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TaylorJ_01 - Posted - 07/12/2024: 04:48:23
Hi all,
Writing my first post, and couldn't find an open thread, so apologies if I've missed one.
I have just discovered Tony Ellis, particularly songs like Stephen, Wild Fox, Merrywang, and I am completely blown away. Have ordered the book of sheet music and can't wait to get started! I've been playing for 5 years now and the gentle-picking, soulful but still exceptionally skillful picking style is really unique it feels. It sounds really modern too, despite being from the 80s/90s. The songs feel like they mean something, rather than being a impassionate race to the finish line. His son Bill on guitar is fantastic too.
Does anyone know if Tony Ellis is still around? Are there any albums other than 'Farewell My Home' or 'Dixie Banner'? Has anyone tried to learn some of the songs? Would love to hear if there are any similar artists.
Otherwise, this thread is simply to celebrate Tony Ellis himself!
Ira Gitlin - Posted - 07/12/2024: 05:12:50
A fine player! He played with Bill Monroe in the early 1960s--standard bluegrass stuff, of course--but his work in the '80s and '90s is a whole 'nother thing. He used double-C tuning (gCGCD) a lot, which is uncommon among bluegrass players, but offers some great sounds.
Brett - Posted - 07/12/2024: 05:51:20
Got to see at Dollywood on a vacation. It was only the two of us, Tony, and his daughter was around there, I guess to sell CDs. I talked to his daughter while was watched him playing incredibly complicated clawhammer, which I had no clue he played. I guess we hung around 10 minutes watching and he was zoned in on that song, never looking up nor stopping. It just kept getting more, and more, and more intricate. I couldn’t believe I’d never heard about how well he could clawhammer. Just an astoundingly talented person. He never played the same thing all 10 minutes and never changed the song. I couldn’t believe how many different clawhammer licks and verse arrangements from a guy known as bluegrasser.
TaylorJ_01 - Posted - 07/12/2024: 05:56:27
That's really cool. I think you can sense it in his playing. Especially ones like Merrywang, it's more like a clawhammer tune played with picks. To write those kind of tunes you need to be completely obsessed with banjo, sounds like he is!
Nic Pennsylvania - Posted - 07/12/2024: 06:18:24
His son's an interesting guy, too. I've had a few emails with him. He wrote the historical notes for Ernie Hawkins' most recent books on the Reverend Gary Davis.
rwsansom - Posted - 07/12/2024: 08:01:25
Tony's music and playing style is great, one of my biggest influences on the banjo. I discovered him after learning he was one of Steve Martin's favorite players. I hope he's still around - He was living in Ohio.
GeeBeeThreefinger - Posted - 07/12/2024: 09:50:33
quote:
Originally posted by davidppp
He's absolutely wonderful. A book of tabs from 2004 is apparently still available: amazon.com/Banjo-Music-Tony-El...angements. I first heard him (live, in fact) in 1993. He was with a show that toured the U.S. that included Ralph Stanley and a whole bunch of world-class banjo players. (There's a CD of that program: folkways.si.edu/masters-of-the...ithsonian.)
The Masters of the Banjo is also available on iTunes, for those of us who are CD-player deficient.
Edited by - GeeBeeThreefinger on 07/12/2024 09:50:52
Brian Murphy - Posted - 07/12/2024: 17:36:49
Quaker Girl is a great album. Its on streaming also. Welcome to the Hangout. Great first post.
sunburst - Posted - 07/12/2024: 18:57:59
quote:
Originally posted by TaylorJ_01...Has anyone tried to learn some of the songs?
I learned a couple of them by ear some years back. I found out about Tony Ellis right after 'Farewell My Home' came out. i still listen to that album once in a while and still enjoy it as much as I did then.
thisoldman - Posted - 07/13/2024: 05:43:50
Tony is my banjo hero. I was loosing enthusiasm for playing banjo some years back when I discovered his music. Watched the videos, bought some albums, got the book. Great music, which you have to play with feeling, which he expressed in his playing. I found that most of his music can be played at a moderate, even slow, tempo and still sound great. I got his email address from one of the HO members and sent him an email to express how much I enjoyed his music and playing. To my delight I got a response. Sent a few other emails, one for his birthday, which is around this time of year, but then let that lapse. When I pick up my banjo, I play his music probably 90% of the time. For an hour of great music, watch the video of him at the Library of Congress
'Good Wednesday Morning' 2 hrs
'Rasputin' 7 hrs
