The Glory-Beaming Banjo

Summer weather is here, and there's nothing better than cruising down the road with the windows wide open and the stereo cranking your favorite tunes. Whether you're headed to the beach or on your way to your favorite festival, it's a good time to pick up some hot new music. Right now, the Old-Time Tiki Parlour is holding a sale on its music and video catalog. I'm not sure how long these deals will last, but it's borderline theft to pay $19.99 for the CD/DVD sets of Dan Gellert , Bruce Molsky, Spencer and Rains, the Stuart Brothers , Paul Brown and others. From my experience, these releases are well-packaged, immaculately recorded and provide a close-up glimpse of how these masters get the sounds they get. The liner notes provide valuable information on the sources and tunings used by the players. These packages usually go for $25. Also available is the Spencer and Rains "The Skeleton Keys" book and CD for $29.99. The package includes 17 tunes...

T hree months have passed since I provided my last update on my "Year of Ward Jarvis" project. As you may recall, I targeted six tunes to learn by Athens County, Ohio, resident and West Virginia native Ward Jarvis. The first one I learned was " Head of the Creek ." Next up is "Icy Mountain," another AEAE tune. My source recordings were from Jeff Goehring via the Field Recorders' Collective and from David Brose via some kind folks at the Fiddle Hangout. I also referred to the notation from the Milliner-Koken Collection of American Fiddle Tunes and a YouTube video by David Bragger . I took my first crack at "Icy Mountain" back on April 22, but I didn't really focus too hard on learning it until mid-May. I struggled with it for weeks, but then my progress took a major leap on June 6. I feel like I finally have a handle on the full tune, though I’m still working out some kinks in the B parts. A quick banjo note: I have also figure...

For the first time in more than a decade, new recordings of Dan Gellert’s funky take on old-time music have been released. Thanks to the efforts of L.A.-based musician and teacher David Bragger and his newly launched Old-Time Tiki Parlour website, a CD and DVD set are now available to those who have been waiting for something new from Gellert since his 2004 album “Waitin' on the Break of Day,” which has been out of print for years. Dubbed the “Epic Set,” the Gellert release contains two discs featuring 19 fiddle and banjo tunes and songs, as well as a booklet with extensive liner notes, biographies, art and photos. The entire package was produced, filmed, designed and written by old-time musicians, according to Bragger’s website. The whole shebang has been pre-released via Old-Time Tiki Parlour for $25 and will be available at Amazon, Elderly Instruments and County Sales by the end of February. Artwork by Nick Bachman for the Dan Gellert "Epic Set" from Old-Time...