Pianos In Folk Music

Subject: RE: Pianos In Folk Music
From: Rasener
Date: 01 Oct 08 - 11:55 AM

LOL

Subject: RE: Pianos In Folk Music
From: Banjiman
Date: 01 Oct 08 - 12:04 PM

Graeme,

Wound up....me?

If you can be bothered (though I can undestand why you wouldn't!) to re-read my posts above you will see that I grudgingly admit to liking a lot of June Tabor (this is despite the piano not because of it though, I would like it better without!).

I also don't mind (even like) piano in the right place....music hall, honky tonk, some blues etc etc. In my humble opinion it just doesn't sound right as part of British Isles trad and tradalike.....just my opinion, as with most things it just comes down to different tastes.

I am dreading Brother Crow's "more tea vicar?" phase though.........

Paul (who won't be playing piano in Blind Summat!)

Subject: RE: Pianos In Folk Music
From: Rasener
Date: 01 Oct 08 - 01:29 PM

Another lovely one

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zKCvFjuTT6Q&feature=related

I have heard this live by Tommy Sands, but I still prefer Cara Dillon's version, piano and all.

However and sadly they do not perform together anymore, but one of the very nicest versions I heard of this song was by Lucy Wright & Paul young.

Subject: RE: Pianos In Folk Music
From: Banjiman
Date: 01 Oct 08 - 02:03 PM

Les, yes, absolutely beautiful song very well sung.....be even better without the piano. Maybe a nice bit of Uilleann piping or fiddle or even accordion......

Wendy has been known to sing it Occasionally (the full versionn not Cara's edited one)......with guitar rather than piano I'm pleased to say!

Cheers

Paul

Subject: RE: Pianos In Folk Music
From: Rasener
Date: 01 Oct 08 - 04:20 PM

Hmmm I don't know Paul, I don't think Cara Dillon's husband Sam Lakeman (who in my opinion is a lovely piano player) would be too pleased with your comments.

Cara Dillon & Sam Lakeman - the_snows_they_melt_the_soonest oooh what a beautiful song with lovely piano playing from Sam.

These Lakeman's are such gifted musicians. Why were they at the front of the qeueue :-)

Subject: RE: Pianos In Folk Music
From: danensis
Date: 01 Oct 08 - 04:40 PM

Is Beryl Marriott still around? I remember a brilliant workshop on Folk Piano that she led in the upstairs room at the Friary in Beverley.

As someone said earlier, all those songs we sang in the school hall, sitting cross-legged on the floor around the piano on a rainy lunchtime, later turned out to be folk songs - amazing!

Even more amazing is that the lady who played the piano was called Miss Tune!

John

Subject: RE: Pianos In Folk Music
From: GUEST,Tunesmith
Date: 01 Oct 08 - 04:43 PM

Villan: Thanks for that link. Great powerful backing by Sam.

Subject: RE: Pianos In Folk Music
From: Rasener
Date: 01 Oct 08 - 04:44 PM

Bugger, I can't stop listening to June Tabor now. Still its really nice :-)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7JjF9KnF-qU&feature=related

She is on in Lincoln a week Thursday at the Peter O'toole theatre, North Hykeham. The only problem is that I am not sure if I would enjoy it, as I think it is slanting to modern Jazz which I am not very keen on.

Thursday 9th October 2008 | 7.30pm

UK   Lincoln - North Hykeham | Terry O'Toole Theatre | NK Centre, Moor Lane LN6 9AX

QUERCUS - June Tabor, Huw Warren (piano), Iain Ballamy (saxophones)

01522 883311    www.terryotooletheatre.org.uk/

Subject: RE: Pianos In Folk Music
From: Banjiman
Date: 01 Oct 08 - 05:09 PM

Les,

Each to their own mate! I'm sure Sam is a great piano player...... it is just not my cup of tea. There are plenty of people out there who don't like banjos..... a position I find very hard to understand, but there you go!

