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This page was last updated on 22 January 2003 On this page you will find news related to Bluegrass & Old -Time. They will stay on this page for a month and as new items come in it will be updated, so come back to it now again as it could have been updated. If you have any information, Book, CDs Videos to review etc., you can send to me at: Phill Morley 2A Langton Avenue, Chelmsford, Essex, CM1 2BP UK Tele: 01245 264450 mobile 07890 004114. or email at phillmorley@banjogazette8.freeserve.co.uk
Special Consensus at East Anglia Bluegrass Day uk 20th January 2001 started off with freezing fog, ice and snow, but it didn't stop bluegrass fans attending this venue. How could you miss Special Consensus? No one in their right mind could! I think this is the fifth time Greg Cahill has brought over his amazing band, so word was out last year that they would be making this one day appearance. The day started off with Special Consensus doing individual instrument workshops. From everyone I spoke to that attended the workshops, they were all very pleased at how they were delivered. The whole day was packed with picker's (me included) and not many (if any) ventured outside for a pick. I enjoyed Greg's banjo workshop and he gave me some great ideas and others I'm sure. The evening concert started off with The East Anglian Bluegrass Boys (resident band), John Pearman double bass, vocals - Roger Birch, guitar, vocals - Howard Burton banjo, vocals (a bald banjo picker!) and Charlie Ogunremi, mandolin, vocals. Very nice traditional band using one microphone. This band (that I know extremely well) have come on in leaps and bands. They have only been together for a short while and they have really got it together. I liked the four part harmony gospel song they did. They had a few more but John informed me they had to loose a few as time was running short (always is when you're having a ball!). They did a great set I and the audience were very impressed. I took some photo's of The East Anglian Bluegrass Boys but, for some reason I lost them on my hi-tech camera, sorry. Next were Wet Paint & The Drips, another band I know extremely well, I should do I play rhythm guitar with them and I taught the banjo picker (another baldy). Well for any of you who bought our CD (by the way, hope you enjoyed it) we are a fast moving band, four youngsters and an old fogie. We were looking forward to this venue because Special C would be there and we could also try out our new secret, hot guitarists Pete George. All week I had had a bad throat, I'd lost my voice (was that the national anthem I heard then?) We had worked out some great harmonies and we thought we would have to leave out the vocal numbers, but as an old trooper (I have been called worse things) we battled on. The band is getting exciting owing to Richard Lee banjo, vocals - Richard Miller, mandolin, harmonica - Pete George, lead and rhythm guitar, vocals and yours Phill Morley, rhythm guitar, vocals (supplier of fine instruments, picks, capos and a vault full of bluegrass/old time recordings). We started off with a rip roaring melody "Shuckin' The Corn" / "Luke's Doghouse Blues" & "Foggy Mountain Breakdown". Luke wanted to do this number first as he said his fingers would be to worn out! Richard on mandolin had come up with a new tune, "Baltimore Johnny" by Ronnie McCoury. We had run through it a few times and as the tune has three parts eg. A - B - C, we decided to have it so mandolin, banjo and guitar would each take a turn at playing a part, well it nearly worked. Well we had a cracking time and my voice held out even got to do "Dim Lights". Well the highlight of the event was to come "Special Consensus", what a line-up Greg has got here. From start to finish, they had the audience slobbering at the mouth and eyes pooping out of their heads. Two new members were Josh Williams, mandolin, fiddle, lead, baritone, tenor and bass vocals and Tim Dishman, bass, tenor and high baritone vocals, join Chris Walz, guitar, lead, baritone and tenor vocals and Greg Cahill, banjo, baritone vocals. Power packed instrumentals and vocals. Everyone a gem, I loved they way they did "Sweet Temptation" (one I'll have to learn). Josh only 20 years young, has a wealth of talent behind him (plus a NEW PEN). He plays a great fiddle as well as mandolin, and he let loose on a fiddle tune that seems to have escaped me at the moment. Greg' s banjo is always solid, tasteful and full of wonderful surprises (he also has