Time To Settle Down (for a month at least)

Well, the month of June was very hectic for me.  I don’t think that I picked up the mandolin the entire month.  I certainly didn’t go to any jams.  I was able to pick up the guitar from time to time, and even got Hurt’s “Make Me A Pallet On Your Floor” down pretty well.

Well, check that – I did take my mandolin with my on a trip to Memphis and got to jam with my Dad at a dinner party.  That was a lot of fun.  We play this very chill Brazilian jazz together.  It is totally improvised and I gotta say we sound pretty good.  Well, at least the friends enjoyed it.

I went to Switzerland – while there was a lot of interesting things I did and saw, none if it was music related, and I didn’t bring my instrument with me.  I have really hit my stride with twitter – I kept a running diary of experiences on it.  I am open ears for any suggestions of folk and/or bluegrass jams anywhere in Switzerland – I know they are out there.

I go through waves and cycles in my mindscape.  The last couple of months have been heavy on bluegrass.  June was big on Blind Blake and John Fahey.  Right now I am moving into an academic mindset – listening to university lectures, being a total news hound, and learning French.  The academic mindset is hardly ever sustainable for me, and I suspect that July I will move back to bluegrass.  Maybe a kind of tough blues + bluegrass…. = Monroe!

And I am looking forward to continuing my lessons with Taterbug.  I want to put in a good month of lessons with him for July.  I also want to get out to some jams, but that is always difficult with all the things I have going on in my life.

That said, July promises to be a fun and exciting month!  New baby is imminent within weeks.  I can’t wait to see how my little one react to another little one.  In fact, there is NOTHING more exciting and fun than a new baby in the house!  July/August are going to be good months.

Filed under: Music & Mandolin Meditations, My Journal, Traveling Man

Lots of Tunes

I am a big, big fan of live music.  When I was in college my best friend had a large collection of Grateful Dead bootleg tapes.  By the end of college I had become accustomed listening to live shows only.  Today, it is quite rare for me to listen to an album.  While I appreciate the album as a completed work of art, it just doesn’t seem to have the soul and excitement that a live show has.

One of the great things about bluegrass is that it has a very strong taper tradition.  In fact Jerry Garcia himself used to tape bluegrass bands around the bay area in the early 60’s.

Now days, I am a very experienced bootleg listener.  There are certain microphones I prefer, and certain tapers I look for.  For example, any show taped by Bill Kouky is going to be excellent quality.

I just think that it is so, so cool to be able to listen to a David Bromberg show that took place in Italy last week!

The most convenient place to find live and legal bootlegs is at bt.etree.org.  You will find a lot of jam band music on here, but a lot of other stuff comes through as well….and a lot of bluegrass.  Just lately some new shows have been put up and I have had the great pleasure of listening to, and I recommend them to anyone.  Here are some of the really good ones:

Tony Rice Unit 2004-03-23 ~ Smilefest, Union Grove, NC ~ SBD DAT Master ~ uncirculated

Sam Bush 2009-05-23 Delfest 2009 Cumberland, MD

David & Nancy Bromberg – May 24th, 2009 – Vicenza, Italy

Del McCoury Band 2009-05-22 Delfest 2009 Cumberland, MD BSC1-K2

Junior Brown, Summer Camp Festival, Chillicothe, IL, 2009-05-22

CharlieHunterTrio2009-05-24-Hopmunk Tavern-Sebastopol,CA.MK22

Steep Canyon Rangers 2009-05-22 Delfest BSC1-K2

the Greencards April 18, 2009 Brooksville, FL; sbd

Infamous Stringdusters 2009-05-22 Delfest 2009 Cumberland, MD BSC1 K2

Filed under: Music & Mandolin Meditations, My Journal