Paul

Subject: RE: Pianos In Folk Music
From: Tim Leaning
Date: 01 Oct 08 - 05:14 PM

Ah but to the properly trained earhole banjo is the voice of the angels.

Subject: RE: Pianos In Folk Music
From: Banjiman
Date: 01 Oct 08 - 05:15 PM

....by the way Les, I'm sure Sam wouldn't be too bothered about my opinion, after all we have already shelled out for Cara's album on the strength of "There Were Roses" alone.

Subject: RE: Pianos In Folk Music
From: Rasener
Date: 01 Oct 08 - 05:45 PM

My favourite Tim is the Tenor Banjo.

To be fair to Paul, I like the Banjo and Piano as long as they are played well. Ah well I suppose you are not going to change your opinion about piano's. I was going to put a Kate&Anna McGarrigle
song on where a banjo and a piano were used, but it didn't sound very good. So I didn't.

However Have A Drink On Me next time I see you. Notice that I am on it.

Brother Les :-)

Subject: RE: Pianos In Folk Music
From: The Greyt Hound
Date: 01 Oct 08 - 06:28 PM

Paul...tut tut, I read every one of your posts...it was a grand thread...

...Think of it not as a piano, but as a banjo with 88 strings...

:-)))))

See ya,

Graeme,
Brother Crow.

Subject: RE: Pianos In Folk Music
From: Banjiman
Date: 02 Oct 08 - 11:23 AM

"Think of it not as a piano, but as a banjo with 88 strings..."

Plays havoc with your back though.......


Les,

There is a version of "The Bands Played Waltzing Matilda" where Eric has a piano and some wonderful clawhammer banjo backing. It actually works. I've only heard this version once.....anyone know where I can hear it again?

Paul

Subject: RE: Pianos In Folk Music
From: GUEST,Graeme, Brother Crow
Date: 02 Oct 08 - 11:38 AM

...and if you find it, let me know too...!

Graeme,
Brother Crow.

Subject: RE: Pianos In Folk Music
From: Rasener
Date: 02 Oct 08 - 11:48 AM

Will this do for starters

http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=66483350

And this one for effect

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WG48Ftsr3OI&feature=related

Saw him live at Cassies a couple of years ago, and he had me in tears. The git :-)

Subject: RE: Pianos In Folk Music
From: Banjiman
Date: 02 Oct 08 - 12:13 PM

Thanks Les....takes more than a piano to spoil that song!

Fab, I saw him in a barn behind the TanHill Inn (allegedly the highest pub in England) a couple of years ago.... got to have a chat and a fag with one of my heroes (I don't have many, Tony Benn is the only other one) and act like a starstruck teenager.....great stuff.

Cheers

Paul

Subject: RE: Pianos In Folk Music
From: GUEST,Russ
Date: 02 Oct 08 - 12:55 PM

Pianos In Folk Music Trivia

There was rather obscure WV string band, the Tweedy Brothers, who were active in the 20s and 30s.
They played traditional fiddle/dance tunes.
The group included a pianist.

They would load the piano onto the back of a flatbed truck and use it in concerts.

Russ (Permanent GUEST and old time musician)

Subject: RE: Pianos In Folk Music
From: Rasener
Date: 02 Oct 08 - 01:34 PM

Not Russ Conway is it? :-)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TnIpQhDn4Zg&feature=related

Subject: RE: Pianos In Folk Music
From: Goose Gander
Date: 02 Oct 08 - 02:00 PM

The Field Recorders Collective has released a CD of Appalachian piano playing by Heywood Blevins (FRC 508).   I haven't heard it (beyond the sound clip), but it looks like quite a tracklist . . .

