybody says, there's no difference between plugging an electric bass into an amplifier and putting a mic in front of a stand-up bass, and then plugging into an amp. Same goes for guitar, for that matter."

Well, I disagree - and not just for the sake of disagreeing, but for technical reasons. I guess you could call me a purist of sorts, and some people may even say I'm a musical snob, but I disagree with that as well. There, now you know, I'm just hard to get along with!

There's nothing like an all acoustic group with no microphones, amplifiers or sound equipment of any kind - like at a private jam in your house with a small group of people, or outside a trailer at a bluegrass festival. In these situations, you are hearing the acoustic qualities of the instruments with nothing to color the sound whatsoever. For the rest of this rant, let's make an assumption that when talking about microphones, I am talking about using high quality microphones so there will be no argument about that. In fact, let's just say the mics are as perfect as you can get.

So, here's the deal in my opinion. The biggest difference between using a microphone as opposed to a built-in pickup of some type, is the medium through which the sound vibrations are detected, or picked up. That's where I think the purist views come into play, whether the person realizes the reason or not (and I don't think a lot of them do know or think about the technical reasons).

A microphone picks up sound vibrations that travel through the air from the instrument, just like the sound waves that come out of your mouth when you speak. A pickup is picking up vibrations through another medium, for example, through the wooden bridge on a banjo or guitar. In the case of an electric bass, a varying current is produced in a coil when the string above it is moved. The signal is then amplified. This is not at all like sound waves travelling through the air. In fact, one signal is a varying current directly from the pickup while the other is a sound wave which is then converted to a current by way of the microphone. These two methods have totally different audio properties.

Transducer technology is getting better all the time, and when it gets to the point where you can't tell the difference between a mic and a pickup, I will be on board with "electrifying" the instruments, but until that happens, I will always choose the most acoustic sounding route I can - because it more closely reproduces the actual sound of the instrument in question, and therefore, sounds better (in my opinion). That's the bottom line, I want the sound of the instrument to be as pure as possible.

Now, specifically addressing the use of electric bass in bluegrass, I realize more and more bluegrass bands are travelling this route, much to the detriment of the "bluegrass sound" in my opinion. There may be many reasons for this, but the two prominent ones that I've heard are:

travelling with an upright bass is difficult because of the size of the instrument.
upright basses are generally quite expensive compared to their electric counterparts.

My response to both of these is the same - tough. Suck it up, Nancy!

To this point, I've never heard an electric bass in a bluegrass band that I liked, and I'm not just saying that to be hard to get along with. If I ever happen across one that sounds good, I'll be the first to let you know. The fact of the matter is, I can tell the difference - and I don't have to physically see the bass to help my decision along; I can hear it!

I saw The Lynn Morris Band a few years ago at Imperial Theatre in Saint John, NB. Marshall Wilborn was playing one of those electric stand-up sticks, and I'll admit, he had it sounding pretty good, but I could still hear a distinct difference in tonal quality. It was definitely the best I've ever heard for an electric bass in bluegrass.

Just recently, I saw James King in Moncton, NB, and boy was I disappointed when I saw and heard the acoustic-electric bass! I couldn't hold back - I think I cried out "what are you doing?" To be sure, I wasn't the only one disappointed - I heard lots of people grumbling about it. It's a shame really, a man that can sing his heart out like James King needs that great acoustic sound to really drive it all home.

Well, apparently some people like the sound of electrified instruments while others do not. Some people like Newgrass more than traditional Bluegrass. Is any of it wrong? I don't suppose so, we just have different tastes. I love starwberries, but I understand you hate them!

The Bluegrass Blog & The GrassCast

2006-05-21T08:22:00.000-03:00

John Lawless and Brance Gillihan author a very interesting and informative blog called The Bluegrass Blog. It's a great place to stay current with what's going on in the bluegrass world.

One of the features of the Bluegrass Blog is the GrassCast, a weekly audio podcast featuring interviews and discussions with bluegrass newsmakers from all over the world. It's a great way to learn a bit about the bluegrass artists we've all come to love.

All of the interviews are good, but one of my favourites is episode #28 with Jim Mills, one of my favourite banjo players. Why don't you head on over to the Bluegrass Blog, get up-to-date on the latest bluegrass news, and check out the GrassCast while you're there?

