All posts filed under: Acoustic Music

Few things are better than the sound of acoustic instruments

Good Friday 2011

Published by

It is no surprise to regular readers that one of my favorite services of the year is the Good Friday meditation at the Washington National Cathedral.  I wrote about it in 2009 and again in 2010. Candice, Claire, and I were back this year with two friends joining us for the service.  My blog must be reaching huge numbers as the St. Joseph’s chapel was packed! The music was as contemplative and haunting as ever.  Cathedral Music Director Mike McCarthy was the soloist on his arrangement of the Troparian.  Andrew’s voice teacher, Soprano Diane Atherton, sang the lovely solos that soared above the Taize chants in the vault-like setting of the chapel. We missed having Andrew with us this year, as he’d already attended two Good Friday services and we gave him the night off.  At his school’s chapel he sang a solo on the opening verse of that wonderful spiritual Were You There, and then he was off to his singing gig with St. John’s Lafayette Square for their noon day service. I don’t …

Live at BWI

Published by

Every now and then there are advantages to getting on a plane once a week.  Tonight I experienced one of them. I am a fan of guitarist Muriel Anderson.  You’ve got to love a classical guitarist whose first influence was Doc Watson!  She can play anything…from classical to jazz to bluegrass. So I was pleased and surprised when I saw on her Facebook page earlier this week that she would be playing something called BWI Live. At BWI Airport.   In Baltimore.  Among the baggage carousels and Hudson Books.  On April 7th.  The night I was returning from a day trip to Cleveland.  Through BWI! So in the midst of a very busy day, week, month, season – you name it – I had a sublime evening sitting in the aforementioned baggage claim area listening to beautiful music with ten or fifteen other guitar aficionados.  Muriel Anderson shut out the noise of passing travelers, the cleaning staff, and God knows what else to showcase music from her most recent CD New World Flamenco and other …

Play Ball!

Published by

My iPod is a genius.  It always knows my moods. Today, as I was unlocking my office door and finishing up the commute to work, what do you think came on the iPod (in shuffle mode, of course)?  Why, none other than Wayne Henderson playing Take Me Out to the Ballgame. Opening Day!  What could be more perfect!! Wayne is a die-hard Red Sox fan, and I’ve included a photo I took of him at Merlefest a couple of years ago to prove it.  If you don’t know about Wayne, check out the book Clapton’s Guitar. I’ve also attached the video of Wayne playing Take Me Out to the Ballgame for all those fans supporting teams today where hope springs eternal.  Go Nats! Enjoy. More to come… DJB

Nashville Skyline Rag

Published by

The third installment of my “Music Fit to a T” series of songs honoring Tennessee doesn’t technically have the state’s name in its title. But it is my series, so who’s quibbling. Since my daughter Claire and I are heading to Nashville this week, I thought I’d include Nashville Skyline Rag as the third song in my tribute. The original came from Bob Dylan’s Nashville Skyline, but I primarily remember the song as the opening tune to every Earl Scruggs Revue show I saw in the 1970s (and I saw several).  I liked it so much that my high school and college bluegrass band also played a version of Nashville Skyline Rag. Given that this has become known as a banjo tune, it is fitting that I’m featuring a video with banjo pioneer Tony Trischka and the Czech bluegrass band (yes, you read that right) Druhá Tráva. So here’s a little Nashville Skyline Rag to celebrate Tennessee.  Enjoy. More to come… DJB

The Brand New Tennessee Waltz

Published by

Jesse Winchester wrote The Brand New Tennessee Waltz for his first album, released in 1970 while still living in exile in Canada where he had moved to avoid the draft.  He wasn’t able to tour in the US until much later in the decade and isn’t as well-known as some other singer-songwriters. The Brand New Tennessee Waltz — the next edition of my “Music fit to a T” series — is a sad yet lovely song. Oh my, but you have a pretty faceYou favor I girl that I knewI imagine that she’s back in Tennessee And by God, I should be there tooI’ve a sadness too sad to be true But I left Tennessee in a hurry dearIn same way that I’m leaving you Because love is mainly just memoriesAnd everyone’s got him a fewSo when I’m gone I’ll be glad to love you Chorus: At the Brand New Tennessee WaltzYou’re literally waltzing on airAt the Brand New Tennessee WaltzThere’s no telling who will be there When I leave it will be like I …

