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21 Nov 00 - 10:19 PM (#344905) Subject: My Old Time Herald Banjo Review From: GUEST,Arnie Just got my Old Time Herald Magazine, and low and behold there is a review of "5 Strings Attached ~ Volume 2" by yours truly and Chris Coole. I don't know the reviewer, and whenever you send a recording in you take your chances, and this time we didn't fair really well. The problem is that the guy didn't appreciate our original material and our simple arrangements. If you have heard our CD, and would like to comment on the review in any way- that would be much appreciated. Thanks, Arnie Here it is: Arnie Naiman and Chris Coole have produced an enjoyable album, the focus of which, as the album cover notes, is "the beauty of sound created on the open back banjo." This is primarily an album of banjo music. Well over half of this album consists of banjo accompanied by the guitar and, from time to time, a few other instruments and an occasional vocal. There are duo-banjo and solo banjo numbers, and a bluegrass-style band performs one selection. Naiman and Coole take turns playing the banjo, usually in a style that uses extensive single-string work to produce intricate and well constructed melodic lines, but there is also some old-time frailing to be found on this album. Both Naiman and Coole play their instruments well, producing clear, sharp, well-articulated music. This is a relaxed, comfortable album. Most of the selections are performed at a moderate tempo and, even on the faster songs, there is no sense that the music, the musicians, or the listener for that matter is being rushed. Several of the songs on this album are identified as having been drawn from a variety of sources including Burnett and Rutherford, Doc Watson, Uncle Dave Macon, Sam McGee, B.F. Shelton, and Don Stover. The bulk of the material, however, 14 of the 24 selections, was written by either Naiman or Coole. The most effective of these is "Rainbow on the Mormon's," the opening number. The banjo opens this selection, but the bass enters almost immediately and the two instruments play a duet in which the bass, freed from its supporting role for once, has a real melodic line of its own. Then the guitar joins the duo and the three instruments carry the tune to the end where the banjo, now a solo instrument again, quietly states the melody and quickly fades away. Unfortunately, "Rainbow on the Mormon's" is the exception rather than the rule. Naiman and Coole's original material often comprises the least interesting music on the album. The problem is that their tunes are primarily built upon an AABB structure, which is repeated four times. But each A and B section is itself composed of a single short musical phrase repeated with a slight variation. Thus each selection consists of much repetition of very little music, and they tend to get a little monotonous. The problem is compounded by the fact that so many of these songs have a simple, straightforward arrangement, usually banjo accompanied by guitar, that adds little variety. It is interesting to contrast any of Naiman's or Coole's tunes with the McGee Brothers' "Snowdrop." "Snowdrop" is almost twice as long as any of Naiman's or Coole's pieces, but with its more complex structure, it also holds your interest right to the end. If more songs on this album had been arranged with as much care and skill as "Rainbow on the Mormon's," what is now a nice pleasant album would be outstanding. The notes include the banjo tunings and, usually, the key signatures for the songs as well as listings for the musicians and brief statements about the sources of each song. The notes appear not to have been edited or even proofread. There are grammatical and other writing errors, and the format and layout is inconsistent. The photo of two men holding banjos, presumably Naiman and Coole, has no caption to identify them or tell the reader which is which. The overall sound quality is good, all the instruments and vocals can be distinguished clearly and are well balanced although there is an odd echo effect behind Coole's singing on "Darlin' Cora." People who enjoy banjo music will appreciate this pleasant album, and those who think a CD should be delivered full will appreciate the almost 70 minutes of music it contains. A.V. SHIRK |
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22 Nov 00 - 12:10 PM (#345171) Subject: RE: My Old Time Herald Banjo Review From: GUEST,Russ Count yourself lucky that they didn't give your CD to Molly Tannenbaum, the Queen of the OTH Hatchet Job. I am not surprised that A. V. SHIRK was lukewarm about your original material. OTH is aimed at the hardest cored of of the truly hard core old time musicic mafia. Not a group noted for its openness to innovation. |
