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Don Borchelt |
Posted by Don Borchelt
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- Play count: 2270
Size: 3,101kb, uploaded 5/11/2009 8:21:07 PM
Genre: Old Time / Playing Style: Clawhammer and Old-Time
Well, rummaging around some of my old files, I came across this practice recording that I made ten or twelve years ago with Brian Clancey and Tom Speth. I don't claim to be a good singer, but there are some pleasant moments in this that I thought were worth sharing. The banjo is tuned to open D, what else is new.
7 commentsPosted by Don Borchelt
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- Play count: 1958
Size: 2,713kb, uploaded 8/21/2010 11:57:22 AM
Genre: Bluegrass / Playing Style: Bluegrass (Scruggs)
Taped at our Clifftop campsite, Jim Reed, Don Couchie, and myself. At the end of this, Jim says "I ain't played that damn thing in a year's time," but he sure fooled me. Jim is balling the jack on this, I'm seconding his lead, trying to keep up with that 25 ball bearing cannonball! On this one, Couchie is definitely on guitar. I think...
6 commentsPosted by Don Borchelt
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- Play count: 1065
Size: 3,063kb, uploaded 9/12/2012 10:04:36 AM
Genre: Old Time / Playing Style: Clawhammer and Old-Time
My BHO Chat pal Chris Muriel (g3zdm), from Manchester, England, was in Boston this week on business, and came over the house to pick a few tunes. We were joined by Ed Britt, my long time friend and street music partner, not enough to play bridge, but enough for a banjo trio! Here is one of the tunes we played, recorded on my hand-held Tascam DR-1.
2 commentsPosted by Don Borchelt
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- Play count: 1090
Size: 1,811kb, uploaded 7/15/2011 5:17:14 AM
Genre: Old Time / Playing Style: Clawhammer and Old-Time
Another tune from my jam session with harmonica wizard Marty Lebenson, at the end of the 2011 Harry Smith Frolic, in Greenfield, Massachusetts. Saint Anne's Reel is undoubtedly the most popular French Canadian tune among fiddlers here in the lower 48. Marty, who has been playing harmonica since the early 60s, manifests his complete unity with the instrument. I am playing my 1902 Fairbanks Whyte Laydie, three-finger style without picks.
6 commentsPosted by Don Borchelt
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- Play count: 1573
Size: 2,431kb, uploaded 8/19/2010 11:55:41 AM
Genre: Old Time / Playing Style: Clawhammer and Old-Time
I first learned this tune at the Clifftop festival in 2009, from Robyn Treatman and Mike Burns, two wonderful fiddlers from Oregon. The I went and forgot most of it, but I learned it again from a bunch of folks at this years Clifftop. I showed it to Don Couchie, who picked it up on fiddle in no time.
4 commentsPosted by Don Borchelt
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- Play count: 2013
Size: 2,097kb, uploaded 5/26/2008 9:07:53 AM
Genre: Old Time / Playing Style: Clawhammer and Old-Time
I still think of this as the quintessential old time fiddle tune. I'm picking this on my short scale Paramount, tunes aEAC#E (open G up 2), and Ed is picking his OME, open G up 2. Ragged but mostly right.
4 commentsPosted by Don Borchelt
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- Play count: 450
Size: 2,928kb, uploaded 3/3/2018 5:48:53 AM
Genre: Old Time / Playing Style: Clawhammer and Old-Time
Made this banjo duet recording with Ed Britt back in November, 2014. We still play it when we go busking in Harvard Square.
3 commentsPosted by Don Borchelt
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- Play count: 283
Size: 2,581kb, uploaded 8/7/2012 7:34:58 PM
Genre: Old Time / Playing Style: Clawhammer and Old-Time
I first learned this tune from a Library of Congress recording of the western Virginia fiddler Henry Reed (1884-1968). Reed, who died in 1968 at the age of 83, learned the tune from his neighbor and mentor, Quince Dillon, who had been a fifer during the Mexican War. This recording is from a Clifftop jam with my pal Don Couchie, who is playing the fiddle. I am three finger picking on my short scale, semi-fretless Paramount, tuned aEABE.
5 commentsPosted by Don Borchelt
[download]
- Play count: 77
Size: 808kb, uploaded 10/27/2022 7:45:09 AM
Genre: Old Time / Playing Style: Clawhammer and Old-Time
Uploaded for the 10/21/22 Old Time Tune of the Week. I am playing three finger style without picks, so as not to disturb the cat.
Add CommentPosted by Don Borchelt
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- Play count: 1689
Size: 5,541kb, uploaded 1/30/2012 11:53:31 AM
Genre: Old Time / Playing Style: Clawhammer and Old-Time
Ed Britt and I recorded this for the Tune of the Week for 1/27/12. I am three finger picking on my semi-fretless Tubaphone, Ed is playng clawhammer style on his OME. Both of us are in open G tuning.
6 commentsPosted by Don Borchelt
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- Play count: 809
Size: 1,807kb, uploaded 8/28/2012 10:23:48 AM
Genre: Old Time / Playing Style: Clawhammer and Old-Time
This tune comes originally from North Carolina fiddler Martin Marcus (1881-1974), who recorded it for the Library of Congress in the early 40s. The rather obtuse title makes sense once you know that a pig's foot is a blacksmithing tool. Another recording from one of our campsite jams on Geezer Hill. Don Couchie is doing the fiddling, I am three finger picking in open G tuning on my semi-fretless Tubaphone.
