I had a request for a sound sample of the new Heavy Duty Brake Fluid Banjo so I recorded a short video. Notwithstanding the limitations of my playing, I think it gives you a good idea what this machine sounds like.
The tune is Greasy String.
Category Archives: music
The Four String Polka
Here’s another Canadian old time gem, featuring two of our great fiddlers, Graham and Eleanor Townsend..
I’m amazed at how much fantastic music we have immediate access to these days…
Winse Saunders
I stumbled across Winse Saunders on the YouTube machine this evening. I don’t know anything about him except he’s from Newfoundland and he squeezes the hell out of that accordion of his. If any readers know anything about Mr. Saunders, please comment.
Jerron Paxton on banjo
We saw Jerron Paxton, or “Blind Boy” Paxton as he is sometimes billed, at Merlefest. He sure knows his way around a song!
The Coo Coo
Time for a Daily Dose. Let’s start at the start – with Clarence Ashley. Nice interview segment with this one…
Here are Sutton, Holt and Coleman…this version starts with a great little story about Doc Watson.
The Coo Coo has a lot of legs and still gets played a lot today. Here are the Avett Brothers
I really like the way Townes Van Zandt used to play this song as well.
She likes kielbasa better than fish…
Somebody entered “she likes kielbassa better than fish” into a search engine and came up with this blog. You asked for it buddy, you got it. It’s polka time on 27th St.
Here are Buffalo’s own Scrubby and Trojak
But while we’re on a Polish foodfest post, let’s not stop there. Here are Stanky and his Pennsylvania Coal Miners Polka Band performing Who Likes Pierogi
How about the Original Ampol Aires performing Polska Kielbasa. I love the dancing in this video…
OK OK, here’s Papa Crow performing Walt Solek’s masterpiece, Who Stole the Kishka
And finally, an old Czech commercial celebrating the virtues of kapusta.
I’ll fly away
One of the highlights of Merlefest was hearing the Del McCoury Band and the Preservation Hall Jazz band play together at the Watson Stage. Just to give you a taste of what happens when you throw these characters together, here they are on Letterman…
Great fun!
Carolina
There is one more group we really loved at Merlefest that I wanted to highlight. Unfortunately I didn’t get a good photograph nor any video. The group is the Kruger Brothers. They are known as a trio, with Jens Kruger on the banjo and his brother Uwe on guitar and vocals, and Joel Landsberg on bass. They’ve been playing together since 1995. At Merlefest there was a 4th player as well on snare drum. I’m sorry I don’t know the drummer’s name, but I’m sure someone will let me know along the way. These guys moved to North Carolina from their native Switzerland and while they aren’t from the Appalachians, they are from the Alps.
They played one of their best known tunes, Carolina in the Fall, and their performance was so moving I found my eyes welling up during it. I don’t have a video of this performance but here’s one from YouTube featuring a performance of the same song elsewhere. It’s a really beautiful song and if you haven’t heard it before, you’re in for a treat.
As if that was not good enough, here are the Kruger Brothers playing Shady Grove with the late Doc Watson from back in 2002. Magic.
Another tune the Krugers played at Merlefest was People Get Ready.
Main Stage
the Doc and Merle Watson Theatre
This photo is of the main stage, called the Watson Stage or the Doc and Merle Watson Theatre, at Merlefest 2013. It’s a night shot during the Del McCoury and Preservation Hall Jazz Band show. I don’t know what caused the weird photo effect but I kind of like the watercolour-like feel of it so I thought I’d put it up.
The Sheets Family Band
The Sheets Family band playing a dance at Merlefest 2013
Sheets Family Band at Merlefest 2013
