Set List for Homegrown Kickoff

This weekend we're playing a 40 minute set at the MBOTMA Homegrown Kickoff.  This is the first MBOTMA event we are playing since our CD was finished so we start and end with songs from the CD; however, we are doing a lot of material we've learned since we did the actual recording in March 2008.  Here's the songs (and 1 tune) that we're working up:

East Virginia Blues: from the CD, it includes the line "Blue-Eyed Boatman" which is the title of the CD.  

Raging Sea: Our son Tommy is an actual blue-eyed boatman who works in San Francico sailing boats - so this jolly little song about death at sea is a little strange.  I have versions by Ernest Stoneman and the New Lost City Ramblers.

Last Gold Dollar: we've done this for a while and it's one where Lynn sings lead; we learned it from Jim and Kim Lansford --from theri liner notes: it is originally from was one of only a total of two sides recorded by Ephraim Woodie and the Henpecked Husbands who were from Furches, near Ashe County in North Carolina.  The "Husbands" one and only record was made for Columbia in 1929.

(Note: since learning this, I have acquired the source recording, but we're much closer to Kim and Jim's verison).

Bear Creek Blues:  ours sticks pretty close to the Carter Family Version.

More Pretty Girls Than One:  this another one on the CD, it's one I orignally learned from Doc Watson - I've since dropped the minor chord and added a 3rd verse - Lynn plays fiddle.

I've Got a Bulldog: the 'Sweet Brothers' version is our source - Lynn plays fiddle on yet another song about lost love.

Dog Treed a Possum up a White Oak Tree: a tune we found in Garry Harrison's book Dear Old Illinois; we got it when the New Mules performed at the MBOTMA winter weekend. Our contra dance band played it at a dance a couple of weeks later and Lynn and I have worked it out for mandolin and fiddle.

 

Across The Illinois Plains:  another song from the Dear Old Illinois book. This is on the New Mules CD. We do it as a duet and have restored one of the verses from the book.   It is related to other old-time songs about 'The Girl I Left Behind Me".

Rambling Boy: from the original Carter Family - the lyrics, especially the last verse, are a little strange.  If our next CD is titled "Plenty of Dry Goods", this is where it came from.

Little Annie:  a song on our CD - it was suggested I learn this by Bruce Johnson who is in the band Hello Stranger (playing immediately before us).  Carter Family with some Norman Blake style guitar thrown in.

My Old Cottage Home: closing song on our CD.  Learned originally from a Big Medicine CD, but I have versions from the Carter family and others.

We'll be lucky to fit all 11 of the above in our set, but we do have the following in reserve:

Pretty Little Miss 

I’m Thinking Tonight of My Blue Eyes 

If I Lose, Let Me Lose

Bluff Country Gathering in Lanesboro, MN

Lynn and I spent last weekend at the Bluff Country Gathering in Lanesboro, Mn.  This is an event organized by Bob Bovee and Gail Heil that has been going on for many years. This is our 3rd year attending.  I thought I better capture a few impressions while it's still fresh.

Instead of camping in our Van, we stayed in a B&B: Lynn claims it was for my hip ;-) -- I did appreciate not tramping across the park several times a day and having a bathroom handy.  We put up at the Scandanavian Inn and enjoyed 3 great breakfastes.  It was about 4 blocks from the 'Gathering' and we may very well stay there again. 

I went to 2 mandolin and 3 guitar workshops and otherwise attended some Carter Family singing sessions as well as some 'mini-concerts'.  The Friday night concert was excellent and the dance was fun (although my hip issue prevents me from square dancing).  Oh, and we bought about 8 CDs ;-)

At most of these types of events there is always a performer or something else that is unexpected.  One of the suprises for me was to hear Skip Gorman in an intimate setting - he had been at a MBOTMA festival a number of years ago and I just didn't 'connect' -- I was talking to Bob Bovee about this - wondering if it was because I was still transitioning from bluegrass to old-time (or as he put it, coming over from the dark-side);however,   I think Bob hit it on the head by saying that to see and hear Skip in a smaller and more intimate setting  might have a lot to do with it.  Skip is a very sensitve and skilled fiddler and mandolinist and is one of the best 'cowboy' singers around.   I especially liked the way he addressed some hackneyed songs, like Streets of Laredo, and invested them with new life (often by singing an original, older version than the one that was in my head).

