MetaFilter posts tagged with banjo

Go, Eddie, go!

flapjax at midnite — Sat, 15 Jun 2013 06:42:19 -0800

See string svengali Eddie Peabody drive three count 'em THREE ladies crazy with his smooth-as-silk strumming on three count 'em THREE exotic instruments: Strum Fun, for sure! And not only was ol' Eddie a suave lady's man, he was surely one of the best violinists (when it comes to bird calls, anyway) of his day! And what say we drop in and watch the wild and crazy guy strutting his stuff, doing a bit of crooning, banjo picking, toy-violin sawing and who knows what else, with His College Chums. We'll close it out with Eddie and the Beachcombers, as the irrepressible picker and grinner demonstrates some newfangled *electrified* instruments! Thanks, Eddie, and keep on plucking, baby!

Smooth pickin' and sweet harmonizin'

flapjax at midnite — Tue, 02 Apr 2013 08:49:45 -0800

Friends, neighbors, let's drop in on ol' Don Reno, Red Smiley and the Tennessee Cut Ups for a heapin' helpin' of some of that good old time country/bluegrass goodness, shall we? What say we kick it off with their fine rendition of Love Please Come Home? Mmm-MMM, so satisfying! You know, the boys had their own lil' ol' TV show, too, brought to you by the fine folks over at your local Kroger grocery store, and I'll just bet you'd like to watch the pilot episode, now, wouldn't you? Well, here's Part one, and there's... The Don Reno - Red Smiley Show pilot: Part two ("let's go Krogering!") Part three Part four 1957 Earliest Known Footage I'm Using My Bible For A Roadmap There's Another Baby Waiting For Me Down The Line ("the tie that BIII-IIIIINDS!") I'm Talk Of The Town I Know You're Married But I Love You Still Some Beautiful Day I Wouldn't Change You If I Could

The first rule of Banjo Club

rebent — Tue, 08 Jan 2013 19:06:24 -0800

In the Banjo Club by Ewan Wardrop

"Is it fair to say you just weren't made for these times, Frank?" "Is it? Uh, I dunno. I think everything's just as it should be."

Rory Marinich — Sun, 02 Dec 2012 06:45:59 -0800

Frank Fairfield is a folk musician who feels like he came fresh out of another century. He plays banjo (The Winding Spring & Nine Pound Hammer and Cumberland Gap), guitar (Call Me A Dog When I'm Gone and Bye, Bye, My Eva, Bye, Bye), and fiddle (Rye Whiskey and Poor Old Lance [with quartet], which is the piece that introduced me to him).

Grandpa Jones

flapjax at midnite — Sat, 20 Oct 2012 07:23:18 -0800

He won't win any accolades for subtlety or refinement, perhaps, but he was a beloved entertainer who stomped his feet and threw himself wholeheartedly (and very, very energetically) into every tune he ever performed, from the early days of country radio to the Grand Ole Opry to television's Hee Haw series. I'm talking about Louis Marshall "Grandpa" Jones. Today's his birthday, so why not drop in on some of the Grandpa performances on offer at ye olde YouTubes, such as Good Old Mountain Dew, Night Train To Memphis, Are You From Dixie or The Kickin' Mule. When he wasn't hamming it up for the camera, though, his vocal performances were often much more varied and accomplished. Check out, for example, his delivery and vivacious yodeling on T For Texas. And here he turns in a solid, honest version of the great Merle Travis classic, Dark As a Dungeon Grandpa Jones was, you might say, cut from the same cloth as banjo-plucking hillbilly novelty act Stringbean and the two men were very close friends Interestingly, Jones's testimony at the trial of Stringbean's killer proved crucial in delivering a guilty verdict. Here's Jones's tribute to Stringbean. Grandpa Jones previously.

Octo-nom

zippy — Mon, 01 Oct 2012 15:18:51 -0800

Thieving octopus (SLVimeo, warning: banjo)

Banjo Underground

mannequito — Sun, 16 Sep 2012 18:50:10 -0800

I Was Climbin The Stairs At Machu Picchu / Found My Cellphone And Tried To Reach You. Chester, Nova Scotia's Old Man Luedecke does what he does best: strums a banjo and tells some wandering stories, live at Toronto's Great Hall. Also in his backyard. On his davenport. In the bathtub. Sometimes he does covers. Sometimes he makes them more interesting by translating them into a language he doesn't speak.

