Mountain Dew Throwback

Look what I found at K-Mart!

They're making a Mountain Dew with natural sugar instead of high fructose corn syrup. This has been in the works for a few months now, I understand.

Don't know how long it's going to stay on the market, so I'm going to have to order up a ton of this stuff.

I'll perform with the Hump Night Thumpers on Tuesday

Want a chance to see me and my fellow Hump Night Thumpers in all our jug-blowin' banjo-pickin' glory?

This coming Tuesday, April 21st, we open for The Barehand Jug Band at The Horseshoe in Chicago. We start at 8:30pm and play for a half hour or so before the Open Hand Jug Band takes the stage.

Here's our set list:

Banjo versus TV: Week 54

A check-in on the Banjo versus TV project — J.R.'s ongoing plan to spend more time on his banjo than on TV. This post covers 3/8/2009 through 3/14/2009.

I've recently gotten Steve Martin's CD The Crow: New Songs for the 5-String Banjo. The first track, Daddy Played The Banjo, brought to mind the cover of Earl Scrugg's book Earl Scruggs and the 5-String Banjo:



One day Daddy put my fingers down upon the strings
He picked it with his other hand; we made the banjo ring.

The possible connection to that cover art is made even stronger by Steve Martin's choice of singer for this song: Gary Scruggs.

I shared these thoughts with Dave, who told me the sad story of who that kid really was.

He was Earl's son Steve Scruggs who, as Dave described it, "had a lot of demons." Steve Scruggs died of self-inflicted gunshot wounds in 1992.

I'm not sure whether Steve Martin intended his song to make such a connection, but I found one. Listen to the song, think about that cover (and Steve Scruggs) and see if you don't find the same thing.

---

Things I learned at this week's banjo lesson:

• It's been easier to adjust to my new, higher bridge than I thought. I suggest that maybe this is because my fingerwork is kind of sloppy.
• I'm not letting my notes ring; I'm changing my left fingers too quickly, causing the sustained sound to be the open string and not the note I'd played.
• Where should I set the 5th string capo when I'm in other keys? Dave says that the Scruggs answer to that question is 7 for D and 9 for E.
• My pull-offs aren't really audible. I need to angle my left fingers and pluck the string a little when I pull off.

---

Also in the last week:

• TV really kicked the banjo's butt this week, seven hours to one-and-a-half. I'm really liking Dollhouse, which is excellent, and Tool Academy, which is pure trash.
• At the festival I purchased a somewhat worn Lotus banjo from Shorty. I told Dave I'm thinking of replacing its strings with heavier ones, creating a lower-tuned banjo akin to Tom Nechville's Atlas banjo.
  
  Dave told me that John Hartford had a low-tuned banjo. Dave played a John Hartford record and we dope out that Hartford probably tuned his banjo low by 6 semitones.

Hitler's nightly build fails

Banjo versus TV: Week 53

A check-in on the Banjo versus TV project — J.R.'s resolution ongoing plan to spend more time in 2008 on his banjo than on TV. This post covers 3/1/2009 through 3/7/2009.

This week's big event is my annual (twice now!) trip to Shorty's Strickly Bluegrass Festival in East Peoria, Illinois. I'd gone to the festival last year and it was pretty nice to discover how much my jamming skills had improved.

Shorty puts on a great festival at the Stoney Creek Inn in East Peoria. The festival opens Thursday night with a Branson show; she brings in an act from Branson, Missouri. This year, as last year, the Branson act was Goldwing Express.

Other acts this year:

• Faris Family, whose banjo player Ed Faris has recently joined Ricky Skagg's band Kentucky Thunder
• The Martins
• The Punches Family (formerly Arlington)
• Henhouse Prowlers
• River Ramblers
• Prairie Grass from Peoria, Illinois
• Bull Harman & Bull's Eye

Stage acts run all weekend and there are jam sessions throughout the hotel. Last year I spent most of my time watching the acts and only a little time jamming. This year I reversed that, spending way more time in the jam sessions.

