Introd'g Blue Water to Bluegrass audienc

Subject: Introd'g Blue Water to Bluegrass audienc
From: CRANKY YANKEE
Date: 14 Aug 01 - 01:49 PM

Roger Sprung and I are appearing at the Prospect Mountain Bluegrass Festival in Granville Mass this weekend. After talking to the producer, Bill Flagg, I got the go-ahead to introduce Nautical Filk Music to this bluegrass audience on Friday evening, 17 Aug.

I was invited to this festival because Bill Flagg emembers me, from way back, as a "Clawhammer Banjo" player. He said I was the first person he'd ever seen playing a 5 string banjo./ This was in 1955 when there were only 400 of us in the entire world (according to the Fraternity of 5 string banjoists)

Clawhammer Banjo is pretty much what I'll do in my portion of the festival, but, there are a lot of "Blue Water" songs that go well on the banjo. Such as, "The Mermaid," New Bedford Whaling song" "New York Girls" (Can't you Dance the Polka)

Roger will be there on Friday evening. We used to work together quite frequently. We worked at the "Black Pearl Tavern" in Newport, Rhode Island, for several years, and, we did a lot of Maritime stuff where he played lead with his GREAT bluegrass style banjo playing. We also did Chanteys on stage. This was before I actually became a "sea going chaneyman". However, we've worked together several times in recent years. This is a great oportunity to introduce Maritime Music to a new audience. I'll have to explain things to them before each song, but that's O.K.

There will be an open stage, also, on Friday evening after the regular featured acts, so if any of you Mudcatters are around and want to participate, PLEASE DO.

Granvill is near Springfield, Mass, and the festival is at the Prospect Mountain Campground.

Oh yes, THERE WILL BE FIELD PICKING ALL NIGHT LONG, both Friday and Saturday. IThe festival hours are, 4:00pm to 10.00pm Friday (17th) and 10.00 am to 10.00 pm both Saturday and Sunday.

I think that the audience will accept this "new" (to them) music. After all, there's nothing here to dislike.

Subject: RE: Introd'g Blue Water to Bluegrass audienc
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 14 Aug 01 - 01:52 PM

For a moment I though it might be the big Bluewater Shopping Mall in North Kent getting into it. But it didn't seem too likely, I suppose.

Subject: RE: Introd'g Blue Water to Bluegrass audienc
From: CRANKY YANKEE
Date: 14 Aug 01 - 02:08 PM

P.S. Uncle Dave Macon did a couple of "Windlass" chanteys, Sail Away Ladies (Chorus: Don't she rock, Daddu Oh, etc) and "Rock about my Saro Jane". They went great with his banjo, I Hope our stuff does also.

Subject: RE: Introd'g Blue Water to Bluegrass audienc
From: Barbara Shaw
Date: 14 Aug 01 - 02:09 PM

Hi, Cranky Yankee. I'm an ole bluegrasser (and occasional pickin' partner of Roger Sprung's from Connecticut) but also an ole folkie. We're going to the Prospect Mountain festival, so don't assume that the audience will be completely homogeneous. My husband (Frank) also plays a mean clawhammer, in addition to bluegrass banjo.

Here's a link to the festival: Prospect Mountain Bluegrass Festival.

Another (inactive) mudcat who will be performing is Tim from Shady Creek. Remember Vixen? Can't remember Tim's mudcat name.

Looking forward to hearing you.

Subject: RE: Introd'g Blue Water to Bluegrass audienc
From: CRANKY YANKEE
Date: 14 Aug 01 - 07:28 PM

Barbara, Look me up, I'd like to meet a mudcatter face to face. I'll be wearing a straw "Sailor hat" or a tarpaulin one, depending on the weather. I'm always happy to listen to other banjo pickers.

regards to you and hubby from Donna and me.

Subject: RE: Introd'g Blue Water to Bluegrass audienc
From: Charley Noble
Date: 15 Aug 01 - 11:13 AM

Don't forget "Handsome Molly," another of those fine banjo tunes for navigating the Southern Appalachians. I'm having a ball setting some of C. Fox Smith's sea poems to similar tunes.