hair, although it may have dropped a bit!). His version of "Train 45" at the end of their show, I had gone passed cloud nine. "Lone Star" an instrumental written by Greg, has an Eastern flavor to it, it reminds me of a tune I wrote years back "Chenoble Breakdown". I loved the way the banjo and mandolin play against each other and then play together. Chris sung another favorite of mine "Our Little Town" which is the title track of their previous CD. Chris is a powerful guitarist too and he does some fine lead guitar work as well as some fine punchy rhythm work. "I Can't Sit Down" is a a cappella gospel song, they did this and it was just heaven. Not much is said about the bass person, they stand at the back of the band and do their job. Well Tim certainly knows how to do his job, and sometimes I though he was going to pull those strings right off the bass. A fantastic bass player, whether it's a swing or a straight ahead bluegrass number, he can handle it. He also has a great voice. Luke (Wet Paint's bass man) is a changed person after seeing and hearing Tim. When you listen to Josh sing you would thing he was much older (no offence Josh), he has a mature rich voice. Well what a show and they had only be over hear a couple of days. You certainly get your money's worth and more, when you see a show of Special C. A night I will remember for a long time. Also it was great after the show, as we were packing up and Chris was showing Pete some guitar (or was it the other way around) and I had a pick on Greg's banjo, Tim and Josh were going through a song, so many great things! Thanks for a wonderful show and look forward to seeing you again and having some great times. Of course all all this wouldn't of happened if it were not for John Pearman and his crew a big thank you to all of them and the man with a real hard job, the sound man, thanks. Special Consensus
Chris & Pete jamming
do you like my new D42 Chris? Wet Paint & The Drips
"Luke's
Doghouse
Blues"
Pete & Richard burning it up
News From Greg Carhill - Special C. Just got this email from Greg today 20/02/01 Phil,
News From Virtual Band Bluegrass Method 07/03/01 Dear Bluegrass picker, Thanks to your hundreds of suggestions and questions, I've now added a new feature to my web site called 'FREE LESSONS'. www.jaybuckey.com These free, online lessons, will demonstrate to you how the Virtual Band Bluegrass Method works for the Guitar, Banjo, Mandolin, Dobro, Bass, and Fiddle. (Some pages are still under construction.) To find these lessons, click on 'COOL STUFF'; you'll find these 'FREE LESSONS' under 'ACOUSTIC TALK'. You then look for your instrument at the top of the page and click on it. So far, I've completed the lesson for GUITAR; BANJO is next. The others will follow shortly. Check back often to see if your instrument is there. The ultimate goal for wanting to learn a musical instrument should be to play along with other individuals with similar tastes in music. As a dedicated music teach, I found no coordinated teaching materials to help my local students jam together. Therefore, I created the Virtual Band Bluegrass Method. If you enjoy this material that is presented here, you will most definitely want to check out the various book/CD packages that are available to continue your organized study of bluegrass music. Your purchase of my books and CDs helps support this FREE bluegrass web site. These are found on the 'Current Volumes' page, with a complete song list. When you visit my web site, always go to the 'WHAT'S NEW' page first, as it will inform you of what's most current. DOBRO 4 is now available and you may place your order at any time. Please tell your friends about this informative bluegrass web site. www.jaybuckey.com We appreciate your support of Virtual Band. Thanks, Jay and Cheryl
Bill Monroe's F5 Mandolin 7/6/01 The 1923 Gibson F-5 mandolin belonging to the father of Bluegrass, Bill Monroe, regarded by some as the most important instrument in country music changed hands for the first time since Monroe died nearly five years ago. A newly endowed foundation in Rosine, Kentucky paid $1.125 million for the prize, which had been sought by private collectors, the Smithsonian Institution and Nashville's Country Music Hall of Fame. Campbell Mercer, executive director of the Bill Monroe Foundation, gave a 10% down payment to Monroe's son, James, with a promise to pay the rest within 18 months. Mercer said 16 anonymous donors had contributed to the purchase.
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