We'll be having cake and ice cream when she comes.

luriete — Mon, 30 Jul 2012 12:54:48 -0800

Like many other great American folk songs, She’ll be Comin’ Round the Mountain reaches us through the filter of both religious and secular movements. The music underneath the words has its original genesis in a spiritual sung originally by slaves and later popularized in the black churches of the south; the lyrics we know today – the version which came into the larger cultural vernacular and which spawned various children’s versions – was, originally, a protest song. At the very beginning – Wikipedia tells us the song initially surfaced in the 1880s – “she” was the chariot the returned Christ drives. The score was published as part of an article by William E. Barton (a minister, prolific author, and authority on the life of Abraham Lincoln), in the New England Magazine, in 1899: O, who will drive the chariot When she comes? (x2) O, who will drive the chariot (x3) When she comes? King Jesus, he'll be driver when she comes, When she comes… She'll be loaded with bright Angels When she comes… She will neither rock nor totter, When she comes… She will run so level and steady, When she comes… She will take us to the portals, When she comes… But then, like most folk music, the song left the realm of the spiritual and, with its new popularity, became social commentary, or at least the rallying cry of a social movement (and today it's even more popular principally as a children’s song). In some incarnations, it didn't look much like social commentary, nor did it bear any resemblance to its field chant or spiritual precursor. Carl Sandburg included the song in his American Songbag in 1927, and wrote that he believed the now-updated lyrics – which quickly became popular in the late teens and early twenties, just a few years after the titular event(s) – were about Mary Harris ”Mother” Jones promoting unionization among the coal miners of Appalachia, and this is accepted today as the song's truest narrative. She’ll be coming round the mountain when she comes (x2) She’ll be coming round the mountain (x3) when she comes She’ll be driving six white horses when she comes… Oh, We’ll all go out to meet her when she comes… She’ll be wearing red pajamas when she comes… She’ll have to sleep with Grandma when she comes… We’ll be singing Hallelujah when she comes… We will kill the old red rooster when she comes… We will all have chicken and dumplings when she comes… Its politicization doesn’t end with Mother Jones, though; watch and listen to this Neil Young & Crazy Horse version, which pairs the lyrics with and contrasts their message to footage from Birth of a Nation. I was a latter-day red-diaper baby, born to grad students at Cal in 1970; songs like this (most often probably sung by this guy) were part and parcel of my childhood. Now that I am a parent, this and other traditional American folksongs are enjoying a revival in my home: my four-year-old constantly asks for me to sing her “round the mountain,” the song I calmed her with every night when she was first brought home from Korea at 9 months of age and was inconsolable and scared. We sing it together now, and if you don't already sing it with the young people in your life, I advise you to add this (and many of the other songs in Songbag and Pete Seeger's own catalog, several of which deserve their own post) to your repertoire.

Just What I Needed

escabeche — Sun, 29 Jul 2012 20:39:05 -0800

This is a single-link YouTube post in which the Freebadge Serenaders, a "discount jazz" duo from Sacramento, play the Cars' classic "Just What I Needed" on washboard, cowbell, banjo, and kazoo, live on local NBC affiliate KCRA. That is all it is.

Who Will Sing for Me? Earl Scruggs

spock — Wed, 28 Mar 2012 17:19:21 -0800

Earlier this year, Steve Martin penned a loving tribute to Earl Scruggs, published in New Yorker. "Some nights he had the stars of North Carolina shooting from his fingertips. Before him, no one had ever played the banjo like he did. After him, everyone played the banjo like he did, or at least tried." A few minutes ago, Steve Martin offered a rare somber tweet: "Earl Scruggs, the most important banjo player who ever lived, has passed on." One could do worse than spend some time watching and listening to Earl Scruggs perform.

RL in '78, TJ in '83

flapjax at midnite — Thu, 15 Mar 2012 04:56:41 -0800

Oh yeah. There he is, Mr. RL Burnside, in the year of nineteen and seventy eight, Independence, Mississippi, porch fulla kids, singin' about when his first wife left him, million-dollar smile on his face. And there he is again, with his guitar and amp, out by the barb wire fence, a poor boy a long way from home. These two little gems just added to the Alan Lomax Archive YouTube channel, where you'll also find some wonderful newly-uploaded clips (filmed in 1983) from fretless banjo plucker Tommy Jarrell, the toast of Toast, North Carolina.

