Wednesday 22 December 2010

December Tune part 2


Listen!
I've been wasting the time I was supposed to use to get ready for the holidays working out a B part for this tune. I'm off on a snowy journey to Cornwall tomorrow so - Merry Christmas!

Tuesday 21 December 2010

Spotify


Just got myself signed up for a spotify account - brilliant.
Streams music straight to the PC no need for those old mp3s no more!
Couple of snags - no Zep, no Beatles and a few others, but loads of old time, banjo and the kinds of sh*te that usually clogs up my machine.
 Only problem is you can't take it with you, but if you've got one if those I-phone thingys you can.
You can get it for free if you don't mind the adds but I'm giving the £4.99 subscription a go.
anyone else tried it?

December Tune


It's been a real frosty, snowy December in Yorkshire, being snow bound has it advantages. This is a Little tune that popped out recently. I was playing around with the capo and placed it on the second fret but instead of retuning the fifth string to A I tuned it down to E to match the first string. It gives a less strident sound. I don't know if its a traditional tuning but I think I'll use it more often.
Listen!

Wednesday 8 December 2010

There Ain't Half Been Some Clever... Banjoists



The full version of this film was on Tangier Sound the other day and this is the standout moment from a brilliant short film about cycling, ice cream and folk music.

Tuesday 7 December 2010

Guilty Pleasures

I've always been a bit pooh-pooey about classical music with all its high brow connotations. But the other day while having a furtive browse of a few classical sites I came across this one, and after a few moments I got over my prejudice and downloaded some content.

And I'm not ashamed to say 'This week I have mostly been listening to Beethoven and Bach and loving it.'

So if you've ever fancied a bit of the other, here's a good place to start http://www.getintoclassical.com/ 

Sunday 28 November 2010

Monday 22 November 2010

Don't be Afraid of the Dark No More

Mark's been working on the tune I sent him a while back. He's a cunning linguist!

Thanks mate

Posted via email from Northern Banjo Boy on posterous

Dear Santa...

I've been very good this year so please could you bring me an 'Orange Crush mini amp'?

Orange Micro Crush Mini Electric Guitar Combo Amp

I had a bash at one of these bad boys the other day, and for a wooden box the size of a digital radio they pack a bit of a wallop, so please santa!

What's Santa got in his enormous sack for you little boy?

Posted via email from Northern Banjo Boy on posterous

Wednesday 17 November 2010

Adieu Sweet Lovely Nancy

Finally started to get this going on the banjo. It's a simple chord structure but it's a bugger to get the changes in the right place - as always!
Listen!

Saturday 13 November 2010

Audio Boo!

Listen!

Just discovered that you can post non Apple stuff to Audio Boo now! It's a bit like Youtube for audio! no more hosting of audio files and struggling to find a player it's all there in one place. You can also link it through to your Twitter, Posterous, facebook blah blah.
But the interesting thing is that you can record direct to Audio Boo through the site!,  and the players sexy too, and......

Sorry over excited!

Have a look http://audioboo.fm/NorthernBanjoBoy

Wednesday 3 November 2010

Little Ditty - PB Guttenberg

The beauty of the Internet is that it makes collaboration so much easier and you can be creative with people that you've never met.
PB took the Little Ditty tab and gave it some words and suddenly it sounds like a real old-time dance tune.
Thanks mate.

Little Ditty Tab

PB asked for the tab for Little Ditty, here it is. In case my tab skills aren't up to snuff, you play the first eight bars twice. I think that's what the double dots mean.

pdf version http://www.fileden.com/files/2008/12/20/2231422//ditty%20tab.pdf

Audio sample

Saturday 30 October 2010

Little Ditty Live

Got together with the lads on Thursday, for the first time in ages.
I think we've got a few cobwebs as some of the audio is unlistenable even for us!
This is the little ditty which we are trying to work up a bit.

