Some Good Banjo Playing

[Charles Davidson]

Just watched Steve Martin with the Steep Canyon Rangers on ACL. Steve is a great banjo player in the Scruggs style and the Drop thumb style. The wild and crazy guy CAN pick. YOU BETCHA,DYK?BC.

[Walter Stettner]

Watch out, Bama, this is dangerous territory for posts abot banjo....

Kind Regards, Walter

[Dave Mudgett]

Agreed, Charlie - the wild and crazy guy definitely CAN pick.

I also like what he's doing to promote his instrument. I think the trad country and steel guitar folks could take a lesson or two from the bluegrass and banjo folks on development and promotion of what they love. I think that, outside of its core of adherents, banjo (which is, to me, the 'core' component of what I consider 'the bluegrass sound') may well be the most reviled of all instruments - but both bluegrass and banjo have nonetheless gained significant ground the last 20 years.

[Jim Cohen]

So, what's the lesson we should learn from that, Dave?

[Richard Damron]

Perhaps that someone with fame and/or notoriety can be instrumental in advancing the acceptance, thus the popularity, of an instrument? Wouldn't it be nice if Letterman or Leno played PSG?

[Jim Cohen]

I guess we used to have that with Barbara Mandrell, but not since...

[Clyde Mattocks]

Dave stated very clearly the parallel between our beloved instrument and the banjo in bluegrass. While both instruments are the core of a particular style, they are at the same time among the most maligned instument amongst a certain group who prefer their music with the edges sanded off. Both instrumnents are twangy, in your face, contraptions.
Banjo players (and bluegrass in general) don't aim their music at people who don't like it in the first place. It may be my bluegrass sensibilities (yes, I play banjo), but I don't give a rats *** about impressing folks who don't like steel.

[John Macy]

The record was produced by a pretty fair banjo player himself, John McEuen from the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band...Steve makes a comment in the liner notes that John helped him make the most expensive banjo record in this lifetime, and maybe the next lifetime...

[Dave Mudgett]

Thanks Clyde - I know we're in agreement about this, it has come up a number of times.

To some of the replies - I emphatically do NOT mean that steel guitar or classic country music should wait for a "savior" to rescue them from an ignominious demise. To be frank, right at the moment, I don't think a lot of people in mainstream US culture care, and many (if not most) treat this type of country music as a lame parody of a bygone era of southern culture. IMHO - we should not hold our breath waiting to be 'rescued'. Those 'big-guns' promoting bluegrass now originally came up in the lean years of that music, and I believe coming up that way makes one appreciate it all that much more.

Lessons to be learned from bluegrass:

1. Stop worrying what 'mainstream commercial country music' is doing. Proponents of steel guitar and hardcore honkytonk country music should just play it the way they feel it, from the heart, and let the chips fall where they may. I really believe that serious, heartfelt, and kick-ass music of any type can find a serious audience if it's persistent, sticks to its guns, and starts promoting itself to people who might possibly care instead of worrying about what the Madison Ave. 'ideal advertising demographic' wants. IMO, most of those people are not gonna get it.

2. To help those chips fall in a good place, players and promoters of such music need to band together the way bluegrassers did starting in the mid-60s when the bluegrass festivals started. Whining about the state of the mainstream Nashville music, the GOO, fan-fair, and so on, is worthless, and just smacks of sour grapes. OK - radio is controlled by the FCC-sanctioned media oligopoly, and music in bars and clubs has been in a tailspin for a while now. Festivals featuring well-established older stars and set up to develop younger singers and musicians, with family-oriented shows with all generations represented, are the way to go. Parking lot jamming, bringing families and younger people into the playing - that's the way to go.

3. Development of such a music scene needs to be like an "underground movement". The music must be played for the pure joy and love of playing - in other words - music first, money second. Audiences for such music are extremely turned off to narcissistic musicians who make it clear they're mainly in it for the money. This type of thing requires a very long-range outlook and a willingness to sacrifice for the love of an art form.

4. Learn to accept new ideas and new blood. If bluegrass hadn't ever overcome initial resistance to new repertoire, 'newgrass', melding of elements of jazz, "Dawg" music, Celtic music, taking advantage of various periods of popularity of so-called "folk music", and other ideas, I don't think this would have worked as well as it has.

I think one of the problems with doing this at this late date for classic country is that a great many of the great country stars are now gone. The other thing is that the $BIG$ $MONEY$ was always a big part of the grease that kept the country music thing going. Bluegrassers are a different breed. I sort of think that the type of country music I'm talking about has always been spoiled by its commercial success.

My take, anyway. BTW, I play banjo. Anybody that wants to hassle me about that - remember those Robert Conrad Eveready commercials from the 70s - I DARE YOU! - yup, you get it.

PS, here's the ad - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lr-oLQgvcuk

[Les Anderson]

I have been a fan of Steve Martin's banjo picking for years.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gnr9xkJbfhY

[Scott Shipley]

I guess we used to have that with Barbara Mandrell, but not since...

Sure we have JC, you remember, that guy that plays the 13 string PSG and gets slammed on here too.

[Charles Davidson]

You are right Scott,in my opinion Robert has done more to expose steel to the masses than anyone has in a long time. Most that trash him is most likely jealous of him.He puts the steel front and center in your face all night long,Steve does the same thing with the banjo. YOU BETCHA,DYK?BC.

[Scott Shipley]

Amen BC.
Which came first, three fingered banjo playing, or three fingered pedal steel playing?

[Charles Davidson]

I played banjo years before ever touching a steel. Was already confortable wearing picks when I started playing steel. YOU BETCHA,DYK?BC.