BY CHRIS MATEER

Following our exclusive song premiere of John Reischman’s ‘Itzbin Reel’ (featuring fellow mando great Chris Thile), Sitch columnist Chris Mateer gives us his in depth conversation with Reischman…

Can you briefly discuss your musical experiences before forming John Reischman and the Jaybirds?

John Reischman: In 1978 I joined the Good Ol’ Persons, who were based in the San Francisco Bay-area. The band played traditional bluegrass and other styles of acoustic music. We also featured a lot of original material written primarily by Kathy Kallick, but also by Paul Shelasky. It was in this supportive environment that I first started writing original tunes.

After I had been playing with the Good Ol’ Persons for a few years I heard that Tony Rice was starting a new group having recently parted ways with David Grisman. I auditioned for the job and ended up playing with Tony for the next 3 or 4 years. Needless to say, this was an exciting situation for me to be in and I really worked on my playing during this time. I continued playing with the GOP (Good Ol’ Persons) during my time with the Tony Rice Unit.

In 1992 I moved to Vancouver BC and started to work as a freelance musician, performing and recording with several Canadian based musicians including Cindy Church, Celso Machado, and Sal Ferreras. I also still toured and recorded with US based musicians like Kathy Kallick, Kate McKenzie, and Tony Furtado.

It was also around this time that I started to perform with John Miller as a duo.

How and when did you form the Jaybirds? Can you give us a rundown of the players and what you believe are their attributes?

John: I formed the group in order to play some shows to promote my CD called Up In The Woods. Some of the players I knew from California and some I met after my move north.

I met banjo player Nick Hornbuckle at a music camp and we immediately hit it off. He is a huge fan of Earl Scruggs, but is also influenced by the time he spent playing bass in a rock band, and he writes great original tunes in a variety of tunings. Nick is one of the most original banjo stylists I have ever heard. He can affect an old-time sound without playing claw-hammer or any of the more common traditional approaches. He also plays three-finger style using only two fingers!

Bassist Trisha Gagnon is the only true Canadian in the group. I met her when she was performing in a BC based band called Tumbleweed. Trisha has a wonderfully distinctive singing voice with a beautiful tone. She also plays punchy, right on the money, bass. To top it off she is a prolific songwriter and has contributed some of the bands most requested numbers.

Greg Spatz is an incredibly versatile fiddler. He can play everything from swing Jazz to Traditional Irish styles, but he excels at Bluegrass fiddling. He’s got all the most important aspects of the style down, from bluesy double stops backing a vocal, to up-tempo fiddle breakdowns. I first met Greg in the late eighties when he used to come to hear the Good Ol ‘ Persons perform.

I’ve known Jim Nunally the longest of all the Jaybirds. When I first subbed with his band in California twenty-five years ago I was knocked out by his sense of time. He is one of the best rhythm guitar players I have ever heard, and his solos are clear and clean at any tempo. He finds the right approach to any style of tune, and plays in a supportive complimentary way that makes the soloist sound better. His vocals have an authentic bluegrass quality to them, and he writes great songs.

Can you briefly take us through the band’s recordings? 

John: Sure. The Jaybirds have recorded five CDs over our 12 year career, and I am proud to say that they all feature the same five musicians. They are: John Reischman & the Jaybirds (Our debut recording, released in 2001), Field Guide (nominated for a Juno Award in 2003 for Best Roots and Traditional Recording), The Road West (nominated for an IBMA award for Best Graphic Design and released in 2005), Stellar Jays (nominated for a Juno Award in 2008 for Best Roots and Traditional Recording and also nominated for two Canadian Folk Music Awards), and Vintage & Unique (2011).

How would you say the band has evolved over time?

John: I think we essentially have the same overall band sound as when we started, but the familiarity with each other’s playing has only made us tighter. All of the band members now contribute original material, which was not initially the case.

How and when did you connect with John Miller?

John: John and I met in Seattle in the eighties, but did not play music together until a few years after that. I had been a fan of his playing before I ever met him. Our first gig together was at the Edmonton Folk Festival where I had been asked to perform. I needed someone to play with and thought of John. That was in 1994, and we are now working on our third release. Hopefully it will be out this summer.

How do your experiences with the Jaybirds and with John Miller connect most for you?

John: Even though stylistically the two groups are very different, they share some of the same core elements. Rhythmically it is rarely a struggle in either group. John plays in a creative and supportive way, as do the Jaybirds, and the original material is heavily featured by both. They are all great people to spend time with. Traveling with John Miller and the Jaybirds is always enjoyable. I feel incredibly fortunate to have these two groups as my primary performing outlets.

How collaborative are these two outlets?

John: In the Jaybirds, I am the musical director as far as what material we record and perform. All the band members realized early on what sort of sound I was going for, so consequently they only present tunes that fit stylistically. When it comes to arranging a given song, everyone has input, with maybe the writer having a bit more say. Even though it is called John Reischman & the Jaybirds, the presentation is not me and my “back up” band. Everyone is featured.

With John Miller it is a fairly simple process. He has a seemingly endless supply of great original tunes, so it is just a matter of choosing the right ones. I also contribute some tunes, but the sound of the duo is best represented by John’s originals. Our arrangements are usually not too complex. The melodies stand on their own.

What would you say these bring into your own solo work/ playing/ performing?

John: Because the two groups are so solid and supportive rhythmically, it makes soloing very easy. I found it was the same way with Tony Rice and Todd Phillips as the rhythm section. When the group creates a smooth rhythmic bed I can just relax and not think about it.

Did you have a preconceived vision for the new album?

John: For some time I had wanted to make a new solo album and had enough original material in the old-time and bluegrass styles. Because I had made some trades for studio time I decided the time was right to start. I did not know every musician I wanted to play with, and had not chosen every tune I wanted to use, but I had a few ideas. One idea was to record some duets with Bruce Molsky. He was touring on the west coast in the summer of 2011, so that was the first session. It was incredibly fun playing with Bruce. We recorded a few traditional tunes and a couple of my originals. One of those, “Side By Each”, I just just finished writing the day before we recorded it.

Was there a tune(s) that set the course for the album overall?

John: Not one particular tune. Some of the tunes were written fairly recently, while some were many years old. My main objective was to match the right players with the right tunes.

You have a number of fantastic guests on the new album. Can you talk about how you connected for each and how/ why you decided to bring in them in for specific tunes?

John: Sure. “Itzbin Reel” was one my first original tunes and I recorded it with the Good Ol’ Persons in 1983. Chris Thile was a fan of the band when he was very young and learned the tune. We used to play it together at various California festivals in the late eighties. I ran into Chris at the Hardly Strictly Festival a few years ago and we played some tunes. I proposed the idea of a recording Itzbin as mando duet and he was right into it. I couldn’t be happier with the job that Chris, Jim Nunally, Sam Grisman, and Mike Barker did on that number. It has a buoyant, joyful quality.

“Joe Ahr’s Dream” had the same group, but with Tony Trischka on banjo instead of Chris on mandolin. Tony was perfect for this up-tempo, cross-tuned, mandolin piece.