Thursday 28 October 2010

Hard Town - PB Guttenburg

PB says
'Hi - Here's another "recession song" inspired by the view of my town in my rear view mirror.It could be your town!'

Wednesday 27 October 2010

Little Ditty

Haven't done much on the banjo lately, so I thought I'd have a play and this little thing popped out. Its probably part of some other song but it made me smile! I also thought, maybe I should get back on the old drum on a stick.

Tuesday 26 October 2010

Lullaby of Leeds - Sam Barrett

I was trying to find some footage of Serious Sam playing 'Adieu Sweet Lovely Nancy' as he plays a great version of it. I found this instead its from his Youtube channel and its a track from his recent CD Yorkshirecana

Sunday 17 October 2010

Headwater - In the Dock


Saw these fellas at In the Dock on Friday night. They turned in a set of real power, mixing low key numbers featuring great vocal harmonies with some fine rockin! Their self deprecating humour was refreshing too - great musicians who aren't up there own arses! Come back to Yorkshire anytime guys.
Tour dates and stuff at Headwater

Thursday 14 October 2010

Good Shepherds/Bad Shepherds

Last night I saw the Bad Shepherds at the Duchess in York and it was a bit of a rollercoaster - brilliant and horrible! The good bits way outnumbered the bad, but the bad bits were terrible.

The Good - Ella Edmondson, Adrian, Andy Dinan and Troy Donockley and 75% of the set list. This band really make clear the similarities between folk tunes and punk, especially when focusing on core songs from both genres - simple songs, verse, chorus, verse chorus. Brilliant!

The bad - It probably didn't help that the sound at the Duchess was poor, but veering away from the straight ahead choices, which suit the folk method, into post punk and 80s pop was a mistake. I've never really been a big XTC fan, but the rendition of 'Making Plans for Nigel' was painful as was 'Once in a Lifetime'. Stick to the seminal songs like White Riot, Sound of the Suburbs, Ace of Spades, even Rise, but don't go all proggy and clever it just didn't work.

The Brilliant - Anarchy in the UK, a ten minute thrash through some blazing traditional jigs and White Riot - I don't think I've ever heard a folk band play so loud, magic. Andy and Troy were awesome all night, as was Adrian when he kept to the punk ethos - keep it simple, play it straight.

Bad Shepherds/Good Shepherds!

A Right Nancy

Whilst trawling t'internet, I came across The Acoustic Music Archive it's run by musician Peter Webster and it's got a great archive of folk tabs and chords. I've always loved Adieu Sweet Lovely Nancy and this is from Pete's chords for the song.

Tuesday 12 October 2010

Saturday 9 October 2010

Middle-aged Kicks

Inspired by going to see the Bad Shepherds next week, I thought I'd have a go at an old punk song. But no matter how much irony I tried to apply the original words and sentiments of this song where just plain wrong coming out of my 44 year-old mouth. So I thought I should update it a bit so that no one could call the police! It's punk but without the hormones...
Middle-aged Kicks

CW Stoneking - Jungle Blues

Loving this guy!

Monday 4 October 2010

As I get Older Losing My Hair...

It was a banjo birthday recently, and this book arrived with love from Mrs Banjoboy and the banjo boys! The Beatles for Banjo
It's a peculiar book mostly because I can't think of any songs by the Beatles which feature the banjo, and after trying out Across the Universe and Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds I can see why!

It's been handy though for playing in open G on the guitar, and those tricky chords sound much better on the six string.

I did quite like this one though. It's pedestrian and suits my age.

Can you tell what it is yet?

Friday 24 September 2010

Lau in November

Going to see these guys in November.


Song Fragment in Key of D

I've been messing about with a descending chord pattern in the open G for a couple of weeks and today it's morphed into something which starts to feel like its got a verse and a chorus.
The chords are verse G/D/Em/Bm x3 G/D/Em/G/G/A.
Chorus D/A/D/G/D/A/G/D/Em/G/D/Em/G/D/G.

Now all I need is some lyrical genius from the Great North Strum to come up with some words!

