July 31st, 2006 by The Bosphorus
Got word yesterday afternoon that a water main had burst out at the library. The H2O was cut off, and I’ve got today off! I’d already scheduled leave for tomorrow, so what a surprise many vacation. Lugnut and I spent the morning playing trains, eating and watching the DVD, Bluegrass Journey.
This is an excelent dvd, much more so than I’d expected. Tim O’Brien said that Bluegrass is “kind of like folk music in overdrive.” He’s right. Watching these folks play is something different than simply listening to an audio recording. There’s something about seeing the fingerwork, sweat, and laughing that goes into the music. Makes me want to go a bluegrass festival.
A good bluegrass cd is still worth listening to, though. My father-in-law brought a copy of a Doc Watson cd to the North Carolina cabin where we vacationed. We listened to it there in the cabin and then all the way to the Emerald Mine in Hiddenite, N.C.
When l was a kid my family and l went to a couple small churches. We would go on Sunday mornings and Sunday evenings. Sometimes we would go on a Saturday night as well. If there was a revival going on at our church we’d even go during the week. Now, looking back, l’d say l went with a significant amount reluctance or perhaps with an ambiguous enthusiasm.
The songs, singing, and to a lesser extent, the raucus preaching made it worthwhile. Each service started the same way. The congregation called out page numbers from the hymnal for songs to sing. Then if it was a special evening we’d have somebody or a group of people singing. I always enjoyed most the folks that accompanied their singing with an instrument. It was usually a piano or an acoustic guitar that was played.
Listening to Doc evokes a certain nostalgic feeling which isn’t a surprise at all. He says as much about his music himself in the liner notes. Many of the songs cast, he says, “a little bit of nostalgic sadness.†For him, Doc Watson says it’s the memory of people who have taught him the songs. For myself, it’s a memory of a certain place and time less than any particular person. It’s these songs, the people’s tone of voice and the pace of the songs, that listening to Doc Watson and watching Bluegrass Journey brings to mind.
July 31st, 2006 at 12:07 pm
Can’t get wordpress to take the Doc Watson link I want to put into the post. So here it is this way.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00000IIW2/sr=8-2/qid=1154361327/ref=sr_1_2/002-2529692-1512003?ie=UTF8
How do you like that long address?
July 31st, 2006 at 12:38 pm
Bos, I’m going to have to start making you submit your posts for editorial review.
(Pot-Kettle-Noir)
Anyway, man, I’m all with you on the blugrass festival. I can listen to it in small doses on the radio (I feel that after a dozen songs or so they all pretty much sound the same), but I love watching it go live. I’d give a body part to be able to fingerpick well enough to play the stuff!
My early church experience was Catholic, and everybody knows theres not much fun in that (there is drinkin, tho).
July 31st, 2006 at 12:42 pm
We saw Doc Watson live a couple of times while we were in Chapel Hill. It’s amazing to watch a blind man play like that. The purity of his intonation may have something to do with the acuteness of hearing one often finds in blind folks.
Get “Old and in the way.” Best-selling bluegrass album of all time. Peter Rowan, Jerry Garcia, Vassar Clements, and David Grisman.
July 31st, 2006 at 12:49 pm
AT, wordpress wouldn’t get off my back this morning. Felt like drop kicking it’s metaphysical butt. But that’s another discussion.
It’s funny, but the bluegrass has showed me a way back to those churches I grew up in. Gives me a whole new appreciation that isn’t tainted by residual teenage angst and atheism du jour.
July 31st, 2006 at 1:12 pm
Here’s a fun tune. I can play the banjo part if someone can join me on guitar:
http://www.nettwerk.com/artistpage.jsp?artist_id=1002&mode=videos#
Click the “Wagon Wheel” link.
July 31st, 2006 at 1:17 pm
Atheism du jour… that’d be a kick ass resturant.
Joel, I’ll betcha Daco can play a mean guitar. He seems like a Sknyrd fan.
July 31st, 2006 at 3:36 pm
No, not yet. Actually I have been thinking about taking lessons though. I do have a Fender 6 string acoustic guitar just itchin’ for me to learn.
…and yes I was a Sknyrd fan. Back when Sknyrd was Sknyrd. Even shared a beer with Ronnie Van Zant once.
BTW, thanks for the link Joel. Great tune.
July 31st, 2006 at 4:22 pm
Apparently it’s a Dylan tune. My daughter loves it.
July 31st, 2006 at 4:32 pm
daco, I thought you might like the name of the band, too.
July 31st, 2006 at 4:37 pm
Oh yeah. Great name for a blue grass band.
August 1st, 2006 at 11:23 am
I’ve never heard a John Hartford song i didn’t like, his lyrics and wit are great. I listen to a variety of music, but I admire Hartford the most. Steam Powered Areo-Plain and also Steam Powered Areo-Takes (which is at the lawson mcghee library, where i first discovered J.H.) are the basics. I bought a “RCA recordings” from disc exchange awhile back, it’s namely earlier recordings, some of which are borderline rock/folk/goofy/excellent. Also good are “live from mountain stage” and tracks he sings on the John Hartford tribute. there’s alot more though, i just haven’t gotten around to getting them, but will.
Dont miss the wdvx blueplate special either. I make it down there during lunch for the live music occasionally. I’ve seen some amazing musicians there. The kind of thing where I feel like I need to pick my jaw up from the floor.
I don’t seem to have any Doc Watson except for a flatt and scruggs track titled “rebuen with doc watson”. I’ll definately check it out.
August 1st, 2006 at 11:42 am
Totally agree about John Hartford. My dad checked out his records from the OR public library when I was a kid. Later, I collected most of the old RCA LPs, which I still have. Amazing stuff. I heard the Aereo-Plain ensemble live my freshman year in college, which totally weirded me out after the RCA material. Then, I heard him solo my senior year in college with the material from Mark Twang. Again, some amazing innovation. I also agree about the Live from Mtn Stage recording.
John was raised out here in St. Louis. We saw him play about 20 years back, and his dad (a retired faculty at Washington University Med School) was in the audience.
August 1st, 2006 at 1:01 pm
Man, you guys have me hankering to hear some John Hartford, I don’t belive I have any in the collection…