Tennessee Plates – Music Fit to a T

Published by

I’ve been thinking about Tennessee recently, as both Claire and I head there next week.  Claire’s high school choir is in Nashville for a series of concerts, and I’m heading to town later in the week for work and then to connect with Claire.  We’ll end the week with a short visit with family. With all that on my mind, it was appropriate that John Hiatt’s Tennessee Plates came on the iPod as I was heading over to school to pick up Andrew tonight.  I get a big kick out of John Hiatt, and I love this song. The original video I posted was a terrific acoustic version, but it has since been removed, so I encourage you to check out the version from the album.  To keep the good feelings going, I’ll make this the first in a series of “Tennessee” songs over the next few days.  I have a Facebook friend who is posting a series of videos entitled “Music in the Key of Joe” (as all the artists are named Joe).  So …

We’re not dead yet!

Published by

Cynics (or my children) looking at last evening’s twin bill at the beautiful Strathmore Music Hall would be tempted to title the show, “We’re Not Dead Yet!”  In response, the current edition of the Seldom Scene (one original member) and the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band (with a whopping three of the five original members) could respond with the same motto:  We may be older than dirt, but we can still fill a concert hall! The Scene (photo at the top of the post) played first, with mandolinist extraordinaire Jimmy Goodreau sitting in on a half-day’s notice for the ailing Lou Reed.  This isn’t your father’s Seldom Scene…the vocals don’t match those of Starling and Duffey, and no one can play those Dobro licks like Mike Auldridge…but this is still a good bluegrass band.  Dudley Connell is an expressive lead singer, Ronnie Simpkins — who along with Goodreau was a long-time member of the Tony Rice Unit — can play bass with the best of them, and 70-year-old Ben Eldridge provides the link to the original …

The Steeldrivers: Rockin’ the Rams Head

Published by

Last Thursday evening, Candice and I made the trek to the Rams Head Tavern in Annapolis to catch The Steeldrivers – one of the more innovative and energetic bands in bluegrass today.  It was my introduction to their live music and we weren’t disappointed. First of all, this is not your father’s bluegrass.  There are equal parts Nashville, soul, bluegrass, great songwriting, and strong instrumental chops.  I’ve seen Tammy Rogers when she played with Patty Loveless, but her work with the Steeldrivers goes to another level.  On Thursday, she gave the band the energy that had the crowd roaring from the opening notes.  Banjo player Richard Bailey was understated but beyond solid, Gary Nichols has a terrific voice out of the Muscle Shoals tradition and bassist Mike Flemming provided the band’s foundation  both instrumentally and vocally.  I especially liked the addition of Mike Henderson’s metal body National guitar, with the slide taking the place of the more traditional bluegrass Dobro.  A great sound. The real surprise for me was that the songwriting of this band …

Old-Time for the New Year

Published by

The coming of the New Year is always a time to look back and look ahead.  I’ve done both the past couple of days as I’ve enjoyed seeing some new video of the “progressive” old-time banjo work of my buddy John Balch. John and I played together in high school and college under a couple of band names – the best one being The Fiery Gizzard String Band (which we used about 20 years before another band from the area took it up).  The name comes from a beautiful and wild area in the South Cumberland region of Tennessee that I’m pleased to say has recently been saved by my friends at the Land Trust for Tennessee (winners of a 2010 National Trust for Historic Preservation Honor Award). But I digress.  I’m talking about new style old-time music. John is a terrific clawhammer banjo player, with two stellar CDs out under his own name.  Clawhammer is known as an old-time style, but John’s music sounds as fresh and current as anything coming out in the …

Running Dog Guitar Ought-3

Fretboard Journal: The 20th Issue

Published by

The 20th issue of The Fretboard Journal showed up in my mailbox a couple of weeks ago.  Any time a big package shows up in the mailbox these days, the kids get excited as they wait to hear back on their applications to college.  But I’m the one who shouts for  joy when I see the package that turns out to be my favorite magazine. I’m glad to see The Fretboard Journal make it to 20 issues, as I wasn’t sure they could sustain this model.  But the editors keep putting out the best guitar porn on the planet, with stories about both players and builders. Readers who like North Carolina’s Avett Brothers will want to check out this issue.  As always, there are great introductions to builders and players I’ve never heard of (see the Joe Veillette article and his beautiful creations).   I enjoyed a Bobby Long piece about how Dylan’s Gibson J-200 on the front of Nashville Skyline (see photo at the top of the post) inspired a life-long passion.  Paul Mehling, founder …