“A Prairie Jewel” and “Indian Arm” both feature Trent Freeman on fiddle, Patrick Metzger on bass, and Eli West on guitar. These guys are all very creative and expressive players. They really adapted well to these two slightly Celtic sounding numbers. This was also the core group, with the addition of Ivan Rosenberg on resophonic guitar, for “Gold Mountain Blues”.

The Jaybirds were the logical choice for “The Deadly Fox” with its old-time meets Bluegrass groove and we recorded it on a day off during a Jaybirds tour.

One ensemble that is featured on the recording had never played music together prior to the session. We recorded in Denver after a Jaybirds tour; the group featured Kenny Smith on guitar, and Eric Thorin on bass with Annie Staninec on fiddle for two tunes, and Sally Van Meter on resophonic guitar for the third. This group also was fun to play with… almost like a spontaneous jam session with great chemistry.  I added banjo players Nick Hornbuckle for the old-time sounding “Little Pine Siskin”, and Patrick Sauber for the bluegrassier “Side By Each”, which also features the harmony fiddle of Alex Hargreaves. Greg Spatz plays fiddle on the final number for that session, Anisa’s Lullaby.

Annie Staninec is a great west coast fiddler who blends classic, fifties-style Bluegrass with old-time fiddling. She has played some with the Jaybirds, so I got to know her playing and knew I wanted to include her on the project.

All of the musicians played brilliantly and it was a thrill to have them help bring these tunes to life.

How collaborative/ directed were these experiences? Can you give some examples?

John: I mostly had arrangement ideas going in to the sessions, but for some I was able to rehearse with the musicians more beforehand. On the duet I played with Chris Coole, we just met at my house and played through the tune a few times, and decided what chords would sound best. With the Eli, Trent, and Patrick group we actually had a few rehearsals.

The arrangement for “Gold Mountain Blues” took shape from just jamming on the basic tune. Eli came up with an interesting accompaniment on his bouzouki, and Patrick added a very minimalist but perfect bass part.

For the group with Kenny, Eric, and Annie I was not completely settled on the arrangements before hand, and things changed in the studio. Kenny suggested a way of ending one of the tunes. I am open to others input, but it’s a more efficient use of time if I had a basic outline of the arrangement in mind.

Can you discuss your writing process?

John: Well, I have written in different ways. For my previous solo recording called Up In The Woods, many of the melodies came to me while I was out for a walk. Something about the rhythm of walking would suggest a tempo. For one tune called “Nesser”, I was walking, but consciously decided I wanted to write a tune that would lay out nicely on the banjo.

For these walking tunes it was always a challenge to remember them till I got home. Now I just sing them into my phone.

Most of the tunes for this new recording came from playing the mandolin or mandola. “The Deadly Fox”, written on the mandola, came together very quickly as did “Joe Ahr’s Dream”. Others, like “Little Pine Siskin”, I worked on over several days. I had begun to learn a traditional tune called “Chinquapin” and when I started writing “Siskin” a few days later I realized it was a bit similar to “Chinquapin”, so I worked on making it it’s own tun

What were you listening to during the writing and recording processes?

John: I got the basic idea for recording the album with several musicians in different places from Mike Seeger’s Annual Farewell Reunion records. The difference was that I mostly recorded a few tunes with each ensemble rather than different players on each tune.  I think listening to Cahalen Morrison and Eli West’s first record inspired “The Deadly Fox”.

What are some of your biggest non-musical sources of inspiration?

John: Being in nature is very inspiring to me. Living in BC we are surrounded by forests, the ocean, and mountains. A Prairie Jewel was written in Grand Forks BC, in the West Kootenays, while staying with friends in a cabin in the woods. It was very quiet and peaceful with just the sound of the wind in the pines.

I also read a lot of fiction. I was inspired to write several tunes after reading Guy Vanderhaeghe’s books The Englishman’s Boy, and A Good Man. They take place on the border between Saskatchewan and Montana, near the Cypress Hills. He writes beautifully about the natural world, with strong stories and characters.

Could you give us a rundown of some of your favorite mandolin players and some “essential” albums by these artists?

John: Here is a list of some mandolinists I was inspired by and their recordings that were influential

Andy Statman: Flatbush Waltz and Andy’s Ramble

David Grisman: The David Grisman Quintet (kalaidescope F5)

Bill Monroe: The High and Lonsome Sound

Sam Bush: the first New Grass Revival recording, and his playing on Tony Rice’s Manzanita

Jethro Burns: Homer & Jethro, Playing it Straight

I’m also a fan of Mike Compton, Ronnie McCoury, Chris Thile, Roland White, Aubrey Haynie and many others.

What’s next for you?

John: John Miller and I are working on finishing our third CD. About half features just the two of us, and the rest of the tunes have bass and/or percussion on them.

We will start planning a new Jaybirds CD before too long too. Maybe a live recording… I am also thinking of doing an instructional DVD.

I think I will make another solo cd in a few years, rather than waiting 13 years! It will likely have a more modern than old time sound. I hope to get Tony Rice & Todd Phillips to play on it and my old friend Scott Nygaaard. I had hoped to get them on Walk Along John, but the scheduling did not work out. I also hope to feature Alex Hargreaves on it. I think stylistically it will be similar to some of the new acoustic music I used to play.

Check back in later today for Chris Mateer’s exclusive interview with Reischman.

BY Z.N. LUPETIN

Though the ceremony was brief, there was a festive and electric atmosphere in the Clive Davis Theater in LA Live yesterday. AXS TV was filming the proceedings and as usual Jim Lauderdale was the grinning ringleader, joining his long time partner in crime Buddy Miller and their house band in a galloping version of the late George Jones’ “The Race Is On” to open the show. Honoring Mr. Jones was a fitting way to start, as it seems much of the AMA’s main mission is to honor and bring respect to roots, acoustic and folk artists and traditions, not merely hype them.

T-Bone Burnett was in the house in a stylishly funereal black suit and called Americana music our nation’s “greatest cultural export”, with men like Louis Armstrong being our greatest ambassadors imaginable. He was particularly impressed with the newest crop of young musicians making a name for themselves while subtly sampling specific traditions of the last century. He then introduced the skinny-tied, close-harmony experts The Milk Carton Kids who, if you haven’t seen them, really do live up the hype they’ve been accruing on a near constant touring schedule of theaters and festivals. While some may criticize the whispery, choir-boy similarities to early Simon and Garfunkel (think “Wednesday Morning: 3AM”), really they seem to be exemplifying precisely the something-old-and-something-new dynamic that T-Bone was referencing. One can’t help but lean forward in your seat when they play. Plus they are quite funny chaps – noting that since T-Bone Burnett had introduced them on live TV, they must suddenly be famous.

Of course, being famous and overexposed in a main stream sense is not something The AMA community seems all that interested in. Authenticity, skill and artistry rule the roost. As the Milk Carton Kids wrapped up with a deliciously deconstructed version of “Swing Low”, they noted the most important thing about Americana fans is that they cut the bullshit and actually listen. Jed Hilly, executive director of the AMAs followed the lads at the podium, noting that the awards were about showcasing the community as a whole.

