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Events for May 28, 2021 - May 29, 2021
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May 2021
Zoom Door Opens
Welcome and Introductions
Old-Time Jam in the Key of C
with Tim Rowell, Don Borchelt, John Reddick and John Maguire
This jam started in 2015 after John Reddick and Don Borchelt started meeting once a week to expand and practice their C-tune repertoire. They both appreciated this unique musical mix which included rags, breakdowns, songs and waltzes. And they needed to solve the riddle of why half the players in a jam would decide it was time to head home when a C-tune set would start. They met once a week and Don cooked lunch. John Maguire joined in early 2016 after he retired. Tim Rowell joined in early 2017, as soon as he found out what we were up to (including Don’s lunch), balancing things out at 2 banjos and 2 fiddles. We keep saying we are through with learning new C tunes (nearly 70 on our list), and then another one comes along that we can’t resist.
The key is rooted tonically right at the middle of the fiddle’s first position range, with a very cool inverted-third double-stop on the second and third strings, giving it a sound all its own. If you haven’t explored this key we think that you should start now.
We will include a mix of the well-known and unusual tunes, some easy and others more challenging. We invite you to play along or learn them later from the jam recording or (better yet), from the original source recordings.
C-Tunes we hope to play Friday night:
- Altamont
- Old Mose
- Spider Bit the Baby
- Old Joe
- Waltz In C. (Henry Ford’s Waltz)
- Hell Broke Loose in Georgia
- Four Cent Cotton
- Cranberry Rock
- Rocky Pallet
- L & N Rag
- Texas Gales
- Farewell Trion
- Sally Comin’ Through The Rye
- Monkey In The Dogcart
- Bibb County Hoedown
- Hy Patillion
- Sleepin’ Lulu
- Grover Jones Waltz
- Katy Did
- Henry Reed’s Birdie
- Old Melinda
- Tennesee Mountain Fox Chase
Tim Rowell is a player and teacher from the Boston area. Actively fighting Instrument Acquisition Syndrome. He’s arranged and tabbed about 700 tunes if anybody wants one.
Don Borchelt has been playing the banjo for over fifty years, and is a well-known proponent of the old-time three-finger style of picking, which employs a myriad of left hand roll patterns to provide both melody and a highly syncopated rhythm. He plays mostly on a semi-fretless banjo, with a smooth brass plate installed up to the 5th fret, in order to get “the notes between the frets.”
John Reddick, a native Texan who migrated to New England 25 years ago for damned good reasons, has been dabbling with stringed instruments since his early teen years, beginning with guitar, passing through a mandolin infatuation, a clawhammer banjo delirium, ultimately to become a chronic old time fiddler about 15 years ago. He has inspired many beginning players, some saying after their first jam with him, “I can do better than that.”
John Maguire has been playing at Old Timey music for about 20 years. Retired, he plays with his buddies almost daily. He does love a good tune.
Old-Time Jam in the Key of D
with Paul Kirk, Stephen Rapp and Sean Fen
Join Paul Kirk (fiddle), Stephen Rapp (banjo), and Sean Fen (guitar) from the comfort of your own home for a fun cross G and D tune jam at their remote “Black Creek campsite.” They’ll provide the tunes, whiskey, peanut butter cups, and more. Don’t miss it!
Open Jam and Tune Swap
Jump in and swap some tunes.
Intermediate Old-Time Fiddle
with Janie Rothfield
This class is for people who can already play at a medium tempo at a jam and are looking to “jumpstart” their playing to the next level. Janie will show you techniques and strategies for adding more intricate bowing rhythms and patterns and speed to your playing. She will teach several of her favorite old time tunes including a couple from the playing of “Uncle” Norm Edmunds from Hillsville VA and a few other faves.
For more information on Janie, please visit her website: janierothfield.com
Back Up Guitar
with Allan Carr
Advanced Back Up Guitar/Alternative Chords and Bass Runs-For people who are able to play in a variety of keys in a jam at a medium speed, and who are looking to “up the ante” with their chord and bass run choices in old time music. This class will go deep into how to play alternative chords “up the neck” as well as rhythm and melody driven bass runs to a fiddle tune. Required: Capo and Flat pick required (we suggest a larger hard pick).
Excellent International Jamming
with Su and Jules
UK based Su Mo & Jules Bushell and some of their regular session guests will be joining Terri in an interview and discussion about running a session that has reached an international scale during the Covid-19 pandemic. A strong community has been developed from the wonders of technology using special techniques and hosting skills to make it possible to have a successful online session on Zoom and live stream. The community have been able to share the same Old Time tunes from around the world and here you can hear how tunes are played having travelled once again in this modern day via aural traditions in sessions around the world.
Songs
with Alan Kaufman and Jerry Dallal
Jerry and I are going to present an hour of oldtime music to reflect the weekly jams that I have led in the Boston area for close to 20 years. There will be plenty of traditional tunes and songs with harmonies. The instrumentation will be guitar, mandolin and fiddle.
It is our hope that by attending this jam you can learn about and experience the fun and joy of oldtime music in the Boston area.
We plan to have the words to the the songs in the chat so that you can join us and sing along.
Fiddle Tune in Cross-G Tuning
with Paul Kirk
Join Paul Kirk for this fiddle workshop in which he will teach Hell and Scissors. This tune comes from Kentucky fiddler James W. Day, AKA Jilson Setters, and we will be tuned in cross G. He’ll show you the flavor bits to help you get a sweet “Old-Time sound.” Also, please be sure to check out Paul’s Patreon (patreon.com/paulkirk) and Old-Time TOTW series on YouTube.
Paul Kirk has been playing bowed string instruments for 41 years and has been teaching them for 33 years privately, in classroom settings, and in workshop formats. He has closely studied Old-Time fiddle bowing patterns and techniques and has devised practical methods for teaching them. One of his specialties is teaching Old-Time fiddle to “cross over” students, especially those coming from a background in Classical violin. For many, acquiring the style and sound of this seemingly simple music can be difficult. He will help you get your violin to sound like a fiddle.
Paul gives remote and live private lessons and workshops. For more information please send an email to: FiddlerPaul71@gmail.com
Yodeling
with Alan Kaufman and Ann Downey
This is an introduction to yodeling; the how, who, when and where of it. Why? Because it’s a blast! We’ll teach the basics and get you started, sing and yodel a bunch and have a grand old time.