I have always wanted to see a concert at Madison Square Garden.  So many big time shows have gone down there!  It has to be one of the most storied venues in the world.

Well last week an old friend called and said he had an extra ticket to a Phish show at MSG.  That got my wheels spinning.  Turns out I had enough miles to make it there free. 

When I pitched the idea to my wife it was a go considering that I would only be away for one night and home for dinner the next.  That was do-able.

Beginning in college I have been a fan of Phish for over 10 years.  I have been to over 20 shows and many of them have been legendary.  Shows in Freetown Christianna, Copenhagen, come to mind.  Or, the show that went on for literally 12 hours on new years eve 1999.  I have seen my fair share.

It’s funny because just a week or two ago a posted on twitter that I felt that I have lost my taste in music with drums.  Well, that was to be tested…a phish concert is a far cry from an acoustic folk show.

The last time I saw phish was almost 10 years ago.  It was at Shoreline in San Fransisco and it was the last show of “phish.1.0″ as it is known now.  It was not a good show.

This phish, Phish.3.0,  was everything I remembered.  Magnificent. Experimental. Exciting. Cerebral.

Phish is the Michael Jordan of music that has drums and electric guitar.  Hands down.  It doesn’t get any better.

A full review of the show I saw can be read on the excellent “Mr. Minor’s Phish Thoughts” blog.  Take a moment to read the show review.  He has better words than me to describe the show.  The man is not exaggerating.  This is phish.

The trip was epic fun.  I got to see my long time best friend and show buddy.  I got to eat pizza and bagels in Brooklyn.  I got to realize a dream of mine and see phish at MSG.  Epic.

Folks, phish is back.  They are going to be coming to a town near you.  Maybe you should go to a show.  Maybe not.  Maybe phish is not your thing.  Just remember – when you talk to a fan and he/she is trying to explain the greatness, don’t assume that they are exaggerating.  They are not.  This is the greatest rock band on earth.

I: AC/DC Bag, Chalk Dust Torture, Wolfman’s Brother, NICU, Ocelot, Brian and Robert, Poor Heart, Sample in a Jar, Peaches en Regalia, The Divided Sky, Cavern

II: Golgi Apparatus, Light > Slave to the Traffic Light, Tweezer > Joy, Sparkle, Harry Hood, Wading in the Velvet Sea, Suzy Greenberg, Run Like an Antelope

E: A Day in the Life, Tweezer Reprise

Here is my first attempt at a solo for the Shady Grove Project.   get kind of lost at one point, but then kind of pull it out in the end.  Oh well…a feeble and first attempt…

I am a poor wayfaring stranger
While journeying through this world of woe;
And there’s no sickness, toil nor danger
In that bright land to which I go.

I’m going there to see my Father,
I’m going there no more to roam;
I’m only go-going over Jordan,
I’m only go-going over home.

I know dark clouds will gather ‘round me,
I know my way is rough and steep;
And beautiful fields lie just before me,
Where God’s redeemed there vigils keep.

I’m going there to see my Father,
I’m going there no more to roam;
I’m only go-going over Jordan,
I’m only go-going over home.

<instrumental>

I’m going there to see my mother,
I’m going there no more to roam;
I’m only go-going over Jordan,
I’m only go-going over home.

I want to wear that crown of glory,
When I get home to that good land;
Well I want to shout salvation’s story,
In concert with ohh the blood-washed band,

I’m going there to see my Saviour,
I’m going there no more to roam;
I’m only go-going over Jordan,
I’m only go-going over home.

Well I’m only go-going over home.
Yeah only go-going over home.

Bill Monroe

You left me, my darling to travel alone
My heart is so lonely and blue
When friends ask about you why you’re not around
How will I explain about you?

How will I explain about you?
They know I’ve been faithful and true
So when they start asking why you’re not around
How will I explain about you?

They saw us together for such a long time
They knew that I loved you so true
But now that you’ve gone and I’m left all alone
How will I explain about you?

How will I explain about you?
I can’t let them know that we’re through
They wouldn’t believe it could ever be true
How will I explain about you?

