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July 24, 2007 8:47 PM   Subscribe

Banjo
posted by Mblue (61 comments total) 12 users marked this as a favorite
 
Deliverance Banjo Duel!
posted by ericb at 8:57 PM on July 24, 2007


Damn, I was going to post that.
posted by Blazecock Pileon at 9:00 PM on July 24, 2007


Banjo, Kazooie
posted by Guy Smiley at 9:02 PM on July 24, 2007


Play faster!
posted by milquetoast at 9:19 PM on July 24, 2007 [2 favorites]


Love the banjo, bluegrass banjo! Fills me with joy, all that agile finger plucking goodness.

Guinness World Record fastest banjo playing.

Likeable Girl from Ipanema on Banjo.
posted by nickyskye at 9:24 PM on July 24, 2007 [2 favorites]


Hey, that Gene Sheldon clip (letter B) is great! Good old fashioned slapstick/physical comedy combined with just the right amount of instrumental virtuosity. I'd never heard of him til your post here, so thanks so much!
posted by flapjax at midnite at 9:27 PM on July 24, 2007


heart.
posted by Pants! at 9:29 PM on July 24, 2007


Scruggs, Martin, Shaffer, and friends.
And what flapjax said.
posted by weapons-grade pandemonium at 9:30 PM on July 24, 2007


Shuckin The Corn.
posted by Mblue at 9:31 PM on July 24, 2007


YeeeeeeEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEHAW!!!

I know this is a little bit of a green question, but I really need to get my hands on some music like this, and I'm most interested in old, old rootsy stuff. Anybody here know who the go-to guy or group for old-time fast picking banjo and fiddle music is?
posted by Ambrosia Voyeur at 9:31 PM on July 24, 2007


Here's Roscoe Holcomb, one of my all-time favorite old-time/mountain singers and pickers, tearing it up on Little Birdie. Go Roscoe!
posted by flapjax at midnite at 9:31 PM on July 24, 2007


I'd say ol' Roscoe's definitely the go-to guy!
posted by flapjax at midnite at 9:32 PM on July 24, 2007


Yew git one a week, jes lahk ever'un else. *Jerks thumb greenwardly*

Damn, I never get tired of BanjoFilter.
posted by Alvy Ampersand at 9:34 PM on July 24, 2007


And Clarence Ashley, another go-to guy for sure, AV...
posted by flapjax at midnite at 9:35 PM on July 24, 2007


I give Gene Sheldon, I get Roscoe Holcomb. That's a good trade.
posted by Mblue at 9:37 PM on July 24, 2007


I tell yns, my kin been in thisseer country near now a three hunnerd year, n fer any ascuse I can git my body seemsa find the way back to settle in the briar of ohiah. I kin lissin to that momus n eat all the sushi I like, readin chomsky or summat here in the bay arear. But goddammit it's jus in my breedin: fer comfort, none of it beats some biscuits, bourbon and banjo. Gits me happierna pig in shit.
posted by Ambrosia Voyeur at 10:00 PM on July 24, 2007 [3 favorites]


That Gene Sheldon clip is a real gem.

Whenever I watch some play I think of what an evil video game Banjo Hero would be.
posted by ssmith at 10:05 PM on July 24, 2007


There's other threads, AV.
posted by Mblue at 10:19 PM on July 24, 2007


You want me to take my excitement over your post elsewhere?
posted by Ambrosia Voyeur at 10:30 PM on July 24, 2007


Yes. You shouldn't crap on a thread for political, personal,(or whatever) reasons.
posted by Mblue at 10:37 PM on July 24, 2007


You're being a cynical, mistaken jerky noob. Everything I wrote is close to my heart, and in the best impression of my grandma I could muster ("yns" espeically). And I'm crying into my bourbon which I actually poured to drink while enjoying all these links. Maybe I should take my favorite and go home. :(
posted by Ambrosia Voyeur at 10:45 PM on July 24, 2007


Nah, stick around, AV.

Q: How can you tell if there's a banjo player at your door?

