Bluegrass in Duncan 05/05/2005 (This article forms part of the Journal that I am writing to describe my impressions of America since arrival in September, 2004. To begin reading this Journal from the beginning, click here.)I have always liked bluegrass music with its deftly plucked banjos and mandolins, irresistible rhythms and vocals in harmony. Perhaps it is an ancestral memory in me, for the roots of bluegrass lie in the folk songs and ballads of England, Scotland and Ireland, although these had almost died out in England by the beginning of the 20th Century. There is irony in the fact that it was the increasing availability of recordings of bluegrass music in the fifties that led to the rediscovery and rebirth of English folk songs in the sixties.But it was probably the theme tune to The Beverly Hillbillies that really made me aware of bluegrass. And, when Kathy told me that there was going to be a bluegrass festival in Duncan, I jumped at the chance to hear the real thing.I had never been to Duncan before but heard of it often through those car dealership commercials on the television - always at "the Lawton/Duncan Y" it seemed. The very name fascinated me; was it a fork in the road or perhaps a huge monument to the letter Y? At last, I was going to see for myself.The road to Duncan takes one up to the Great Plains and is as straight as an arrow in its path to the horizon. Spring has taken hold of the countryside and the green of new grass replaces the brown of winter. Alongside the road, swathes of wild flowers spread their colors, the brick red of Indian paintbrush, yellow of buttercups and pink primroses. In places, the state flower of Texas, the blue bonnet, has invaded too. This, surely, is Oklahoma at its prettiest.We came to the Y and I was vaguely disappointed to realize that it is a T-junction where we join another major route from north to south. As promised, however, the car dealerships line the road until we reach the turn off for Duncan. The road narrows and plunges down into a country of wooded valleys, so different from the plains I am used to now. This could be somewhere in England, so green is it with new foliage. Houses nestle beneath the trees so that there seems to be no town here at all; it is a beautiful place.We found the festival in an RV park on the far side of Duncan. There was one spot left for the car and we trudged up the hill in search of music. To our surprise, it was all happening inside a windowless building amongst the rows of trailers. Music filled our ears as the door swung open. The place was packed but we found seats at the back and settled to listen.This was the real, traditional bluegrass, plenty of gospel songs and ballads, with the occasional faster tune included. Apparently, bluegrass has been developing and there is something called newgrass these days; but not here - this was the music as it had first come down from the Appalachians. Band followed band but the style remained the same. As I listened, the impressions washed over me and I began to form theories, as I always do.It seemed to me that a bluegrass band must have a banjo. There are the expected mandolin, banjo, fiddle, guitar and bass, but, of these, the one essential ingredient is the banjo. It is the banjo that gives the music its characteristic sound, helped it's true by the mandolin, but you must have that banjo. And it's the banjo player that the purists watch. Each musician will have a moment center stage and the audience claps each one, but the banjo player must give a virtuoso performance or all is lost. Those banjo players were excellent. How they produce such complex and rattling sounds, cascades of rapid fire notes, with so little apparent effort, I do not know. The skill is just amazing.Of course, this is one of my theories so it was bound to be proved wrong by the last band we heard. This was a group from Texas and they had the cheek to replace the banjo with a slide guitar. And the worst of it was that it worked; they lost nothing of that true bluegrass sound and the slide guitar added a note of plaintiveness that fitted well with the old songs. So much for that theory, I thought.Another thing I noticed was the age of those involved. The great majority of both the audience and the bands were old greyheads like myself. Was this a sign that the old bluegrass is dying out, that the young have moved on to other things? Has the newgrass swept all before it, leaving only the diehards to remain faithful to the original sound? I don't know the answer to this but there are signs of hope, even if it is true. One of the bands was a family group from Missouri, the mother and father middle aged and a whole row of kids backing them. And their banjo player was a ten year old, this his first public performance we were told, plucking away with the best of them. The skills are being handed down it seems.I am no musician so I can only listen and say