Paul Roberts - Posted - 08/02/2015:  16:00:51

I was inspired by Cathy Moore's rendition of Moth Hunter youtube.com/watch?v=Uqk-wKWorkY

​She credits the composer, Fred Pribac of Tasmania.

Cathy Moore's website BanjoMeetsWorld is a treasure trough of interesting tunes from around the world, in her superb clawhammer style. Here' something I wrote about her several years ago:

Cathy Moore romps through picturesque musical landscapes with the grace of a gazelle. Clawhammer banjo tunes seem to roll off her fingertips and dance with a life of their own.

Cathy’s music draws from an aesthetic terrain of diverse cross-cultural influences. Pushing the boundaries of traditional clawhammer banjo, she explores Turkish, French, Swedish, Bulgarian, English and Macedonian tunes - making them all come to life, with 

a refined touch and an expressive joyousness.

And while her imagination loves to explore the exotic music from many lands, Cathy’s 

repertoire also overflows with a plenitude of traditional old-time tunes.

“I learned to play banjo when I was a teenager,” she told me. “I played old-time music out of books for about a year. Then I discovered the Balkan dance scene in Chicago, so I just went dancing all the time and didn’t play banjo anymore. I did Balkan dance and other types of European dance – taught it and played the music – for the next 30 years.

The instrument I played most was the hurdy-gurdy. I also played flute, zurna (a Turkish double-reed instrument), gaida (a bagpipe from the Balkans) and dumbek (a Middle Eastern hand drum).”

“Then I moved to Bloomington, Indiana and in order to have other people to play with I started playing old-time music on the banjo again. After a few years of that, I began bringing in Balkan and Northern European music into my banjo playing, with the idea of trying to make the banjo do multiple things.”

“Odd rhythms really float my boat. Since I’ve spent so many years dancing, teaching dance and playing for dancers, I’m a little obsessed with rhythm and drive. I started syncopating in 2/4 then I thought, what the heck, let’s just go to 7 and 9, and really have a party!”

Cathy Moore is a creative performer whose music just won’t sit still; it’s got to get up and dance. Developing her artistry in a most inspiring way, she continues to expand the possibilities of where clawhammer banjo can go. Her website Banjo Meets World banjomeetsworld.wordpress.com/ is full of tunes and tabs for adventurous clawhammer banjo players.

Moth Hunter - banjola and cello banjo

Dingoman25 - Posted - 08/02/2015:  16:10:17

Thanks Paul!

I like both yours and Cathy's renditions.

This sentence from Cathy's website made me giggle: "I’ve played several offensive instruments, including hurdy-gurdy, a blaring Turkish double reed, and a Macedonian bagpipe that was basically a dead goat turned inside out. Banjo was therefore a natural choice."

Have a great day (evening?).

Chris.

rickhayes - Posted - 08/02/2015:  16:26:30

Nice job with that Paul.  Right up your alley.

Laurence Diehl - Posted - 08/02/2015:  21:16:38

Very nice, Paul. That CB added some darkness too it.

JanetB - Posted - 08/03/2015:  08:20:57

I've watched some of Cathy's videos.  You've described her well, Paul -- a consummate, gifted artist.  Your banjo duet is powerful.  The tune is enjoyable and intense, though the title is light-hearted.  I can't help but think of my cats under the porch lights trying to catch a little moth dessert.  Their antics -- climbing on the woodpile or onto the screen, following the moth with their head and eyes, swiping their paws -- amuse me, but for them it's a serious endeavor.

Paul Roberts - Posted - 08/03/2015:  09:33:14

Thanks, friends, glad you enjoyed it. I have some scribbles of tab if anyone would like to help me try to make sense out it. The m-skipping, or whatever it is during the syncopated parts, is tricky to tab out. When it's presentable, I'll post it for anyone who wants to take the plunge into the deep dark landscape of this exotic melody. 

Many meaningful offerings on Cathy Moore's "Banjo Meets World"  banjomeetsworld.wordpress.com 

bhniko - Posted - 08/03/2015:  10:04:55

Always inspired after listening to you. Not sure if I can handle the tab (will try) but would like to add it to my tab library if you don't mind posting it.

Paul Roberts - Posted - 08/03/2015:  11:08:51

Will do. 

wallflower - Posted - 08/04/2015:  11:01:28

Very beautiful, was this a mix put together of you playing both the banjola and the cello banjo? How did you arrange the parts for each?

Paul Roberts - Posted - 08/04/2015:  11:56:20

Thanks for your comment and question. Yes, it's a mix. I recorded the banjola first and overdubbed cello banjo. They're tuned an octave apart so the fingering is the same. The main difference in the playing is I'm strumming more of the banjola strings on the 2nd part, whereas the cello banjo is playing single notes.   

Zischkale - Posted - 08/04/2015:  12:15:29

Thanks for posting, Paul! Cathy Moore's a banjo hero of mine. I took some video playing Moth Hunter a few weeks back. Easy enough tune to pick up in gDGCD (or up a whole step like she plays it), and great fun to play.

youtu.be/VN_8KnjkdL0?t=9m9s

(would embed the video, but the above link takes you specifically to Moth Hunter...)

Edited by - Zischkale on 08/04/2015 12:16:56

Debs - Posted - 08/04/2015:  13:38:31

Such dynamism and energy - and I detect a slightly 'darker' element running through which gives it great substance - superb!

Edited by - Debs on 08/04/2015 13:42:46