If ever you were lonely and wish to return
Remember I’m waiting for you
But if I must travel that pathway alone
How will I explain about you?

How will I explain about you?
I’m leaving it all up to you
And if you insist that our pathways must part
How will I explain about you?

I try to take my mandolin with me on business trips and find a bluegrass jam in the town or city I am staying in.  It such a great thing to get out of the hotel and meet some people, and it is always an adventure.  Through the powers of the internet (especially folkjam.com) I can find a jam in pretty much any town I go to.

Well this past week work took me to north Louisiana.  I knew for sure I would be able to find a bluegrass jam somewhere in the area on a Monday night, and sure enough, Blanchard, LA, fit the bill.  Through folkjam.com I was able to contact some folks and confirm that the jam was on.

Blanchard is a one stop light town just on the other side of the Texas border and about 10 minutes north of Shreveport.  My traveling partner and I were able to easily make it to Blanchard from Dallas by the 6:30 jam start time.

In fact we arrived about 15 min early.  The jam takes place in the town hall, and as we walked up we could see that there were already a lot of people inside jamming.  In fact, there were about 10 people playing in a jam circle, and then there must have been 20 people in seats just listening and tapping feet.  I didn’t know we were going to have an audience!

My friend and I walked into the room and of course everyone turned their heads to check us out.  We were a bit out of place.  One kind soul came up to greet us and welcome us to the jam.

The jam itself was….relaxing.  The pace was slow, there was no pressure other than the audience who seemed to enjoy anything that was being played.  There were a lot of guitars and the jam improved immensely when the bass player showed up.

I had a great time just soaking in the “bubbling hot tub of humanity” as my dad would say.  Mostly gospel songs were played.  Not everyone took a break, but everyone sang.  It was just a genuine and downright joyful experience.

I think I also broke out with a couple of big improvements.  On most of my breaks I stuck very close to the melody.  I was able to utilize some tasty Monroe licks that I have been working on.  Most of all, I just played to have fun.

Here are a couple of clips I am proud of.

This first one I like because it is pure Monroe.  These are actually licks from “First Whippoorwill” but changed up just a bit.

Monroe Style Clip

This second clip is from my 9lb Hammer.  I like this one because I really let loose on it and got raw.

Blanchard 9 lb hammer

The final clip I am most proud of.  “Jumbalaya” is a pretty popular song and I have always had a terrible time coming up with a break for it.  The reward for trekking to Blanchard, LA, was this break.  It is raw, and I may never be able to summon it up again, but it was sure fun when it happened.

Jumbalaya clip

Well this is a long time coming, and I am really pleased to be posting this.

Attached below is recording of me playing Red Haired Boy at the “fast” level – according to my taps at this online metronome it is around 123bpm.

My first blog post that mentions the Brad Davis DVD is November, 2008.  I remember when I first got the DVDs I thought there was no way in hell that I would ever be able to play with the fast level – at least not note for note.  It is really cool that not 9 months later I am able to play along with it.

Now I still have a long ways to go, obviously.  I can’t really play this fast with the rest of the songs on the DVDs.  Also, 123bpm is not the fastest that people play in some jams around here in Dallas – they are typically 130-150.

How did I get here?  In my opinion there are some key factors that helped -

• Slow, intentional practice.  The Brad Davis DVDs are great because the slow level is really slow.  In just about every practice session I would start out with the slow and made sure I played it PERFECTLY;
• This blog – recording my progress and being able to look back at what I have done has been key.  When you get into a rut or plateau the journal helps you pick out things you forgot about and keep things fresh.  It also held me accountable when I was not practicing consistently or being lazy;
• Form – I started taking lessons via webcam with Taterbug a couple of months ago, and he immediately identified a flaw in my left hand form.  I took two months to slow things down and fix it, and now I see there would be no way I could play this fast before hand.

I want to give some credit to the mandoliniana blog for reminding me how important it is to look at yourself in the freshest, most honest mirror possible.  Also thanks to flatpicker650 for nudging me to do this and go public with it.

