Kenny Hall has been a notable musician in the old time music world since the release of his album, Kenny Hall and the Sweet Mills String Band in 1972. Of course, he had been playing since 1937, on mandolin, fiddle and guitar, but it wasn’t until this LP came out that music fans outside of California heard much about his music.
Hall was born blind, and educated at the California School For the Blind where music was a major part of the curriculum. Piano lessons started for Kenny when he was only 6 (in 1929) but he never really took to music until the mid-1930s when he was introduced to traditional American fiddle music, and his lifelong fascination with the music, and the string instruments which played them, was born.
The one aspect of his musicianship most remarked-upon by his peers has been his repertoire, with estimates ranging over 1,000 tunes at his command - many of them obscure, or featuring distinctive Hall twists.
A book of tunes was published by Mel Bay in 2000, Kenny Hall’s Music Book, which featured a variety of tunes from that library, along with anecdotes from Kenny about how and where he learned the tunes, and interesting insights into the community of blind musicians where he served his apprenticeship in the 1940s.
After being unavailable for a while, Mel Bay has recently re-issued the book, which is available wherever old time and bluegrass instructional materials are sold.
The book was co-authored by Vykki Mende Gray, and you can read her lengthy reminiscences about working with Kenny in a piece she published in The Old Time Herald upon the book’s initial publication.
Kenny tells his stories in the characteristic manner of that world–describing what people say rather than what they do. And he doesn’t necessarily tell the whole story at once–sometimes it takes hearing about an event several times before Kenny lets us figure out that it wasn’t as innocent as he led us to believe at first, or before aspects of the story that appear perfectly clearly to the blind story teller suddenly are revealed to the sighted listener!
And Kenny warns those of us who would like to follow in his footsteps and learn 1,100 pieces of music: “I never pushed myself to learn all those tunes. I learned ‘em slowly–havin’ fun at learning. It took me 40 years, I guess, to learn them 1,100 tunes. But I know more now, I don’t know how many, ’cause, of course, I didn’t stop learning tunes back then when he [Terry Barrett] counted ‘em.”
Our friends over at Mandolin Cafe are running a contest for the next month where the winner will receive a new Eastman mandolin.
The prize in Eastman’s new 815V F-style mandolin, which is made with a carved, red spruce top, flamed maple back and sides, and finished with an oil varnish.
Entry registrations can be completed online, where you can also read all the rules and regs for this contest.
Monroe’s mandolin is still housed in the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum. If it is to stay there, the museum may be required to divvy up $1.5 million.
For the back story, be sure to read our previous two posts on this situation, here and here.
The Murfreesboro Post is reporting that Robert Waldschmidt, the trustee working to repay McLean’s investors, filed a motion yesterday asking the U.S. Bankruptcy Court to order the Museum to pay $1.5 million and/or return Bill Monroe’s mandolin, along with Mother Mybelle’s guitar and two guitars owned by Johnny Cash.
The museum attorney is arguing against the motion, stating that
…permitting the trustee to recover the charitable contributions is contrary to the interests of the people of Tennessee.
I agree that the instruments belong in the museum, but then again, people were cheated out of a lot of money and that money should be repaid if possible. If some of that money was used to purchase these instruments, I understand why the people who were cheated would feel like the instruments belong to them and should be purchased if the museum wants to retain possession of them. If it was my retirement investment, I’d probably feel the same way.
If required to return, or buy, the instruments, the museum is being cheated somewhat as well, considering the investment they’ve surely made to care for and display these instruments. One would hope the court will take this into consideration when making a judgment.
Should you pick up the August ‘08 issue of Reader’s Digest - as millions of us do each month - you’ll find an article by David Hochman that tells a story that will be familiar to many of our readers.
Hochman is among the many adults who have taken up a musical instrument in mid-life, after musing for years about the lost opportunities of youth. Bluegrass music had caught his ear, and the tiny instrument that Bill Monroe used to launch his new sound was what drew David in.
The mandolin looks harmless enough. About the size of a tennis racket, it’s easy to get a clear, golden sound just by brushing your pick across its four sets of double strings. That doesn’t mean I didn’t feel slightly panicky when my wife surprised me with one when I hit the big 4-0. “We support you, sweetie,” Ruth said, speaking for the family. By day seven, she and our four-year-old would quietly slip into another room whenever I took a crack at “Turkey in the Straw.”