Sunday 19 September 2010

Spancil Hill

A bit more from Toplcliffe
Spancil Hill

Guitar and Capo

This is a bit of guitar in open g using the capo on the 2nd fret.

Crippled Creep

These are a couple of the odds and sods that have survived from the other night playing with Johnathan at the Toll Bar in Topcliffe. It's a bit of a pit of a place but its cheap and does have the advantage of having the Angel pub directly across the road!
Crippled Creep

Wednesday 15 September 2010

Would the Real Robert Johnson Please Stand Up?

or a bit More Revisionist Music History...
I know the internet is full of rubbish and this might well be another bit, but I've just been reading Steady Rolling Man which looks at Robert Johnsons recordings and asks whether the bluesman we know may well be the product of archaic recording techniques. It's proposed that RJ was recorded at the wrong speed and pitch and there some examples of his recording slowed down and reduced in pitch. I've had a bash at lowering the pitch on these samples. I'm not completely convinced but I think there may be something in it. I always thought that the original Dock Boggs recordings have a similar feel.

Crossroad Blues original


Crossroad Blues pitch lowered 10%

Monday 13 September 2010

Conclusive Evidence: Wilko Frailing?!?!


http://www.youtube.com/user/ferret642#p/u/8/Hyr__kGhUC0

Frail that Geetar, Geezer!

I know its not banjo, but just finished watching the Julian Temple film 'Oil City Confidential' about Dr Feelgood and I think that we should adopt Wilko Johnson as an honorary frailer for his guitar style! Classic frailing - back of the nail downpicking - You're in my son!

Saturday 11 September 2010

Sandy River Revisited

I haven't played this ages while I've been tinkering with the guitar so I thought I'd give it a bash. As usual the composting effect came into play, and after a few stuttering efforts while I tried to remember it I found that I'd got the up the neck part which I'd previously struggled with! Tabs on David's Clawhammer Banjo site (see side bar).

Sunday 5 September 2010

Further Adventures in Open G

Open G tuning has really opened up the guitar to me. Taking what I know from the banjo fingerboard its much easier to find chords up the neck(or is it down?). This a little progression I've been messing with, which uses four finger chords moving the 'f' shape and 'd' shape.

Friday 3 September 2010

Spancil Hill

Johnathan and I had a go at this Irish tune last night. I'd never heard it before and we'd never played it, so apologies to those who know it and love it.

Thursday 2 September 2010

Headwater - In The Dock 15th October 2010


Headwater Live - "Freight Train" from Jenn Strom on Vimeo.

Kate says,
Headwater Oct 15th 2010
Hearing Headwater is like listening to the West Coast of Canada in song. Freewheeling, fierce, sentimental and sexy, the Vancouver, B.C., quartet has earned its reputation as one of the finest acoustic roots groups around the old-fashioned way.

Since forming in 2001, the group has logged in thousands of kilometres criss-crossing Western Canada and playing to anyone and everyone willing to give it some love. With hooks, driving rhythms, adventurous steel guitar and mandolin solos, and beautiful three-part vocal harmonies all featured in tight, concise under four-minute songs, they found fans fast. Or they roped them in at first, street busking before gigs rather than hanging out waiting for crowds to come to them.

Tickets from In The Dock
They also do a great cover of 'I Kissed a Girl', we like!

Wednesday 1 September 2010

Open G on the guitar

DGDGBD - thought I'd have a play about the the guitar in open g tuning, and I love it! It's really easy to take a lot of the stuff that you've learned on the banjo over. It's probably not the tuning for the determined jazz fan but if you're used to plucking a drum on a stick, it's OK.

Friday 27 August 2010

The Great North Strum

This is about the least flattering image of Mark from The Great North Strum that I could find. The reason for this is that he has the infuriating habit of coming up with new tunes effortlessly, and I feel he doesn't need any more ego boosting. (clearly this is envy and not a good thing, but hey, this is my blog!)