Lauderdale and Miller thundered through “Lost The Job Of Loving You” and the Flatt & Scruggs favorite “The Train To Carry My Gal From Town” before introducing the day’s surprise guest – Lisa Marie Presley. She seemed tiny next to the lanky Lauderdale and T-bone as the men backed her on a sad, low-drawled ballad, but her voice was in prime form: soulful, weary, deep. Americana? It’s the shit the masses ignored, Presley remarked, with just a hint of edge in her voice…as if to say: what is their problem anyway?

Next up, Elizabeth Cook brought a bit of her twang and sunshiny humor into the room – plugging her new gospel album while also wondering if someone like her should be doing religious music at all – “I might burst into flames at any moment” she cracked, sending out one of her tunes to Buddha, Allah…whoever! Actually she brings up a good point. If Americana involves the whole spectrum of American song-craft, one must add gospel as perhaps the deepest root of the tree – and the genre maybe most available for evolution and transformation.

After 45 minutes of stories and songs, Presley and Cook got together behind the podium to read the nominations. Among the recurring stand-outs this year were old favorites Emmylou Harris, Richard Thompson and Buddy and Jim but none seemed to get more love than Charleston, SC-based duo Shovels and Rope, who AMA members voted for early and often: tapping them in the Emerging Artist category as well as Song Of The Year, Duo or Group of The Year and Album of The Year for their release “O’ Be Joyful” (Dualtone). It was almost surprising but welcome to see a rare mainstream hit single, “Ho Hey” by the Lumineers also be included. See? There is money in it!

Emerging artists like fellow Oklahomans John Fullbright and JD McPherson, the aforementioned Milk Carton Kids and Shovels and Rope show that the future of the Americana and roots community is in good hands.

For a full list of nominees and more information about the Americana Music Association, visit http://americanamusic.org

Bluegrass, blue seas, blue skies

Speaking of musical merriment, Mountain Song at Sea, the island-hopping bluegrass cruise that debuted last February, is scheduled again set sail in 2014. The big news is that it’s has been expanded, from a weekend jaunt to a week-long excursion, February 3 – 7. Headliners will be announced soon, but with the initial outing’s impressive line-up — Steep Canyon Rangers, Peter Rowan, The Del McCoury Band, Tim O’Brien & Bryan Sutton, and David Grisman, the Punch Brothers, Shannon Whitworth and the Kruger Brothers — there’s every reason to expect the next cruise will be every bit as impressive, if not more so.

Moody Bluegrass conveys an easy attitude

The two Moody Bluegrass albums that unexpectedly found a common bond between the cream of Nashville’s session players and those champions of psychedelic suggestion, the Moody Blues, adds a postscript with the release of Moodys main man Justin Hayward’s new album, Spirits of the Western Sky. Two of the tracks on his new disc revisit that surprisingly successful collaboration. “I met the bluegrass players when I was lucky enough to go there for a songwriter showcase thing a few years ago,” Hayward recently told me. “I met a lot of the bluegrass community then, and with Moody Bluegrass, I got to know those people. They’re fantastic players looking for songwriters, and it seemed my voice and style seemed to fit what they really like. The obvious thing to do was to go back and present a few of the new songs to them.  They absolutely loved it. So that was that. We did the recording in one weekend from start to finish, the old fashioned way.”

Sound choices

The Bills’ sophomore set, Yes Please (Red House Records), continues to affirm a special brand the band established their first time around. Draped in populist trappings, they demonstrate an ability to convey a good time sensibility, as well as delicate instrumental musings that make them akin to a string quartet. With fiddles blazing, songs such as “Hallowed All” and “Shining Sun” show their celebratory side, just as “After Music,” “The Gardenton Waltz” and “Quarter Century Mazurka” affirm those delicate designs. Between those two extremes, there’s two other extremes — unexpected a cappella with “Pandora’s In Flames,” and “Scotch Bonnet,” a complex instrumental excursion that Bela Fleck and the Flecktones might be pleased to call their own. It’s a credit to the band’s dexterity that each of these songs actually fits the Bills.

Wood & Wire’s eponymous debut (self-released) is equally upbeat, courtesy of robust harmonies and an abundance of mandolin and banjo-brewed revelry. “Mexico,” Overblown” and “The Positive” each create an immediate impression, and while Wood & Wire’s irreverent attitude is a distinguishing characteristic (“I wish I was stoned,” they lament in the forlorn “Nowhere & Gone”), their reverence for their forebears is also clear, courtesy of shout-outs within that same song to Johnny Cash, Willie Nelson, Kris Kristofferson, Robert Earl Keen and, well, yes, even the Beatles. Then again, their handle provides a hint as to their orientation, what with the name wood and wire paying homage to their acoustic leanings. Their effusive intent and unabashed enthusiasm enables their old school approach to garner some rousing results.

Ashleigh Flynn projects a similar feeling of affinity for all things traditional with A Million Stars (Home Perm Records), an impressive showcase for Flynn’s homespun vocals and ever-shifting melodic palate. While songs like “Rainy Days” and “A Little Low” seem to emphasize the mellower side of Flynn’s whimsical musings, other tracks reflect an artist who imbues her style with a wink and a nudge. “How the West Was Won,” “New Angel in Heaven” and “See That Light” would likely find ready acceptance in the neighborhood honkytonk, but the track that’s  especially noteworthy is “Dirty Hands and Dirty Feet,” a steadfast ramble that shows both conviction and creativity. A Million Stars puts the focus on a star that’s on the ascent.

Then there’s Hey Mavis, whose sophomore set Honey Man (self-released) affirms some darker designs along with predominant plucking of banjos and the bold stroke of strings. Singer Laurie Michelle Caner creates the impression she’s an edgy chanteuse and on the title track, the erotic implications are obvious. It ought to be noted too that radio copies of the album include an admonition to avoid the prickly language. One of the songs in question, “Red Hot,” is an outstanding example of upbeat bluegrass ramblings, while “Let the Water Do the Work” casts the band in tender trappings.

And then there’s this…

Black Prairie, the band made up of Chris Funk, Jenny Conlee, Nate Query and John Moen of The Decemberists — along with Annalisa Tornfelt and Jon Neufeld — has teamed with author Jon Mooallem to create a soundtrack for his book, Wild Ones, which their press release describes as “a meditation on wildlife inhabiting the terrain of our imagination as much as the actual land.” The result, an album of the same name and a follow-up to A Tear in the Eye is a Wound in the Heart released last September, has been released digitally through their own Captain Bluegrass Records. In addition, a limited edition of 10” clear vinyl and hand-packaged CDs will be available on June 11^th. The liner notes describe it as “a musical score for the things that you might see in your head when you reflect on certain characters and incidents that you read about in the book.”

Hmmmm… I see a lot of things in my head, one of many reasons why my friends tend to think I’m somewhat askew. Naturally then I’m curious as to how my sights and their sounds actually coalesce.

Lena Hughes was born in Grape Grove Township, Missouri in 1904. Though she never recorded any 78s during her lifetime, she performed often at various fiddler conventions and folk festivals throughout the Ozarks. She played fiddle, banjo and guitar, mastering parlor pieces and the specialized tunings that were necessary to play them. She lived most of her life in Ludlow, Missouri and passed away in 1998. Lena Hughes did manage to record one full-length LP that has up until very recently, been a very elusive recording for anyone to own or even listen to.