Joe Thompson, American musician, RIP

flapjax at midnite — Fri, 24 Feb 2012 18:33:01 -0800

African-American fiddler Joe Thompson, probably the last living link to the black string band tradition of the 19th century, has died at the grand old age of 93. Hear Joe and his cousin, banjoist Odell (who passed on back in 1994) offer some reminiscences on the origins of their music, and a spirited rendition of Cindy Gal. Here's the short but sweet and deliciously ragged Old Corn Liquor. Hear Joe and Odell in concert in 1988, part one and part two, and this little ditty from a living room in 1987. And there's... Here's a little more on Joe and Odell Thompson from Folkstreams. Also at Folkstreams, Joe and Odell appear in the excellent Alan Lomax-produced film Appalachian Journey (at 26:22). Joe was an early mentor to North Carolina's popular roots music band the Carolina Chocolate Drops. Finally, here's Joe's offering of the old spiritual I Shall Not Be Moved. No fiddling here, just Joe singing, displaying the kind of unaffected, powerfully simple vocal delivery that can't help but take you back to a bygone era of musical honesty.

How is Banjo made?

scruss — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 19:37:45 -0800

Bill Rickard makes banjos. (SLVimeo) Part of Craig “frailin” Evans's Banjo Builder Interviews documentary series.

Sleepy Man Banjoy Boys: not at all like the Jonas Brothers

filthy light thief — Wed, 20 Jul 2011 08:22:16 -0800

Let me introduce you to the Sleepy Man Banjo Boys, fans of the Earl Scruggs style and sound. Don't be fooled by their name or their youth, as they have two speeds: fast and faster. Their name comes from their youngest member, Jonny Mizzone, who often played the banjo on a bed. Though their website is thin at the moment, they have more clips in their YouTube collection.

Jubilation Day

hippybear — Mon, 13 Jun 2011 18:56:03 -0800

Steve Martin and the Steep Canyon Rangers prove that music videos are truly for the birds.

"I just don't know what the limit is!" - Earl Scruggs

Kattullus — Fri, 28 Jan 2011 07:39:43 -0800

In 1969 banjo virtuoso and bluegrass innovator Earl Scruggs parted ways with his longtime musical partner Lester Flatt and the band they led to great popularity and acclaim, The Foggy Mountain Boys. Scruggs wanted to push his musical gifts as far as they could go. In 1970 he was the subject of a PBS documentary where he played with artists such as Bob Dylan, Doc Watson, The Morris Brothers, The Byrds, Charlie Daniels, Bill Monroe, Joan Baez, various friends and family members, and even records a track accompanying a Moog. You can watch the whole thing online: Earl Scruggs, His Family and Friends.

an old song, and some new thoughts on it

flapjax at midnite — Tue, 21 Dec 2010 17:44:09 -0800

When you see a song from 1924 called "Keep My Skillet Good and Greasy", you just wanna hear it, right? Then, maybe, read some contemporary observations on it. Uncle Dave Macon Wikipedia.

Wild Turkey Music

The Whelk — Sun, 04 Jul 2010 06:14:37 -0800

In the late 90s EMI's Songbook Series released an album, "Where Were You When The Fun Stopped" with tracks chosen by author Hunter S. Thompson along with detailed liner notes. Since you can't get the cool notes or photos, why not enjoy Hunter's country and folk flavored taste at your July 4th revelry of choice? Ballad of Thunder Road - Robert Mitchum : I Smell A Rat - ~~Howlin' Wolf~~ Big Momma Thornton : Spirit In The Sky - Norman Greenbaum : The Hula-Hula Boys - Warren Zevon : Maggie May - Rod Stewart : The Wild Side of Life / It Wasn't God Who Made Honky Tonk Angels - Hank Thompson feat. Kitty Wells & Tanya Tucker : Will The Circle Be Unbroken - Nitty Gritty Dirt Band : Mr Tambourine Man - Bob Dylan : Walk On The Wild Side - Lou Reed : If I Had A Boat - Lyle Lovett : Stars On The Water - Rodney Crowell : Carmelita - ~~Flaco Jiminez~~ feat. Dwight Yoakam : Why Don't We Get Drunk - Jimmy Buffett : American Pie - Don McClean : White Rabbit - Jefferson Airplane : The Weight - The Band : Melissa - The Allman Brothers Band : Battle Hymn of the Republic - Herbie Mann (cover) Bonus Patriotism - Judy Garland And The Battle Hymn Of The Republic

entertainment for the impecunious

scruss — Wed, 02 Jun 2010 19:53:37 -0800

Julia Kotowski, otherwise known as entertainment for the braindead, has released several rather good albums under a Creative Commons licence: Hypersomnia, Hydrophobia, Seven (+1), Raw Timber and the banjo-heavy Roadkill.