what I like and what I don't. To my ear they all sounded good. They did teach me a thing or two, however. It seems there is more than one way to play a banjo. There is the three-finger style that everyone does but there is also something called the claw hammer style. One of the banjo players demonstrated this for us but, to tell you the truth, although it was clear that he concentrated more and it seemed difficult, I could not hear any difference in the actual sound. Perhaps only a true connoisseur can tell them apart.There was an informality to the festival that was quite revealing too. The musicians quipped easily with the audience and joined the crowd when their stint was over. And this, perhaps, demonstrates that bluegrass remains the true folk music of America; that there is no artificial separation between the performers and the people. Other forms of music have become big business with fortunes made by those who rise to the top and armies of fans worshiping from afar. Bluegrass musicians are still your ordinary Joe, making a living but never a million, staying close to the lifestyle of the common people. This, perhaps more than anything, means that it will continue and that bluegrass will still be played when hip hop and punk and glam rock are fading memories.I like that.(to go directly to the next entry in the Journal, click here)
Clive
Jodie I like bluegrass too. But I didn't know there was a festival in Duncan -- I'll have to watch for that. :) Date Added: 05/05/2005
Patrick O'Hannigan Just found your journal through my friend Gary at Both Worlds, and like what I've read. I, too, love bluegrass, although I've only heard it played in California. Fear not the "newgrass," or the passing of the baton to the younger generation. Bela Fleck is a young wizard on the banjo who nevertheless respects the old masters like Earl Scruggs and John McEuen. The Nickel Creek bandmates are even younger than Fleck is. Allison Krauss and Mark O'Connor have gone "pop," as they say, but both can still fiddle like nobody's business. Meanwhile, music festivals and competitions continue to showcase talent of all ages. I say that as a former groupie of sorts for a small-time bluegrass band called "Phantom Hollow" that dissolved a few years ago. The gatherings that I'm most familiar with are the "Topanga Banjo and Fiddle Contest," and the "Live Oak Music Festival." Live Oak is not exclusively about bluegrass, but always includes at least one bluegrass act. Date Added: 05/05/2005
Gone Away As far as I know it's an annual event, Jodie. Quite hard to find though - that RV park is not well-signposted. Date Added: 05/05/2005
Gone Away Glad you enjoyed the read, Patrick. And thanks for all the info. I heard Nickel Creek a few years ago and bought an album by them as a result. And I agree about Allison Krause's fiddling (and singing!). The others I'll have to keep an eye out for. Date Added: 05/05/2005
Ned I am partial to banjo, I will admit. You can't think of Bluegrass without thinking "banjo" (and I am partial to Bluegrass). But there is something to be said for the slide guitar. It was David Lindley's slide guitar solos that gave Jackson Browne's albums (especially Running on Empty) their unique sound and lent that special feeling of melancholy to some of his most beautiful songs. Date Added: 05/05/2005
keeefer Today you made me envious. This is no mean feat. I am, after all, in one of the most beautiful cities in the world, surrounded by endless beaches, perfect blue seas, an abundance of fine foods, the strangest animals known to man (did you know the duck billed platypus was venomous?)....yet what i dont have here is THAT type of culture. Sure Australia is built on the values of its british heritage, similar to that of America. But as a nation it has turned its back and lost much of its birthright in search of its own identity. Dont get me wrong, it is an amazing country for promoting the arts. I have never seen so many art galleries, theatres, street performances, festivals etc etc . The Arts here are embraced with the same affection as a half drunk stubbie, yet the country in general seems to embrace anything but its heritage. Maybe i am yet to discover its real music scene, i really dont know......What i do know is, I have never before wanted to visit an American trailer park, but i do now. Date Added: 06/05/2005
