A Thing Called Love (live gig 7-22-2012)

Posted by banjoy, written by John Hiatt

- Play count: 372

Size: 3,332kb, uploaded 10/2/2012 5:50:13 AM
Genre: Country / Playing Style: Bluegrass (Scruggs)

This is a recording from a live gig at Brickhouse Pizza in Spartanburg, SC on July 22, 2012. This is a beautiful tune by John Hiatt and sung here by Wes Wyatt, also on guitar. I'm picking 5-string. Thanks to Jamison Smith for capturing the gig from the main board to his laptop.

Age (band practice)

Posted by banjoy, written by Jim Croce

- Play count: 362

Size: 3,525kb, uploaded 4/8/2011 12:40:45 PM
Genre: Popular / Playing Style: Bluegrass (Scruggs)

Band practice recorded 3-16-2011 crowded around a Sony digital voice recorder. This is the 4th time this group of musicians has gotten together to practice, and so this is a rough audio snapshot of us feeling around for our sound...intended for learning and practice purposes only. Enjoy:)

Almost Home (last one, band practice 5-12-2016)

Posted by banjoy

- Play count: 262

Size: 2,286kb, uploaded 5/15/2016 10:09:47 AM
Genre: Bluegrass / Playing Style: Bluegrass (Scruggs)

I learned this instrumental from Randal Morton when I lived in Memphis for a brief time, probably around 1986. I have no idea who wrote it. This was recorded in my living room at band practice last Thursday 5-12-2016. This is the last one I'm posting from this practice session, don't want to clog up the pipes ya know :) I hope you enjoy

Almost Home (unknown writer)

Posted by banjoy

- Play count: 264

Size: 1,942kb, uploaded 8/5/2012 3:12:03 PM
Genre: Bluegrass / Playing Style: Bluegrass (Scruggs)

This tune is something I learned about 25 years ago from a friend in Memphis. I am unsure who actually wrote it so maybe someone here here can help identify the writer. Maybe Carl Jackson? Anyway, it is a cool melody. This was recorded by a friend of mine who was visiting from Columbia and happened to have his digital recorder with him. Recorded August 4, 2012 sitting at my kitchen table ... I hope you enjoy.

Angeline The Baker ~ for Many Banjos ~ See Tablature and Video

Written/Posted by banjoy

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- Play count: 227

Size: 1,190kb, uploaded 8/14/2021 11:22:37 AM
Genre: Unknown/None Chosen / Playing Style: Unknown/None Chosen

Reference recording for the tab posted--view my tabs here.
Also see YouTube video here--Angeline The Baker.

Arkansas Traveler -- fiddle and banjo (living room jam 11/18/2015)

Posted by banjoy

- Play count: 286

Size: 2,024kb, uploaded 11/22/2015 12:44:36 AM
Genre: Fiddle/Celtic/Irish / Playing Style: Bluegrass (Scruggs)

A fiddle-playing friend from Michigan who I haven't seen in 4 years is back in the area doing contract work (he's a nuclear engineer) and he's been dying to pick music. Four years ago we would jam together about one every week or two, and I had pretty much forgotten what we even picked together!! Anyway, Don Calsyn came by my house last Wednesday, and I turned on the recorder and let it go. Out of the couple of hours of audio, I pulled out a few clips that ain't half bad. This clip is raw, unedited and live in my living room last Wednesday, November 18, 2015. Two instruments can really make a lot of nice music together. This is our noodling around with "Arkansas Traveler."

Ashokan Farewell -- fiddle and banjo (living room jam 11/18/2015)

Posted by banjoy, written by Jay Ungar

- Play count: 754

Size: 3,415kb, uploaded 11/22/2015 12:43:20 AM
Genre: Fiddle/Celtic/Irish / Playing Style: Bluegrass (Scruggs)

A fiddle-playing friend from Michigan who I haven't seen in 4 years is back in the area doing contract work (he's a nuclear engineer) and he's been dying to pick music. Four years ago we would jam together about one every week or two, and I had pretty much forgotten what we even picked together!! Anyway, Don Calsyn came by my house last Wednesday, and I turned on the recorder and let it go. Out of the couple of hours of audio, I pulled out a few clips that ain't half bad. This clip is raw, unedited and live in my living room last Wednesday, November 18, 2015. Two instruments can really make a lot of nice music together. This is our noodling around with Jay Ungar's haunting tune, "Ashoken Farewell." The fiddle really kicks in the 2nd pass through the tune...