The last workshop I took was on 'Carter' Style guitar presented by Darren Moore and Jeremy Stevens with the New North Carolina Ramblers.  I had seen them perform Carter Family songs the day before and Darren, who knows all but 16 Carter family songs by-heart was playing in the style of Maybelle Carter on a low-tuned guitar using thumb and index finger (with picks).  In the workshop I was able to get flatten out one my finger picks so that it kind of worked for the Maybelle scratch (you brush the top strings back and forth).  Once I got home I tuned my 'farmers-market' Epiphone 3 frets down (C#,F#,B,E,G#,C#) and have tried it out on a few songs.  I also order the same kind of finger-pick that Darren uses which should make the back and forth easier.  We'll see what develops.

In years past Lynn and I have been in some 'vocal jams' - last year with Alice Gerrard!  This didn't transpire this year but there were a couple of tune jams at the Sons of Norway Hall that we sat in on.  I play  mandolin for contradances but most of the tunes I know are not in the 'old-time' repertoire.  However, I was able to play along tolerably well and Lynn and I 'introduced' a tune that we got from the Dear Old Illinois book: Dog chased a Possum up the White Oak Tree.  Later Gail Heil told Lynn that she liked the tune and was gonna learn it.

There was much more, but this will have to do for now.

New Songs

Lynn and I are taking a short break from performing since our son Alex is getting married in May.  Our first CD "Blue-Eyed Boatman" is finished and we've been selling/giving it away to folks, but really haven't had any gigs to promote it.  (Probably later this summer).  I've been working on a few new songs and Lynn and I are in process working out arrangements.

All I've Got Is Gone:  Uncle Dave Macon recorded this first, but the version(s) we're learning are based on Ernest Stoneman's recordings.  From one site I found this:  According to Don Kent, this tune refers to a 1907 flood in central Tennessee and the resulting comment of a friend of Uncle Dave Macon: "All I got's gone."  In the original, there are a couple of problematic verses.  We have a recording from the Bluff Country Gathering with a version by Bill Dillof - he simply skips the problematic verses so that has been our approach as well.  At last year's Bluff Country Gathering we also heard an updated version by Mac and Jenny Traynham with references to current day events; however, we're sticking with the original.  Of course either version seem to have a comptempary relevance.  

Over the Mountain:   while listening to my ipod on 'shuffle' I was struck with Kenny Jackson's version on his CD titled Over the Mountain. Reviewing the liner notes, I found that his source was Uncle Dave Macon so I promptly purchased some Dave Macon CDs.  Lynn was listening to these and then told me about this Dave Macon song we should learn: Over the Mountain.  She also did some research and found the original sheet music from 1882.  So we learning from lyrics which are an amalgamation of Dave Macon's and this sheet music.  (We're keeping the Yodelling).

Across the Plains of Illinois: At MBOTMA's Winter Weekend, we heard The New Mules and both of us liked this song a lot.  It is on there CD and the 'source' (from Ollie Barnard) is in the book Dear Old Illinois.  Although the book indicates there is an original recording from the 1950's, we have only listened to The New Mules do it.  The song is related to other songs - the Folk Music Index indicates it is related to Maggie Wallker Blues.  The song relates what can happen to the 'Girl I left Behind'.   We're doing it in G with me on Mandolin and Lynn on Guitar (capoed to the 5th fret).  It is our 'New Favorite'.

Set List for Roots Showcase: Coffee Grounds Thurs 3/19 @ 7pm

Lynn and I doing two Thursday gigs at Coffee Houses 2 weeks in a row - this week we'll be at The Coffee Grounds as part of Bill Cagley's Roots Showcase.  We have the whole show (Bill will be in Arkansas).  Our CD will be ready and we'll bring copies.  The set list includes songs from the CD as well as some of the newer things we've learned.  This runs from 7 to about 8:45 and we're hoping for about 2 45 minute sets.  The 2nd sets starts off with 3 numbers as part of my effort to revive the Old Time String Band 12-string guitar tradition.  So far the only evidence I've found is a picture on Mike Seegar's Southern Guitar CD - this shows a 12-string made in 1927; however, the only 12 string numbers he appears to play are associated with Leadbelly - a fine musician but hardly in the old-time string band tradition.