Thanks to the Tompkins Square label, the recordings of Lena Hughes, that were originally captured in the early 1960’s in Arkansas and released only a very limited basis, is now available for collectors, as well as newcomers as Queen of the Flat-Top Guitar.

Chris King is a record collector and producer who worked on a number of amazing projects including People Take Warning! Murder Ballads & Songs of Disaster 1913-1938 box set (Tompkins Square), Amede Ardoin – Mama, I’ll Be Long Gone: The Complete Recordings of Amede Ardoin 1929-1934 (Tompkins Square), Aimer et Perdre : To Love & To Lose Songs, 1917-1934 (Tompkins Square), Charley Patton: Screamin’ and Hollerin’ The Blues (Revenant), The Bristol Sessions (Bear).

I had the pleasure of speaking with Chris for the first time, regarding his work on the Aimer et Perdre release last year. When I read that he was behind the new Lena Hughes album, I immediately reached out to Josh at Tompkins Square and to Chris to see if we could share his experiences remastering the recordings.

So it was a thrill to talk to Chris about his impressions of Lena Hughes, his work on Queen of the Flat-Top Guitar, and some very exciting details on his other upcoming projects (including releases for Jack White’s Third Man Records, Angry Mom Records, Relevant Records, and his own How The Other Half Hears imprint).

Hi Chris, it is great to speak with you again. Can you talk about your own history with Lena Hughes’ music? When and how did you discover her work?

Chris King: I first encountered Lena Hughes’ music at a small, dusty & dirty outdoor flea market in Dublin, Virginia in the late summer of 1996. I normally descended on this flea market to hunt for old 78s but I occasionally went through boxes of LPs if I thought there might be some obscure old-time string bands from Pulaski, Galax, or Patrick County lurking inside.

Sure enough, this LP was obscure but it had traveled all the way from Missouri to Virginia. So I bought it since it contained “old familiar tunes.” It was only later when I started working for Dave Freeman that I learned that Charlie Faurot had recorded Hughes in the late 1960s.

What drew you most to her work and how did her recordings connect to/ inform/ etc. to others in your collection?

Chris: It is probably the completely relaxed, unselfconsciousness of her playing. It is as if I had just walked into her kitchen and she was nimbly picking out these tunes while her coffee percolated. Of course she was also playing songs and airs that I was already deeply familiar with from the old 78s.

The strange and attractive thing to me was this: she played them pure and unadorned, in a style was archaic, idiosyncratic, loving, and, above all, attentive. It is as if her papa was watching her play and nodding with approval. Maybe that is why I love it so. She’s a real throw back to the 19th century when people played not so much to get paid, but rather to entertain the family and oneself. It was just like listening to Sam McGee or Bayless Rose on the old 78s, but even more informal. Regardless, it is subtle.

How did you get involved in the project?

Chris: Well, I received a note from John Renbourn that he was desperately seeking this rare recording and wondered if I might know of where I might be able to find a copy. So that night I made a copy onto CD (imagine the novelty of making a copy of something so that it can be shared with someone without all the pretenses of “limited hand numbered copies” or “liking it” on Facebook). I mailed it to him.

A few days later, as I was meditating on the delusions of Vintonian megalomaniacs, I decided to listen to the record again, to give me some hope about sound and truth.  I made and sent a copy of “Pearly Dew” to Josh Rosenthal (of Tompkins Square Records) indicating that this was the sound of heaven.  He immediately replied, wondering what it was. After a brief back and forth, we decided to put the recordings out.

How does working on this collection connect to your larger body of work (People Take Warning, Charley Patton, Aimer Et Perdre, Amede Ardoin, and more)?

Chris: It connects in two ways.

One, Lena stands as a continuum, a viable, tangible link and crossroad between the old, unvarnished artists like Patton and Ardoin, as well as more recent artists like Fahey & Rose. I have an uncompromising love of such music.

Second, she connects with the Long Gone Sound Series since her slim body of recordings poses a mystery, a problem that is worth confronting and also worth sharing.

When this LP was recorded, you of course have all this pop music that was simultaneously lining the pockets of producers like Clive Davis and decimating our musical soul. Country music in the late 1960s had become a slave to Nashville and was becoming more and more homogenized and bland.  During all this, a very humble woman, steeped in a traditional music that she thought of as second nature, made arrangements to record her guitar instrumentals so that she could sell a few dozen at local fiddle contests.

She probably paid for the recording and pressing since she didn’t see that it had any commercial appeal. Such a human transaction is staggering to me but also it begs the question: “How can such unadulterated purity of expression escape into such a dirty world? “

What is most rewarding for you regarding your work as a producer, collector, and fan?

Chris: Jeez…that’s a stumper. There is so very little that is not rewarding about what I do. I have an overabundance of riches that flow from all of these activities. Perhaps I’ve reached that point of being a “happy man” since it would seem unwise to complain about any aspect of what I have and what I give.

I’m engaged with some of the most creative and generous people conceivable. Susan Archie being the Tops! It is an unquestionable honor to be allowed to present these quaint yet powerful collections to anyone who wants to listen and read them, and to engage in them fully.

One thing I really enjoy about the diversity of what Josh puts out via Tompkins Square is when I get turned onto a “hidden treasure” that I did not know about. And the Lena album is one that I have been playing repeatedly since I got my hands on a copy.

I enjoyed how you described Lena being at a crossroads between some of the earliest 1920s recordings and the finger-picking and American “primitive” guitar work from the 1960′s. Can you provide some formal context, as well as some your insights and opinions into this span of history of guitar playing and recordings where Lena exists for new listeners?

Chris: Well, I’m no expert of American “Primitive” guitar, but I do know that the direct line between the pre-war American parlor-guitar masters such as Sam McGee, Sylvester Weaver, Bayless Rose, and Lemuel Turner. They informed the taste, repertoire, and style of John Fahey, John Renbourn, Jack Rose, Basho. All those guys. What was missing from the narrative was the 35 years between these two groups. Lena is that bridge, that crossroads as it were.

Lena is also an intriguing interesting artist in that she never recorded a 78 and only one album, but established herself through performances at fiddler conventions and folk festivals. She was well versed in fiddle, banjo, and guitar, playing and keeping this music alive.

Can you discuss some of her repertoire, specifically her use of specialized tunings and song selection?

Chris: Her two best examples, “Pearly Dew” and “Spanish Fandango,” use two reasonably archaic tunings, open D & open C (respectively) to express the melodies and give them the “air” they need to breath. Either tune could have been played in standard tuning given the use of gapped standard chords but they would not have the resonance or sustain they have in these open tunings. Listening to her use these tunings is a lesson in taste, personality, and perhaps history.

The artwork and packaging for the record is just beautiful. As someone who has worked in a number of fine-crafted and carefully thought out releases, what was the goal for presenting Lena Hughes to a wider audience via album art, notes, and packaging?

Chris: Respect, humbling respect. Susan Archie is a deep artist and is capable of expressing the soul of others that are long gone.

What are you doing with these collections of yours and how do you see yourself?