Here's one he introduced is to a few nights ago.

Thursday 26 August 2010

Flashback from the Archives

Just found some old, old audio which won't play on the earlier posts any more. Its good to record yourself, not just for narcissism, but to hear how you've progressed. This was the first time I'd played with anyone else and you can hear me being sh*t in the background. I went away and practiced like mad until I felt I was able to contribute anything, and the boys were very patient and generous with me.
This audio is an acquired taste, I guess you had to be there.
Camptown Races.

Shortnin Bread (sorta)

And a really, really, really old one...

FMB part 2


This version is so much better than the previous one I posted. Cool suits, cool hair, cool hats, plenty of Earl and no gurning!

FMF part 2

It's actually still the first break of Foggy Mountain but I've just practiced it a bit more and added in the opening tag.

Wednesday 25 August 2010

Hotel Ukulele


I made a bit of a boo-boo on a recent post which included the chords for Hotel California. While playing along with the track I realised I'd got the chorus slightly wrong. The correct ones are: verse Bm F# A E G D Em F# twice, chorus G D F# Bm G D Em F#.

It also sounds better on the uke.

Monday 23 August 2010

Saturday 21 August 2010

Earl Scruggs - FMB


Here's the man himself, surrounded by some dodgy perms I must say!

Friday 20 August 2010

Thursday 19 August 2010

GuGug - Girl You Want


Haven't dropped into the GuGUg site on youtube for ages and its still great.
That reminds me whatever happened to my cigar box uke?

Foggy Mountain Fakedown

After Cripple Creek and Dueling Banjo's this is one of those songs which is seen to define banjo music.

This is Patrick Costello's tab for a frailing/clawhammer version of Earl Scruggs' bluegrass tune.

Audio to follow.

Sunday 15 August 2010

Sample Player from www.techknowl.com


Freeform was asking about the player I've been using recently. You can get the HTML for it at Techknowl.com. You just paste it into the HTML layer of your blog page and then paste in the url for your hosted mp3 file. Neat!... and free!

Saturday 14 August 2010

Hotel California


It seems like ages since I've posted any audio. While I was away I took my uke with me and I worked through some songs in a book of pop tunes. I find the uke easier to play with more modern stuff. Any way one of them was the Eagles song Hotel California, which has a nice chord change between Bm and F# which is very distinctive, and it was great to suddenly hear that tune coming out of the uke. Since I got back it's been all banjo though, and today I thought I'd have a go at it on banjo.

The F# and Bm change is tricky but with a bit of fiddling around it started to sound something like. If you want to know the chords they are verse Bm F# A E G D Em F# twice, chorus G D Em F# twice and repeat.

Friday 13 August 2010

Let Me Smoke My Pipe by Mr.B The Gentleman Rhymer

Let Me Smoke My Pipe by Mr.B The Gentleman Rhymer

Uke in Hand


Back from my holidays and it's been a bit of a shock! Why is it if you get away for two weeks is always three weeks worth of work waiting when you get back? Anyway thought this would cheer me up and I also took my uke away with me.
Picking up from PB's Archie Bester track here's something from his best mate!

Wednesday 21 July 2010

Newly discovered Archie Bester song 'Twit'

Twit by Archie Bester 
Download now or listen on posterous
_Twit_.mp3 (2991 KB)

From: pb guttenburg
Subject: Newly discovered Archie Bester song:"Twit"

Andy the Northern Banjo Boy recently encouraged me to contact Mr Brian Harris (Hon. Chair) of the Bester Appreciation Society (Eastcote) over there in the U.K.to see if there were any unreleased Bester songs.
Imagine my surprise when Mr Harris replied that there is a song from 1954 taken from a privately produced acetate which he has been reluctant to distribute as it could change the accepted history of popular music.
Please take the time to listen -it is a remarkably familiar tune which concerns a plea to  Archie's tightfisted drinking mate "Johnny Fletcher".
It does contain a disparaging remark about Scotsmen but they were different times!