"I'm a huntin' that man who first thought up Daylight Savings Time"

hiteleven — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 21:11:54 -0800

Still reeling from losing that hour of sleep Saturday night? Check out this catchy old country tune from old-time banjo-playing sensation Louis Marshall "Grandpa" Jones in which Grandpa rants about Daylight Savings Time. I found this track while looking for stuff to sample and couldn't resist posting it here. It's the first track on the playlist, if you can't find it.

Someone who once had a lot of free time # 12 & 34: Brian's huge chordlist collection

y2karl — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 11:50:36 -0800

I had this concept--after a strange dream, while scoping out the I Dreamed I Saw st. Augustine tab in my just-in-case-it-disappears downloaded dylanchords, of ...St. Augustine as a slow moody slide in Open D ala Blind Texas Marlin. But then I got to wondering whether someone might have a chord dictionary online where a few variations on a first position B Minor in Open D might be found. Voila! Achtung, Baby! Behold Brian's huge chordlist collection. Oh, man, he's got your standard and open tunings on guitar plus mandolin, uke, banjos, bouzouki, pipa and lute. A living room guitarist's must have, no doubt, although a few more open tunings for pipa would have been nice... I keed, I keed on that last there, of course... But last night, I actually did dream that I was riding the bus and hanging with the Bobster himself (my first celebrity dream in near a decade, too! Whoo hoo!) and feeling a great deal of diffidence in his presence. Especially when we were in that faded millionare's row there, with a few half size tyrannosaurs stalking the grounds of the mansion next door. All the while talking to various cats who flopped over on the sidewalk when we passed. This is what I get for not leaving the radio on with the BBC Overnight on. Instead the usual round the clock Siberian methane release global warming nightmare, I get downsized purple striped tyrannosaurs and B. Dylan. Well, it was a step up of sorts but, man, was he cranky... Anyhow and all the same, I'll let you be in my dream if you blah blah woof woof in your dream. And whatever, all the same etc. --Brian's huge chordlist collection is no doubt quite possibly an asset for the 82nd Couchborne living room geetar players virtual legion and, hence, therefore best of the web. And who knows who, what, when, where else rates such an encomium ? Christmas in the Heart already tabbed, perhaps ? Man, talk about OCD completist detailing, though...

The Beast of the Long-Neck Banjo

scruss — Sun, 28 Jun 2009 13:07:27 -0800

Billy Faier got tired of burning copies of his long-out-of-print albums, and is giving them away: The Art of the Five String Banjo (1957), Travelin' Man (1958), The Beast of Billy Faier (1964), Banjo (1973) and Banjoes, Birdsong and Mother Earth (1987). Faier discovered banjo in Washington Square in the late 1940s, transcribed Pete Seeger's intricate Goofing-off Suite (which you might know better as this movie theme) and gave John Sebastian his first paid recording gig. Banjo, recorded for John Fahey's Takoma Records, is on a different planet from the squeaky-clean folk recordings Faier made in the 1950s.

Folk Music from 1947

RussHy — Sat, 23 May 2009 09:57:24 -0800

To Hear Your Banjo Play is a documentary by Alan Lomax from 1947. It is narrated by Pete Seeger and features Woody Guthrie, Sonny Terry, and Brownie McGhee among others.

S.S. Stewart’s banjo and guitar journal.

OmieWise — Mon, 20 Apr 2009 05:05:40 -0800

"Miss Annie Oakley sends us a note from London, England, Sept. 21 [1887], 'Your little banjo you made for me (The American Princess) has attracted considerable attention here and given satisfaction.'"
S.S. Stewart, one of the premier American banjo makers of the last decades of the 19th century, also published a newsletter filled with bombast, testimonials, and banjo sheet music. You can see some of Stewart's banjos at Bill's Banjos. You can also read Stewart's banjo novel Black Hercules, or The adventures of a banjo player.

Mountain Bluegrass

netbros — Sun, 08 Mar 2009 08:51:57 -0800

Music in the Digital Library of Appalachia provides an unprecedented resource for study of repertoire, technique, lore, and the musical interchanges among the region's traditional musicians. Once you know what you like, it's easy to find the music live with Blue Ridge Music Trails. Meet musicians who have grown up with that music, visit settings in which Blue Ridge folk music thrives, see traditional dancing, and in many cases, take part in the festivities. The Crooked Road, Virginia’s Heritage Music Trail, winds through the mountains of Southwest Virginia. Along the trail, the Bluegrass, Old Time, and Traditional Country music is as beautiful and rugged as the landscape itself. [previous 1, 2]