So, here is the clip.  In the recording I am listening to the DVD through headphones.  Its not the best I have ever played it, and its not the worst.  I always like to improvise out the Part B of Red Haired Boy, and I especially like what I did on this take.  There is a little of my stuff, and some classic Monroe licks.  Thanks and please leave comments!

Audio Clip: Red Haired Boy (Fast)

Springtime is near my darling
You say that you are going away
My heart will be with you my darling
And I’m counting now the days

I know that soon I’ll have to travel
I know I’m over the hill
I feel so all alone my darling said she’d be gone
When I heard that first whippoorwill

The flowers are blooming little darling
With the budding of the trees
I hear the night birds a crying
I know that they are warning me

Our love was planted little darling
Just like the farmer plants his grain
But there will never be a harvest
On the hills the whippoorwills now sing

Well I finally got to recording a little tune that I have been messing with for a month or two now.  I recorded this using my Zoom H2 microphone and Audacity.  It took a couple of nights to get the sound somewhat optimized – and then of coarse I have to find a time when it is quiet – in my house usually around 10 or 11.

I named this Avalon Reprise because the guitar work is obviously in the style of Mississippi John Hurt.  The song is really just a mixture of 3 or 4 different John Hurt songs.  I play for my son every night at bed time, and many times I will segway from one John Hurt song, into some sort of “John Hurt Jam”, and then back into the original song.  This song is a jam I keep going back to.

It took a couple of tries to get the mandolin part down.  I am just noodling around on it.  I discovered that it is much more difficult to get a satisfactory track when you are just jamming then when you have a written and set solo to play.  I might like to go back and try a different mode like mixolydian and shoot for some Jerry Garcia type noodling.

So, the recording is not perfect, but I just wanted to get it out there and move on.  And I had a blast doing it.

Enjoy!

Avalon Reprise

Last Saturday I was able to go jam at the town square in historic downtown Garland, Tx.   Man, I had fun.  It was a genuine hopping good time.  Nice Texas weather, good folks.  There must have been 50 pickers out and another 50 people just there to listen.

Even better is that an independent coffee shop has opened on the square – The Generator Coffee House.  They were brewing great Bolivian beans, but I had to help myself to a quadruple espresso.  I have said before and I will say it again; nothing helps a bluegrass jam like caffeine and a little bit of sugar.

The Generator Coffee shop just opened a week ago, and already they are endearing themselves to the bluegrass community.  Not only were they giving out the first cup of coffee free, but also, they were rotating in a different bluegrass band to play inside the coffee house every hour.  A band would play, and then go outside to pick, and another band would step up.  It definitely generated a lot of traffic inside the coffee house.

I was picking and grinning until about 12:30.  I finally left at about 1:00 AM with my fingers were sore but my spirit light.  Here are some clips from the evening.

These first two clips I am proud of.  They are somewhat coherent and musical – I would not have been able to do this last year.  I am employing Monroe licks that I have learned through Taterbug.  I am still tense, but getting better

blog Garland clip 1

blog garland clip 2

The next clip – Whiskey Before Breakfast – I am proud of because of the speed at which we are playing.  It is not the best solo, but I keep up with the beat at over 120bpm.

Whiskey Before Breakfast jam clip

Every little bit of improvement is good improvement – and most importantly, I had a blast.

At the behest of Taterbug, I have been working on my left hand technique.  I suppose that now is a good time to do it.  I didn’t pick up my mandolin for most of the month of June, and so when I did pick her up last week, she felt like a disconnected piece of wood.  So I might as well improve my form while I try to get my feel back.

The problem is that I was gripping the mandolin like a guitar.  I was wrapping my hand around it and hooking my thumb over the top.  The mandolin needs to be held more gingerly, like a fiddle.

The ball of thumb and the large knuckle of the finger should grip the neck.  And the fleshy part of the hand should be off the neck.

It is so frustrating working on form.  You try different things – they all feel awkward.

But last night I came to a bit of a realization.

The point of good form in playing any instrument is that you are playing comfortably and naturally.

If you are not comfortable, and you are not natural, then you are wrong.

So I have been focusing on this idea, and things are coming along.  I have been avoiding the details and the visual.  Instead I look for feel and comfort.

Surely this work will pay dividends.