Tuesday 20 July 2010

The Last Post (till after me hols!)


This is the last post about the festival - promise! and the last post till I get back from my hols see you in August. It's a brilliant bit of time lapse film that captures the whole day.

The Wedding Present Deer Shed 2010






Still finding footage of the festival on You Tube and this is a slightly more coherent version of the video I took on my phone.

Justin Adams and Juldeh Camara Deer Shed 2010



Loved these guys at the festival and had lovely chat backstage with Mim Suleiman who provided the best dancing of the day, as well as some fantastic backing vocals - gorgeous.

Monday 19 July 2010

The Glendale Family at the Deer Shed Festival 2010


These guys where one of my festival favorites they must have played four or five sets at different times, some planned some not. They had an infectious sense of fun and just wanted to play music - admirable! They'll be out and about at various festivals this summer. http://www.myspace.com/theglendalefamily

Thanks to Mark and Louise from The Great North Strum for the video

Sunday 18 July 2010

The Alice Charmers live at the Deer Shed Festival 2010

It's been a long time coming but finally it's here, our first proper gig. Originally the Busk Stop started out as an idea for an acoustic pitch with a bus stop sign and a upturned beer crate for a stage, but the queue of bands that couldn't make got so long that it became a third stage which hosted a mix of amateurs and professionals. As Carl and Mark Charmers where MCing we felt we should take the honour and get on (and off) first. I was shi*ing myself but once we got going I relaxed and even started to enjoy it!
All we need to do now is practice so that the audience can as well. The only big disappointment was that Alice didn't make it to the gig.

Young Rebel Set at the Deer Shed Festival

  I missed these guys on the day but the internet is a wonderful thing.

Posted via email from Northern Banjo Boy on posterous

The first Deer Shed Festival 17th July 2010

Young Rebel Set if full flight by YRSphotos

What a fantastic day! After a week of weather which can only be described as crap, the loss of various marquees and tents that blew away, and are probably in Oz by now, the clouds parted and the faithful were treated to a great day of music, art, beer, Yorkshire puddings and Gothic Morris dancing.

The festival had a great feeling which was probably along the lines of 'kids at play', big and little, and often together. That moment for me was captured by the little girl who spent the evening against the crush barrier watching the Wedding Present flanked by mum, dad, big brother. Not only did she not get effected by the forty-something mosh going on around her, she was lifted out of the pit by a security man to go for a wee. And then dropped back in for the last song!

Here's my video record of The Wedding Present in action. it's a bit impressionist to say the least, but captures the good natured but frenetic nature of their set. An experience which has complemented by the good natured moshing and my favorite moment when we manged to crowd-surf a teenage boy into the security pit! Before the police are called he was accompanying us and entirely willing. In fact he seemed to see it as a badge of pride when he was returned to us by a slightly bewildered, but very nice, bouncer.



Loads of stuff to come including footage of The Alice Charmers debut on the Busk Stage, but for now I'm absolutely knackered and going to bed. A massive thanks to Kate and Oliver for giving me the chance to be part of something special.

Wednesday 14 July 2010

Busk Stop

There'll probably be a lull at Northern Banjo Boy for the next few weeks. I'm currently up to my eyes in the Deer Shed Festival, which is taking place in North Yorkshire on Sat 17th July. It should be a great day headlined by the Wedding Present, but featuring a great lineup including Groanbox, Justin Adams and Juldeh Camara, Danny and the Champions of the World, Young Knives, Black Diamond Bay, Serious Sam Barrett, and loads of others.

But I'll be waiting for the first performance on the Busk Stop Stage by The Alice Charmers, no need to say why...

Pray for sunshine and plenty of beer!

After that me, Mrs Banjo Boy and our two banjoleles are off on our hols.

