Greg Brown after work

Music: Greg Brown on shuffle- current tune: “Let me be your Gigolo”

I started singing “Just a bum” in my head while standing on the t. I came home, took out my banjo and listened to the song. No, people, I did not play the song on the banjo. First off, it’s not a banjo song and second, I can’t play songs yet. Just rolls.

Greg Brown sure does sooth my soul. Deep and raspy. Drawn out and low. Poetic and prophetic. Everything you need to hear at the end of the day. Sometimes it’s a toss up- folk or bluegrass. My soul will always be twangy, but my heart has room for all music that touches me.

Final song: and I did not plan this- Banjo Moon ( live) – Is somebody trying to tell me something or what?

Well folks, I got to cut this short. I have contra dancing obligations. I never thought I would be saying this, but I would rather stay here and play my banjo.

Maybe I will expound on more things musical later if I’m not too tired.

Jake and Taylor Armerding Tearing Up The Cantab Tonight!

My latest shameless plug. Come to the Cantab tonight (2-20) for Jake and Taylor Armerding.

If you’ve just been to Joe Val and saw Taylor perform with Bluegrass Gospel Project, then you won’t want to miss Taylor playing with his son tonight. What makes Taylor Armerding so amazing is that he can play bluegrass gospel over the weekend and bluegrass versions of 80’s pop the following Tuesday. If you didn’t go to Joe Val and live in the area, then you definitely won’t want to miss tonight’s show.

Jake is a star in his own light. He also writes some of the best newsletters around.
This is what he said about tonight’s show:

Tuesday, February 20
Cantab Lounge, Central Square, Cambridge, MA. By now, most Bostonians know the best ‘grass in town is at the Cantab every Tuesday night. We’ll be jamming on our usual fusion of trad grass, originals, and eighties pop. (This week, we turn to those beloved synthesizer cowboys, Genesis.) With Taylor Armerding, Zack Hickman, Neil Cleary and Wes Corbett. 10pm, free ($5 donation suggested).

Jake is an excellent musican with a penchant for telling great stories as well. The musicans with him tonight are also stellar. I try to see Jake every time he plays around here and am never let down.

Banjo Roll

Music: Danny Barnes on shuffle. ( one of my modern banjo heroes)

And the winner is ME…
I won a banjo over the weekend at the Joe Val Bluegrass Festival. For five dollars I supported the bluegrass academy and got to start a new hobby. If you were at the festival and stuck around through Sunday, I hope you saw the kids academy perform. I always find this part of the festival inspiring. There is a future for bluegrass. It’s nice to kids up there playing traditional music. I’m partial to the old stuff.

For a picture of the banjo I won, click here

( I did not get the gear bag, but I did get a nifty four sided banjo shaped cardboard box- possible pic of box to come- it’s way cool) I think I will have to fork over the money for the gear bag eventually though)

I’ve been going to the Joe Val Bluegrass Festival for four years. Ever since the first time, I’ve been trying to win a banjo. I’ve tried to win instruments at Joe Val, Grey Fox, Strawberry Park, and Podunk.

This year, Joe Val smiled down on me and I won.
Laurie Lewis drew the winning entry.

I sat in the audience as they pronounced my last name wrong, corrected them, and basically went into shock. I was stunned, over whelmed and completely besides myself. I walked to the back to see if I heard right, but I knew I did. The nice man took me to the green room where somebody else took my picture as I held my new acquired banjo ( Did I mention I’ve wanted to own one of these for four years?) It was all a bit too much to handle so I said I would pick it up later and went back to listen to No Speed Limit. I couldn’t sit still so I joined the dancers on the wooden area in the back. When I told people I was the gal who had won the banjo they were so nice. Gotta love those bluegrass fans.

I’ve played instruments in the past ( badly) . Piano and clarinet, in that order, but I’ve never played a string instrument before. My fingers and brain need to learn a whole new language. This is what I do know. My banjo is in the key of G. The emphasis goes on the thumb. My banjo is openback.

These are some facts about my banjo that were written on the attached tag:

Easy to tote- only 4 lbs!

This is good because I don’t want to lug around something heavy. At this point I’m wondering where I might be lugging it to. Up and down the stairs of my apartment? To a lesson ( when I can afford them)?

Ideal for beginners, traveling, & hiking

Hmmm…beginners? sure, that’s me. Traveling, OK, say I take it to my grandmother’s or parents, or slow jam session ( guess I need to learn to play songs first), Hiking? Right, I’m going to take my banjo hiking. Like a traveling troubadeur? Like an appalachian story teller?- She travelled through the woods playing songs and entertaining small animals.

Durable and reliable

Like most things in life should be.

So twangy people, I could write about this all day but then it would never get posted. I want to thank the BBU and all the volunteers for the time and effort they put into the festival. Well done!

Much thanks also to all the people who gave me advice on what to with the banjo after I won.

On to practicing my rolls and maybe learn a few songs. Next year, I’ll be jamming in the halls!

Damn, I’m just too excited. Now if only the luck of winning, would spill over into my job search.

Joe Val Festival Day 1

Friday Feb 16, 2007 2:32 am ( this will be brief with maybe a more detailed update of some things later- very tired)

I arrived and hour and half later than planned as I had to remove a thick layer of ice from the top and front windshield, and hood of my car. I heard stories of people who forgot to remove the snow from the top of thier cars causing all sorts of projectories on interstates. I was not going to be one of those people.

The plan was to arrive for a banjo bootcamp to learn the basics of the instrument.
They had loaner banjos. I didn’t make it to the bootcamp but a friend who did showed me what he learned. Now I can do a forward roll. Trouble is, I have no banjo to practice on.

I got to the main hall in time to see Frank Drake’s Short Life of Trouble. I was impressed. The music had an old timey feel. This band also plays a regular gospel brunch at the Plough and Stars every Sunday.

Next up was Buddy Merriam and Backroads- they were excellent as well.

Then I heard The Gibson Brothers. Since seeing them last they seem to have aquired more members to thier band, none of them being brothers, except for the original two. The Gibson Brothers sound has gotten bigger and more polished. Before they sounded more folky, tonight they sounded more bluegrassy. I prefer Bluegrassy, which brings me to the last band ( or not)

Chris Thile and How to Grow a Band. The musicans in this band are of high quality, but I have to say that they are not a bluegrass band and the end of the first night of a bluegrass festival I want to hear bluegrass.
More later. did I mention how tired I was?

Can’t get away

I thought I could get away from the music for just one day. I started off the day in a bookish mood and even went to a book signing in the evening. I even thought I might post something on the other blog about books and how much I remembered how I loved them. Had every intention of coming home and reading till I fell asleep, but then I checked my email and here I am again. Maybe I love the music more. I’ve been searching for bands on myspace and listening to the songs that pop up. Guess what? Bluegrass music gets into me so much that I can’t do anything else while listening to it. Well, nothing that requires any concentration anyway.

So this was a bit of a ramble, but I kind of felt like sharing. More later. What did I do with that book?