A: They can't find the key, the knocking speeds up, and they don't know when to come in.
posted by weapons-grade pandemonium at 10:47 PM on July 24, 2007


Yeah, uh, Mblue, I think you're way off the mark there, friend. You might wanna keep in mind that some folks (myself included) like to slip into a down-home, country-style vernacular now and again, and it may have nothing to do with poking fun or whatever. You've obviously completely misinterpreted AV's good natured comment.
posted by flapjax at midnite at 10:50 PM on July 24, 2007


I wasn't being cynical, just a mistaken jerky noob. I apologize to you and your grandma. Forgive?

So, how's California?
posted by Mblue at 10:54 PM on July 24, 2007


Don't forget The Great Flydini (there under the O)
posted by growabrain at 10:59 PM on July 24, 2007


Sure. I seem to be too nice to be believed fairly often around here.

California's great, but few here seem to share my sneaking and unexplainable affinity for all things American backwoods. I really think some of that stuff must be genetic. Hmm, another AskMe brewing.

/derail

commence bluegrass!
posted by Ambrosia Voyeur at 11:00 PM on July 24, 2007


Thanks AV, I came from the Fark exodus, so I still have the attitude. I lose it quick. You and and flapjax at midnite can step on my toes if I forget.
posted by Mblue at 11:06 PM on July 24, 2007


To the Topic at hand,
Good start, Mblue.
but please, ericb, no goddamn deliverance dueling fucking banjo's. Yah Wally./

You want dueling¿ Check the Clarence Ashley from flapjax@2400, fucking brill.

Myself, I'm liking Elliott Brood—'Oh Alberta'. This guy is wicked. President35—Elliot Brood.. Here's a swell dance, Second Son—Elliott Brood.
He's quite loose to start, but then gets going. From Western Canada.

Let's not forget Great Lake Swimmers—'Backstage With The Modern Dancers' and 'Your Rocky Spine'—Great Lake Swimmers.

I like the old school, but I like where banjo's progressed to date also.
posted by alicesshoe at 11:07 PM on July 24, 2007


Fark exodus? Did you guys have a potato famine or something?
posted by contraption at 11:18 PM on July 24, 2007 [1 favorite]


Contraption, think parting of the Red Sea. Some escaped to the far shore and were lost in the desert, we'll stumble on crumbled rocks for awhile.
posted by Mblue at 11:27 PM on July 24, 2007


All this talk of Banjo and no mention of Bela Fleck! One of the best!!
posted by pkingdesign at 11:38 PM on July 24, 2007


ok, did some more research and it sounds like more of a (thread-appropriate) Dust Bowl situation: big conglomerates moving in and strong-arming all you poor little sharecroppers. Damn shame, but I got my own problems. Might be they've got some work for you down the road at Digg or SA...

Just kidding, I hope your corn grows high here. Just keep yer damn cat macros away from our daughters.
posted by contraption at 11:41 PM on July 24, 2007 [1 favorite]


Neil Young busking at Glasgow Central Station, 1976.
posted by weapons-grade pandemonium at 11:48 PM on July 24, 2007


Cat macros? I has.........,

So, how's California? Neighborly?
posted by Mblue at 11:53 PM on July 24, 2007


Metafilter: Mistaken jerky noobs
posted by wemayfreeze at 11:54 PM on July 24, 2007


Metafilter: Honest Mistaken jerky noobs
posted by Mblue at 12:02 AM on July 25, 2007


Dock Boggs is a fantastic old player from the same era as Clarence Ashley. You can hear his stuff on the Anthology of American Folk Music.
posted by creasy boy at 12:07 AM on July 25, 2007


Speaking of Dock, here's his great "Pretty Polly" with a charming lo-fi animation accompanying.
posted by flapjax at midnite at 12:14 AM on July 25, 2007


Hey, that animation's pretty funny. Thanks.
posted by creasy boy at 12:32 AM on July 25, 2007


Just for fun...Foggy Mountain Breakdown:

G: g d g d g d g d e b e b g d g d a d a g d g d

More fun!: g b c c# e g bb g d b B# e g b b d f# a a g d g g

Even more fun! g b c C d D e g G a AA g b c C d D D e b E E d e f F g G A

(On the last line capitals are sharps.)
posted by sourwookie at 12:34 AM on July 25, 2007




Hey, sourwookie, never mind the upright bass, I wanna hear that '79 ARP Solus!
posted by flapjax at midnite at 1:06 AM on July 25, 2007


I've been doing studio work (I'm one of the rare ones that get to do that in the Midwest for a living) on that a lot lately. There should be some releases coming up soon. I'll post them.

