As we head very slooooooowly into spring...I thought I'd spend a moment talking about some of the unique challenges of singing while playing bass. You need to create and keep up a solid foundation or 'road' for the rest of the band to ride on, but you are also soloing on top of that ribbon of road. How do you keep both aspects in time? What are you experiencing as you sing and play at the same time? Let me know. Send me a video of a song you're working on.
As I look out my window today, I see snow. I'm holding out for the first peep of a daffodil... Keep the faith, folks. It's gotta get here before long!
Keep pickin, Missy
Tony Trischka will be on the bill with The Seldom Scene on Sunday, March 9 in New York City at the Highline Ballroom. Playing with Tony will be his Great Big World group which includes Dominick Leslie (mandolin), John Mailander (fiddle), Andy Falco (guitar), and Pat Falco (bass). For tickets and information visit the Highline Ballroom website.
Check out the new video from Darol Anger's new group E-and'a playing their song "Pogo Big (or pogo home)" from the new album. Read more about the group here, and be sure to order the E-and'a album at Amazon!
If you read our recent interview with Tony Trischka, you'll recall him talking about traveling to the Czech Republic and getting a new banjo from the esteemed banjo maker Zdeneck Rohm. Good news: we have just uploaded a 7-part series of videos that Tony recorded while he was there. It's a fascinating inside look into the banjo culture in the Czech Republic, which has a deep history and was greatly influenced by a concert Pete Seeger gave there in 1964.
These newly added videos show Tony in Zdeneck Rohm's workshop talking banjo, Tony talking with Lubos Malina of the Czech Bluegrass group Druhá Tráva - plus some beautiful banjo playing from Tony, Lubos, and Zdeneck. You can find all this in the Music+ area under "Special Guests" toward the bottom - don't miss it!
As some of you may have noticed, we've added an 8-part interview that Darol recently recorded with young all-star fiddler Mike Barnett. Mike recorded his first fiddle album at age 14 and was playing shows with bluegrass legend Jesse McReynolds at age 15. He currently plays in a number of different groups including the David Grisman Quintet, The Deadly Gentlemen (with David Grisman's son Samson on bass), and also plays fiddle on Scott Law's new album and Tony Trischka's new album. Darol has known Mike for a long time, and having played in the David Grisman Quintet himself for years, the two had plenty to talk about. Find the interview in Music+ area in the "Special Guests" section.
…but wait, there's more! We also just uploaded a video of Darol Anger and Tim O'Brien playing a duo fiddle version of "The Crossing," and they also talk about the backstory behind the tune. Find this one also in the "Special Guests" area of Music+ under "Darol Talks with Tim O'Brien."
We are proud of all our artists who have dedicated their time teaching students online via our online learning platform, and always happy when they find time to record new albums. Within the past 12 months, 10 out of our 25 online teaching artists are either releasing, or have already released new albums. This recent surge is more evidence that our online learning model is working - passionate students are able to access these talented musical geniuses, and the artists are able to balance teaching with recording new music. Here's what's new:
Tony Trischka recently sat in with The Andy Statman Trio for an evening of amazing music. Check out this video of their awesome jam. It's exciting to watch a pair of masters let loose with some blistering bluegrass. Need more? Pick up Tony's new album, Great Big World, to hear Andy's mandolin on "The Danny Thomas" and the title track.