Subject: RE: Introd'g Blue Water to Bluegrass audienc
From: CRANKY YANKEE
Date: 16 Aug 01 - 05:28 AM

Charley Noble, Work on setting a melody to Kipling's "Gunga Din" I've tried and goten nowhere. Every tune I've tried sounds "Silly". I recite it now and again, and have "Tramp, Tramp, Tramp" running in the back of my mind, and what comes out is a lot like Michael Caine, which isn't at all bad. I used to be able to pass for a Londoner, in London, but that's not the way Kipling wrote it, so I just recite it,as written, and it goes into the microphone the way it wants to. So far, no one has given me the "Booo"

This should interest you, old smokey. In a fit of "silly wierdness" I composed a set of Lyrics to "Ricket's Hornpipe", as if it were about vitamin deficiency maladies. I do Ricket'sd on th4e banjo, but not clawhammer. I don't know if there'sw a name for this kind of picking, or even if anyone else does this sort of thing (and probably a lot better) Whichever finger does the job, does the job. anyway, there's a rhyme for "Orange in there". Not a great rhyme, but a usable one.

RICKETS HORNPIPE, by Jody Gibson

RICKETS, BERI-BERI SCURVY AND PALEGARA TOO
ARE CAUSED BY NOT ENOUGH VITAMINS GETTING INTO YOU
LOUSY VISION AFTER DARK AND EVEN COLDS AND FLU
ARE SOMETIMES CAUSED BY LACK OF VITAMINS IN YOU.
(MIDDLE 8)
YOU MAY THINK YOU'RE HAVING FUN,
BUT WITHOUT THE "VITAMUN"
YOUR BONES GET SOFT, YOU START TO ITCH
YOUR ANKLES WEIGH A TON

FORGET ABOUT PSYCHIATRY , DON'T GO ON A BINGE
JUST EAT A TEMPLE OR A NAVEL OR VELENCIA ORANGE

Subject: RE: Introd'g Blue Water to Bluegrass audienc
From: Charley Noble
Date: 16 Aug 01 - 11:17 AM

Takes a rugged man to try to rhyme "orange" – my cap's off to you, CY.

Subject: RE: Introd'g Blue Water to Bluegrass audienc
From: Seamus Kennedy
Date: 16 Aug 01 - 05:29 PM

Blue Water songs at a Bluegrass Festival. Hmmm? Sounds like musical surf 'n' turf to me. Best of both worlds.

Seamus

Subject: RE: Introd'g Blue Water to Bluegrass audienc
From: catspaw49
Date: 16 Aug 01 - 05:38 PM

What's "Surf and Turf" Seamus? Is that what we call "Udder and Rudder," "Cud and Scud," "Marine and Bovine," "Beef and Reef," and the like?

Spaw

Subject: RE: Introd'g Blue Water to Bluegrass audienc
From: Charley Noble
Date: 17 Aug 01 - 02:23 PM

Spaw, you've got the general idea. In Maine "Surf & Turf" is generally lobster and steak – excessive but fulfilling!

Subject: RE: Introd'g Blue Water to Bluegrass audienc
From: Vixen
Date: 21 Aug 01 - 09:34 AM

Tim and I are just back from Prospect Mountain BG Festival. Had a MARVELOUS time pickin' with Barbara and Frank. Got to meet CY too, and had fun pickin' with him, though I was fading fast by the wee hours Sunday morning. (by the way, CY, I'd love to get the words to "Going Down to Foxwoods"!) What fun! We're looking forward to the FSGW Getaway and NOMAD.

V

Subject: RE: Introd'g Blue Water to Bluegrass audienc
From: Seamus Kennedy
Date: 22 Aug 01 - 02:49 AM

Spaw, they must be the midwest terms you're using, and I think in cetain parts of the South that catfish and roadkill qualify as well.

Seamus