FRC508 - Heywood Blevins
1.        Cacklin Hen (4:12)
2.        Listen to the Mockingbird (2:18)
3.        Old Molly Hare (2:04)
4.        Fishers Hornpipe (2:10)
5.        Sourwood Mountain (0:43)
6.        Goodbye Liza Jane (1:33)
7.        Wildwood Flower (1:49)
8.        Down Yonder (1:53)
9.        Lonesome Road Blues (1:39)
10.        Molly Put the Kettle on (0:52)
11.        The Old Marine Hymn (1:49)
12.        Sally Ann (1:15)
13.        Sally Goodin (1:06)
14.        In the Sweet Bye and Bye (1:52)
15.        Precious Memory (1:10)
16.        Sweet Hour of Prayer (1:40)
17.        What a Friend We Have in Jesus (1:18)
18.        Lonesome Road Blues (1:59)
19.        Wildwood Flower (1:30)
20.        Dance All Night with a Bottle in Your Hand (2:53)
21.        Old Jimmy Sutton (1:17)
22.        Molly put the Kettle on (1:02)
23.        Cacklin Hen (2:05)
24.        Don't Let Your Deal Go Down (1:35)
25.        Old Joe Clark (1:19)
26.        Girl I left Behind Me (1:19)
27.        Casey Jones (1:18)
28.        Flop Eared Mule (1:58)
29.        The Preacher and the Bear (1:46)
30.        Little Liza Jane (1:39)
31.        Fishers Hornpipe (1:35)
32.        Roundtown Gals (1:26)
33.        Sally Goodin (1:17)
34.        Cripple Creek (1:09)
35.        Wildwood Flower (1:29)
36.        Wabash Cannonball (1:34)
37.        Cacklin Hen (2:35)
38.        Sally Ann (1:38)
39.        Liza Jane (1:58)
40.        Alabama Gals (2:09)

Notes:
FRC508– Heywood Blevins –(From the collection of Peter Hoover)   $15 per disc
This recording is an infrequent glimpse into Appalachian Mountain piano playing. Oddly enough, there were more than just a sprinkling of pianos in the mountains, a fact corroborated by Virginia pianists such as Hobart Smith, Clarice Shelor of Meadows of Dan and Mabel Dalton of Galax. John Hoffman, writing about Peter Hoover's recording trips, described Heywood's style; "Mr. Blevins, from Baywood, VA, said that he played piano the way that his father played the banjo. The tunes have that banjo bounce bearing some resemblance, or feel, to Hobart Smith's piano playing. What is interesting about Heywood's playing is the fact that many of the tunes are played in atypical mountain music tunings, F, E, G#, etc. Peter noted how often Haywood was playing on the black keys." These recordings come from two other sources beside Peter Hoover, including those of the late Blanton Owen and Carol Holcomb, whose father Howard Joines plays fiddle with Heywood on several tracks of this CD. - Ray Alden

Subject: RE: Pianos In Folk Music
From: Ian Carter
Date: 03 Oct 08 - 11:57 AM

As a piano player, I suppose I'm biased, but I really can't see what all the fuss is about.

Subject: RE: Pianos In Folk Music
From: Banjiman
Date: 03 Oct 08 - 12:45 PM

....ain't no fuss, just a friendly debate!

Subject: RE: Pianos In Folk Music
From: sleepyjon
Date: 03 Oct 08 - 02:27 PM

Jack Campin had it (several posts ago). I'm sure it's a temperamant thing (that's the temperament of the piano, not of the people hearing the songs!) - just gives the typical trad tune a completely different feel - compounded by all the overtones and upper harmonics from the multiplicity of strings on the piano. John-in-Kansas had some very erudite stuff on temperament in this forum some years ago which I'd like to read again if only I knew how to find it. I think it's the basis of many interesting things - eg why an "a capella" folk trio such as Coope Boyes and Simpson sound like more resources than the Huddersfield Choral Society, and exactly why tunes of a certain character - especially a modal character sound so different on the piano. I'd challenge anyone to accompany "Gathering rushes in the month of May" on the piano without totally changing the feel of it. Also explains why so many sub-classifications of "folk" sound absolutely ok on the piano - they are harmonically based, so are comfortable in equal temperament.

Just guessing really.

SJ