Bluegrass & Acoustic Music Workshops
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Playing with others.You can begin playing and singing at any age; and although I had sat in Irish / Folk sessions a couple of years before, it was the experience of my first proper 'Bluegrass pick' at North Wales Bluegrass Festival in July 1996, aged 54, that was the spark to my decision to learn what to do with the banjo and to sing. I booked fortnightly lessons with Stuart Williams (Bakers Fabulous Boys) and so began a fascinating journey; I now see him every week, preparing to record a full list of my own songs and have just completed a first season playing in a Bluegrass Band ('Finding Time'). 1. Develop your own feeling for music; listen to all kinds for the intrinsic rhythm, listen for the chord changes and sing (even if you can't) the melody !! (it is easier to do all this in the car where and when no one is looking-I have been fortunate in being at least a CD away from my work and that makes at least 10 a week that I could listen to !) In case you haven't already heard, Aclaim (acoustically live and inclusive music) is a not for profit company formed to enhance music in the north-west. Its Board of Trustees /Directors includes Bryn Williams [House of Plank], my colleagues Dave and Lyn Crowley from 'Finding Time', and myself, with Stuart and Russell Williams as musical advisors. ( We launched the company with the promotion of the 'Rhonda Vincent and the Rage' concert in Widnes) To conclude; I hope all this helps some of you out there and if it does, then tell your friends, who may not be readers of this website, that playing with others is possible for anyone of any age. You do not have to be a virtuoso or even a musician to have an awful lot of fun in the Bluegrass fraternity. Good pickin', |
Bluegrass Cruising !On 31 July 2001, when our 'not for profit' company 'Aclaim' [acoustically live and inclusive music] was officially launched in the north west with the promotion of 'Rhonda Vincent and the Rage' in Widnes, little did we know that some seven months later we would be meeting her again, but this time on a Caribbean Bluegrass Cruise on the 'Costa Atlantica' [78000 tons and 2100 passengers]. Eight of us,--- [Dave and Lyn Crowley from the Wirral and also of Aclaim and our band 'Finding Time', John and Sue Blissitt, Anwen and Meirion Roberts—all from North Wales, plus my wife Eira and myself, David Brightmore]—left Manchester airport for Fort Lauderdale, Florida and then 7 days of high powered Bluegrass on the high seas ! After acclimatising to 80deg.F we were welcomed on board by Steve Wallach, President of ETA [Entertainment Travel Alternatives] who introduced the Program of seven concerts involving eight bands from USA, a series of workshops and jamming sessions for the 400 or so Bluegrassers on board, about 40 of whom, including 6 of us, had brought instruments. Our crowd from the UK had traveled the furthest and there were a few from Canada, but the majority were from the Bluegrass strongholds of North and South Carolina, Kentucky and Tennessee and a few from Michigan, Wisconsin, Alabama, Ohio, Colorado and Florida—and some had been on all three previous Bluegrass cruises. This was a cruise that was excellent even if there had been no Bluegrass music, so you can imagine how we felt absorbing some really class performances, albeit in bizarre surroundings. Perhaps I can present it best by a daily diary approach; so here goes;-- Monday; the first so-called workshops, which were more like mini-performances in the banjo, mandolin, bass, fiddle and guitar sessions but became more 'hands-on' later in the week. A remarkable feature of the banjo session was that of the first 4 Steve Huber banjos ever produced, 3 were in the class—two of the tutors plus our own Dave Crowley and the third tutor had a 'Huber' tone ring in his Gibson ! We had never heard of any of the tutors before—Ned Luberecki of the band 'Rarely Herd', Mike Mumford of the Mark Newton Band and Stacey Simcox from the Tim Graves Band, --but could they play !!—and this was only the beginning. I called in the guitar workshop and found a guitarist from Alabama [Dave Wilfing] for our picking sessions. I had already met a dobro player from Colorado [Buck Buckner who promoted Bluegrass through his radio programmes] and together with our UK squad we played for a couple of hours to an appreciative passing bar audience. An enjoyable formal dinner followed [bow-ties and fancy frocks !] and then we were ready for the- first concert, in a splendid theatre; the band 'Carolina Road' were competent performers of traditional material but suffered, like all first bands on stage, from sound adjustments. Tim Graves Band, seasoned cruisers were professional in their single-mike approach, however, with Dale Ann Bradley and Coon Creek, including the exceptional fiddler Michael Cleveland [ex-Rhonda Vincent Band] we were beginning to enter new territory, and the audience was lifted. [unlike our UK festival audiences, where maybe two thirds are players, this American audience, which maybe had a third who could play, was essentially one that simply enjoyed the music that they had been brought up with and they wanted to be entertained—the bands did not disappoint.] Tuesday;-pool side concert and the first sight of the energetic Val Smith and Liberty Pike [featured in the last BBMN], followed by more of Tim Graves and Dale Ann then what most had been waiting for—Rhonda Vincent and the Rage,--unquestionable class from a lady with 30 years in the business. Apart from guitarist Audie Blaylock the rest were new members; Kenny Ingrams [banjo legend !], Edgar Laudermilk [bass] and the, 18 year old rising star, fiddler Hunter Berry who can compete with the very best. The evening concert featured 'Rarely Herd' who successfully packaged a traditional musical content with