Sound like anyone you know?
His piece goes on to discuss his private mandolin lessons and attempts to play with other musicians, finally ending up with a positive experience at Dr. Banjo’s Bluegrass Jam Camp.
Dr. Banjo is Pete Wernick, who’s been running camps around the country for bluegrass greenhorns since the early 1980s. His PhD is in sociology, and he clearly knows something about the wisdom of crowds. Before we even had our instruments out at the camp in Boulder, Colorado, he asked, “Who’s the worst player here?” All 28 of us shot up our hands.
Wernick’s philosophy is that private music instruction often fails, which is why most instruments in America haven’t seen daylight for decades. “The only way to learn to play and keep playing is by playing with other people,” he tells us.
Read the full piece (with a happy ending) on the Reader’s Digestweb site.
Rick Hayes, mandolinist with The Gibson Brothers, will join Carol Beaugard on Friday morning (8/1) for a discussion about his recent CD, Fly By Night.
Carol’s show, Lonesome Pine RFD, is broadcast from 9:00 a.m. to noon (EDT) on 89.1 FM in the NYC area, and streamed live online at WFDU.fm.
Rick will phone in at 10:30 a.m. to talk about his solo project, the latest from The Gibsons, Iron and Diamonds, the handcrafted mandolins he builds, and his recording studio and graphics business.
With the annual IBMA World Of Bluegrass convention coming up (9/29-10/2), a number of instructional workshops have been scheduled in Nashville during that same time frame. Students of bluegrass instruments can take advantage of these opportunities during their visit, especially those who will travel some distance to Nashville for IBMA.
The week just prior to the IBMA events will see a workshop offered by FiddleStar Camps. It will run September 25-28 just outside of Nashville and will feature instruction from several renowned bluegrass artists.
This one includes 6 time National Fiddle Champion Megan B. Lynch, Lonesome River Band bassist and harmony singer Mike Anglin, Sam Bush guitarist and singer Stephen Mougin, former Sunny Mountain Boy bassist and harmony singer Kip Martin, and Lonesome River Band mandolin player and high lead singer Andy Ball. There will be formal instrument classes, jams and jam classes, Nashville field trips, band scrambles, many more activities, and tons of fun!!
During IBMA week, both Herschel Sizemore and Roland White will offer mandolin workshops at Big Joe’s Guitarworks in Nashville. Roland’s workshop will be on October 2 running from 10:00 a.m. until 1:00 p.m., and Herschel’s on October 3 will offer two sessions, 10:00-1:00 and 2:00-4:00 p.m.
Registration to these mandolin workshops is limited to 20 students each, so interested participants are urged to contact Big Joe right away to secure a spot.
We’ve been in contact this past weekend with the administrators of a new web site devoted to the Ibanez mandolins made in Japan during the 1970s.
IbanezMandolin.com publishes exclusive editorial content that explores the history of the mandolins and is compiling a serial number database and a collectors journal online.
These mandolins - and a companion line of four and five string banjos - were marketed worldwide, and endorsed by Bill Monroe himself, the definitive creator of bluegrass mandolin. The Ibanez instruments were based on classic designs and mixed styling of then-contemporary and vintage Gibson products.
IbanezMandolins.com would also like the help of mandolin and Bill Monroe fans worldwide…
IbanezMandolin.com is currently seeking information on Bill Monroe’s Ibanez Mandolins and Ibanez endorsement details for a future article. Anyone with pictures of Bill playing an Ibanez mandolin, pictures of Bill’s personal mandolins themselves (from a museum or auction display), or first-hand accounts of the events related to his endorsement deal and the current whereabouts of these instruments is encouraged to contact 527@ibanezmandolin.com.
They are also interested in having any owners of Ibanez mandolins visit the site to contribute photos and details about their instruments.
The site operators also sent along a few Ibanez posters from 1975 that featured Bill Monroe, and images of the Ibanez model 527 mandolin. This was the most costly of the vintage Ibanez Mandolin catalog, of which they tell us only two examples have been documented so far.