Sunday 11 July 2010

Come Over to the Dark Side

I think I'm being seduced by the dark side! It took less than 10 minutes to fit the acoustic pickups. The Leem kit has a handy little bracket which attached to the tail piece and would fit under the strap pin on most instruments, which gives you a firm and reasonably discrete mount for the jack plug.

I immediately went next door and robbed a neighbors child of their practice amp and away we go. With a bit of twiddling I managed to get a fairly clean sound, but the best bit is that to play louder you don't have to play harder!

I've recorded a bit of audio. I haven't been thrashing it to see what it sounds like at heavy metal levels as I don't want to destroy someone else's amp, but it is tempting!


Saturday 10 July 2010

Going all EElectritic!

Just heard about this new elastrickety stuff, so I got me a new Leem Guitar Transducer so that I can plug in the oldbanjo and amp it up for the festival,  now all I need is an amp!!!!
Not bad price on Ebay £20 inc postage.

Don't know if it works or not so I'll keep you posted.

Wonder what it'll sound like with effects, he he?

The Alice Charmers - Cripple Creek



The national anthem of banjoworld preceded by some highly technical musical arrangement.
Cripple Creek

Friday 9 July 2010

Longlands

Longlands
More from the last practice. By the way Longlands isn't in Wyoming or Nebraska or anywhere remotely exotic.


version2

Dirty Old Bast**d or...

Introducing the The Alice Charmers.
Last night was probably our last practice before the Deer Shed Festival. We're busking it as Mark and Carl are running the Busk Stop Stage, so hopefully we'll get a slot!


You might find some of the forthcoming audio a bit repetitive if you weren't there, but the boys are getting quite picky now about who plays what and where, so I've got to post all the listenable (questionable) audio, so that it can be mulled over!
This one starts off with a genuine conversation!

Dirty Old.. Basta**d

Wednesday 30 June 2010

The Road

Just finished watching The Road, which isn't quite as good as the book, but I have to say I watched the last 15 mins while blubbing! and now I can't sleep.

It's a pretty harrowing book (and movie) especially if your a father, but somehow McCarthy manages to turn the bleakest story into something positive.

Don't read before bedtime but do read it. (before you watch the movie)

Soundtrack by Nick Cave, need I say more...

Paris Texas - via Teesside!

Tuesday 29 June 2010

What's your player? 1pixelout

Someone has asked what the new player is. You can find it at http://www.techknowl.com/2008/10/flash-mp3-music-player-code-for.html
and
http://www.1pixelout.net/category/audio-player/
Its a flash mp3 stand alone player by 1pixelout.

It takes a bit more to set up, in that you have to add a small bit of code to the header of the blog before you can add the code for the player to your posts, but the thing seems to work and that's what matters.

Eliza Cotten - Goin Down That Road Feeling Bad

Monday 28 June 2010

Goin down that Road Feeling Bad



Finally, I think I've found an audio player that works. I haven't been happy with the Odeo player which only seems to work when it feels like it, despite what Rick says. The Google player seemed to be a bit of a dog as well, so lets see how this one goes, but so far so good.

Thursday 24 June 2010

Fresh from the Compost Heap

I've let them lie for a while but couldn't resist seeing what a bit of composting had done to two of my current practice tunes.

Napoleon etc..


Tralee etc...


I think I'm going to start on a new tune, soon.

Sunday 20 June 2010

My Arse!

See What I Mean?

Ewan McColl and Peggy Seeger - Derek Bentley


I've never quite got away with Ewan McColls singing voice and ear bending folk style, but he and Peggy Seeger did somefantastic stuff in the 50s and 60s. McColl seems to be one of those songwriters who is known for other peoples versions of his songs like Dirty Old Town and First Time Ever I Saw your Face.
There's a good archive of both McColl and Seeger at http://www.peggyseeger.com/.

Also... Jim Royle & Ewan McColl - no coincidence surely?

The Alice Charmers - Dirty Old Town

Thursday 17 June 2010

While I'm at it....

Two for the Road

This photo could have been taken at the last practice as Johnathan launched into another verse of Dirty Old Town....