Note You can download the interviews as MP3 files to your own computer or listen online.

Alecia Nugent - A Little Girl...A Big Four-Lane

2006-05-20T17:42:00.000-03:00

Alecia Nugent has one awesome bluegrass voice, and one awesome country voice as well. Her latest CD, A Little Girl...A Big Four-Lane is a mixture of country and bluegrass sounds, with a heavy lean toward a country sound, not like today's country though - Alecia's sound is pure. I love this girl's voice and the CD is a fine piece of work. I think the Rounder Records web site sums it up best by stating "A Little Girl...A Big Four-Lane is acoustic country music at its most emotional, soulful, and moving. "

One of the great things about this CD is that it's all acoustic, so we get to hear instruments like the dobro, mandolin, fiddle, banjo and guitar at their best. This pure acoustic country sound I speak of may well be the very thing that gets people debating whether an artist is a bluegrass musician or a country musician.

Alecia's first CD, self titled Alecia Nugent, was also a mix of country and bluegrass sounds, but it leaned more toward the bluegrass sound whereas A Little Girl...A Big Four-Lane leans more toward a country sound. Still, there are a couple of tracks on her latest CD that are unmistakably bluegrass, and I like the CD.

Visit Alecia Nugent's web site at www.AleciaNugent.com.

Mountain Heart - Wide Open

2006-05-20T17:23:00.000-03:00

I've heard some pretty good bluegrass material from Mountain Heart in the past, but I'm quite disappointed with their latest release entitled "Wide Open." I guess it's just my narrow mindedness showing through when it comes to what I think constitutes bluegrass music.

The latest Mountain Heart CD is on the the Skaggs Family Records label, and on the Skaggs Family Records web site, it states "Better prepare yourself -- this ain't your grandpa's bluegrass -- this time out, Mountain Heart is running Wide Open." Well, I'll have to agree with that statement! In my opinion, this album is about as far away from bluegrass as you can get. Almost all of the tracks sound like they belong on an "easy listening" radio station.

Now don't get me wrong, the members af Mountain Heart are fine musicians and singers, but this album is far from bluegrass - so don't call it bluegrass! Don't take my word though, mosey on over to the Skaggs Family Records web site and give the CD a listen for yourself. Your non-bluegrass side may love it.

Note At the time of this writing, CMT had full length high quality audio samples of this CD, so you may want to check CMT as the audio quality is much better. If you decide to purchase, it's hard to beat the prices at Skaggs Family Records.

Note John Lawless interviews Mountain Heart on GrassCast episode #15 and talks about the "pop" feel of the CD. Check it out and listen to what the group has to say about the album.

Rhonda Vincent - All American Bluegrass Girl

2006-05-20T16:24:00.000-03:00

Rhonda Vincent & The Rage have done it again. Rhonda's latest CD entitled "All American Bluegrass Girl" is due to be released May 23, 2006, but thanks to CMT, I've been listening to the entire album for the past few days now.

The CD features a good mix of medium and slow tempo numbers, all performed flawlessly with her award winning band, "The Rage" and with her guest artists. I would have liked to hear a few more upbeat hard driving numbers, but there are a couple numbers that should start your feet to tapping.

The CD is definitely a keeper for bluegrass fans, and I'll be getting my copy when I see Rhonda Vincent & The Rage live at the Rogersville Homecoming Bluegrass Festival this August in Rogersville, New Brunswick, Canada. It's one of those CDs that grow on you - I find the more I listen to it, the more I like it.

As to the cover photo, from what I've read, it seems to have stirred up some controversey among bluegrassers. However, everyone that hangs out on Rhonda's message board (on her web site) seems to be raving about it, giving it the highest praise. From a bluegrass perspective, the photo doesn't speak to me at all. Fortunately, it's the talent of Rhonda Vincent and her band that keeps me coming back for more, year after year. I recommend you add this CD to your bluegrass collection.

Welcome To The Bluegrass Friends Blog

2006-05-20T15:40:00.000-03:00

Welcome to the Bluegrass Friends Blog.

This is the place where I'll post some of my thoughts relating to the Bluegrass world. You'll find news, reviews and who knows what else? Just remember this, the views expressed here are my own, and you may not agree with all of them, but that's okay. I just call it the way I see it!