Homespun has released mandolin transcription books to match two recent CDs from Butch Baldassari, Mandolin Hyms and Appalachian Mandolin & Dulcimer. Each book contains complete mandolin transcriptions in both tablature and standard notation, plus a copy of the original CD.
Mandolin Hymns contains 15 popular hymns and sacred songs including I Am A Pilgrim, Amazing Grace, Simple Gifts and What A Friend We Have In Jesus.
The book offers 37 pages of mandolin transcriptions and the accompany CD has the songs performed in instrumental arrangements in a string band style with Butch on mandolin. Other players include Aubrey Haynie and Andrea Zonn on fiddle, Robert Bowlin on guitar, Stuart Duncan on banjo, and Dennis Crouch and Mike Bub on bass.
The Appalachian Mandolin book includes the CD Appalachian Mandolin & Dulcimer, which featured duets between Butch and the late dulcimer legend David Schnaufer, along with mandolin transcriptions for the 14 traditional tunes they recorded.
Fans of Appalachian fiddle music will recognize the tunes, with favorites like June Apple, Sandy River Belle, Black Mountain Rag, Flop Eared Mule, Cold Frosty Morn and 9 others included.
Our regular readers will recall that Butch has been battling a pernicious brain tumor this past year. A great many of his friends and students in the mandolin world have been very generous in their support, and picking up these two new Homespun book/CD sets would be a fine way to champion Butch and all he has contributed to our music, while you pick up some fine music and mandolin arrangements at the same time.
We are delighted to pass along that Butch is currently in a clinical trial at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, and is in good spirits according to his wife, Sinclair.
posted by Brance on 07.07.08 @ 9:28 am Tag: mandolin
I just received the news this morning that one of bluegrass music’s elder statesmen, Herb Mayfield, passed away recently, on May 29, 2008 in Amarillo, TX.
Herb (mandolin) and his brothers, Ed (guitar) and Smokey (fiddle), performed as family bluegrass band and frequently opened for Tennesse Ernie Ford. The brothers turned down a recording contract because of responsibilities on the family ranch. Ed later joined Bill Monroe’s Bluegrass Boys, serving three different terms with Monroe, the first after Carter Stanley left the group in 1951. Ed Mayfield recorded a total of 19 songs with Monroe during his times in the band.
Meanwhile, Herb settled down in Dimmitt, TX to a quite life of welding and participating in local and regional bluegrass events and organizations. In recent years he was active in providing scholarships for students in the bluegrass program at South Plains College. I was lucky enough to be the recipient of that scholarship during my time at the school, and had the opportunity to visit Herb at his home and jam with him several times.
I remember Herb as a very warm, welcoming old gentlemen who patiently tolerated unskilled bluegrass students like myself. He and his wife, Dorothy, were kind enough to open their home at least once a year and host a pickin’ party for some of the students. They would feed us and treat us like family, Herb hosting the jam session in the living room. These were always great times. I remember feeling overwhelmed to be jamming with Herb and Alan Munde at the same time, thinking it was really special to have that opportunity.
Just a few weeks prior to his passing, the IBMM visited Herb in his Dimmitt, TX home and video taped interview footage with him for their Video Oral History program. The footage should be available for viewing at the museum soon.
If you’d like to hear Herb and his brothers Ed and Smokey, you can here four songs on this MySpace page.
The Tennessean is reporting this morning on the terms of a settlement between MTSU and the estate of Bob McLean. As we reported in October of 2007, McLean defrauded investors of millions and then generously spread the money around. Some of that money went to MTSU and this settlement ends that dispute.
What is still uncertain though, is what is to become of Bill Monroe’s mandolin and Mother Maybelle’s guitar. Both instruments are currently in the possession of the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum. The museum acquired the instruments using funds donated for that purpose by McLean.
Since his estate has been forced into an involuntary bankruptcy by the investors’ lawsuit, the instruments could be auctioned to put the money back into the estate for purposes of repayment of those debts.
The bankruptcy trustee has filed a lawsuit against the Country Music Hall of Fame to retrieve the music industry donations, but that dispute remains unsettled, according to court filings.