You should definitely come to next year's festival: March 4, 5, 6, & 7, 2010

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Things I learned at this week's banjo lesson — mostly having to do with preparation for jamming at Shorty's:

• It's time for me to replace my strings; especially #3.
• We talk a lot about finding the melody and finding a solo for a song.
• Scruggs style surrounds the melody with rolls. So one way to play a song, Scruggs style, is to pick a roll for each measure (or half measure) that starts on the melody note. So here are some of the rolls that you can use:

  this roll	starts on string
  Forward-reverse roll	3 or 4
  Alternating thumb roll	3 or 4
  Foggy Mountain Breakdown roll	2
  Sonny Osbourne roll	1

• Dave has me find the melody for She'll Be Coming 'Round the Mountain, which I (eventually) do. Except for the lowest notes, which are too low for my banjo.
• Then I find the melody for Camptown Races.
• I try to find the melody for Crawdad Song, but I have a very different melody in my head than Dave does and I'm not able to find it.
• Here's a trick that Dave uses for Charlie on the MTA:
  
  
  
  That's moving from one inversion of the C chord to another, which is a good trick.
• Here's the conversation thread: We talk about Twinkle Twinkle, which leads to Mozart, which leads to Mozart's highly-driven upbringing, which leads to stage moms, which leads to Dave telling a story about his studio recording business.
  
  Dave was recording a mother and her kids who sing harmony. Rather than arranging their physical positions around the microphones, he asked them to arrange themselves. Their arrangement? Mom in the front of the group to everybody's left, one kid to her right and the others in a row behind them. Just like they sit in the minivan. It's how they work.

---

Also in the last week:

• A personal accomplishment: At Costello's Jam there was a song I'd never heard before but, by following the guitar chords, I played along and didn't miss a single chord. Yay me!
• Tom Nechville of Nechville Music Products did an in-store event at the Different Strummer. In addition to showing off his really cool line of banjos, he offered to do setup work on the banjos we brought in, whether he made them or not. He made a few adjustments to my Oscar-Schmidt OB-5 banjo...
  • tightened up the head
  • changed the stock 1/2-inch bridge for a Nechville Enterprise Bridge
  • corrected a hard-to-find (for me, not him) buzz in the nut
  ...and it sounds SO MUCH BETTER.

Barely out of gas

I really shouldn't be proud of how today — for about the fifth time in my life — my car sputtered to a stop, running out of gas JUST AS I PULLED UP TO THE GAS PUMP.

I shouldn't take pride in that sort of thing.

Yet I do.

Good Ol’ Seder Plate

My friends (and fellow Hump Night Thumpers) Fran and Skip are throwing a jug band Seder. They've asked us guests to take jug band songs and convert them to a Seder theme.

Here's my contribution.

Good Ol’ Seder Plate

(With apologies to Bascom Lamar Lunsford, the author of Good Old Mountain Dew.)

Chorus:
    Oh, what’s on the good ol’ Seder plate?
    Sit 'round and I'll give it to you straight
    With a tune and some verse
    That for better or worse
    Will explain the good ol’ Seder plate.

We’ve all had some wine
Now some karpas, dipped in brine,
Should provoke an inquisitive state.
Perhaps this unique ingestion
Will lead to a question
That’s why it’s on the Seder plate.

Some herbs are bitter, you bet,
Like maror and chazeret.
They really do not taste great.
But don’t be a quitter
Recall that slavery was bitter
So these herbs are on the Seder plate.

The slaves by the Nile
Used mortar by the pile
To build Pharaoh’s real estate.
In remembrance of such
We put just a touch
Of charoset on the Seder plate.

In the old times they did
Take a lamb or a kid
And sacrifice it on a slate
But we don’t all eat meat
So we’re using a beet
As the z’roa on the Seder plate.

It was a terrible cost
When the temple was lost
And our rituals had to wait.
So please listen, I beg,
And don’t eat the egg!
Leave the beitzah on the Seder plate.

We should answer the call
To respect one and all
And never discriminate.
So we choose to in-clute
A small piece of fruit:
There's an orange on the Seder plate.

So that is our good ol’ Seder plate
And that’s all I have to relate.
You’re all very dear
And I’ll see you next year
In Jerusalem 'round our Seder plate.

