road

In February when I drove down highway 5 to do a concert in Los Angeles, there were 30 miles of blooming almonds near Kettleman, and the breeze loosened them as I drove through. I felt as though I was in a Kurosawa film:

Moving through a gentle fog of white petals ~ the traveling minstrel.

My last tour took me on one of those classic local unknown roads of the north coast, from Stewarts Point to Geyserville. It being November 10th of fall, the hidden valleys of oak were in a resonating orange/green. With a thermos of Ceylon tea between my legs, the window rolled down for a bracing chill, I was going home for a triumphant Thanksgiving, and a winter of rest.

CD Review: "Your CD has energized my Husband !

He listens to it everyday on his way to school and

back, and it brightens him up.

It's absolutely WONDERFUL !"

Well, it happened again;

This time, the fellow said that he took it to an expert who assured him that, yes,

his banjo was indeed, a Stradivarius.

Dang, I didn't get to see it !

BOOKS ~

"Things Fall Apart" ~ Chinua Achebe It will help you understand the African culture before our societies mixed.

These are the people that brought the seed of the banjo to America. "Democracy in America" ~ Alexis De Tocqueville

This is about his absolutely facinating tour of the "New Country" in 1830.

YOW ! This is why America was so great! It will explain who we were, and are now.

This is the American flag that I respect.

"Hear that Lonesome Whistle Blow" ~ Dee Brown

Factual account of the building of the great railroads. It has alot of cultural info in there too.

This will help you to understand 1830 to 1900. Our expression " Hell-on-Wheels" comes from

the movable canvas towns that were at the end point of the constantly progressing track. They

would set them up, fleece the men's wages with all sins available, break 'em down and move it

closer to the workers as they advanced. Some great stuff in here.

"W.C.Fields" ~ James Curtis

In a nutshell, this is everyone's Vaudeville path from 1890 to 1930, then into radio and film.

I can give you five books to read, but this one does an excellent job of covering those years.

Comments from folks after the shows ::

The skateboard guy with black T-shirt ~

"I never cared about that banjo kinda stuff - but what you did was awesome !"

Distinquished looking man ~

"That was excellent...a remarkable show...I work with Quincy Jones by the way."

Small Child ~

"Hey Mr. man, You play the banjo good!"

Then there was that silent little girl, that came up to me and gave me her RED crayon...

I'LL BUY YOUR BANJO ~ Fairbanks 1890's or Fairbanks-Vega Tubaphones

Also 1800's presentation models, all makes.

I love finding great old songs and bringin' em back...

One that has become a favorite, is a scandalous comedy tune of a poultry pilfering preacher,

originally from Lew Dockstader's minstrel show of 1898. I dug it up for the "Rags & Riches"

show which I created for the Smithsonian's Tour of "The Teasures of the Gilded Age."

It's just too good to put back on the shelf. ( You can hear it on the new CD.)

It's in a strutin' rag style, played on my resurected Fairbanks #9. This poor banjo was in a pile of parts

after someone tried to "fix it," gave up and threw it in a box. It is now singing again with the expertise

of Rene Karnes. As to be expected on a #9 it is carved, inlaid and fancy to a degree not seen since

the gilded age. A true joy to play, by the way.

Though I hid it well, I was in a tizzy to hang out backstage with David Grisman after that gig.

I was sure suprised to find that he knows about his banjos too.

It warms me that he's doing alot of the old Red Allen stuff.

Banjo-ologist Receives seventh Fee Subsidy Grant from the California Arts Council.

Review panel comments:

"A great musician very committed to his art."

"Engages the audience, really cares about them...not a dull moment in the show.'

"One of California's finest touring soloists."

VIDEO's you will like ~ " The Education of Little Tree" "The Way West"

" Song Catcher"

.I'll not tell you where, but...

This little "Social" in the north valley is absolutely one of the finest True American events I go to.

I only fear that Sunset magazine will do an article on it and we'll end up with a bunch of scowling city people up there. I love visiting with the folks. It does me good to see punk rocker high school kids, farmers, old leather cowhands, young moms, and little running shirtless boys, all having a good day.

At one point a lady of 88 was dancing to my old banjo waltz (with a tiny little three-year-old doing the pogo nearby) She said,"We used to dance all night long, an' when the sun came up... it was time for hotcakes!"

These are my kind o people.

Jimmy Van Tyne

I finished playing and he came over afterwards ...

"I don't know the names of those songs you were playing, but I grew up on them. All of those...they sound just like my dad."

His father, Jimmy Van Tyne, was a singing/dancing/ukelele man in the Vaudeville of 1921 to 1939. When he was nine he won every amateur night within a trolley ride of home. At eleven he would venture out in an ever expanding diameter of train rides to win his weekly 50 cents.

Then at twelve he hopped from Vaude house to house across the U.S. to make it to L.A.... and did quite well, until busted for his youth and sent back home. Being summer, and 14, he and his friend Millard Burns ("Doc" of "Gunsmoke") created and did a turn as a Duo and made it to the coast again.

As his son told me after the show, his strongest memory is of his Dad playing the ukelele in the kitchen, while he & his sisters roller skated circles on the linoleum around him ~ singing these old songs that I'm doing now.

Sonoma ~ Spring of 03

OCTOBER ~ My place

The other day I saw Grandfather Bear again.

Not across the river in the primordial wilds, but down on the road at 11:20 at night!