Chris: I’m articulating that musical medicine and nourishment is good for me, and then offering it back to others. Sort of like a panacea to cure what ails us. I see my role as a midwife for these rare and sublime sounds.

I don’t really produce anything nor do I “curate”. I hear what is overwhelming to my senses and then narrate what is does for me and perhaps what it could do for others. I ultimately see myself as an auricular raconteur with an uncompromising belief in a discrete yet persistent euphonic panspermia.

What’s coming up next for you? Can you share any news of some of your upcoming projects?

Chris: I have three collections that are coming out very shortly. I put together a collection of pre-war guitar instrumentals for Tompkins Square called Imaginational Anthem Vol. 6, The Roots Of American Primitive Guitar. I also re-mastered another collection for Tompkins Square of Charlie Poole’s Brunswick & Paramount Recordings, Charlie Poole & The Highlanders. Both of these are being released for Record Store Day of this year.

The third project, Five Days Married & Other Laments: Song & Dance From Northern Greece, 1928-1958, is a collection of otherworldly, deeply meditative and profoundly unhinged music from Southern Albania and Northern Greece. It continues in the same vein as my other collections that simultaneously explore certain music and a certain philosophical question. This is on Angry Mom Records, via my imprint How The Other Half Hears, and will be available April 30th of this year.

Also, I’m working on three projects for my imprint Long Gone Sound Series, for Tompkins Square. Two of these concern early pre-war Cajun music. One is a two-disc collection of songs by Joe & Cleoma Falcon and the Breaux Family, all recorded before 1941.

The other is called Let Me Play This For You, a collection of most of the surviving sides by Angelas LeJeune, Babineaux & Guidry, and Blind Uncle Gaspard. My friend Ron Brown wrote the notes and then we together supplied most of these vexingly rare, beautiful and, at times, profoundly sad records.

The third project is When I Reach That Heavenly Shore, a three-disc collection of pre-war black sanctified music that implies an eventual musical eschatology. All three of these projects for Tompkins Square will be released later.

A four CD box set called Beyond Rembetika: The Music & Dance of The Region Of Epirus, 1919-1958, will be released on May 6th of this year and features 96 tracks from 78 disc of material from Southern Albania/Northern Greece. This is on JSP Records. Commenting on this collection, my friend Crowmeat Bob said “It’ll blow the lid off this whole thing. “

I am re-mastering and overseeing the sonic care and aural presentation for two colossal box sets for Revenant Records/Third Man Records. They are the Rise Of Paramount Records and the Fall Of Paramount Records, and each set will contain upwards of 800 tracks of blues, jazz, hillbilly, sacred, ethnic, and dance music as recorded by and issued on the legendary Paramount label. The first volume will be issued later this year.

Finally, I’m sewing up the notes and polishing the sound on a collection of hypnotic and staggeringly powerful fiddle masterpieces by the Greek pre-war master, Alexis Zoumbas. This will be out in the fall on Angry Mom Records, on my How The Other Half Hears imprint.

What have you been listening to/ collecting lately that you have been most excited about?

Chris: Well, besides the obvious stingers that I can’t shake out of my head, I’ve been listening to a lot of 78s recorded “in the field,” i.e., on portable disc and tape machines, of Southern Albanian and Northern Greek musicians from the 1940s to the 1970s. Even though this music is startling in its immediacy and purity, what really intrigues me is how unchanged the music is from the 1910s until right now!

So, we’re going to Northern Greece this summer to record some traditional clarinet, violin & laouto groups in Vitsa, and then next spring I’m going to Southern Albania to record a range of various Albanian groups. I am hoping that these field recordings can be blended with recordings from my 78 collection for a set in the future. Also been listening to a lot of ODB recently.

BY ELLI PAPAYANOPOULOS

To describe Los Angeles, one often conjures images of palm trees, traffic, and the Pacific Ocean; rarely would bluegrass or square dancing be the first thing to come to mind. However, in terms of foot-stompin’ this here city has a great thing going for it and some incredibly talented people leading the charge. The phrase ‘The best is often found in the unexpected’ certainly holds true here.

Ben Guzman, Kelly Marie Martin and Mike Heinle (of the old-time trio Triple Chicken Foot, voted ‘Best Folk Band in LA’ by LA Weekly in 2011) not only play a mean banjo/fiddle/mandolin/guitar but are also the masterminds behind Old-Time is a Good Time, and will be hosting this year’s 8th Ever Los Angeles Old-Time Social (LAOTS). The LAOTS is an all-volunteer run grassroots festival that has grown out of a love and passion for old-time music.  It is part of a bigger movement to entice out of town players in areas rich in folk traditions to travel to Los Angeles, while also exposing current residents to pure old-time music. With acts hailing from North Carolina to Vancouver and all places in between, and plenty of workshops on everything from banjo playing to clogging, this year is sure to be another clawhammerin’ good ol’ time.

LAOTS will open Thursday night at a truly unique venue, the Echo Country Outpost that not only feels like, but actually is, someone’s living room. Kicking off the 3 day binge of fiddlin’, knee-slappin’, square dancin’ and more, is a lineup of 3 excellent acts: Kurt MacInnis & Frank Hoppe (Los Angeles), Emily Rose (Vancouver BC), and Bob Carlin & Dan Levenson (Arizona).

Friday night’s venue, The Velaslavasay Panorama, is an old theater and garden tucked away on an unassuming street in the West Adams Historic District. How appropriate to host an event that aims to bring back music from generations past in a space dedicated to an art form that has been nearly lost to the current generation. And what better way to watch old-time music than in a small theater with an upright piano in the corner and seats from your 3rd grade school auditorium. The performers for the evening, providing high-energy, toe-tapping tunes include: King Baby (LA), Paul Rangell & Emily Abbink (Santa Cruz), and Jesse Milnes & Emily Miller (West Virginia).  The latter are representative of a younger generation of old time musicians who grew up playing and singing this music.  It is certainly a rare opportunity to see these out of town folks.  Seating is limited, so be sure to get your tickets in advance!

After enjoying the first two days as a spectator and with the creative energy running high, head over (with instruments in hand) to the American Legion Hall Post 206 in Highland Park on Saturday to join in on workshops from 12-6 p.m. for fiddle, banjo, mandolin, guitar, clogging, harmony singing and square dance calling. At 6:30, there will be a Family Dance and Cakewalk. To top off the evening, a square dance begins at 8 p.m. featuring music of Hollywood Boll Weevils (LA), and Sausage Grinder (LA), with calling by Susan Michaels (LA) and Amy Hofer (Portland).

And if you finish off your Saturday night square dancing (as you should), and are still craving more, rest assured as the Topango Banjo and Fiddle Festival will be happening all day Sunday at the Paramount Ranch in Agoura Hills.

Thurs., May 16, 8 p.m: Echo Country Outpost, 1770 Glendale Blvd. $5-10.

Fri., May 17, 8 p.m: The Velaslavasay Panorama Theater, 1122 W. 24th St. $20.

Sat, May 18, 12 p.m: American Legion Post 206, 227 N. Avenue 55; Highland Park; $10-20.