The return of the Banjo versus TV project

I'm bringing back the Banjo versus TV project.

I was really pleased with the way the project worked out last year. Since I first made my resolution in January of 2008 and started tracking my banjo time against my TV time, I've really gotten a lot more banjo time in. Take a look at the numbers. On the right are my 2008 banjo hours (in blue) and on the left are my Q3-2007 and Q4-2007 estimated banjo hours (in purplish-red).

See how much more banjo time I had in 2008? Great stuff! Pat on the back for me!

And then it stopped. Starting on January 1st, 2009, I hit a dry spell, banjo-wise. I was a much better player than I'd been one year prior, but I wasn't a better practicer.

So I'm bringing it back, maybe for good. Sunday March 1st, 2009, marked the beginning of week 53 of the Banjo versus TV project. That's the day that I picked up my old steno pad and started tracking my banjo and TV hours again. (Yeah, that means I'm a few weeks behind in my blogging. I'll catch up.)

It's the same plan — spend as much time on my banjo as I spend on television — and the same rules apply. I'll continued to post to both my personal blog and to my blog at the Banjo Hangout.

Big thanks to Dave, my banjo teacher, who suggested that I continue this project. "I'm a big fan of what works," Dave said. "And this works for you."

Banjo versus TV: Week 52

The very last check-in on the Banjo versus TV project — J.R.'s resolution to spend more time in 2008 on his banjo than on TV. This post covers 12/23/2008 through 12/31/2008.

"So," I hear you ask, because I'm a listener, "What banjo-themed stuff did you get for Christmas?"

And the answer is, this:

A copy of Spectacular Spider-Man #156 (November 1989) featuring the 10-year-old mutant menace of Banjo! Yes, this has little to do with the banjo as a musical instrument. (See this video if you want to see the true Spider-Man/banjo connection.)

Thanks, Big Brother!

---

So that's it for 2008. One year of fierce battle between the forces of banjo and the boob tube.

And the banjo won.

Banjo versus TV: Week 51

A weekly check-in on the Banjo versus TV project — J.R.'s resolution to spend more time in 2008 on his banjo than on TV. This post covers 12/16/2008 through 12/22/2008.

It's the busy holiday season. Music-wise, this week has been all about the preparations for the Royal Moose Jug Band's performance.

This week's banjo lesson, for example, didn't have much to do with the banjo per se. Instead I asked Dave for his advice as a recording engineer. Dave runs Shu-Man Studios and is an expert in such things.

Also in the last week:

• While trying to work out sheet music for the Royal Moose Jug Band I ran across a good article: Bluegrass Harmony Vocals.
• Haven't had time yet for our annual viewing of our three traditional Christmas movies...
  1. A Christmas Carol with Alastair Sim
  2. Elf with Will Ferrel
  3. Bad Santa with Billy Bob Thornton
  ...but will try to fit them in before the end of the year. (Note from the future: Nope, we didn't get to our traditional Christmas movie viewing. Better luck next [this] year. - 3/29/2009)

Banjo versus TV: Week 50

A weekly check-in on the Banjo versus TV project — J.R.'s resolution to spend more time in 2008 on his banjo than on TV. This post covers 12/09/2008 through 12/15/2008.

Realizing that every set needs a train song, we (of the Royal Moose Jug Band) have decided that we'll be playing Wabash Cannonball.

Which I kinda knew, but which I now know better after a few hours of practice.

Mark your calendars: Shorty's Strickly Bluegrass Festival in Peoria

Once again (You do remember last year, don't you?) it's time for Shorty's Strickly Bluegrass Festival, held this year from Thursday March 6 through Sunday March 8 at the Stoney Creek Inn in East Peoria, Illinois.

I don't have a flyer or much information about this year's festival. It'll probably be something like last year's schedule, with the "Branson Show" on Thursday at 7pm then shows on Friday evening from 7pm to 10:30pm, Saturday afternoon from 1pm to 5pm, Saturday evening from 7pm to 11pm and Sunday from 9:30am to noon.

See you there!