Tentative Set List:

Raging Sea

Green Grows the Laurel

Lonesome Pine Special [CD]

East Virginia Blues [CD]

Milwaukee Blues [CD]

I've Got a Bulldog

Spotted Pony

Charmin’ Betsy

Dear Companion

Rambling Boy [NEW]

Broken Hearted Love (I’ve been dreaming ...)

John Hardy [12-string]

When First Unto this Country [12-string CD]

Cannon Ball Blues [12-string NEW]

Louis Collins [NEW]

Last Gold Dollar

Bear Creek Blues

Baltimore Fire [CD]

Emma

Pretty Little Miss

I’m Thinking Tonight of My Blue Eyes [CD]

MBOTMA Winter Weekend & The New Mules

Last weekend Lynn and I went to the MBOMTA Winter Weekend on Friday & Saturday.  Although we had tentative plans to go Sunday, we were just plain too tired.  Also, we performed Saturday and the extra weight of two guitars and a backpack full of stands  put a strain on my 'bad' leg.  

Our performance Saturday night was billed as part of the Dinner special in the Europa room, although by the time we played at 8:45 most of the dinner crowd had left.   There were about half-a-dozen fellow musicians however, who came to see us.  We had fun playing and did well except for a few word issues.

The definite high point of the festival for me was seeing The New Mules, a group from Illinois that plays mostly traditional music from Illinois.   Much of their material is from the book Dear Old Illinois, co-written by New Mules Fiddler, Garry Harrison.  The other fiddler is Garry's daughter Genevieve (Gena), so all the traditional tunes were played with (unison) double fiddles.  Their instrumentals were just plain fun and I can see why they took first place in the traditional band competition at the Appalachian String Band Festival in Clifftop, West Virginia.  Since I mostly sing, I also enjoyed their songs, most of which were sung by Gena.  

I had read a review of Dear Old Illinois a while back in the Old Time Herald and in the last Dec-January OTH had an inteview with Garry Harrison.  So I was plenty excited to see that they were coming to Minnesota and was really glad to hear them. 

We also bought the New Mules CD as well as the book and accompanying CD for Dear Old Illinois.  Since the festival, I've listened some and tried out some of the tunes in the book.  Our contradance band, Danebodium, is rehearsing a couple of times this month and I've got a few tunes to try out - in addition, there's at least one song I'm trying to learn.

Set List for MBOTMA Winter Weekend

Lynn and I are getting ready to play a 35 minute set at the MBOTMA Winter Weekend: Sat, March 7, 8:45 in the Europa room. We've selected 9 songs for the set. Since our CD Blue-Eyed Boatman will not be ready, but since it should be available in a couple of weeks, we are doing 4 numbers that are on the CD. We're also doing some new songs ( new-to-us songs, they are of course, old traditional songs otherwise). One of the new songs is on 12 string so I get to explain how I am 'reviving' the old-time 12-string tradition (in my own mind at least).

• I Ain’t Gonna Work Tomorrow [CD opening song]
• East Virginia Blues [CD - contains title 'blue-eyed boatmn']
• Cannon Ball Blues [BRAND NEW - 12 string]
• Otto Wood
• I've Got a Bulldog [ PRETTY NEW ]
• More Pretty Girls Than One [CD]
• Blue Railroad Train
• Rambling Boy [BRAND NEW]
• My Old Cottage Home [CD closing song]

Otto Wood and Blue Railroad Train were recorded during our CD sessions, but didn't make the cut. They may be on a future project.

Lynn is pretty busy with her Arts High Musical Rehearsals: they missed a rehearsal last week, so rehearsals go until 7:00 this week. We'll be squeezing in our own rehearsals when she gets home.

We're looking forward to jamming and listening, too. We'll be there Friday and Saturday for sure, and hopefully Sunday.

Our first CD enters production

For the last month Lynn and Dan Miggler, the designer at Noiseland, have emailing pdf's and corrections back-and-forth of the artwork for our first CD "Blue-eyed Boatman". A week ago she went into their office and sat with Dan for an hour and a half to go over the last major issues.