It would sure be nice to see those instruments stay with the museum. I guess we’ll just have to wait and see what happens…
For all you mandolin pickers out there, here’s an opportunity to learn from one of the best.
Jesse McReynolds is hosting a mandolin camp at his Pick Inn next month, July 11-12, 2008. The two day event begins with a reception and meal on Friday evening, followed by a jam session in the pavilion. Saturday consists of four sessions, a morning workshop, afternoon workshop, an evening concert, and a late night jam session with Jesse and students.
The workshop fee is $500, and attendance is limited. The fee does not include accommodations. Some accommodations are available at the Pick Inn, but they will be reserved on a first-come first-serve basis. There is a state park across the street, available for camping. Gallatin, TN is a short 10 minute drive away if you prefer the comforts of a hotel.
I’ll be teaching crosspicking, split-string style playing, and much more. Call my wife Joy at (615)452-7321 for more information and to make your reservation. Hope to see you there!
Much of the bluegrass and acoustic music world has been buzzing this spring about Secrets, the debut CD from young phenom Sierra Hull - and rightly so. Just as folks in the business had been talking about Sierra for several years prior to her coming out party, they have been focusing as well on a teen aged picker from Texas, Sarah Jarosz.
At sixteen years old, Sarah is the newest artist signed to Sugar Hill Records by Gary Paczosa, the label’s Nashville-based A&R man who had previously brought Red Stick Ramblers and Donna The Buffalo to Sugar Hill. Sarah performs on banjo, guitar, mandolin and voice, and is a songwriter to boot. Her music, samples of which can be found on her MySpace page, defy easy categorization and show a startling level of maturity for such a young artist.
She has shared the stage with some of the most celebrated acoustic artists in string music, and performed at major festivals like Telluride, Wintergrass and RockyGrass plus a showcase during an IBMA Children’s concert at their annual Fan Fest.
Sarah with Mike Marshall at the 2006 Old Settlers Music Festival
We asked Sarah to tell us a bit more about herself and how she came to this point.
“I sing, play mandolin, guitar, clawhammer banjo, and some piano. I first started playing piano when I was about six years old, but the first instrument that I seriously fell in love with was the mandolin at age 10. Since then, I’ve developed an equal love for the clawhammer banjo, guitar, singing, and songwriting.
I first started songwriting when I was about 12 years old. Ever since, I’ve always put a lot of time and effort into writing as much as possible. I really love it. It’s the best way I can express myself. Nothing compares to the feeling I get when I finish a song. It’s pure bliss.
My family and I have always loved music ever since I can remember. Growing up, I was fortunate to be a part of a great music program from Pre-K through 8th Grade, under the direction of an amazing music teacher, Diana Riepe. The first music that really inspired me to want to start singing and playing was Hot Rize, Tim O’Brien Nickel Creek, Chris Thile and Abigail Washburn. I’d say the first experience that made me realize ‘Oh yeah… I definitely want music to play a major role in my life’ was when I first met Chris Thile at the Old Settler’s Music Festival about 8 years ago. He was playing there with Nickel Creek, and I went up to get his autograph, and he signed my program: ‘Let’s jam sometime.’ (more…)
If you play an instrument other than the upright bass or fiddle, you probably use a strap. If you play upright bass and use a strap, please send me a photo!
My point was that instrument straps are a vital part of the gear used by bluegrass musicians. Why not make a statement with yours? You could be like me and use a plain black leather strap, or you could use something a little more colorfull.
Colorado Case Company has been hand sewing instrument straps for years now and selling them direct at festivals. They’ve now taken the business online with its own website, guitarstrapsonline.com.
Don’t let the name fool you, they have straps for banjo, mandolin, and dobro as well. What is unique about their straps is that they are all hand sewn at their facility in Fort Collings, CO using interesting cloth prints. They don’t keep the same prints in stock at all times so if you don’t see something you like now, keep checking up on them, or take advantage of their custom options.
…we can make a strap out of any fabric you may have, or find in your local fabric store. This means you can take a strip of fabric from a favorite shirt, blanket or jeans, and convert it into a favorite guitar, banjo, mandolin or harp strap.
All straps are normally priced at $24.95 with an additional $5 charge for custom orders.
