July 3, 2014
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The Shining Birch Tree

I was thinking about Wade Hemsworth today. I was trying to concentrate on something else, from which my mind needed a little break, and old Wade came to the rescue. His music just kind of crept in when I wasn’t expecting it. A lot of people I know have no idea who Wade Hemsworth was, but if you played them one of his tunes, like The Blackfly Song or The Log Driver’s Waltz, they would say, oh yeah I know that tune. I grew up with that tune. Everybody knows that one.

I wasn’t thinking of either of those tunes, though. I was thinking of The Shining Birch Tree. Do you know it? I think it’s one of the greatest songs ever written in this country. How’s that for praise? Check out this little video which ends with Mr. Hemsworth and his friends The McGarrigles singing The Shining Birch Tree. The video also gives a little insight into Wade Hemsworth and his life and work.

Here’s Murray McLauchlan singing it, with the McGarrigles singing backup and Anna McGarrigle on diatonic button accordion…and with Wade Hemsworth looking on. I know I’ve posted this one before, but it’s so good it deserves a re-post.

And here is one more version, performed by Adam Miller, an autoharp player…

I love the line about old Rory Bory shiftin’ around. Perfect.

July 1, 2014
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Major/Minor

I’ve known the tune Shady Grove for a long time. It’s well known, and has been recorded a zillion times. On the banjo, this is usually played in Sawmill tuning, or “mountain modal” tuning as it is also called. Here’s a fairly typical approach to the tune (and a beautiful one too!), played by Doc Watson and the Kruger Brothers.

More recently I’ve learned about another version of Shady Grove – played in a major rather than minor scale. This version is apparenty based on a version played by the late great NC autoharp player, Kilby Snow. Here is a performance of the major scale version posted by tripharmonica on YouTube.

I’ve recently learned a similar version on clawhammer banjo. It’s a lot of fun to play.

June 30, 2014
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Canadian fiddle

On the eve of Canada Day I’d like to feature a video I’ve shared before (it’s one of my faves!) – The Old Tyme Fiddler’s Dream by Mac Beattie and his Melodiers, featuring the great Reg Hill on fiddle. Canada has a great fiddle tradition in a variety of styles including Cape Breton, Ottawa Valley, Metis and more. This one tune gives us a taste of some of Canada’s greats.

 

 

June 30, 2014
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Meet Milo

DSC06119Meet Milo. This lad was in need of a home so we’ve created a vacancy. Our house is a big change for Milo but he’s doing well. He’s getting along just fine with the other cats – but so far he’s keeping his distance from George and Memphis. They must seem like giants to him. Milo is an affectionate boy with a very steady personality. He’ll need a little time to cope with the dogs, but I think he’s going to fit into the menagerie very well.

June 29, 2014
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Roses are red….

IMG_1652We are not big rose growers. We don’t know much about them and I confess we are inattentive to their specific needs. However, one rose bush came with the house. Tuffy P cut it right back this year, and it has responded with a small number of very beautiful blooms.

June 29, 2014
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Sunday morning story and song…

I was thinking about the old cowboy song, Diamond Joe so I searched around YouTube and found this performance by Ramblin’ Jack Elliott, in which he talks about how he learned it from a cowboy at a rodeo in Brussels of all places. Jack struggles with a malfunctioning capo during this performance but nevertheless still manages to do a fine job on it. Jack Elliott has a way of squeezing all the goodness from a song.

We live in a world in which our popular music is dominated by corporations presenting young adults in their teens or twenties. They have to look the right way and dress the right way and the producers make them sound the right way to hit that mass-market demographic. One of the reasons I’m always listening to folk traditions and music that is perhaps less popular to mass audiences is that there is room for performers who don’t fit that cookie cutter, performers who aren’t so attractive, performers who are older, performers who play music that isn’t the same as most of the material you hear on the radio.

The performance I’m linking to is from 2012, back when Jack Elliott was about 80. He’s been playing music for a very very long time, mostly traveling around playing solo, telling the stories of his adventures along the way.

Here’s Diamond Joe

This tune has been around the block a few times. Here’s a bluegrass-infused version by Sam Bush.

Curiously, it isn’t the only tune called Diamond Joe. There is also an Old Time tune with the same title. Here’s Marc Nerenberg..

It’s not out of reach for a pop performer either. Bob Dylan took a stab at it in his terrible movie Masked and Anonymous…

June 26, 2014
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Banjo Practice

This is me, practicing an Old Time standard known as Lost Indian. There are lots of different versions of this one, and even some very different tunes that use the same title.

I’m playing my Bart Reiter Standard banjo in open G tuning, with a capo on the second fret – playing in the key of A.