Josh Aha! My Bailiwick! It is quite a thing, isn't it, to see bluegrass performed? I mean, I go through phases where I will listen to nothing but old Stanley brothers recordings and Bill Monroe concerts, but it is nothing like seeing someone like Tony Rice or Sam Bush in person. My college years were punctuated by the clannish desire to "go see a show", with friends and I saw many -- over a dozen Phish shows, Leftover Salmon, Bela Fleck (all the while frowning at futureman), but honestly, I always felt restless, fitful, and bored having to sit through these performances. In retrospect, I'd say a good 90% of the concerts my peer group attended were based on a desire to say "Duuude! I went to this show last night!" Not so with bluegrass. From the start, it captivated me, and I set to understanding this musical and cultural gem. After 6 years or so, I am none too shabby on a handful of instruments. One thing, Mr. Gone - the instrument that 'replaced' the banjo an actual guitar played with a slide, or was it a dobro (held flat like the cigarette vending trays, with strings seeming to float above the neck)? Might seem like an odd distinction, but we east-o-ssippi pickers can accept the dobro in lieu of the banjer, but not much else. ;-) As for the vitality of bluegrass, I assure you it is alive and well, though perhaps not in the socio-economic locale of its roots. In the late 60's the folk movement lent creedence to bluegrass, and since it has beena favorite with hippies and their ilk. I actually have a recording of Jerry Garcia and David Grisman pickin' with Earl Scruggs (the man credited with the cultivation of clawhammer banjo). Strange bedfellows, indeed. Q: How do you make a million dollars playing bluegrass? A: Start out with 2 Million. ;-P Date Added: 06/05/2005
josh Whoops. Ol' Earl, he "cultivated" finger-style banjo. Typing faster'n my brain today. :-) Date Added: 06/05/2005
Harvey Young I am not really a Bluegrass fan, but I have enjoyed the music the few times that I heard it. Funny that you should point out that both the bands and the audience are getting older. The young move from one fad to the next. We older folks find what we like and we just stay there. I think it is nice to finally be in a place where what I like is what I like and it does not matter what anyone else thinks is the latest thing. Date Added: 06/05/2005
Gone Away Y'all make me feel that you should be writing these articles, not me. I'm just a furriner rubber-neckin' my way around these here parts and, had I not done a bit of research on the net before I wrote the article, I wouldn't know any of the names you're throwing at me. Having said which, maybe it does take someone like me to leap in where angels fear to tread. ;) Ned: I love the banjo and I love to hear it played well. And it seems the art of banjo-pickin' is alive and well and livin' in the United States! Keef: I can envy you the beaches but we have just about everything else you mention right here in Oklahoma. But it seems to me that the Ozzies did once have a folk music of sorts (Waltzing Matilda must surely be of that type) but became ashamed of it so that it was never developed. As you say, perhaps it's happening somewhere that we haven't heard about yet. Josh: You especially should be writing about Bluegrass. Your knowledge is extensive and, as a musician, you can give us a much deeper insight into it than I could ever hope to. But I'm afraid that I must confirm that the Texans used a slide guitar - held flat like a dobro but a guitar just the same. Oh, the shame. But I love the joke at the end! Harvey: At last, one who claims not to know too much of Bluegrass! Come with me, friend, I know a corner where we can hide from the wrath of those who know better... ;) Date Added: 06/05/2005
Josh I play the mandolin whenever I am part of a session, as it is not as common a "specialty" as banjo or guitar. That being said, the real root is the bass; it's the base (so to speak ;-)). Just like the drums in handful of rock bands I've played with -- if the guy doesn't have his own rig, there's no band. As far as the banjo goes, well, there is a friendly rivalry there -- and many, many bad jokes. Q: What's the best sound a banjo can make? A: The snap of the case closing. ;-) Date Added: 06/05/2005
Gone Away Very interesting, Josh. I have always considered the bass guitar to be the foundation of good rock music (does anyone listen to McCartney's perfect bass lines to the Beatle's songs? That's where the genius is) but I must admit that I've hardly noticed the bass in bluegrass. Perhaps that is a measure of how important it is. And, once again, I love the joke. :D Date Added: 06/05/2005
glenniah Sooo Gone, shall we say that you have developed a new talent, playing guitar and singing bluegrass. Sounds wonderful. I live in the most beatiful warmest city in the world, however I love to travel and firmly believe that all cities in all countries have something to offer, Long live bluegrass Glennie Date Added: 06/05/2005
Gone Away In my teens I tried to learn to play guitar, Glenni. After a long struggle in which I learned a few chords, I came to the conclusion that I was missing something required to be a musician. I still don't know what that is but have many musician friends who have all demonstrated quite unwittingly that they have it. In the end I contented myself with becoming the world's greatest virtuoso on jew's harp. Date Added: 06/05/2005