Last month we told you about a PodCast on UNC-TV that provided a glimpse of the work that goes into making a fiddle.
Now we learn of another instance where television has highlighted the craftsmanship associated with the building of musical instruments. In this latest view of the life of luthiers Nashville Public Television visited Crafters of Tennessee at their workshops in Old Hickory. What they found there was aired in a recent Tennessee Crossroads programme.
Crafters of Tennessee is run by Mark Taylor, legendary resonator guitarist Robert ‘Tut’ Taylor’s son.
I asked Mark about the programme …..
“Tennessee Crossroads TV show contacted me a few years back and heard of my building musical instruments here in Tennessee. They approached me about doing a story on me. They came and filmed about 5 hours, and then aired the TV show. It has enlightened many people of our existence, since I have building for almost 40 years. They just recently re-aired the show this past week, and I also have that TV show on YouTube.”
The Crafters of Tennessee website has a product listing, picture gallery and a history page among its features. They build a variety of banjos, resophonic guitars, guitars and mandolins.
The mandolin division at Gibson Original Acoustic Instruments is a place of legends. Names like Lloyd Loar and Charlie Derrington are ever present in the minds of mandolinists. Danny Roberts, of the Grascals, has also served a stint with Gibson in recent years.
The latest addition to the staff at Gibson OAI is mandolinist, producer, and luther, David Harvey.
David Harvey, master musician and producer has joined the Gibson Original Acoustic Instruments Division (GOAI) as master luthier.
In David’s new role he will oversee the mandolin production and be an active participation in all quality control matters. David will also conduct clinics and dealer events throughout the country and will play an integral role in the presence of Gibson Original Acoustic Instruments in the Bluegrass community worldwide.
David has an extensive background in instrument construction and repair and has served many bluegrass stars as the ‘go-to’ guy for needed repairs and set up.
posted by John on 05.09.08 @ 9:33 am Tag: mandolin
Yesterday, Gibson officially announced the debut of their latest limited edition, vintage-styled instrument - the Victorian F-5 mandolin. Only 15 of these unique instruments will be made, which combine features and appointments from both the F-4 and F-5 models that revolutionized the mandolin world in the 1920s.
Each will be constructed of figured maple for the one piece back, sides and neck, with a red spruce top, all assembled with hide glue. The top will have bound F-holes finished with a black face and a dark red sunburst back, reminiscent of the mandolins made by Gibson in the nineteen-teens.
The fingerboard will be ebony with an F-5 scale and an F-4 extension. A double flowerpot inlay adorns the headstock which will also feature Waverly arrow-point tuners. The pickguard and clamp are styled like those on the vintage F-4s and the mandolin is protected with an aged varnish finish.
The Gibson Victorian F-Style Mandolin carries a manufacturer’s suggested retail price of $17,777 with hardshell case, and orders must be placed through an authorized Gibson retailer.
More photos and additional details can be found on the Gibson Original Acoustic web site.
Thanks to John Drummond of Banjo.com and Jeff Sullivan with First Quality Musical Supply for their assistance in getting the details on this new mandolin from Gibson.
Our friend Craig Havighurst has posted a YouTube video bio of Sierra Hull. Craig produced the video for Rounder Records to coincide with the release, yesterday, of Sierra’s new CD, Secrets.
We got to produce this video bio of Sierra that shows her trying to balance the life of a normal 16-year-old high school junior with her new career as an in-demand touring and recording artist. She’s a super person too, and we wish her the best of luck.
The video features interview footage with both Sierra and producer, Ron Block, as well as behind the scenes footage and performance footage. It’s a nice feature that all bluegrass fans should enjoy.
He tells us that the next CD from Lost and Found is nearly finished, with only final mixing and mastering remaining.
Scott is a long-time student and great admirer of the mandolin legacy of Dempsey Young, the band’s original and only mandolinist until his passing in December of 2006. Dempsey had a unique and memorable style, and his playing was as definitive of the Lost and Found sound as Allen Mills’ distinctive voice.
Scott described the experience of finishing the new project as bittersweet.
“Recording with the Lost and Found was a huge honor for me. I was extremely happy, but also a little sad. Dempsey’s on exactly half of the tracks and I’m on the other half, so it was like having him in the studio with us. His Hutto mandolin would fill up the room during playbacks.
