OK guys, I goofed, but it was late at night and a few Molson's over the top. The aging fingers on the keyboard sometimes take over and do their own thing (a disadvantage of having learned to touch type on a manual typewriter over fifty years ago). It really isn't a video of the Publisher's String Quartet. And it is far more traditional country than blugrass, although that line is a bit blurred when you go back to my early days. Cripple Creek and Cripple Creek Breakdown, Shady Grove, Harrison Town, Old Joe Clark - and others. Atkins plays some of the bluegrass style and some of the traditional country, and some of the modern country (Nashville). Believe it or not (and I was surprised) Knoffler hangs in beautifully and with great respect for the varying styles.
The separation between country (Appalachian mainly) and bluegrass is relatively recent, and is probably a necessary evolution because of the advent of "country and western" with its soggy songs such as "I've Got Tears In My Ears From Lying On My Back Crying Over You". Atkins dates back to the days before the distinction, although he "went Nashville" as it became popular. His skills include bluegrass. Quite good on the bluegrass mandolin. I'll not go on, I'm "hoist on my own petard" <g>. But you might look to the Ritchie family (Jean the most known) in the fifties, and compare them to Flatt and Scruggs. They are different, but yet the same. For the Europeans among you, bluegrass country is Tennessee and Kentucky, the hills of West Virginia are next door. And in fact the horse racing community still looks to Kentucky "bluegrass fed" horses and goes to horse auctions there every year. The music of the Appalachians is heavily based on the Scots/Irish original immigrants, and the fiddle and mandolin and dulcimer are a large part of it. Somehow they lost the whistle and uilean pipes, even those are quite transportable. But a gaelic "session" (ceilah) and a Tennessee "hoedown" of the old days would sound somewhat similar. I started learning my songs for the guitar in 1949, when I was 14 and supposed to be asleep early. After midnight the radio station (WWVA) in Wheeling, West Virginia, was able to broadcast on a "strong station" at that hour. I would put my radio (non-transistor, plugged into the wall socket tube beastie) under the cover and listen. Real country and Burl Ives, John Jacob Niles with his old English folk, the Ritchies (Jean with the mountain dulcimer), Huddie Ledbetter and Woody Guthrie. BTW, most of the melodies Guthrie used for his modern depression protest folk were taken from old country tunes. The Reuben James is Pretty Polly, the song on the migrant workers in California is Lord Lovell. There is a rich history of music in the Appalachians, and not unreminiscent of the Renaisance lute music in that way. The moderns have changed the instruments and divided the categories, but let me play you a couple of pieces on the mountain dulcimer - and then do them again on the psaltery or harp. I am enjoying practicing the Scots Lute on my guitar, and if I gain the facility with the "lute" I'm about to make I'll enjoy learning the French and German lute pieces of the time. Please forgive me for the way I've chosen to start with the lute, but I can only afford one book at a time, and the flat back I'm about to make seems to have the sound (and playing characteristics) of the traditional lute, at least to the extent that a beginner needs to teach his fingers (and it involves only a committment of $350US). Best, Jon ----- Original Message ----- From: "Stuart LeBlanc" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: "David Rastall" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>; "Jon Murphy" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Cc: "Matanya Ophee" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>; <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Saturday, October 11, 2003 11:58 AM Subject: RE: looking for a "lutar" - forwarded No you fool, he is obviously referring to the famous concert of Chet Perkins, bastard child of Chet Atkins and Carl Perkins. In addition to Mark Knopf on guitar, the sidemen included W.W. Norton on bass, Random House on drums and Ed. Orpheé on harp. >> Bluegrass I know well, and have >> a TV recorded video of Chet Perkins final performance, where Mark >> Knopf of >> rock guitar plays a real guitar behind him. > If you're referring to Chet Atkins and Mark Knoffler... Bluegrass? > You're joking!