Banks of The Ohio (living room jam, open G tuning, key of F)

Posted by banjoy

- Play count: 535

Size: 3,584kb, uploaded 1/26/2012 1:10:11 AM
Genre: Bluegrass / Playing Style: Bluegrass (Scruggs)

I'm slowly digging up these old jam recordings from last year and will post several one at a time, over the next few days that I've never shared here before. This was recorded sometime between early March and late April 2011 on a Zoom digital recorder. I'm just now getting around to sharing a few more interesting jam gems. This is an interesting take on the familiar tune Banks of The Ohio. We're playing in the key of F and I am in open G tuning without a capo. I love the sound of F tuning and don't play it much these days. This is me picking on my Nechville Athena and singing harmony, and Tyler is picking his Santa Cruz dreadnought and singling lead vocal. Enjoy.

Banks of The Ohio (Queener Tapes 2)

Posted by banjoy

- Play count: 193

Size: 4,270kb, uploaded 10/21/2012 7:19:23 PM
Genre: Bluegrass / Playing Style: Bluegrass (Scruggs)

IT'S REALLY FUNNY. Hey, if you're gonna crash and burn, here's one way to do it :) D. Stout (bass, lead vocal), David Perkins (guitar, harmony), Frank Eastes (banjo, harmony). On this cut David's wife Shelley added some harmony vocal, and Monroe Queener sat out -- but you can hear Monroe laugh at the end :). Recorded at practice January 1991 in David Perkin's living room, Knoxville, TN. Practice Tape (c) Frank Eastes

Beaumont Rag -- Key of C (from tab)

Written/Posted by banjoy

[download]  

- Play count: 126

Size: 671kb, uploaded 1/2/2023 11:09:37 AM
Genre: Unknown/None Chosen / Playing Style: Unknown/None Chosen

Reference recording for the tab posted--view my tabs here.

Beaumont Rag -- Key of D (from tab)

Written/Posted by banjoy

[download]  

- Play count: 167

Size: 673kb, uploaded 12/23/2022 6:58:35 AM
Genre: Unknown/None Chosen / Playing Style: Unknown/None Chosen

Reference recording for the tab posted--view my tabs here.

Big Ben (arrangement)

Posted by banjoy, written by Sonny Osbourn

- Play count: 388

Size: 4,739kb, uploaded 10/5/2009 11:37:59 AM
Genre: Bluegrass / Playing Style: Other

You may remember this tune from the old "Country Cooking" album from the late 1970's. This is a very cool instrumental by Sonny Osbourn (played by Pete Wernick and Tony Triska) that you just don't hear anyone try to play. Maybe because it's because of the swapped beat that shies pickers away, I'm not sure. But it's a great tune that deserves more jamming attention and bands covering it. The original recording was twin banjo of Pete and Tony Trishka. I like my ending better than what they did, though, and hope you do too. This is my overdubbed twin version, again done late one evening on a friend's digital recorder as he was learning how to use it. This was recorded banjo only each in one take, then he dropped in the other tracks a few weeks later as he was learning how to use his recorder (thanks, Kent Bilbrey). Kinda sloppy but still pretty fun and interesting. If I ever make a cleaner recording of this I'll replace this one. Enjoy.

Big Ben (living room 5-24-2012)

Posted by banjoy, written by Sonny Osborne

- Play count: 274

Size: 2,777kb, uploaded 6/1/2012 4:59:49 AM
Genre: Bluegrass / Playing Style: Bluegrass (Scruggs)

This is a great tune by Sonny Osborne (and later recorded by Pete Wernick) as done by our band "Fayssoux McLean and The Bluegrass Messengers" at band practice May 24, 2012. I came up with idea to end the tune on the IV chord which I think is pretty cool. We were just sitting around a conference room table laying these down in one take each. Fayssoux McLean guitar; Wes Wyatt lead guitar; Steve Garret on bass; Frank Eastes on banjo. Wes and I were teaching this tune to the bass player during this session, and he about had it nailed by the end of the tune. Good stuff. These folks are a true joy to play with. I hope you enjoy.

