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.