Speaking Words of Wisdom or The Quote Man Quometh

I love a good pun (or should I say a bad pun), or the quick witted quote or response which sums up in just a few words nuggets of wisdom. When the folksinger Art Thieme used to tell a pun to an audience, he sometimes would say "You're groaning now, but you'll be telling it later". One of my favorite responses to a bad reaction to a pun is "I steal from the best" or "We'll be here all week". Over the years, some of my favorite lines from musicians have been

"Funny, it was tuned when I bought it"

"There's tens of dollars in folk music"

"Good enough for folk music" (in reference to tuning)

"I get paid by the note"

And I understand, there is even a book out there of jokes about the accordion. BTW, have you heard this one (not about the accordion):

What do you call the guy at your door delivering the pizza?

A musician

Now, all seriousness aside, about thirty years ago, there was a beautiful album by the musicians Malcolm Dalglish (hammered dulcimer) and Grey Larsen (multiple instrumentalist) with liner notes that contained some beautiful wisdom about performing traditional music. If my memory serves me well, it went something like this:

As we play this music, we come to think of it like being on a rocking chair on a porch. As time goes on,the rocking chair begins to drift a little too much to the edge of the porch, and then we know its time to move it back.

Hence, I admit I get a little uneasy with a dance version of the fiddle tune Cotton Eyed Joe, and yet I sometimes treasure a jazzier version of a traditional Irish or American tune. At the end of the day, of course, all that matters is what music speaks to you, whether "unadulterated" or not. Even the "folk" singing music in the more isolated parts of our country, by the 1930's were listening to the radio and being influenced by "popular" music, and from what I understand, even in the 1800's classical musicians would travel through small towns and people would come to see them play.

So, to end with a quote from Pete Seeger:

Take it easy, but take it.........


Musically,

Mr. Punderful (Gary B)

P.S. One of my favorite non-musical quotes is from Graucho Marx:

Outside of a dog, a book is a man's best friend. Inside of a dog, its too dark to read.

A Night at the other Friendly Coffeehouse (Perry Hall)

Well, Willie's bus made its final stop of the Almost Famous Folksinger 5th Comeback Tour last night at the Perry Hall United Methodist Church for Folk Music Night, after a few detours during the week (apparently the driver had discovered some of Willie's leftovers hidden away in the back seat). And what a nice evening it was, including open mike performances from Marlin and Tom (playing instrumentals on squeezebox and recorder), John (playing a resophonic guitar including an old piece by Reverend Gary Davis, something unfortunately you don't hear too much of these days), Leah and Debbie (playing and singing three beautiful duets including the Kate Wolf tune Gold in California and the Joni tune Urge for Going), John (playing some ragtime/old-time piano that fit just right with the slightly, well almost slightly, out of tuneness of the keyboard), Dan (singing some nice country tunes on guitar and playing this tight instrumental in which he joked he was being paid by the note), Dick (singing some great old tunes on his baritone uke including Sixteen Tons), and a fellow with the last name of Shapiro (sang three originals including a sad one about a family member and a humorous one about global warming). There was also a featured performer, Kimmon Waldruff, who played some some rock oriented tunes on his acoustic guitar and then finished with some fine instrumentals on a guitar tuned to CFCFFC, giving it a beautiful haunting quality (and must be quite a challenge to tune :-).

My three song set:

1. You Ain't Going Nowhere (the old Bob Dylan tune that I still adore after singing it for close to 40 years, with some key changes and chord changes along the way-I am fascinated how songs evolve as they stay with you-as John McCutcheon once said, if you were to play the song exactly like the record, you might as well play the record up there on the stage.It would be hard to find a record player anyway. Or in the words of Joni Mitchell, you would never ask Picasso to paint the same picture twice).

2. Kitty Alone and I (from Joe and Janette Carter of the Carter Family tree (not Jimmy) and learned from the singing of Ed Trickett (or as the folksinger Bruce Hutton used to refer to him as Dead Crickett-sorry Ed :-)

3. Here Comes the Sun (the Beatles tune as channeled through one of my musical heroes Richie Havens)

Well, my thanks to Neil and Debbie Zimmerman, who host the coffeehouse every month. Check out their website at [www.perryhallumc.org] .

For now, we're all cleaning out Willie's bus before we return it. And we are keeping one eye on the driver.......

Peace,

Gary B

A Night at the Friendly Coffeehouse

Well, Willie's tour bus made a stop at the Friendly Coffeehouse (sponsored by the BFMS with emcee Leah U.) this past Friday night and I had a real nice time there, hearing some fine performances. The thing I love about open mikes is that you never know what you're going to hear. There are almost always some wonderful unexpected surprises. Its like walking into a used record store and finding that one album you hadn't heard in years (whoops, dating myself again :-) Some of the highlights for me were the following performances:
1. local singer-songwriter Greg Shupe ( [www.gregshupe.com] ), including the singing of a humorous sing I Likes Her Personality

2. a delightful presentation of native American songs on different woodwind instruments played by Jan Seiden ( [www.janseiden.com] ) including an instrument with two sides in two different keys that she played simultaneously

3. Leah U.'s playing of the Dar Williams song about underground radio (I grew up myself listening to underground radio late into the night, so that one has a special place in my heart, and one of those station was a Pacifica station)

4. Mark's (sorry I don't know the last name) playing of a relatively unknown Pete Seeger song called Old Devil Time and also Stewball

Political songs and speeches were at a minimum, though after Elise played an original song on her autoharp about putting Hilary in the House, I was tempted to yell "move over Mama, I'm voting for Obama", but of course this fairly restrained folksinger, unofficial member of the League of the Socially Awkward, did no such thing. As for my set, after having recently watched Jimi Hendrix on YouTube burn his guitar at Monterey Pop ( [www.youtube.com] ), I was going to open (and close) with the acoustic version of Wild Thing, but I decided to leave the lighter fluid at home. My set:
1. I'm Gonna Mail Myself to You (Woody Guthrie as channeled through Pete Seeger and John McCutcheon)
2. Oh Mary Don't You Weep (and yes, people did sing along)
3. Not Fade Away (old Buddy Holly Tune, though like most I first heard it through the back door back in the sixties as played by the Rolling Stones)

My only suggestion, if there is a way of cutting back on some of the lights,it would provide a more intimate atmosphere and keep things a little greener :-) But that aside, was a good night and in the words of the General, I Shall Return.

Gary B

How to Make a Small Fortune in Folk Music

According to Pete, a recent performer at the open mike at The Perry Hall United Methodist Church Folk Music Night, the way to make a small fortune in folk music is to start with a large fortune.......................

After late "after midnight" negotiations with Willie Nelson, he has agreed to lend his bus to the Gary Bass Almost Famous Folksinger 5th Comeback Tour with tenative stops scheduled at the following venues:

Friday, February 8th
Johns Hopkins Interfaith Center (The Friendly Coffeehouse)
3509 Charles Street
Baltimore, Maryland
(open mike begins at 8 PM)

Saturday, February 16th
Perry Hall United Methodist Church (Folk Music Night)
9515 Belair Road
Baltimore, Maryland
(open mike begins at 7:30)

Maybe see you there. And thanks again Willie for the bus (sorry we weren't able to work up that duet together, but maybe on your next album)..............

Gary B