….on banjo, I came across this video featuring the amazing Jens Kruger, which makes me seriously consider chopping up my banjo to use as kindling for a blazing accordion fire. I am so looking forward to seeing the Kruger Brothers at Hugh’s Room here in… Read More
The musical focus of this blog has shifted somewhat this year. Although it has long reflected my general interest in what I jokingly call folky-dolky music, I had been focusing on the button accordion, because that is the instrument I was playing. Somehow or another… Read More
This is an old tune, going back at least to the 1880s in America. What does cotton-eyed mean? One story is that bad moonshine cause a drinker’s eyes to turn milky white. Another story says someone is cotton-eyed if his eyes turned milky from any… Read More
Chickens a-crowin on Sourwood Mountain – Oh diddle di di diddle di do (or Hi ho diddle I day…take your pick) So many pretty girls I can’t count-em – Oh di diddle dee Diddle di do Climbing up old Sourwood Mountain – Oh diddle di… Read More
Of all the tunes in the Old Time songbook, Hell Amongst the Yearlings has to have the best title. I hadn’t known it as an Old Time tune until recently. It is also the name of a Gillian Welch album, her second from 1998. The… Read More
It’s important to me to not stop learning. Music is one activity I started really flirting with after I turned 40 and I started playing the button accordion. How hard could it be, I reasoned. There are only 31 buttons on the right side of… Read More
It’s time for a Daily Dose of Old Time banjo music. Today, let’s listen to John Brown’s Dream. I’d like to start with a video featuring Guy Wolff. Listen to him take off…fantastic! Here’s a version with a bit of a different flavour featuring Riley… Read More
I find the hardest thing about learning an instrument is keeping the songs I learn in my head. On button accordion, I’ve found I can keep the ones I play all the time in my little brain no problem, but if I stop playing one… Read More
Regular visitors to this joint know I’ve been trying to learn clawhammer banjo on my home-made oilcan banjos. Well, in a moment of madness I recently purchased an honest to god store-bought banjo. I bought it at the 12th Fret here in Toronto. I was… Read More
I’ve got the old time tune Coo Coo on my brain so let’s listen to a couple versions. I think Clarence Ashley is the performer most closely associated with this tune, but today I’d like to hear how some other players approach it. To start… Read More
27th Street 