glenniah "The Jews harp" I love it Gone. I think that might be be also. I love all music and dancing but cant do any of it. I grew up singing into my hairbrush but funnily enough it never did help. glennie Date Added: 06/05/2005
Gone Away Isn't it strange that we can love music but have absolutely no talent at it? Makes the whole thing very mysterious, if you ask me... Date Added: 06/05/2005
Mad You were the worlds greatest virtuoso on the Jews Harp but then your son supersceded you :> Date Added: 06/05/2005
Gone Away Aaaarrgghh! Even that tiny accomplishment is taken from me... Date Added: 06/05/2005
Way Dog gone it...when the man gets back on track, he goes like no other! Flat, or Scruggs...one of them, and I can never get them right...rescued the banjo and took it away from those that got up on stage and told jokes "back in the day". The instrument originally came from Africa, I am told, and most whites that plinked on it did it just for laughs. And then that city-slicker Fleck comes along...If you've never heard Cosmic Hippo, you've never heard bass, so stop fretting and go listen. (Pehaps Josh will appreciate this next bit most...) In the mid-60s, we of The Country Gentlemen had a running joke among us about playing a jazz banjo. I forget now why that term sounded so hilarious, tho, but Bela ruint the gag. A finely-tuned piece, Gone, and I do believe I can dance to it. Oh, and the blue bonnets...they are so loverly. Date Added: 06/05/2005
Gone Away Well, thankee kindly, Way. It seems I have a lot to learn about this here bluegrass but I tell ya one thing: I sure is gonna have a lotta fun doin' it. ;) And at last someone notices the blue bonnets! Date Added: 06/05/2005
Way I tried growing them here, but sadly Hoohooville lacks the proper alkaline soil. Date Added: 06/05/2005
Gone Away I would have thought it was a bit cold for them up there too, Way. Date Added: 06/05/2005
Josh I like Bela, I like Victor Wooten at least as much -- especially when he gets together with a posse called the "noName Band" -- Tony Rice, Sam Bush, Bela Fleck, and Victor Wooten. I thought my head was gonna implode trying to follow the lines on that stage. Bute Futureman is a hack. I know Bela is a soft-spoken, kind-hearted man, but letting "futureman" sing is just a bad idea, period. Way was in the Country Gentlemen? Wow, we are in the presence of bluegrass royalty. Only 5,000 or so people have ever played in that band. ;-) Nyuk Nyuk! :-P Date Added: 07/05/2005
Gone Away Okay, I know the musicians are talking amongst themselves now but Josh's statement about the Country Gentlemen has reminded me of some history that even Mad doesn't know. Only 5,000 people? Makes it sound like the group were to bluegrass what John Mayall's Bluebreakers were to British R&B in the sixties. Anyone who was destined to be great played in the band at one time or another. I'm sure I don't have to tell you who Eric Clapton is - first made it big with the Bluesbreakers. Jack Bruce (Britain's greatest bass guitarist, later of Cream and Blind Faith) was with them, as were Peter Green and Mick Fleetwood (both left the group to form Fleetwood Mac). Mick Taylor was with them too. Who was Mick Taylor? He was the guy the Rolling Stones selected to replace Brian Jones... Date Added: 07/05/2005
Rick I think the banjo is great- but perhaps it is not so much pursued because the variety of music that can be played on it is relatively limited. I'm a psuedo pianist myself, former rock guitar player, but I love the piano because one can do so much more on it. I know a Chinese man, though, who plays an oriental instrument called the Pi Pa and he always gets an ovation after playing "Yankee Doodle Dandee" on it. Date Added: 07/05/2005
Gone Away I'm just a layman, Rick - I know what I like but I couldn't explain why. That Pi Pa sounds interesting. I love new and different musical intruments and am just waiting for the Zimbabwean mbira to be the latest thing in rock music. ;) Date Added: 07/05/2005
Ken Or maybe the er-hu? Two-stringed Chinese fiddle. I went to see Tom Paxton last year and he had with him some bluegrass musicians, from Virginia, I think, who were just stunning. The thing of it was, also, that they were all young and female, although the stereotype is quite different, older and male. Is the banjo duel in "Deliverance" bluegrass? Date Added: 07/05/2005
Gone Away I've probably seen the er-hu on TV, Ken but didn't know what it was called. And the "Deliverance" question is one best answered by one of my watching musicians, Way and/or Josh, since they know so much more than I do on the subject. But it certainly sounds as though it would be bluegrass... Date Added: 07/05/2005
josh YEah, dueling banjos was made famous by that movie. If by famous, you mean to dumb guys when they need a way to casually reference buggery. Apologies in advance, I have a few-3 beers in me . ;-) Date Added: 08/05/2005
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