Welcome to my new column for The Sitch.  Since I have been given free reign to post a bi-weekly column, my goal for Steady Rotation is to share some of the various artists, albums, books, and other assorted art forms that I happen to excited about, and am eager to share with you. As you will surely discover my reading this edition, the content will not be limited to any specific genre of music. I love roots, Americana, folk, blues, soul, and bluegrass. But I also get excited about a lot of other kinds of artists and albums too, some I personally have a hard time classifying or categorizing.

Since you’re the kind of listener/reader who stops in at The Bluegrass Situation, there’s a good chance you will find something here to be excited about and/ or maybe even some new projects to discover- which to me is exactly why I read about and continue to enjoy writing about music. Let’s get to it….

Lena Hughes: Queen of the Flat Top Guitar (Tompkins Square)

Lena Hughes was born in Grape Grove Township, Missouri in 1904. Though she never recorded any 78s during her lifetime, she performed often at various fiddler conventions and folk festivals throughout the Ozarks. She played fiddle, banjo and guitar, mastering parlor pieces and the specialized tunings that were necessary to play them. She lived most of her life in Ludlow, Missouri and passed away in 1998. Lena Hughes did manage to record one full-length LP that has up until very recently, been a very elusive recording for anyone to own or even listen to. This album is a treasure, and thanks to Tompkins Square, you can now easily get your hands on one.

Wayne “The Train” Hancock: The Ride (Bloodshot)

Wayne “The Train” Hancock is a traditionalist juke-joint honky-tonker who incorporates rockabilly, western swing, blues, and old-time appeal into each song he writes and every live performance he gives. His influences are rooted in the classics, and his closest admirers often drop the names “Hank Williams” and “Jimmie Rodgers” when describing Wayne’s brand of toe-tapping swing. The Ride stays true to the recipe the man has been serving since his first solo album, 1995′s Thunderstorms and Neon Signs. Recommended as a new edition to longtime fans, as well as a solid entry point for newcomers.

Son Volt: Honky Tonk (Rounder)

This new 11-song collection was inspired by the classic Bakersfield honky-tonk sound, something Jay Farrar has been keeping a close ear to since picking up the pedal steel about two years ago. Longtime fans of Son Volt will also be glad to hear that Jay and his band have brought their trusted well-worn acoustic sounds to the table, the same ones that keep Trace a mainstay in many record collections. Thankfully this album is not a nostalgia trip for either classic country or for Jay’s earlier post-Uncle Tupelo work. Honk Tonk is a rewarding new Son Volt record that touches upon the band’s past, but is entirely focused on the future.

Woody Pines: Rabbit’s Motel (self-released)

Following up his all-too-short EP Let It Roll and an absolutely killer Daytrotter session, Woody Pines returns with his first long player since 2009′s Counting Alligators. Woody has been touring around the globe almost non-stop since the release of Let It Roll, writing new tunes whenever and wherever he could, and recording them when he was able. Check out Rabbits Motel and read my recent interview with him here on BGS for a glimpse into the artist’s travels and the making of his new record.

William Tyler: Impossible Truth (Merge)

William Tyler is a guitarist and songwriter who collaborated with Lambchop, the Silver Jews, Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy, Charlie Louvin, Candi Staton, and many others. His first solo album, Behold the Spirit dropped in 2010 to critical acclaim, establishing him as one of the most creative and innovative guitarists working today. Impossible Truth is his debut for Merge Records, and it was heavily inspired by two recent reads: Barney Hoskyns’ Hotel California and Mike Davis’ The Ecology of Fear. The word is out on Tyler, who is currently out on the road touring nationally for Impossible Truth. Check it out.

Brown Bird: Fits of Reason (Supply & Demand)

Although Dave Lamb and MorganEve Swain of Brown Bird captured a lot of what’s to love about their live sound on their previous album Salt for Salt, the duo have really hit upon a new stride with Fits of Reason. This one finds them firmly maintaining some of the minimalistic rawness that has entranced spectators at their live shows, while also expanding their landscape with an increased variety of instrumentation. Fits of Reason is easily one of my favorite albums of this year, and an effort I am confident will be elevating Brown Bird’s profile to new and much deserved heights.

Hiss Golden Messenger: Haw (Paradise of Bachelors)

Hiss Golden Messenger has returned with a stellar, new length-album called Haw. It is HGM’s first set of new material since their much-celebrated Poor Moon, not including the recently released Lord, I Love The Rain, which was composed of some of MC Taylor’s unearthed home recordings, previously unreleased tunes, and covers. Named after a river in Piedmont, North Carolina, as well as a type of laugh, Haw sifts through Taylor’s southern roots while digging through some emotionally dark territory. HGM has been building a discography filled with their enigmatic folk that is well worth seeking out. In addition to Haw, MC Taylor has another exciting release out now as well. It is a collaborative effort with guitarist Steve Gunn, called Golden Gunn (via the Three Lobed label).

Weary Engine Blues: Songs of Jason Molina  (Graveface)

The prolific songwriter Jason Molina (of Songs Ohia and Magnolia Electric Co.) passed away at the age of 39 on March 16th. He was one of my very favorite artists and losing him so young is something that many admirers, family, friends, and collaborators are still struggling to accept. This tribute album from Graveface Recordings brings together a wealth of 34 artists (including Mark Kozelek, Will Oldham, Brown Bird, Will Johnson, Damien Jurado, Phil Elverum, Alasdair Roberts, and many others) paying homage to the life and music of a brilliant artist.

Steve Earle: The Low Highway (New West)

If I had to call out my favorite albums by Steve Earle they would be Train A Comin’, I Feel Alright, El Corazón, and Transcendental Blues. After TB, Earle’s next string of more politically focused albums just didn’t hold my interest (although I shared his views on all of the issues he was raging against), and although Washing Square Serenade seemed to spark the beginning of a possible return to form, it never really measured up to the other Steve Earle albums. Maybe by taking on acting roles in The Wire and Treme, as well as honoring his friend and mentor Townes Van Zandt (Townes) had an impression on the songwriter because his last effort, 2011’s I’ll Never Get Out of This World Alive was his strongest album of original material in years. The Low Highway picks up where that one left off, finding Earle with his touring partners The Dukes and The Duchesses (featuring his wife, Allison Moorer), who give the album a well-worn familiar feel. The Low Highway captures the songwriter sounding as strong as ever.

Luke Winslow-King: The Coming Tide (Bloodshot)

I first discovered Luke Winslow-King when I picked up his Old/New Baby album in 2009. Best know for his slide guitar playing, the New Orleans-based artist returns with his long overdue follow up and his Bloodshot debut. Mr. Winslow-King continues to mine genres such as traditional jazz, pre-war blues, delta-folk, ragtime, and good old-fashioned rock and roll. Luke & co. are very much attuned to the sounds of a bygone era while constructing a sound and feel all their own in the here and now. And boy, are we lucky!  The Coming Tide is made up tunes that jump, glide, bump, and stroll as the players please. Throughout, the record humbly highlights the musical versatility as well as the wide palette of stylistic offerings that Luke Winslow-King and his band (singer/washboard player Esther Rose, bassist Cassidy Holden, trumpet/ piano/ bass-drummer Ben Polcer) live and breathe. As much as The Coming Tide will entice upon the first listen, it is the repeated plays that drive home the tasteful and graceful performances and songwriting. Excellent work.

