The rains of early spring have filled the thirsty rivers once again. I managed to catch the river up on a warm Saturday afternoon a few weeks ago. A day on the river is always special, but I managed to get ahold of both of my sons and they were as excited about a day of paddling as I. Rivers have played an important role in my life for as long as I can remember. Whether it's a calm, lazy river to wet a fishing line and daydream, or the challenge of a whitewater run, I always enjoy [...]
Few things in life can lift one's spirit like springtime in the South. The rains that turned the earth into an endless muddy swamp have rousted the greenery from its winter slumber. The bare winter branches of hardwoods are filling with buds and the underbrush brightened with the white blooms of Dogwood. Purple blooms of wisteria hang like ornaments decorating the trees along the back roads. There's no sense washing the car. Before it can dry, everything will be coated in thick, yellow pine pollen. Most folks have turned under their winter cover crop and are readying the [...]
The Bus has been parked for far too long. If there are any riders still waiting on the corner, the Old Blue Bus is once again ambling down the rural back roads of American music. Welcome aboard! The Bus has had a fresh tune up and your humble driver has had a long overdue overhaul. The 'fridge is stocked with cold refreshments and there is plenty of good music to share. Reno & Smiley - Howdy, Neighbor, Howdy.mp3 Ernie & Mack - Gonna Raise A Ruckus [...]
No musical style is more often associated with close harmony than bluegrass. "You can't get more authentic than bluegrass music" is a refrain I hear often. After all, bluegrass is deeply rooted in the music of Appalachia and the Anglo-Celtic heritage that was its foundation. Bluegrass is played on traditional acoustic instruments. The vocals, that "high lonesome" falsetto and close harmony, are a signature sound of the Appalachians. Even the song lyrics are reminders of home, family, and a simpler life. Many people feel that bluegrass music is one of the only authentic traditional American musical styles [...]
The great country duets of Conway Twitty and Loretta Lynn, George Jones and Tammy Wynette, Gram Parsons and Emmylou Harris, and even the commercial country harmonies of the Judds, the Statler Brothers and the Gatlin Brothers, all owe a debt to one of the very foundations of American music, the close harmony. While the fiddle was the most important instrument in early America, and very often the only instrument in rural communities, a lack of instruments did not deter the hard working folks that cleared a few acres of rough mountain terrain to make a home in the [...]
"Every fiddler plays this. Some not so good" ~ Kenner C. Kartchner, Arizona fiddler Fiddle music has played an important role in American music and is a favorite topic here on the Bus. The fiddle, being small and easy to transport, was perhaps the most popular of musical instruments for generations before the first ships of European settlers arrived on these shores. As the descendants of those settlers moved westward into the hills and hollows of the Appalachians the fiddle was the primary means of entertainment. If "Soldier's Joy" is not the most popular of [...]
Thoughts of a return to the road have brought mixed feelings. On one hand I have always enjoyed the freedom that is part of having no ties to the land. I also miss the days of working long hard days for a year and then taking off for three or four months to enjoy what is really important in this life. Now that I have been settled in one place for over a decade, I am beginning to see some of the advantages of setting roots. Why, just last month we were looking at farmland in the [...]
Thanks to all the riders on the Bus who have left such supportive comments. This time away from the driver's seat has been a mixed blessing for me. It has been nice to come home from the plant each day with nothing more to do than relax a bit. I've even had time to tune up an Autoharp and make a little music. On the other hand, I have missed my friends on the Bus and the good music and conversation that have come to be such an important part of my life. During the past week [...]
Lately, I have not been able to devote enough time to these daily ramblings as I would like to. Between work and family concerns I have had little time left to prepare coherent posts. As many of you know, for most of last year I was working mandatory overtime at the industrial wasteland where I make a living and was denied the much needed vacation that I had planned. For the past two months I have had it easy, only working a standard 40 hour work week. I tried to leave my bitterness with the job behind. That [...]
Photo: AFP/Getty Images/Chris Graythen It's Fat Tuesday, folks! Mardi Gras! For several years the Old Blue Bus was parked on a small lot of land in Boutte (Boo-Tee), Louisiana, just off Hwy 90 west of New Orleans. Your humble driver managed to survive the annual 'round-the-clock party that is Carnival Week in New Orleans for three years in a row. I was fortunate enough to share the good times with some fellow gypsies and very good friends such as this happy reveler, our good friend Joey. [...]