2 commentsPosted by Don Borchelt
[download]
- Play count: 591
Size: 3,029kb, uploaded 6/3/2012 7:16:27 AM
Genre: Old Time / Playing Style: Clawhammer and Old-Time
This recording was made in my living room in 1998; we called our trio Wry Whiskey. I'm picking banjo and singing, such as it is. The guitar player was Brian Clancey, who now plays in a duet with fiddler Robin Warren as Spirit Fiddle. Brian is the best back-up guitar player I ever heard, bar none. Here he is fingerpicking; we experimented a lot with the mixing together of finger style banjo and guitar. Tom Speth was the bass player; his knees have given out, and so he doesn't play much music anymore, but we've gone fishing together a few times over the last several years, which is almost as much fun.
6 commentsPosted by Don Borchelt
[download]
- Play count: 73
Size: 2,648kb, uploaded 11/18/2022 7:40:23 AM
Genre: Unknown/None Chosen / Playing Style: Unknown/None Chosen
This tune is supposedly the legendary fiddler Owen "Snake" Chapman's (1909-2002) version of a Bob Will's tune called Home With the Girls in the Morning. I have heard it said that Chapman himself denied ever playing the tune. It is usally played on fiddle in an open D tuning (ADad). This recording is from an internet jam session with my fiddling pals John Maguire and John Reddick, from April, 2022. We are using a system called Jackstreamer, which reduces latency to a fraction of a second, so that you can play together in what is essentially real time. I am three finger picking my semi-fretless 1928 Vega Tubaphone, in open D tuning (aDF#AD).
Add CommentPosted by Don Borchelt
[download]
- Play count: 739
Size: 1,794kb, uploaded 8/17/2010 9:18:20 AM
Genre: Old Time / Playing Style: Clawhammer and Old-Time
Another recording on my Tascam DR-1 from Banjo Hell Road, Geezer Hill, Clifftop, West Virginia, with Don Couchie and Jim Reed. This recording really features Don Couchie, who is clawhammering the heck out of Chip Arnold's 69 Baldwin at breakneck speed. I didn't think this was humanly possible. Awesome playing, Don. Jim and I are playing three-finger style; Jim is on that tremendous 25 ball-bearing of his, and I'm picking my demure little 64 Ode.
1 commentPosted by Don Borchelt
[download]
- Play count: 349
Size: 4,328kb, uploaded 2/27/2010 5:14:49 AM
Genre: Old Time / Playing Style: Unknown/None Chosen
I've uploaded this as part of my contribution to the TOTW for 2/26/10. This is a recording from an outdoor jam session at the 2008 Clifftop festival, made with my little hand held Tascam DR-1. Please forgive the wind noise and static, and the fact that the banjo is just slightly out of tune. Sometimes you just have to do the best you can and jump in with what you got. Ed Britt and I were jamming with Jimmy Costa, who is just an all around terrific musician, and a truly authentic Uncle Dave interpreter. I was playing my Fairbanks Whyte Laydie in Open D tuning.
2 commentsPosted by Don Borchelt
[download]
- Play count: 361
Size: 1,220kb, uploaded 2/27/2010 5:09:50 AM
Genre: Old Time / Playing Style: Unknown/None Chosen
I've uploaded this also as part of my contribution to the TOTW for 2/26/10. This is a tape I made around 1985, one of my first experiments in overdubbing. Back then, I played the tune in Standard C tuning (gCGBD), and capoed on the 2nd fret when I wanted to play with a fiddler.
3 commentsPosted by Don Borchelt
[download]
- Play count: 1565
Size: 2,735kb, uploaded 8/7/2009 3:34:57 PM
Genre: Old Time / Playing Style: Clawhammer and Old-Time
Another tune from my Clifftop picking with BHO member Don Couchie, who plays just the kind of fiddle playing I like to hear. This was just plain great fun. The Paramount semi-fretless banjo is tuned to open A tuning (aEAC#E).
3 commentsPosted by Don Borchelt
[download]
- Play count: 250
Size: 1,517kb, uploaded 8/27/2011 5:41:25 AM
Genre: Old Time / Playing Style: Clawhammer and Old-Time
I've uploaded this as my contribution for the TOTW for 8/26/11. This is a practice recording I made back in the early-80s, playing both the three-finger lead and the frailing style back-up. This was my first experiment with three-finger/clawhammer duets, even before I got together with Ed Britt.
2 commentsPosted by Don Borchelt
[download]
- Play count: 232
Size: 1,728kb, uploaded 9/24/2012 10:59:18 AM
Genre: Old Time / Playing Style: Clawhammer and Old-Time
This is another unusual tune from our Geezer Hill jam with Ralph Roberts. Ralph called this tune Sugar Hill, but it doesn't bear any resemblance to the tune I know by that name. It's a sprightly, bouncing little tune that sounds more like a distant cousin to Cripple Creek, one that Ralph fiddles with a lot of playfulness. Don Couchie is playing rhythm guitar, and I am three finger picking in open G tuning.
1 commentPosted by Don Borchelt
[download]
- Play count: 2838
Size: 1,787kb, uploaded 3/29/2013 10:55:07 AM
Genre: Old Time / Playing Style: Clawhammer and Old-Time
Ed Britt and I recorded this in my living room back in January, 2009. I had just worked this up after listening to a fine version by West Virginia fiddler Jack Krack. Ed is playing clawhammer stytle on his Ome, in double C tuning, capoed on the 2nd fret, I'm three-finger picking on my semi-fretless Vega Tubaphone, in open D tuning.
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