Not veering off, really. I also hear from Uncle Norman Blake that Doc Roberts was a helluva mandolinist. Outside the few recordings there are of him playing solo, I'm told that he recorded quite a bit as an accompanist.
Taterbug On Jun 21, 12:16 pm, Tud Jones <[email protected]> wrote: > Ooops.... here is that > link:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=77DqfsT_rF8&feature=related > > On Jun 21, 12:14 pm, Tud Jones <[email protected]> wrote: > > > Don't want to veer to far off topic but I've always dug the mando > > backup in the Hoyt Ming recordings...http://www.youtube.com/watch? > > v=77DqfsT_rF8&feature=related > > > On Jun 21, 12:10 pm, mistertaterbug <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > I reckon another way of saying that, or a clearer way, is that > > > Monroe's right hand didn't always play the 'rhythm melody' when the > > > left hand was, nor did his left hand always play the melody when his > > > right hand was. Then, there's that abstract thing to consider, and the > > > implied notes, and...Oh what the hell, it's *just* bluegrass mandolin. > > > How could it *possibly* be that difficult or advanced? > > > > Bugs > > > > On Jun 21, 9:28 am, mistertaterbug <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > > Sounds like to me you guys have got it well in hand. My ramblings > > > > about Ella and her methods are purely my own way of understanding what > > > > she's doing, but I think this all bears out pretty well to the test. > > > > To me, Ella is a step ahead of fiddlesticks players, dancers and > > > > drummers when they play melody with percussion only(not that drums > > > > don't have pitch). It sounds like Monroe took the same idea and played > > > > it with tremolo, not just chord strums, and built melody and rhythmic > > > > backup too, though I don't think his use of it was always related to > > > > the melody specifically, but oftentimes to an alternate rhythmic > > > > pattern built into the melody. > > > > > All this thinking makes my head hurt. > > > > TBug > > > > > On Jun 21, 8:47 am, Mark Halpin <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > > > I think one of the advantages of say trios or duets is that it demands > > > > > that the instruments are shifted from their normal sound space and > > > > > have to find new voices to support each other. > > > > > > The genius of Bluegrass, for instance, is that each instrument has its > > > > > own sound space and as a result they all support each other, but, the > > > > > danger with that is that the space can become so defined that it can > > > > > also serve to limit the possibilities for each instrument. > > > > > > Approaching even bluegrass material as a trio or duo straight away > > > > > offers you the difficulty of freedom... just how do you fill for the > > > > > missing instruments on the selection that you have left? > > > > > > I think it was earlier in that same interview that Mr. Tater mentioned > > > > > encountering the same trouble when working on the album with David > > > > > Grier, that the bluegrass chop just wouldnt cut the mustard in that > > > > > situation, so new backup solutions on the mandolin had to be found. > > > > > For me that right there is the interest, that someone is kinda kicked > > > > > from their comfort zone and they have to engage their imagination and > > > > > ear again (thats not to imply that Mr. Tater was not being imaginative > > > > > before the Grier album ;-) > > > > > > Also i think that the more stripped back nature of a two or three > > > > > players does not leave much for a musician to hide behind, in my > > > > > opinion, it demands that you listen to and interact more with the > > > > > other players, and thats where the natural familiarity of family > > > > > groups like the Haleys, Stanleys, Louvins, Monroes etc plays an > > > > > advantage lending a second-nature to the interaction... and we all can > > > > > marvel in the wonder that sort of initmacy can produce in music. > > > > > > The real wonder for me though is when you have a group of musicians > > > > > who are unused to each other, or, as i said above, are shunted from > > > > > their traditional roles and are flying by the seat of their pants, > > > > > sometimes yes sir, the results can be ragged other times it can > > > > > produce moments of pure unexpected adrenalin fueled magic . > > > > > > On Jun 21, 2:44 pm, Dasspunk <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > > > > Sign me up for trios too. Myself, my fiddler Paul and Bob Black sat > > > > > > down one night and played as a trio for about 4 hours straight. With > > > > > > no guitar player to hold us back, them were some lively tunes! Bob > > > > > > has > > > > > > great rhythm sensibilities himself and it was a joy to play off each > > > > > > other. > > > > > > > I also find it interesting that--for whatever reason--my love of the > > > > > > duet seems to be shared with a number of folks on this list... it's > > > > > > nice to know I'm not alone! > > > > > > > Brian > > > > > > > On Jun 18, 8:28 am, Mark Halpin <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > > > > > Some of my favorite Tater ventures have to be on 'The Speed of > > > > > > > the Old > > > > > > > Long Bow' and t'other John Hartford old-time-fiddler-tribute > > > > > > > albums... > > > > > > > i dont dance much but i knows they do make for fine jogging > > > > > > > musics. > > > > > > > > From one of the old Co-mando interviews Mr. Tate tells that John > > > > > > > Hartford was looking for something along the lines of what Ela > > > > > > > Haley > > > > > > > was doing on mandolin. Hers how its put in the interview > > > > > > > > 'Haley's wife Ela played taterbug (or roundback for you yanks) > > > > > > > mandolin on the recordings. She played simple chords with a heavy- > > > > > > > handed rhythm and that's what John said he really wanted me to > > > > > > > do. I > > > > > > > thought it was a very primitive way to play mandolin until I > > > > > > > started > > > > > > > to notice Ela seemed to be playing the melody line, but with > > > > > > > chords. > > > > > > > In other words, her right hand played the melody, her left played > > > > > > > chords. It's sort of the same thing tap dancers do I guess.' > > > > > > > > Now, given that those Ed Haley recordings seem to be both rare and > > > > > > > pricey i have'nt much of chance to hear what exactly is going on > > > > > > > with > > > > > > > the original recordings, i'm actually just going through the some > > > > > > > mp3 > > > > > > > samples at the moment and i'm beginning to hear the sound i > > > > > > > associate > > > > > > > from the Hartford albums. > > > > > > > > Now i'm wondering if anyone here, not just Mr Taterbug though > > > > > > > it'd be > > > > > > > interesting to hear his views, have paid much attention to Ela > > > > > > > Haley's > > > > > > > playing or have tried to adapt it into their own playing? > > > > > > > > If so, what attracts you to that style of playing, any > > > > > > > observations > > > > > > > about it, in particular i'd wonder how do you think it sits with > > > > > > > the > > > > > > > Monroe style?- Hide quoted text - > > > > > > > - Show quoted text - -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Taterbugmando" group. 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