I also play a Hutto mandolin, and I used the same RE-20 microphone that he has recorded with since the mid 80’s, the same engineer and studio (Otis Lynn Dillon, River Track Studios), and a very supportive band to work with (Allen Mills, Ronald Smith, and Scottie Sparks).
Dempsey used to tell me ‘Play it your own way. That’s the only way people will remember you.’ “
This new CD will be on Rebel, with a late summer/early fall release anticipated at this point.
Scott also shared a story about the late Art Stamper (the renowned old time fiddler), a memory prompted by seeing one of Art’s favorite fiddles being offered on eBay.
“Art was a musical treasure who loved to play. He played that fiddle at our wedding in ‘04 not long before he passed away. He wasn’t too keen on playing The Wedding March, so I told him to play what he wanted.
He played Sweet Hearts Forever as my wife Melinda walked down the aisle. I kept asking him the name of the tune because I didn’t want to forget it.
So the first stop on our honeymoon was at an antique shop to get a souvenir for our log house, and as we walked in, Sweet Hearts Forever was playing through the store.
Gotta be a good sign… and I did learn that melody.”
Today (5/6) marks the official release of Secrets, Sierra Hull’s debut on Rounder. This sixteen year old wunderkind has been wowing audiences for at least the past six years, sitting in with leading artists like Alison Krauss, Sam Bush, Ricky Skaggs and Mountain Heart, and with her own road band Highway 111.
I first saw her in person at IBMA in 2003. Sierra seemed barely big enough to hold a mandolin - in fact it nearly dwarfed her - but the then twelve year old was confidently jamming with Ronald Inscore and mando-legend Herschel Sizemore as though it was a common occurrence. She more than held her own and left everyone in the room stunned into silence, wondering how she could be that proficient at her age, and where the music would take her.
In fact, it is plainly impossible to avoid comparisons between Secrets and the early CDs from young artists like Alison Krauss and Chris Thile, both of whom started recording as teens and have gone on to establish themselves as major players in acoustic music. They both saw their debut releases on major independent labels, but neither Thile’s Leading Off nor Krauss’ Too Late To Cry saw the degree of media promotion or pent-up anticipation that Hull’s debut has garnered.
We had the chance to discuss Secrets, and Sierra-as-artist, with co-producer Ron Block, banjo and guitarist with Alison Krauss & Union Station, and one of the more thoughtful, insightful artists in our music. Our first question was about the above mentioned subject: the inevitable comparisons to Alison, and what is was like producing someone so relatively “green” in the studio.
“Sierra has had Alison to listen to, and she has paid attention to Alison’s musical sensibilities, so her ear is well developed for her age.
Early on I found Sierra to have a keen vision of her own - my job was to facilitate that. I did of course have my own ideas and input, and gave guidance throughout the process. In the end I couldn’t put ‘Produced by Ron Block’ because it was produced by both of us.”
Though Secrets is being promoted as her first release, Sierra did have one earlier CD, Angel Mountain, which came out in 2002. (more…)
posted by John on 04.24.08 @ 10:23 am Tag: mandolin
The Loar has announced the summer 2008 debut of their latest mandolin model. The LM-600-VS is an F-style instrument, which the manufacturer describes as an accurate replica of the original 1920’s F5-style model.
It is a solid wood, hand-carved and graduated mandolin with a spruce top, flame maple back and sides, and finished with a traditional tobacco sunburst.
The Loar makes much of the fact that they will use a nitrocellulose finish on this new model, a practice common in higher end handmade instruments, but apparently less so in Asian imports. This finish is very durable and flexible, but it’s highly toxic nature makes it more difficult (and costly) to apply.
The LM-600-VS will carry a retail price of $899.99 and will ship in an embroidered, lightweight case.
The company is a division of The Music Link, and their mandolins and guitars are distributed through TML’s dealer network.
Kenny Hall has been a notable musician in the old time music world since the release of his album, Kenny Hall and the Sweet Mills String Band in 1972. Of course, he had been playing since 1937, on mandolin, fiddle and guitar, but it wasn’t until this LP came out that music fans outside of California heard much about his music.
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