This machine surrounds hate and forces it to surrender

Banjo versus TV: Week 49

A weekly check-in on the Banjo versus TV project — J.R.'s resolution to spend more time in 2008 on his banjo than on TV. This post covers 12/02/2008 through 12/08/2008.

This week's event is something I made a big deal out of last year: I performed in Flatts & Sharpe's annual recital.

Last year (as you'll recall) I played a sing-along Preamble from Schoolhouse Rock, complete with slide show. It was pretty labor-intensive. But all that fuss and pomp helped to mask my lack of skill.

This year I'm a better player. The Banjo versus TV project has really helped. So with the urging of my banjo instructor, Dave, I decided to play it straight and to perform a simple medley of my two best songs: I'll Fly Away and This Land Is Your Land, with the latter played as a sing-along.

The performance went very well, except for one embarassing, rookie mistake.

I lost my picks -- which wasn't, itself, the rookie mistake, though it was a rookie mistake.

No, the rookie mistake was that I walked up to the mic and told everyone that I'd lost my picks but was going to play anyway.

It's like saying, "Hey, everybody. If this next thing is bad IT'S NOT MY FAULT! It's the lack of picks."

Really, I know better. When there's some problem before a public presentation you shouldn't draw attention to it, or start off in such a weak, apologetic fashion. I should have just sucked it up and played.

Ah, well. I got the crowd singing along and everyone seemed to have a good time. I got lots of compliments.

You need to rent the Step Brothers DVD

I'd decided to rent the Step Brothers DVD because of the Jessica Winter's spirited defense of the film at Slate's end-of-2008 Movie Club (and despite its low, 55 point, Tomatometer rating).

But I've discovered the real reason to rent Step Brothers: The world's first improv-musical commentary track.

Really, you must must rent this.

Mark your calendars: B-Fest

I will NOT repeat my previous years' mistake of missing B-Fest, that annual festival of B movies. So I've wadddled over to b-fest.com and signed up for email notification.

You should do so, too. B-Fest usually happens on the Friday before Superbowl Sunday, which would put it on January 30th this year.

Wishing

It's a couple of weeks too late for Christmas and six months too early for my birthday, but I've recently discovered some cool stuff that just has to be added to J.R.'s Wish List.

Zot! Special Edition: The Complete Black and White Collection: 1987-1991 (Hardcover) comes to me via Bully's annual Fun Fifty. The other 49 would all make me happy, too, but I've been wanting to get to know Zot.) Update 6/2009: Got it for my birthday. Thanks, Mom!

Also, I discovered The Austin Lounge Lizards while shifting through CDs at a pawn shop. Why didn't you all tell me about the Lounge Lizards? They're wonderful. I bought their CD, The Drugs I Need, at the aforementioned pawn shop and have added their other albums to my Amazon wish list.

Banjo versus TV: Week 48

A weekly check-in on the Banjo versus TV project — J.R.'s resolution to spend more time in 2008 on his banjo than on TV. This post covers 11/25/2008 through 12/01/2008.

So I get a text message from my brother. He was driving up from Texas with my just-turned-8-year-old fiddle-playing niece and her brother in tow. Among the visit's highlights was going out to a restaurant for her birthday party. The text read:

She just said, "Maybe Uncle J.R. will play me Happy Birthday on his banjo."

One problem: I didn't know Happy Birthday.

But, of course, a few hours later at the restaurant, I knew Happy Birthday.

Also in the last week:

• I ordered a spare Banjo Hangout Player's Union 2008 T-shirt because I look good in it.
• A visit to Granma means lots of second-hand TV-watching. But the banjo is still 16 hours ahead.

Banjo versus TV: Week 47

A weekly check-in on the Banjo versus TV project — J.R.'s resolution to spend more time in 2008 on his banjo than on TV. This post covers 11/18/2008 through 11/24/2008.

What we covered in this week's banjo lesson:

• We discussed the bringing of books to a jam session. I'd loaned someone a copy of The Parking Lot Pickers Songbook at the Costello's jam and he'd given the book to Dave to return to me, which is what kicked off the discussion. Dave figures that the only good role for books at a jam is to provide lyrics. I noted that, at this stage in my playing, I'm using the books to know what chords to play.
• Dave suggested that I instead learn to watch the guitar player for chord prompts. I've been working on this, of course. It was the whole reason I took guitar lessons this fall. But I'm not there yet.
  
