This Pilgrim's Progress

Vince Gill

I just heard a special program on Bluegrasscountry.org on Vince Gill's new 4 CD release called "These Days".  The music is great and the release is a tour-de-force of Gill's talent as a song writer and singer.  I've never been that big a fan, liking some things and not others, but this album has something for everyone.  I even enjoyed the non-bluegrass/non-acoustic selections!! Not only that, but he's got some of the biggest names in music joining him to perform on this project. This is a quality production and I'm sure will be a big award winner in the coming year and a collector's treasure in the future. I've got my order in at Amazon!!  Check out the selections on Vince Gill's web site: http://www.vincegill.com/music/index.php.

Johnny Cash

Listening to Pandora on the internet, I heard some cuts from Cash's "American Recordings" produced by Rick Rubin. I was blown-away by them so I decided to order the entire series of 5 cd's. 

Cash is awesome in these recordings.  I recommend them to anyone who loves Country/Folk/Blues/Bluegrass.  Mr. Cash is an American Icon, and these recordings made at the end of his life are his magnum opus.  The most amazing aspect of these cd's is the way Cash's emotion and spirit is communicated in his singing.  We are indebted to Rick Rubin for persevering on this project and capturing Johnny Cash the artist and man in these cd's.

Deering Banjo's

The Union-Tribune also had a very good article about the Deering Banjo Co. , another local instrument maker, which is celebrating it's 30th anniversary.  I haven't been able to find a link to the article, you might have to access the UT's archives. It was published about February of 2006.

Their website: http://www.deeringbanjos.com/

Again a successful pursuit of an interest and doing it with integrity and high-quality crafsmanship.

Update: found the article. It's at:

http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/sandiego-sub/access/794307621.html?dids=794307621:794307621&FMT=FT&FMTS=ABS:FT&date=Feb+15%2C+2005&author=David+Washburn&pub=The+San+Diego+Union+-+Tribune&edition=&startpage=C.1&desc=Couple%27s+pluck+pays+off+%7C+Banjo+makers+persevered%2C+becoming+industry+leader

Bob Taylor

Check out Taylor's website: http://www.taylorguitars.com/

Bob Taylor

Our local newspaper is usually lacking in real "news" and generally rehashes news that's already 8 hours old. Occasionally though they manage to do a good job reporting on people and events of local interest. One of the best local-interest articles I've ever read is this one written by Frank Green: http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/business/20060523-9999-1b23taylor.html. It's a very interesting look at Bob Taylor and the guitar-making business that he founded here in San Diego.  He's also one the the more famous people to graduate from the same high school I did!! Taylor guitars are regarded with respect and admiration the world over and are coveted by pop, rock and country artists. It's fun to read about how a person pursues an interest or passion in something and creates a business and a life out of it. I also appreciated how the reporter included the importance of Christian faith in Bob Taylor's life without making it look like an aberration or idiosyncrasy.

Overall a very interesting and even inspiring article.

The antithesis of this article is the series the paper did on the Cunningham corruption scandal. They won a Pulitzer for that one, even though most of the article was not original but a rehash of events that had already been reported.

But never mind that. Be sure to read Frank Green's piece on Bob Taylor.

Buddy Rich

Speaking of Animal, see this clip of Buddy Rich having a drum duel with Animal on the Muppet Show!! It's a great classic! Especially if you are a Muppet fan! Drummers World has a bunch of clips on famous drummers, be sure to check out the Gene Krupa clip if you've never seen him before.

Cookie Monster Singing??

  WSJ's  Opinion Journal has an amusing article about the style of vocals used by death-metal bands called "Cookie Monster Singing".  My son is into metal style music. He likes the visceral style of the music and especially the drums (he's a drummer). I didn't realize that was a common style of singing in death-metal, not that I listen to a lot of metal music, death or otherwise. I wonder what is the affect/effect that they are striving for singing that way?? Are they trying to sound like a cartoon or movie demon/devil??  Scripture teaches us that Satan is actually very attractive and was one of the most excellent of the angelic host before his rebellion. That why it's so easy to be tempted and led astray by Satan's lies. (Yes, I do believe there is a real Satan).  He most likely sounds like Barry Manilow or Frank Sinatra or Barbara Streisand, but certainly not like Placido Domingo or Pavarotti!

Actually, I think they (death-metal vocals) sound more like the Muppet's Animal!! (AAA-NEH-MALL  AAA-NEH-MALL!!) He's a drummer too!

One of the contestants on "American Idol" last night auditioned with his death-metal "Cookie Monster" voice. The judges just cracked up, they thought it was hilarious (He's NOT going to Hollywood).  They were auditioning in Las Vegas and had a hard time finding good talent. But then I think they always have a hard time!!  I'm not a fan of the series, but I do feel quite a bit of sympathy for the judges panel having to put up with all the bad singing and antics, not to mention each other!!

Marbletown

Among the gifts I got from Santa last month was this new cd titled "Marbletown"  by Blue Highway. Another excellent effort by one of the best groups in bluegrass. The packaging includes a complete discography, including the words to the songs.  There's a lot of meat in these songs.  Love, death, trains, infidelity, betrayal, desertion, wandering & restlessness are just some of the topics touched on in this album. Like all of Blue Highway's work there's the solid traditional base to their music, but it's definitely contemporary without getting "new-grassy".  The vocals aren't twangy, but they are evocative and the musicianship is the industry's best. I think this might even appeal to a wider country and pop audience if it gets some air-time. There's a timelessness in this music that will appeal to a lot of us caught in this post-modern world. Check out the music excerpts on Amazon and you'll get hooked right away like I did.

Weather and Water

"Weather and Water" is the newest cd by The Greencards.  This is a new bluegrass/newgrass group consisting of 2 Aussie's and 1 Brit. They are excellent musicians and singers and much of the material on this cd is their original stuff.  There is a lot of celtic influence to their sound, but it isn't overwhelming. It adds a lilting quality to their artistry. I really enjoyed this cd and their non-traditional sound with traditional roots. I read about this group in "Bluegrass Unlimitied" and checked them out on Amazon. I liked what I heard and I added them to my "wish list". Santa discovered my wishes and I'm glad he did. This group is great to listen to and has a distinctive sound that you wont' tire of.  Their voices are pleasing and melodic without the wailing quality some groups seem to inject into their music (yes I'm referring to "Nickel Creek"). I'll probably get their first cd, "Movin On", in a few weeks too, because it got rave reviews and helped them launch as warm-up acts on the concert tours. My only negative comment is that the liner notes don't have the lyrics, and the artwork is a little too "cute".

Cornbread Nation

"Cornbread Nation" by Tim O'Brien is one of two new releases he has out now. This one is the less-acoustic, less-traditional of the two cd's.  I first heard this cd on Mike Kear's show on Bluegrasscountry.org, where I especially liked "Runnin Out of Memory" being a computer geek by trade. I also read a interview of Tim O'Brien, and I was turned off by his politics (treehugging-liberal weenie), but listening to the excerpts on Amazon, I found the music fun to listen to, and decided to ignore the man's politics in favor of his music. I think most acoustic fans will enjoy this cd, despite the occasional lapses in acoustic purity.  The cd seeks to paint a picture of the "cornbread nation", the middle-America and it's values that have made our country so great and unique in it's folk culture. (The liner notes didn't have the lyrics, but otherwise they were adequate).