I think I've nearly got the A and B parts of this tune.
Napoleon Crossing the Rhine


This is a practice version of the Ewan McColl tune we didi at the last jam.
It's Ewan, Peggy Seeger et al in the photo.
Dirty Old Town

Friday 11 June 2010

Dirty Old Town

Last nights practice wasn't our greatest moment and everything seemed a bit hard work. Highlight number 1 'Dirty Old Town'

New boy Johnathan proved to have quite a decent singing voice, and if he can get his act together on the penny whistle, a star is born...

Highlight number two happened afterwards in the pub and involved Carl, a dodgy wet patch on a bar stool, and a frankly filthy, libelous story from Mark about Chuck Berry and micturation!
I feel I can't say more without checking with my lawyer first!

Thursday 10 June 2010

Sunday 6 June 2010

Napoleon Crossing the Rhine

I've been working on the A part of Napoleon and its starting to sink in. Learning new songs and patterns on the banjo is a bit like composting. I have to chuck loads of rubbish at it for ages and then leave it for a while and magically its as if your fingers start to learning by themselves. I find that if I'm getting frustrated with a tune having a rest from it is as important as plugging away until blood and tears stop you.

Friday 4 June 2010

'Strikes a Chord' on Posterous





As it's now official I thought I'd post something to the new Strikes a Chord forum on Posterous.
I've been messing around strumming the banjo and plucking intermittently and here's something that popped out this afternoon while playing in the key of D.

So Chris, I hope everyone moves across to the new forum at http://strikesachord.posterous.com/  as I think you've done a brill job with the old site!

Tuesday 1 June 2010

Pokey LaFarge


Sally and Rog sent me this link to a band they've recently discovered - Pokey LaFarge.
We like...

A Modern Murder Ballad


A modern "Murder Ballad" starring Melinda-Mae "Red Milly " Guttenburg with a surprise appearance by Billy-Ray Guttenburg. I found a poem written by their brother Jim-Bob so I decided to set it to music.A ballad in the tradition of "Knoxville Girl" and "Where the Wild Roses Grow"

(Well I think it was a poem-however it did begin"I done kilt(sic) them girls...")

PeeBee

Thursday 27 May 2010

Odeo player is back! or...

Rick's as good as his word.
I've been having nightmares at the prospect of having to repost all the old audio from this site, as Odeo player has been down for a while. I've tried a couple of other players, but I don't think the Posterous player works very well with Blogger and the others have been cumbersome and difficult to use. So after posting about the problem and hearing a rumour that Odeo were about to vanish - taking their excellent player with them - I was very pleased to hear from Rick Arturo, the top chap at Odeo, who advised me not to panic and that his player would be back. Well it is, hooray!

Thanks Rick.
So to celebrate..


and it works.

Tuesday 25 May 2010

Napoleon Crossing the Rhine


This is Ken Perlman's version.

Rick says... Odeo is still good


Rick Arturo has been in touch to say:
We should be back up later next week. Sorry about the downtime but we are making some changes to the site and it has taken longer than expected. - Rick Arturo, Pres. Odeo

Wow! That's what I call customer service!

Saturday 22 May 2010

Napoleon Crossing the Rhine



Started having a look at new clawhammer tune Napoleon Crossing the Rhine.
Here's the guy from Zepp Music doing a great version of it, which is also known as Sherman's March to the Sea from the American Civil War.

Tralee Gaol

A couple of people have commented that the recent audio on the site wouldn't play, so here it is at through Posterous.

 

Posted via email from Northern Banjo Boy on posterous

Odeo player down and out

Cedric's been in touch to say he can't play the audio I've been posting on the site. I've been having trouble with the html player which I was using from Odeo, but the company seems to have gone out of business! The down side to this is that all my old audio is now unplayable - thanks Odeo!

I was using the Posterous player which I think I'll have to switch to from now on, but if anyone has solution or can suggest a better player, feel free.