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September 2010

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Callous Thumb, September 2010, Banjo Newsletter
By Donald Nitchie

Recordings: One of our favorite newgrass groups, Monogram from the Czech Republic (with the terrific Jaromir Jahoda on banjo), has a new recording out, "Hit The Road." Check out a video of the hot title song at Hit The Road on YouTube.

Rounder released "Summertime Road," with Jack Hicks on banjo, this past March, and over the summer it has grown on me. Hicks played with Bill Monroe for many years, and on this satisfying traditional-sounding bluegrass record, with strong vocals and original material, his playing stands out for its smoothness, clarity and inventiveness. (Hicks has subsequently left the band, and has been replaced on banjo by Elmer Burchett.) Listen to selections at www.rounder.com, or "I'll Break Out Again Tonight" on YouTube

The Old Time Band consists of Wayne Shrubsall on banjo, with Peter Feldmann and Bruce Thompson, and their recording, "Down By the Brazos" includes fiddle tunes like Katy Hill, the Flatt & Scruggs classic Hot Corn, Cold Corn, along with blues, novelty songs (Some Old Bug), and more. You can hear selections at The Old Time Band, and a video on YouTube

Gusto has released "At His Best: Bending the Strings" by Allen Shelton, with 10 instrumentals, including the title cut, Whispering, Under the Double Eagle, etc. Here he is playing Bending the Strings from 1988.

Old-Time: I really like the solid Round Peak sound of the trio Back-Step, on their 2008 recording "Rise and Bloom Again." Kelley Brieding plays banjo and sings; you can hear them on their MySpace Page, where they stream Reuben’s Train, Forked Deer, and my favorite, Susanna Gal. Watch Susanannah Gal on YouTube. Back-Step has won prizes at Mount Airy and Fiddler’s Grove, and I can hear why.

Pinecone has released "Going Down to Raleigh: Stringband Music in the North Carolina Piedmont, 1976–1998." This two-CD set consists of field recordings with Joe and Odell Thompson, Marvin Gaster, A.C. Overton, and many more. www.pinecone.org

Events: The American Banjo Fraternity’s Fall Rally will be held Oct. 21-23. Go to www.banjofraternity.org/. A banjo workshop with Alan Munde will be held in Northern Virginia on Oct. 23, along with a concert. Call (703) 522-1696 or e-mail banjodaddy@hotmail.com.

Products: The Banjo Flyaway Finger is a device purported to train your fingers to stay close to the strings for speed and timing. Visit www.flyawayfinger.com.

Acutab’s latest DVD is entitled "Bluegrass Jamming Essentials: Play with the Pros," Power Pickin’ Vol. 5, with Bill Evans on banjo. $35, 2.5 hours, includes Nine Pound Hammer, Gold Rush, 10 more. In each song they leave a spot for players to fill in. Go to www.acutab.com

Hot Rize hits the road this fall for their first US tour in more than ten years.

Corrections: The NashCamp Osborne Banjo Retreat will be held at Camp Marymount in Fairview, TN. Alan Munde is usually part of the faculty, but this fall he will not be there. Also, in the photo of Don Reno with Bill Monroe in the August issue, the guitar player is Stan Hankinson (thanks to Fred Bartenstein, Tom Ewing and Phil Zimmerman).

—Donald Nitchie


RockyGrass 2010 Report
By Jake Schepps

 The 38th RockyGrass Bluegrass Festival just passed, and I am still trying to catch up on sleep. Highlights abound at every single RockyGrass, with something for everyone, from traditionalists to progressives, and this year was no exception. Here are just a few of my favorite moments. Here are some clips: 38th RockyGrass

The festivities began with San Francisco’s 49 Special, with banjoist Jim Chayka sounding polished and professional. Here they do Dock Boggs Country Blues They won the 2009 RockyGrass Band Contest in which the prestigious first prize is a slot on the main stage at the next year’s festival (watch for the Henhouse Prowlers in 2011).

Frank Solivan and Dirty Kitchen played a powerful set with the amazing Mike Munford on banjo. His timing is flawless, and his creative use of melodics in a driving fashion is worth hearing. Here's Good Morning Country Rain by Frank Solivan and Dirty Kitchen.

Following them was the Infamous Stringdusters, a true force of nature. Much has been written about this band, and banjoist Chris Pandolfi, yet words cannot describe the experience of seeing a show. The show was mesmerizing for the entire 75 minute set. They played a couple of sprawling 10-minute instrumentals, with dynamics, energy, and ease. And these were completely compelling for the duration, like watching an action/adventure movie. Here they are: Those Who've Gone On

After Seldom Scene’s almost 40 years of playing, they still are at the top of their game. Ben Eldridge’s banjo sounded stunningly good, and after speaking with him, it is a 30-year-old Tokai (pre-Gold Star) which he had "lost under his bed" for many years. And his Lay Down Sally vocal stylings (this version from Joe Val 2008) brought the house down.

Alison Brown’s Fair Weather Friends included fiddle extraordinaire Casey Driessen. They played tunes from Alison’s repertoire, but all the band members also contributed compositions. Of particular note was Casey’s tune Gaptooth, based on the old-time tune Cumberland Gap (the C minor version). His arrangement shifts from 6/8 to 4/4, and then back a forth a few times. The band impressively navigated these modulations with incredible ease.

Sunday morning began with a set from KC Groves and Long Road Home with local icon Dr. Banjo Pete Wernick playing music from the Carter Family, some gospel, and tunes from the new Long Road Home album “Live from eTown Hall” (which is a fantastic album). And Sunday closed (as it usually does) with the Sam Bush Bluegrass Band, and the amazing and stratospheric Scott Vestal. How does he do that?

The RockyGrass banjo contest ebbs and flows in its competitiveness. This year’s had only four contestants. And the winner Briyan McDowell had been playing banjo for only three weeks (for real!), albeit he won the guitar and fiddle contests, and got third place in mandolin. Also of note is that he won guitar, mandolin, and fiddle at Winfield in 2009, a Winfield first. Any BNL readers out there interested in competing definitely should make their way to Lyons in 2011.

My personal highlight was that I got the chance to jam with Tim O’Brien late one night, and we ran through a slew of Hot Rize tunes, as well as his great song The High Road from Tim’s first solo album “Hard Year Blues.” It has become a new jam standard, mainly from the instrumental version on Bryan Sutton’s “Bluegrass Guitar” album.

Next year’s RockyGrass is July 29-31, with the RockyGrass Academy during the week leading up to the festival. Don’t miss it, as it is truly one of the crown jewels of festivals.

—Jake Schepps