Big Country

Posted by banjoy

- Play count: 1755

Size: 3,146kb, uploaded 1/3/2010 4:45:34 AM
Genre: Unknown/None Chosen / Playing Style: Unknown/None Chosen

This is another of my favorite Bela Fleck tunes, and my attempt at it. The banjo is tuned down to an open E. Recorded about 6:00am 1/3/2010 on my hand-held digital voice recorder. I hope you enjoy.

Big Spike Hammer (live gig 7-22-2012)

Posted by banjoy, written by LeRoy Drumm and Pete Goble

- Play count: 278

Size: 3,616kb, uploaded 10/2/2012 5:46:52 AM
Genre: Bluegrass / Playing Style: Bluegrass (Scruggs)

This is a recording from a live gig at Brickhouse Pizza in Spartanburg, SC on July 22, 2012. Our rendition of this popular bluegrass tune. Wes Wyatt on guitar and lead vocal. I'm picking 5-string and singing harmony. Thanks to Jamison Smith for capturing the gig from the main board to his laptop.

Big Spike Hammer (living room jam)

Posted by banjoy, written by LeRoy Drumm and Pete Goble

- Play count: 487

Size: 3,750kb, uploaded 1/28/2012 2:20:02 PM
Genre: Bluegrass / Playing Style: Bluegrass (Scruggs)

This was recorded sometime between early March and late April 2011 on a Zoom digital recorder. I'm just now getting around to sharing some of these. This is our living room take of this cool bluegrass tune by Bobby Osborne and Pete Goble. This is me picking on my Nechville Athena and Tyler is picking his Santa Cruz dreadnought and singing lead. I had to edit out a choice word because this is a family board LOL, but the edit seems almost seamless :0 ... Enjoy.

Birth of The Blues / Al Osteen Lesson

Posted by banjoy, written by Ray Henderson

- Play count: 472

Size: 3,568kb, uploaded 12/20/2010 8:31:37 AM
Genre: Bluegrass / Playing Style: Bluegrass (Scruggs)

I was finding a few treasures on my cheap digital voice recorder I carry around with me. This cut is from a session just hanging out around with Al Osteen in his teaching studio on March 8, 2010, just a sliver of the afternoon spent there. I hope you enjoy. (This is Al Osteen playing banjo, not me. )

Blackberry Blossom (relaxed living room jam)

Posted by banjoy

- Play count: 1149

Size: 5,435kb, uploaded 3/10/2012 8:21:09 AM
Genre: Fiddle/Celtic/Irish / Playing Style: Bluegrass (Scruggs)

I'm still dusting off some of these cool old jam session recordings... This is a cool traditional fiddle tune "Blackberry Blossom" ... and this is a realistic tempo too!! Recorded at a Knoxville, TN jam session 12-27-06 in Bob Holmes' living room on a digital recorder with pickers in a circle. Nice relaxed picking... Frank Eastes (banjo) Bob Holmes (guitar), Jim Lethgo (guitar), Marvin Gideon (mandolin) and Dennis Wilkerson (bass) ... thanks to Bob Holmes for the recording. We were all sitting in a circle with a digital recorder on the floor. The banjo is a little soft in the blend, I think the recorder was aimed away from the banjo LOL, but it's in there enough. Posted in memory of Marvin Gideon, my good friend, rest in peace.

Blackberry Blossom -- More Variations (with tab)

Written/Posted by banjoy

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- Play count: 188

Size: 2,762kb, uploaded 8/19/2021 8:56:02 AM
Genre: Bluegrass / Playing Style: Bluegrass (Scruggs)

Be sure to see the tablature for these ideas ... reference recording for the tab posted--view my tabs here.

Blackbird (McCartney) from TAB

Posted by banjoy, written by Paul McCartney

[download]  

- Play count: 286

Size: 2,078kb, uploaded 2/15/2022 4:49:42 AM
Genre: Bluegrass / Playing Style: Bluegrass (Scruggs)

Reference recording for the tab posted--view tab here. This is my original arrangement of this beautiful tune by Paul McCartney. In working this up I discovered that Paul does not always play it the same way, occasionally adding in some transitional or "bridge" measures before the 3rd and 4th verses, and sometimes only before the 4th verse. This version is the latter. Anyway, this is a fun tune to play and beautiful to hear. I hope you enjoy.