What era are you referring to? Versions of past and current bluegrass/country songs are always welcomed at jams. Uncommon finger picking style past or present or an electric guitar ( just as bad) will slowly but surely cause an early coffee, lunch or break time one by one.

Nice composition! Definitely invokes the early 1900's feeling, like it could have been in a reel of a silent movie. Really enjoyable. Jerry

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Originally posted by banjobob36

What era are you referring to? Versions of past and current bluegrass/country songs are always welcomed at jams. Uncommon finger picking style past or present or an electric guitar ( just as bad) will slowly but surely cause an early coffee, lunch or break time one by one.

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It's not a jam tune Bob. If I brought this to a jam I would rightly be shown the door. 

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Originally posted by GMB

Nice composition! Definitely invokes the early 1900's feeling, like it could have been in a reel of a silent movie. Really enjoyable. Jerry

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Thanks Jerry! Yeah, you get it. I think what I like best is it showcases the banjo as a solo instrument, nothing else required. 

Another gem, Laurence—further showcasing the variety of your playing styles. Thanks.

It's a lovely tune. To me it is more a 30s swing tune than anything else.

Keep it up!

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Originally posted by Laurence Diehl

New Composition - Lakeshore Drive

This is by no means a classic banjo piece, yet it hints at us similar music from that era. 

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A lovely composition. Thanks for sharing.

Unless we set out to mimic, which would creatively involve a very peculiar and contrived detachment from who and where we are, then any new composition is simply and broadly in a tradition of original banjo composition.  That is - a contemporary piece with more or less recognisable references.

There are clearly traditional structures. We can choose to conform, adapt or go 'off piste'. Even If we choose to compose within those conventions that does not in any way restrict us to pastiche. The nature of creativity is its unbounded potential.

Respect is trust and reaching back for the baton to carry forward. The transition is not intended for us to stand stock still and gaze in reverence at the baton. That is the disrespect (and redundancy) of inertia :-)

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Originally posted by Bill Rogers

Another gem, Laurence—further showcasing the variety of your playing styles. Thanks.

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Thank you Bill!

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Originally posted by trapdoor2

It's a lovely tune. To me it is more a 30s swing tune than anything else.

Keep it up!

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Thanks Marc! I swing everything - can't seem to help it. 

Laurence, there is something I thought about after I made the last post. I seem to hear some nuances of Bill Knopf in this song.

quote:Originally posted by EEBquote:Originally posted by Laurence DiehlNew Composition - Lakeshore Drive

This is by no means a classic banjo piece, yet it hints at us similar music from that era. A lovely composition. Thanks for sharing.

Unless we set out to mimic, which would creatively involve a very peculiar and contrived detachment from who and where we are, then any new composition is simply and broadly in a tradition of original banjo composition. That is - a contemporary piece with more or less recognisable references.

There are clearly traditional structures. We can choose to conform, adapt or go 'off piste'. Even If we choose to compose within those conventions that does not in any way restrict us to pastiche. The nature of creativity is its unbounded potential.

Respect is trust and reaching back for the baton to carry forward. The transition is not intended for us to stand stock still and gaze in reverence at the baton. That is the disrespect (and redundancy) of inertia :-)

Thank you! It's hard to be that analytical about my own process but it seems as though many - perhaps all - of the content is snippets and phrases that I already know, just arranged in new ways. My original contribution is really in the arrangement.
But tunes seem to have a life of their own and they establish their identity early. I couldn't (for instance) fall into some blues or baroque counterpoint by bar three because it would already sound wrong.
I was thinking back to a previous comment you made, that finger style banjo felt complete as a solo instrument, needing no other support. I agree. I often use backing tracks for bluegrass or jazz, but here there was no need and it was quite satisfying to showcase the solo banjo in this way.

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Originally posted by Culloden

Laurence, there is something I thought about after I made the last post. I seem to hear some nuances of Bill Knopf in this song.

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Bill Knopf is great but I never listened to him much. I bet we both have listened to a lot of the same music though. 

Very nice, Laurence. I thought I heard nuances of Pat Cloud, but that's probably just me.
In terms of imagery, this one conjures up a walk thru Wisconsin on a fall afternoon with lots of firey crunchy leaves under foot.
The ending is an ornament by itself.

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Originally posted by Omeboy

Very nice, Laurence. I thought I heard nuances of Pat Cloud, but that's probably just me.
In terms of imagery, this one conjures up a walk thru Wisconsin on a fall afternoon with lots of firey crunchy leaves under foot.
The ending is an ornament by itself.

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Pat and I are heavy users of the "melodic" style, that's what you might be hearing. Or the jazz pallette. 
That's a lovely image!