The last two corrections were sent yesterday and the final proof came in email today. It was OK. - Lynn approved and it's going into production today.

Manufacturing will take about two weeks so it will not be ready for the MBOTMA Winter Festival but we will announce the 'sales' outlets as soon as we know. This is exciting!

As I was writing this, the cover image came in:

Update

Compared with some months, this February has been quiet for the Bob&Lynn band- our church's annual talent show 'The Lynnhurst Home Companion' is coming up this Saturday - we're doing 2 numbers with the 'Hot Dish String Band' (a once-a-year band) and one duet: Louis Collins - from Mississippi John Hurt. Lynn is also doing a number with the Women's Quartet and playing piano for the Choir Number (while Bob just sings tenor).

Lynn is busy working as an accompanist for the Perpich Arts High production of HMS Pinafore. The performances are in mid-March. She's also been the main coordinator with the designer at Noiseland for our CD - it is looking good and she's going in to work out final details next week.

In March, we're performing at the MBOTMA Winter Bluegrass Weekend (8:45pm Sat March 7th) and will probably be playing for TwinCitiesRadio.net (details to come). There is a chance the CD will be done by then, but this is not a deadline - we want it to be as 'correct' as possible. Danebodium is playing at Tapestry for the Contradance on Sat, March 28th. That's probably it until the MBOTMA Homegrown Kickoff - we're starting a major remodeling project any day now AND our oldest son is getting married on May 9th.

We will probably be setting up some Farmer's market dates for the summer (these are usually arranged in March). We also will be doing an official CD release, but given our current schedule, probably not until summer.

New 'Monitors' for the sound system

About a year ago, Lynn and I first played at Dulono's, a long-running bluegrass/oldtime venue in Minneapolis. We discovered that our sound system was not up to the job. I had it maxed out and people in the back could still not hear it. This was a 200 Watt Yamaha system. Last spring we upgraded to a more powerful Yamaha system based on the EMX512SC power amp with SM10V speakers.

I didn't want to spend any extra for monitors so we used Lynn's Roland Keyboard Amp as a monitor. This worked, but the amp and stand were out in the audience. We played a couple of gigs with this setup but I knew we'd need something more convenient eventually.

For the past few summers Lynn and I have been playing farmers' markets in Prior Lake and Bloomington, usually with Bob Estes and the Rhubarbarians. Once or twice we brought our old Yamaha system and plugged it in with about 300 feet of extension chord. However, this was a lot of work to set up and was kind of overkill. At some point, Bob E. borrowed a Crate Taxi Portable Amp which supported a couple of inputs. We had a PigNose which added one more mike, but the Crate was definitely superior for the purpose. I bought one and then a second so that Lynn and I each had our own Crate Amp. This is sold as a guitar 'combo' amp with one Microphone input plus an instrument line-in (as well as an RCA dual jack). Bob E has a preamp and uses all 4 inputs. Lynn and I don't plug in our guitars; however, an I use an IMP converter to route the 2nd mike to the guitar input.

Last fall, we had a gig for a retiree luncheon at a hotel ballroom. We had to provide the sound and I brought along one of the Crate amps to use as a monitor. (At least 1/2 the size and weight of the Roland). It worked well. I got to thinking this would be much better for Dulono's than the Roland -- and it would be even better if I could set it up to use both of the Crates.

I did a little research and found a signal splitter that would take the monitor output from the Yamaha power amp and redirect to both of the Crates. (The Crate does not have its own output, only inputs). Before the Dulono's gig I set up everything in the living room and both of the Crates were pushing out sound.

At Dulono's we were able to put the 2 Crates on stage and so Lynn and I each had a monitor with nothing out in the audience area. We had to play a little with the placement and volume settings to avoid feedback, but they work well as monitors. Since we were playing two nights, I brought the AC adapter/chargers and plugged the Crates in. But for most normal gigs, the battery would easily carry you through and avoid a bit more stage clutter.

As a side note, our system is now 'Loud Enough' - we had to turn it down so that the folk at Dulono's could hear their phone-in orders.

It may very well be that our sound system needs are set for awhile...