Junip: Junip (Mute)

As a big fan of José González’s mostly acoustic solo albums (2007′s In Our Nature and 2003′s Veneer), Junip is not to be mistaken as a “José González and friends” project. Instead, the trio has from the start, since 1998, always been equally composed of José Gonzaléz, Elias Araya, and Tobias Winterkorn. The Swedish group put things somewhat on hold for Mr. Gonzaléz’s success as a solo artist, but in 2010 finally dropped their first full-length album called Fields (which has since been expanded into a deluxe edition, featuring the band’s earlier EPs). Junip builds upon the momentum that Fields initially offered: González’s haunting vocals and guitar, teamed with Winkerkorn’s organ and synth, and driven by Araya’s percussion.

Sam Amidon Bright Sunny South (5/14, Nonesuch)

This is Sam’s Nonesuch debut. His lady, Beth Orton, recently released her own debut for the label, Sugaring Season, (which Sam contributed to). On Bright Sunny South, Sam comes across as a man with a renewed purpose, offering restraint as well as deliberate and restrained focus. Bright Sunny South is a rewarding and surprising departure from Sam’s previous albums that were punctuated with uniquely reworked traditional tunes. The songs on Sam’s new record offer a fresh perspective on a remarkable, and entirely singular voice of modern folk.

Mark Lanegan and Duke Garwood: Black Pudding (5/14, Ipecac)

Enigmatic songwriter, vocalist, and frequent collaborator Mark Lanegan follows up his recent densely layered solo album, Blues Funeral, with a new project with British songwriter and guitarist Duke Garwood. The two met in 2009 at a Soulsavers show (who Lanegan has made two albums with) and the idea was born for the two to make a record together. The result, Black Pudding, is a mostly acoustic affair between Duke Garwood’s incredible guitar work with Mark Lanegan’s mysterious and smoky vocals. Listening to the album it is staggering to think of Garwood composing alone in London while Lanegan wrote lyrics to the music he received in Los Angeles. Black Pudding is seamless, soulful, ethereal, and essential. Longtime followers of Mr. Lanegan’s solo work (as well as his recordings with Screaming Trees, Queens of the Stone Age, Gutter Twins, and Soulsavers) will surely be digging this stripped-down and intimate album. If you like what you hear, use this record as an entry point to explore Garwood’s own discography- which is well digging into.

BY KIM RUEHL

On their new album No More Rain, THE STEEL WHEELS deliver harmony-driven music with such a melding of different styles, trying to describe it with a single term would require far too many hyphens. There’s trad country in there, to be sure, some gospel and bluegrass, even the occasional harkening to 70s rock. But, the main thread running throughout the disc is the energy the band stirs up. Like a late spring thunderstorm rolling over the hills of their native Virginia, there are figurative gusts of wind and brilliant colors. There is stirring four-part harmony and intense instrumental interplay. There’s also a single cover – Tom Waits’ “Walk Away” – among the emotional twists and invigorating turns of their original tunes.

Recently, I had the chance to chat with frontman Trent Wagler about how far the group has come with their musical pursuits, and what it is which drives them.

Let’s start with your new album No More Rain. How did this album come to be?

Trent Wagler: Our band started playing together around eight years ago, but we officially started touring more seriously about three years ago as the Steel Wheels. We released an album called Red Wing and followed it with Lay Down, Lay Low. There’s also been plenty of other music we’ve been playing and writing in that time. Some of that was recorded by me as a solo project. Other stuff had been recorded previously… so, we had all this music and we’d never recorded it as the Steel Wheels. Then, in December we went into this beautiful studio owned by Stuart Martin in Leesburg, VA. It’s an old barn renovated into this beautiful space. We all set up in a big room and played a bunch of these songs. Some of these are the first songs we ever played together, some we hadn’t played in quite a while.

December is always a time when you look back at the year and it makes you reminisce about previous years. It was a nice time for us to revisit these songs and bring them to a whole new audience in a different way with this album.

When you’re reviving songs that have been played in other incarnations before, how live is it? How many takes do you do?

TW: The only thing we overdubbed was background vocals, because of proximity to microphones… especially for Eric [Brubaker] our fiddle player – trying to mic his fiddle and his voice at the same time can get a bit wonky. So, we kept the background vocals out, but everything else was completely live. I tracked all my lead vocals at the same time with the instruments, all in one room. It was all or nothing. That’s a fun way to record. I think we thrive off of that. Sometimes you have great moments in a song, sometimes you hit a terrible note and you can’t use it. There’s no way to punch it in easily when everyone’s playing at the same time. If it was a polished studio take-after-take album, we might not allow those moments to live on. I think the guys in the band – I have a lot of respect for the way they play, but I like the grittiness of [recording] the way we’d play if you came to our living room.

Why the Tom Waits song, of all the covers you could have thrown in?

TW: A number of reasons. The title of the album, No More Rain, comes from that song, which ties together with a song later in that album (“So Long”) that has a few different lines about rain in it: “Do you remember when rain used to fall from these skies?” Then there’s another one that says “Heaven’s a garden where you can grow anything without the rain.”

Some of those poetics tied together with the refrain of “Walk Away”, having [the phrase] “no more rain” in it. I also think the refrain of “I want to walk away and start over again” fits with going back to these old songs and making them new. [When you] walk away and start over again – what do you bring with you and what do you leave behind? Also, it’s a nod to one of my favorite poets. Putting Tom Waits at the front of the album is a challenge but it also pays respect to the songs. That’s fitting for us. As a band, we’re very inspired by the amazing proficiency of the great instrumentalists in the world – especially in the bluegrass realm – but we tend to focus more on what the songs ask for rather than trying to bedazzle people with our hot licks. That’s where Tom Waits fits into what we’re trying to bring. He inspires me. He’s a song master and an amazing writer of poetry put to music.

I was reading in your biography that you’re community-focused because of your shared Mennonite background. That was surprising to me and I think probably a lot of people don’t know much about Mennonite culture or tradition. How does that feed into the music?

TW: I think the Mennonite roots of the band are – I wouldn’t’ say they’re accidental. They’re just there. They are what they are. It’s not like we set out to be a Mennonite band. We just got together as friends. We knew we all had similar roots but it wasn’t something we noted overtly until years later, when people started commenting on our harmonies. We have a lot of good four-part harmonies in our music. The song “Erase” is a good example of that on this album. That’s something that’s true to our backgrounds. We all grew up singing harmony.

In the Mennonite church, you don’t usually have an overpowering organ. There’s a lot of a capella singing. I grew up standing between my mom, who sang a great alto, and my dad who had a fiery tenor. I just chose a part. All of us grew up in that, so the singing aspect to what we do came pretty naturally and organically for us.

Mennonites in general, what sets them apart from any other mainstream area of Christianity, is their ethic toward nonviolence and sometimes non-participation in the affairs of a government, based on their focus on peace and justice. Also simple living and communal living…barn-raising or helping people out on projects, really focusing on the community…

We all have individual journeys as far as how we want to be involved in mainstream religion at this point in our lives. But I think our upbringing has impacted all of us to believe in bringing things down to simplicity and grassroots, trying to find ways we can connect with other people and see the humanity of every person. There’s a basic good that many of us learned through that religious context. We have a desire to see this music we make tying together with local food movements and other grassroots movements that seem to be good and positive toward the earth, relationships, and community.