  To get there, I'm going to practice along with Pete Wernick's (that is, Dr. Banjo's) Bluegrass Slow Jam for the Total Beginner and Intermediate Bluegrass Jam Session DVDs. These DVDs provide a split view with a close-up of the guitarist's left hand...
  
  
  
  ...for exactly the reason Dave mentioned: so you can learn to follow the guitarist's chords.
• Dave played me a 1975 Steve Goodman version of Mama Don't 'Low and a Doc Watson recording of the same song. Dave's been helping me prep for the songs we'd like to play at the family jug band get-together in December, which includes Mama Don't 'Low. When I first started my lessons with Dave he told me we'd be spending a lot more time listening to and playing along with recorded music and a lot less time working with tabs.
• We discussed bluegrass harmonies and the bass, baritone and tenor parts.
• We discussed the tambourine, which is another family jug band instrument. (More on that later, too.)
• We talked about several instruments that will be part of the family jug band. More on these in later posts:
  • Melody harp (gusli)
  • Tambourine
  • Fiddle
  • Guitar
  • Cookie tin banjo
• Dave told me a trick that he sometimes uses when he plays guitar with another guitarist. If they're playing in A, he'll let the other guitarist play without a capo and he'll play with a capo. That means that, while both guitars as playing in the same key, they're both playing a little differently. This sounds like a good idea and is applicable to other capo-capable instruments (like the banjo).
• We talk key changes. Dave shows me a simple three-chord key change trick to go from G to A. Basically, you wrap up your G part, you play a G chord then a G# chord then an A chord on the first string like this...
  
  
  
  ...and you continue to play in A.
• My homework includes switching between C and F chords.

Also in the last week:

• Spent a chunk of time working on tabs for the upcoming family jug band: Underdog and Duelin' Banjos.
• For various reasons I spent a lot of time waiting in my car this week. Happily I'd brought along the sawed-off banjo so I got some good practice time in as I waited.

Banjo versus TV: Week 46

A weekly check-in on the Banjo versus TV project — J.R.'s resolution to spend more time in 2008 on his banjo than on TV. This post covers 11/11/2008 through 11/17/2008.

What we covered in this week's banjo lesson:

• The redhead says she'll get me a fancy schmancy banjo for my birthday. That's still seven months away, but still, I've started looking. I'm thinking about getting one from Tom Nechville, who I met at Midwest Banjo Camp in 2008. Dave and I discussed the various features of the Helimount banjos from Nechville, the Stealth banjos from Scott Vestal, Steve Huber's tone rings and the alloys of Gold Star banjos. Any of these would be a big step up from my Oscar Schmidt OB-5 with its aluminum tone ring.
• We discussed the low bridge on my OB-5 and if/when to raise it. Dave's Stealth banjo has a higher bridge and he likes it a lot. If I'm going to raise it, I'll do so after the beginning of the new year. Why wait? Because I've got my recital and my family jug band coming up in late December and it takes a while to adjust to a change like a raised bridge. How long? (Boy, you ask a lot of questions.) Motivational speaker Brian Tracey says it takes about 21 days to establish a new habit. That's about how long it took me to adjust to my closer-to-the-fingertip style of finger picks this summer.
• We talked about my plans for a family jug band at our holiday get-together. I ran my instrument ideas past Dave and got his feedback.
• I asked for some advice on what to play at the December recital for Flatts and Sharpe, my neighborhood music store. Dave suggested doing a medley of my two best songs: I'll Fly Away and This Land is Your Land. I like it, since This Land is Your Land would make a good sing-along. Last year's sing-along of Preamble was a big hit.

Also in the last week:

• To get into the proper mood for the upcoming family jug band, the redhead and I watched Emmet Otter's Jug Band Christmas on DVD. Check out the song Barbeque on YouTube.
  
  
• Went to Costello's bluegrass jam again. A fun jam. You should join us.