rehearsed fun-lines. In significant contrast was the 'Mark Newton Band' whose polished professional approach to content and stage presence was a real pleasure. I had never heard of this band and I hope we can get them to the UK. From guitarist Mark and Mike Mumford [banjo], to Troy Eagle [mandolin] and Bob Goff [bass], this band presents musicianship and harmony singing of a high order—get their CDs. Then followed the Larry Stephenson Band, consummate musicians and singers every one of them,--get their CDs too---what a night, with Steve Wallach a very entertaining MC ! Wednesday; -concert featured the 'ladies of bluegrass', that is, the lady band leaders on board. They all presented well with the musical highlight being the 'Orange Blossom Special' performed by Michael Cleveland [fiddle] and Barry Crabtree [banjo—his speed was respected by the other banjo players; I have never seen faster playing] By way of considerable contrast we UK pickers plus a variety of state players had our own pleasurable picking session in the afternoon. Thursday;-yet another concert with Larry Stephenson Band to the fore [watch out for Aeron MacDaris,banjo]. This event, however, led to an interesting development later in the evening [which was surpassed the following night –but more about that later];- for part of the Program encouraged those who had brought instruments to 'jam with the stars'. After the concert a jam duly started with Larry Stephenson as coordinator of other band players plus maybe four non band members including my UK colleague Lyn Crowley [bass] and myself [banjo]—we hung on in there for more than an hour and no courtesy was extended to us. We did, however, play ourselves in for one song and the nice part was that our contribution was well received. We were there until 1.00am close when we were playing with Michael Cleveland [mandolin and fiddle] and Fletcher Bright [fiddle doyen and tutor at the last Sore Fingers] and our new friends from Alabama and Colorado. Friday;--the Bluegrass Cruisers group photo on the funnel deck, another 'pool-side concert' with The Mark Newton Band again exuding class. We have ourselves a pleasant two hour pick, then dinner [toga-style !] and we get ready for the last 'jam with the stars' in front of a full audience at pool-side. This was really interesting for its lack of order and style, bearing in mind the concert performance quality we had already experienced. Some 150 people had gathered and the music was started by a medley of band members; there were no mikes and half of the players had their backs to the audience. About ten of us left to find another place to play; we were about to start when another group of band members set up in the same place and started playing without any reference our presence; it was not a time for competition so we moved elsewhere and had a grand picking session, particularly when we were joined by Val Smith who played fiddle with our group. I report this because the sequence of events was an interesting spectacle which, we understand embarrassed a number of other band players. An 'open-mike' approach would have been better in that it would have engaged everyone,--maybe next time Steve ? Saturday; the last evening concert. when four out of eight in our UK squad won raffle and other prizes, the crowning one being a 'Cort' guitar won by Sue Blissitt our mandolin player [who, whilst significantly improving her confidence in mandolin playing on the cruise, will no doubt now be starting guitar lessons !] As for the concert, the sound was good, the MC's timing was exquisite and the performances were supreme with Rhonda Vincent bringing the event and the cruise to a memorable climax with 'Running Wild' ! Summary; --a good trip ?—certainly ! If you want leisure; you can sunbathe by the pool all day if you want, fun; nothing like wearing a 'toga' to dinner ! and the pleasure of 'traditional bluegrass' performed at a high entertainment quality in an exceptional environment, then this is for you. The audience essentially came for entertainment and got it. We did, however, sense that a number of the younger band players, whilst 'doing the contract', were interested and thoroughly capable of more 'adventurous playing'. As for comparisons; our UK bands such as Band Like Alice, Bluegrass Brothers and Bakers Fabulous Boys would compare favorably with most of the bands on the cruise, however, professional outfits like Rhonda Vincent and the Rage, The Mark Newton Band and The Larry Stephenson Band have years of experience in performing at the highest level and in producing CDs along the way; our bands should see these and many others like them across the numerous American festivals [for which I now have some details]. What makes their performance so good appears to be the discipline, not only of musicianship, but of stage presence; no second is lost in their relationship with the audience, tuning and broken strings present no problem whatsoever. As for starts, breaks and finishes, these by themselves were for me, worth the cruise and then there were the harmonies—I could go on---. –but I will finish with the information that the next Bluegrass Cruise[5th], leaves Fort Lauderdale, Florida on 23 February 2003 and most of the same bands will be on board plus 'Seldom Scene'. Basic cost ; about £800-£1000 for high quality ship food [mainly Italian] and accommodation, plus flight, plus whatever you want to spend on island stops [we had four visits; San Juan / Puerto Rico, St Thomas / St John, Dominican Republic and Nassau in the Bahamas—all interesting places—but instead you could have fun on the beach or just relax on board, for as I said this was a grand holiday even without the music, but with it---well, as 'ETA' say, it is up to your imagination ! The cruise web site is www.cruise-eta.com/bluegrass.htm Back to the metronome !—got to get ready for next year ! |