Watch this video on YouTube.

Find out more about The Steel Wheels and their new album No More Rain www.thesteelwheels.com

BY CHRIS MATEER

DUBL HANDI (pronounced “double handy”) is a Brooklyn-NY based string band named after the washboard company of the 1800′s. Although the project originally began as a duo of banjo player and singer Hilary Hawke and multi-instrumentalist Brian Geltner, the two have recently added guitarist Ernie Vega, making DH a trio.

Embracing a worldly view of folk music, Dubl Handi draws from, as well as expands upon, the traditional tunes of the Northwest Appalachian region by employing percussion, guitar, drums, and banjo. These artists deliver their own unique interpretations of their favorite songs, while also throwing in a healthy dose of originals too.

Dubl Handi’s new album, Up Like The Clouds, is out now. I recently had the opportunity to speak with Hilary Hawke about her own musical history, how she connected with Brian and Ernie, the vibrant community of Brooklyn’s Jalopy Theatre, as well as the making of Dubl Handi’s new album.

When and how did you begin learning and playing music?

Hilary Hawke: I always really loved music and musical instruments as a kid, as well as listening to records and dancing. I formally started learning music when I was 8 years old, on clarinet. I picked up guitar around 15 and then banjo around 22.

What drew you to playing the banjo?

Hilary: I loved folk music but I actually ended up getting a degree in music on the clarinet and classical guitar (neither which I play much anymore). The practicing and studying of music in an educational setting was so intense I didn’t feel like I could be creative on either instrument. When I started playing banjo, it was like a release of creative emotion. I had an intense desire to write music and perform, and banjo just became my outlet.

When did you join the Jalopy Theatre & School of Music in Brooklyn, NY? Can you talk about your experiences there?

Hilary: I think it was back in 2006. I met Geoff and Lynette (the owners of Jalopy) at a bar called Bait & Tackle in the Red Hook neighborhood of Brooklyn. Jalopy was just a pile of dust and dreams at that time. They told me about their plans and asked if I wanted to teach banjo there one day. I of course said yes!

I believe Jalopy has now become the placeholder for something greater happening in Brooklyn. It resembles the community it is in and the strength of music to hold people together. It is in the process of becoming one of the most influential music venues/schools of its time and I am proud to be a part of that.

How and when did you and Brian meet?

Hilary: We met around 2006 playing with different folks and in different bands. I ended up doing a recording session that he was on, and we became friends after that!

When did you decide to get together and form Dubl Handi? What drew you together musically & personally? 

Hilary: Brian is one of the most musical drummers I’ve ever played with. He is extremely creative and comes up with quirky ideas that are really entertaining to listen to. For example, he might take a solo and use the things on the walls as part of the sounds. If there is a metal sign, or something like that, he uses it. He uses the materials around him to improvise.

We put Dubl Handi together as a way to make money busking at farmer’s markets. We’d get a nice crowd of folks around us every time and we realized that we had to make a CD.

You play a great number of traditional tunes. Can you describe your songwriting processes of originals, and how these culminate for you?

Hilary: Well, Dubl Handi is mostly traditional music with a few originals, but I do have two other projects that I write quite a bit in like Hilary Hawke & the Flipsides and M Shanghai Stringband.

When it comes to writing, I decide what kind of song I want to write, and what is the feel I am going for. What would add to my set? I also carefully think about the intention of the song. Do I want to write a song for people to dance to? Or, for people to listen closely, or just to sway to while you sit at the bar? This makes a big difference and usually helps with how fast I can get it done.

Then, I just shed lyrics and spill out thoughts on a page. I use a lot of imagery, so this part is fun! I lay around with chords and lyrics, experiment with ideas until something sticks, and record that idea quickly. Then I’ll keep it and listen to it on the subway. Refine!

For example, on the album, “Lonely Ghost” is a fun tune in F tuning on the banjo. We were playing a weekly residency in Williamsburg (Brooklyn) and needed something up tempo to end our songs with. We’ve been playing with a wonderful guitar player, Ernie Vega, who has a strong blues background. So we really had that in mind when writing the music for “Lonely Ghost”.

Can you briefly share some of your sources of inspiration?

Hilary: I really am a music lover, and I love hearing people play and there are so many people I admire. I get a lot of inspiration from hearing collaborations and seeing people sharing the stage, and sharing their voices without ego. I love seeing people be creative with their music in non-commercial ways.

Was there a tune(s) that set the course for what would become Up Like Clouds? Did you have a vision for the recording overall?

Hilary: The main vision was to capture what we do live, even though some of the tracks have overdubbing and additional instruments. We wanted to capture that energy, and have an interesting choice of songs that would be uplifting and interesting to listen to.

Can you talk about your philosophy and inspiration behind bringing in such diverse instrumentation? Specifically banjo, snare drum, percussion, mellotron, marxophone, washboard, etc.

Hilary: It is interesting because we really tried to preserve the original feel and spirit of each of these traditional tunes on the CD. That being said, I think we wanted to add a little extra spice to each tune while keeping a duo sound. So, in other words, I think we had a lot of ideas and were keeping some good boundaries with how far we wanted to stretch each tune.

I would also be interested in hearing your vision of combining the traditional with the contemporary.

Hilary: I think traditional music should be played in a way that allows the performer to relate to it. I will never be Roscoe Holcomb or Tommy Jarrell, but I can make the music my own. I think, there is a fine line when relating to an audience, especially an audience of people that want to hear things played note-for-note. I play traditional banjo music, but some people find it odd that I enjoy playing both bluegrass and old time (clawhammer). I think all music in this genre shares similar roots and should be played if it relates to the performer.

Can you describe the recording set-up and process for the album?

Hilary: Many of the songs were done live in the same room without headphones. Even the lead vocals were done live on most. After listening to each track we would add minimal things to keep each song unique or just give it a bit more dimension. We listen to a lot of music from our touring friends and successful bands here in Brooklyn. I think we are all kind of influencing each other.

What have you been listening to lately?

Hilary: Les Paul & Mary Ford (always!), New Lost City Ramblers, Mike Seeger, Bruce Molsky, Fred Cockerham, Snuffy Jenkins, and tons of banjo players. I also really enjoy Rev. Gary Davis, Ian Drury and the Blockheads, a newer band called Midwood, and a lot of our friends’ bands!

What are your plans for 2013?

Hilary: We’ve starting recording our next album and we’ll be adding a fabulous guitar player named Ernie Vega, making us a trio! We’re always playing a lot here in NYC and having a guitarist really fills out the sound, especially for larger venues.

I’ll be graduating with my masters of music in May and we are really looking forward to sinking ourselves deeper into getting out of town and playing more shows, getting a booker, and meeting and playing with a lot of folks! We are also planning some touring in the UK, and working with a few folks over there already and sending our CD out. We’re excited!!!

Watch this video on YouTube.

Watch this video on YouTube.