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22 Nov 00 - 03:02 PM (#345256) Subject: RE: My Old Time Herald Banjo Review From: GUEST,arnie Who is A.V. Shirk? Does he play banjo? |
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22 Nov 00 - 04:59 PM (#345303) Subject: RE: My Old Time Herald Banjo Review From: Rick Fielding Well, he knows enough to mention "Snowdrop". Congrats on your first "Luke-warm" review Arnie. After all the raves, this shouldn't bother you too much. It's a crap-shoot isn't it? Just use the first half for your promo-kit. Cheers Rick .......and remember that 9/10ths of the folks reviewing it couldn't play "Kumbaya" in time. |
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22 Nov 00 - 05:53 PM (#345350) Subject: RE: My Old Time Herald Banjo Review From: Little Neophyte I was wondering about that 'luke-warm' feel this critic had. I never realized music reviews can come across more like report cards. Congradulations Arnie!!!! You get my Fours Stars, 2 Thumbs Up and your CD cover on my refrigerator magnet. Bonnie |
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24 Nov 00 - 07:31 AM (#345985) Subject: RE: My Old Time Herald Banjo Review From: Little Neophyte Well I found a much more flattering review of Arnie Naiman and Chris Coole. Although this is a review of their first CD, I think it is worthwhile posting. To me this is more of what I thought a review was about - to highlight rather than criticize 'knit picky' insignificant things. Banjo Newsletter: The 5-String Banjo Magazine April 1998 Northern Clawhammer - Arnie Naiman and Chris Coole by Donald Nitchie Arnie Naiman and Chris Coole have released "5 Strings Attached With No Backing" on Merriweather Records, which I mentioned last month as especially enjoyable. Arnie and Chris play clawhammer, usually on alternate cuts, along with guitar accompaniment by Kathy Reid, although two tunes are banjo duets. From the first strains of Chris Coole's Winfeild's Fancy, I knew I'd like this record. The tune has an infectiously lilting melodic line that had me hitting the repeat button - and prompted me to call up Arnie and ask for the tab. (Recent polls from Folk DJ list on the internet have placed this CD high on their list, with Winfield's Fancy especially popular on Us radio shows.) The rest of the record is just as good - a balanced combination of traditional tunes and originals with cleanly played and well-recorded banjo. Arnie's Don Valley Ramble is another mid-tempo gem that mixes tradtional and contemporary (i.e.: melodic) elements. The traditional Elkhorn Ridge features a great duet between Chris's clawhammer and Arnie's finger-picked banjos, with fine vocals. Bloody Red River is a bluesy rendition of a Gerry Milnes tune, while The Blackest Crow is a crooked solo clawhammer piece by Arnie (adapted from Brad Leftwich's version). I especially liked Arnie's Fretless, played on a nylon-string fretless made by Ken Bloom, tuned down low. In fact, I found all the original tunes surprisingly catchy: Trip to Restoule, with its quick chord changes, Sam's Dream, with its graceful pauses, and Mind the Gap, with its descending lullaby-like melody. Other tunes include versions of Country Blues (from Dock Boggs), Sally Ann Johnson, Darlin' Nelly Grey (from Kyle Creed), John Henry and Ducks on the Pond. I'd say this is a clawhammer recording with enough variety to appeal to banjo lovers of all stripes. Includes banjo tunings and keys. Arnie Naiman has been playing music in and around Toronto for the past twenty-five years, for ten of which he was a member of the duo The Potato Pancakes. In recent years he plays with Ragged But Right and The Extraordinary Stringband. Arnie has been on the staff of The Woods Music and Dance Camp in Ontario. He occationally plays banjo in the Virginia based stringband Uncle Henry's Favorites, which was a finalist at the Fiddlers Grove string and contest in 1997 and '81, and also at Clifftop in 1994. He plays clawhammer, fiddle and guitar. Chris Coole is a licensed "Busker" on the streets of Toronto. He's performed at the Mariposa Festival, Eaglewood and The Celtic Continuum, and performs regularly in Toronto. He currently plays guitar and sings in the bluegrass band One Horse Town. He volunteers at Augusta Heritage Center and also teacher banjo in Toronto.
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