In the Firelands
This week I’m on a family vacation in Northern Ohio, not far from where I grew up. There’s a framed copy of the above map on the wall of the rental property...
July update
“Let me explain…there is too much. To sum up…”Indigo to Wesley as Wesley revives after being mostly dead, while in the middle of storming Humperdink’s...
The fruit's only as good as the jam
A couple of weekends ago I went up to St. Paul, Minnesota for the Twin Town Old Time Music Festival and had a great time playing music there. Driving home...
Dumbarton Oaks
The music room at Dumbarton Oaks I’ve been listening to Igor Stravinsky’s Concerto in E-flat, sometimes known as “Dumbarton Oaks,” after the place it...
Influence and Originality
There are at least three people I’ve met personally who have composed tunes that seem to have made it into the old-time canon. I think it’s kind of a big...
Dinah
Last night I went to the monthly jam at the Thinkwell Makerspace (aka the Decatur Public Library), which turned out to be a real banger. There were maybe a...
A detour into my roots
OK, usually when we talk about roots, we’re talking about hometowns and extended families, traditions and cultural heritage. That’s not what I’m thinking...
Bowing Isn't Everything (or is it?)
Actual picture of me at the Indiana Fiddler’s Gathering last weekend. Sometimes when I’m playing fiddle it seems like my left hand hasn’t the foggiest notion...
To Battleground!
I’ve gotten behind on posting, and its becoming a problem, as notable stuff keeps happening. So, in the interest of breaking the drought, I’m only going to...
Workshopping: Lanesboro, part 3
There are lots of reasons to attend the Bluff Country Gathering – the scenic environs, the delicious lunches, the incredible jams, Bob Bovee’s uncanny...
Little Town in the Driftless: Lanesboro, part 2
Lanesboro, Minnesota looks like a picture postcard come to life – which is to say, it reminds me a little of Chautuaqua, New York. I’ve been to the latter...
Kick Out the Jams: Lanesboro, part 1
It has become apparent to me that the real action at an old-time gathering never appears on any official schedule. Certainly I was excited to participate in...
Updates
Yesterday afternoon I returned home from a long weekend in Lanesboro, Minnesota attending the Bluff Country Gathering. It was amazing and I have a great deal...
Rhiannon Giddens & the Old Time Revue
The most surprising thing about Rhiannon Giddens’ Old Time Revue wasn’t that Justin Robinson – Giddens’ collaborator on her recently released album of...
The Circle is Home
It was cramped in the back room the other night at Brenda and Drew’s place - there were four or five fiddles, two or three banjos, two or three guitars, and...
Haiku Fest & the DeKalb Bandshell
This past weekend included poetry and music and a good deal of travel. Friday night my partner and I enjoyed a rare night out together sans kiddos, dining...
What did the Blackbird say to the Crow
Rhiannon Giddens I’ve been listening to a new record this past weekend, What Did the Blackbird Say to the Crow, by Rhiannon Giddens and Justin Robinson. It’s...
Too Many Tunes
Last weekend I acquired a copy of Ryan’s Mammoth Collection: 1050 Reels and Jigs, Hornpipes, Clogs, Walk-arounds, Essences, Strathspeys, Highland Flings, and...
Decatur Realness
President Taft giving a speech in downtown Decatur, Illinois, February 11, 1911 I’ve been going to a monthly old-time jam in Decatur since December. It takes...
Durang's Hornpipe
3 versions of Durang’s Hornpipe Copying tunes into my notebook is becoming one of my favorite things to do. As a general rule, old time fiddlers learn tunes...