I highly recommend anyone who writes anything…music, poetry, short stories, trade articles…anything…to check out the blog ninetymilewind. Author Craig Bickhardt is an experience and accomplished writer. Reading his blog will give you more insight into writing than many college level writing classes.
In particular, I really appreciated one of his recent posts.
In other news I have officially purchased and taken possession of the Dan Fobert mandolin. The mandolin is long scaled and tuned 2.5 steps lower than a standard mandolin. Yank Rachell tuned his mandolin this way. The bass notes are really impressive on this instrument. The treble needs some tooling…right now it is tinney and shrill, but I think some flat wound jazz strings will soften her up a bit. The sounds of this mandolin is completely different from my weber, and that is a good thing. I am going to post some sound clips and pictures soon.
Filed under: Music & Mandolin Meditations, My Journal
I have been really busy with work and kids. Am I going to be this busy for the rest of my life? I have been able to make it to Garland to pick. From my time off I noticed that I have actually picked up some speed in my picking. Lately I have been working on keeping that speed, but also adding precision and tone.
I am also working on a short story. The title (right now) is “The Day That Catfish John Learned to Play Bluegrass“… I will post it when I am finished.
Also, I added my mothers art blog to the bloglist on the right. Check it out and let her know what you think!
Catfish John
Lyrics: Bob McDill, Alan Reynolds
Music: Bob McDill, Alan Reynolds
Played by Garcia both with Old And In The Way and with the JGB
Chorus
Mama said, “Don’t go near that river”
“Don’t be hanging round old Catfish John”
Come the morning I’d always be there
Walking in his footsteps in the sweet Delta dawn
Take me back to another morning (note 1)
To a time so long ago
When the sweet magnolia blossomed (note 2)
Cotton fields were white as snow
Catfish John was a river hobo
Lived and died by the river’s bend
Looking back I still remember
I was proud to be his friend
[chorus]
Born a slave in the town of Richmond (note 3)
Traded for a chestnut mare
Lord, he never spoke in anger
Though his load was hard to bear
[chorus]
[chorus]
Walking in his footsteps in the sweet Delta dawn
Notes
Filed under: Jam Reflections, Music & Mandolin Meditations, My Journal, Practice Session Notes , Catfish John, Garland, speed
…and I feel a mando-surge coming on!
Filed under: Music & Mandolin Meditations, My Journal