And that is a motherfucker to use. Tuning, LFO, ADSR control of the filter, PWM of the square waves. Logistic and performance nightmares all around. Perhaps Rick Wakeman was cooler than we thought.

Just the patch construction is as much as an art as actually playing it.

The bluegrass jam is a relief in comparison.
posted by sourwookie at 1:29 AM on July 25, 2007


What that picture doesn's show is the Wurley A200 and the B3 w/Leslie 147.

Such sweet gear I wish I owned.

/but the ARP is mine.
posted by sourwookie at 1:40 AM on July 25, 2007


Wow. I come off as such a keydork but I'm really a string player.
posted by sourwookie at 1:41 AM on July 25, 2007


Heh heh. At any rate it's kinda fun that a banjo thread can veer off into synth territory!

Sorry y'all. Git on back to the banjer!
posted by flapjax at midnite at 1:47 AM on July 25, 2007


She doesn't play fast, but she plays alright. (Although I like this better.)
posted by unsupervised at 5:14 AM on July 25, 2007


Once more on Letterman, Earl Scruggs & Steve Martin doing Foggy Mountain Breakdown with even more banjos. See also Sufjan Stevens and David Eugene Edwards.

Players of all levels (plus lessons and other resources) are at banjohangout.org. You can click the jukebox, select a playing style, and enjoy hours of lesser-known but quite talented pickers and frailers.
posted by Martin E. at 5:37 AM on July 25, 2007


"you can't play a sad song on the banjo..."

twang, twa-twang twang...
"Oh death and murder and hatred and sorrow.."
twang, twang twa-twang...

posted by psmealey at 5:52 AM on July 25, 2007 [2 favorites]


thanks -- especially for including some 4 string stuff. i'm just learning to play my 1928 vegavox.
posted by Shike at 5:57 AM on July 25, 2007


Banjpwned!
posted by cortex at 6:27 AM on July 25, 2007


Banjpwned! How's that pronounced?

Ptwanged.
posted by Mblue at 6:33 AM on July 25, 2007


Hear, hear, pkingdesign. I'm not a big fan of bluegrass, but Bela's banjo in the context of jazz fusion* is pretty freakin great.

Also, for no particular reason, Bela with Steve Martin and Tony Trischka.

* "Fusion" with what?? Bluegrass maybe? No.. I dunno...
posted by LordSludge at 6:56 AM on July 25, 2007


Dying of curiosity about the Fark Exodus. Wish there were a good site that collected all the web gossip/news/history.

Ok, that said, I was sorely disappointed by the lack of variety of banjo music over on YouTube. Not much more than the the typical, small handful of tunes. So I went to the Internet Archive and hit pay dirt with this awesome old short film, narrated by a handsome, young Pete Seeger, playing banjo and clips of hillbilly life. wow. Worth checking out. It's called To Hear Your Banjo Play, 1947.

Some intelligent band is going to take the awesome banjo to the next level.
posted by nickyskye at 9:15 AM on July 25, 2007


My band! Our banjer picker's best ever was. NORTHERN OLD TIMEY FOREVER.
posted by Baby_Balrog at 10:18 AM on July 25, 2007 [1 favorite]


nickyske: I give you... Encyclopedia Dramatica!
posted by Ambrosia Voyeur at 10:26 AM on July 25, 2007 [1 favorite]


and an extra y to put in your name. here.
posted by Ambrosia Voyeur at 10:27 AM on July 25, 2007


This is the best of them thar web.

Seriously, I loved the post!
posted by puddpunk at 3:34 PM on July 25, 2007


Great thread, alls y'alls.
posted by mwhybark at 6:19 PM on July 25, 2007


Baby_Balrog, very fun band! Thanks!

Ambrosia Voyeur, thanks so much for the web gossip link. Excellent. :)
posted by nickyskye at 6:55 PM on July 25, 2007


nickyskye, than for the To Hear Your Banjo Play - it has Woody, Sonny and Brownie playing together!

Danny Barnes might be taking the banjo to the next level (though he picks, not frails, alas). He's on Internet Archive. I saw him at Midwest Banjo Camp 2007.
posted by scruss at 9:20 AM on July 28, 2007


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