The jazzy, upbeat sounds of swing made its way to the mountains and the combination of old-time rural rhythm and infectious swing tempo make it nearly impossible to keep from dancing! Trains have been the subject of old-time music since the first rails were laid through the mountains to the coal mines and rural communities. The tradition continued with the addition of an appropriate boogie rhythm. The Delmore Brothers - Midnight Train.mp3 Tommy Scott - Rockin' And Rollin'.mp3 Shorty Long - [...]
The W-2s and 1099s are all in so I thought I'd poor myself a stiff drink and get started on the dreaded tax return. I've sorted through piles of receipts, forms, and documents, and entered all of the required numbers. My bottle is just about empty and the forms are complete. The good news is that we will be getting a refund for the first in many years, but I won't be planning that long overdue vacation just yet. Our refund may just pay for a tank of gas, if I stop at the discount station in town. [...]
I suppose I should have continued last week's look at western swing, I was enjoying our look at the good time music that developed in the American Southwest. Let's get back to swingin' again. The post war popularity of Big Bands and swing music was felt throughout the American musical landscape, not just the dusty plains. Back East, along the Piedmont and Appalachian regions, swing music was finding its way into the music of the hill folk. Although nowhere near as popular (or remembered) as its western cousin, the swing-influenced country music of the Southern Mountains was a [...]
A few weeks ago we had a lively conversation on the Bus about the definitive country music song. The whole discussion was instigated by Paul over at Setting The Woods On Fire when he posted his choices for the definitive song to represent country music. This past weekend Paul sent me a link to a few comments at Nashville Scene (scroll down to "WHAT IS COUNTRY MUSIC?:") I didn't read the original article that spurred these comments, but I see that the commenters echoed the comments made by riders on the Bus. [...]
"If I owned Hell and Texas I would rent out Texas and live in Hell" - Philip Henry Sheridan "Karyn is with us. A West Texas girl, just like me." - George W. Bush No long commentary today, just a few great western swing tunes to kick off the weekend. Bob Wills - New San Antonio Rose.mp3 Tex Williams - Smoke! Smoke! Smoke! (That Cigarette).mp3 [...]
The roots of western swing run deep in the music of the American Southwest. As settlers moved westward their cultures intertwined, including music. The fiddle music that had its roots in the Southeast and Appalachian regions had picked up a decidedly African influence as settlers reached the Ozarks. That African influence was already in the mix as people moved west into Texas where they encountered German, Czech, and Polish immigrants who had settled central Texas. The music, like the people, intermingled and some elements of polka, including the accordion, entered the evolving string band music of the Southwest. [...]
When I first heard the music of Bob Wills playing on my grandmother's big old Magnavox Hi-Fi cabinet, I couldn't help but add a little bounce to my walk. Western swing came into being during the 1920s and '30s as the string bands of the Southwest blended a bit of cowboy, polka, pop, and jazz with their regular repertoire of old-time dance music. The string bands of Texas and Oklahoma added pianos, saxophones, drums, and most importantly, the steel guitar to get that full, rich sound popular with the Big Bands of the late '30s and pre-war '40s. [...]
Photo courtesy All Music Guide I learned of the passing of John Stewart late last night, too late to post. John Stewart helped to define the role of the singer/songwriter during the unsettled 1960s and '70s. John Stewart first gained recognition when his songs were recorded by the Kingston Trio. He formed the Cumberland Three in 1960 and they recorded three albums. Their two records, Civil War Almanac Vol. 1 (the Yankees) and Vol. 2 (the Rebels) were well received, but the band broke up before one year was up. Stewart [...]
Photo courtesy of Forest Wander This past weekend has brought the first snow of the season to the central Piedmont. We don't get much snow here in south-central Virginia, so it's good that this snow came on a weekend. Snow on the roads brings everything to a stand still as the folks around here do not get much chance to practice driving in the snow. A warm fire inside and no place to go. I enjoyed watching the wintry scene outside my window from my comfortable spot on the couch, hot [...]
photo: Colin Gregory Palmer The DOW closed down 277 points yesterday. One week after the brokerage house of Merrill-Lynch announced a $5 billon bailout from the government of Singapore and say they are talking with China and the Saudis for more money, Citigroup has accepted a bailout by Saudi prince Alwaleed bin Talal, making the prince Citi's largest individual shareholder. The Supreme Court of the United States handed down a ruling preventing shareholders from suing for damages, banks, brokers, or other third parties along with companies that deceive investors, a concept known as "scheme [...]
Old Blue Bus
Azealia Banks - '1991' [Listen]
Metric Debuts Album via Synthetica Hide+Seek, Tickets On Sale Now For Fall Tour