He's gorging on the old fig trees put in by the 49'ers. Here comes winter. Mr. Bear is truely a superior being...learned men in chairs will never know...

when you see him you feel a movement in your heart & gut that just can't be written.

Soft pink human bare feet, a rolling gentle spongy flow up hill... an agility that

shames your dirt bikes, yet is not frightening. A silent grace...a true totem.

I want to know him, invite him over...let's be good ol' friends for years.

On my porch, as I look to the cliffs of the canyon, I feel less alone,

knowing he's there.

SPRING !

The last of the geese have gone over. The wild lilies are singing brillant white and lavender throughout the woods, and all those un-named flowers are out again.

I look forward to some special daffodils each year. All along the "main" road there

are yellow daffodils planted up against the old chinese rock wall, leaping across the gullies, through a field, clinging to a scree bank, a brilliant yellow line ten feet from the road, running along side your car for miles, following you home.

They showed up a few years ago. Some mystery person planted a case or three for the simple joy of it. The bulbs always lay dormant until a few weeks a year when they just pop out... another free gift. I want to be like that.

Cli cHow these things come about ~k h

A few years ago the Sacramento Library commissionedrme to create a show in conjunction with the state wide promotion to reade "The Grapes of Wrath."

My show, "Dustbowl Melody of '34"twas the result, and along the way I shared the evening with various authors, such as S.J. a personal friend of Woody Guthrie.

As is usual with me, I dove deep into the research of the subject matter, which was fleshed out with interviews of those that had "been through it." Such as when I was a boy, my mother told me of the hobo signs on their fence when she was a little girl in the '30's...so I did a little demo of those in the show. Folks liked that.

After reading "Grapes" again, I disappeared into "Woody Guthrie: A Life" which I highly recommend.

So... A couple of months ago this lady kept asking me to play some Guthrie tunes, any tunes. Having just done the Woody: A Portrait book signings, my barrel was full, so I let'em out. a

Well, she comes over to talk afterwards and tells me of the time her fatherddrove his little girl all the way over to Madera to see Woody & Will Geer do one of their theatrical-singalong-unionizing farm worker shows off the back of a truck in some grit dust windy street. She was changed forever. Later, after moving to New York City in the 1940's, she would go over to their loft on Sundays, where Woody, Seeger, Josh White, Alan Lomax, et al, would do their weekly shows to make the rent. (50 cents to get in...35 cents for popcorn)

"...n"you've got that thing...

that thing with people...like him n"Pete had."d

NEW BANJO:

I went to an estate auction and came home with something I'VE NEVER SEEN!

It is an 1887 travel banjo, with a head that is 4 and 7/8 small with a 24 fret neck. Amazing !

It is in excellent shape, well loved. All original. It will show up in one of my concerts I'm sure. First we need to talk, and become friends, before I find what song he wants to sing. Weird, but with a goodplayin' neck. This is a jewel !

This is a "Giraffe Banjorette."

That is, a travel banjo for use on

stage coaches and trains.

It was made by John C. Haynes

in Boston. Next to it is one of his

regular models. His company

ceased production in 1896.

Someone traveled to the west

with this ol' boy, and it stayed

in the family's attic until the

old house was sold.

The tailpiece says;

Pat. April 5, 1887

New Years Show in Monterey ~

You're a fine bunch of folks there! I had a great night too!

When I leave my house, I never know if I'm going to enjoy the show, or slog through

a nightmare... as it was, sharing the evening with you was the perfect high point on which to end my year & start my new one ...Thankyou so much!

A couple of comments after the show:

"You are quite the amazing time-traveler!"

"Thanks for changing your voice with each style of song.

Man, your singing...that was amazing."

"Each year we come here, we know we will find one show, one act, that is the gem of them all...and I want to tell you sir, that you are the gem... the gem of this years event."

WOO! OK, now that will keep me inspired into the new spring!

Be well ~ Gordy

My New CD The idea is every form from 1814 to 1846.

1834 Early Americana

1862 Ballad

1814 Parlor melody

1804 Minstrel Show comedy strut

1926 Hot Jazz

1931 Vaudeville Novelty

1946 Bluegrass

1936 Early Swing

1937 Back-in-the-mountains style

Kick ending

There's only a little bit of knob fiddling to go, but now here comes the barefoot weather. I know I'm on the cusp when I go out to the wood shed for fire wood and I'm barefoot.

The geese are goin' over and the plumb tree is blooming, petals drifting. I sit on the porch playing an old tune, keeping us both alive.

~ Be well

UPDATE ~

That's it! It's done! Ready to mail to you right now!

I'm using a frettless, gut-strung gourd banjo for the 1830's song, and the 1890's shortneck / big pot Fairbanks for the 1890's Minstrel Show strut. MAN! They sound just like I envisioned !

"THE SIMPSONS"

What a kick! Some of you may have noticed that I made it in there for the second time.

Somebody in L.A. sure likes my shows. Two years ago Homer was doing some of my material... Hey! that's stealing! Then there was an appearance of the "Mongolian Banjo-ologist." Whoa, scarey, he even looked like me !

Here's a couple of Charactors...

Bela Fleck : "You do that very well."...about my gourd banjo playing.

We are both currently going nuts over the African roots of

the banjo, and I was gratified to learn that our independant research has revealed the same facts on this murky subject.

John Jorgenson : "You play just like Eddie Lang!"

Wow!...Eddie; the 1920's/30's banjo/guitar jazz wiz # 1

Joe Craven : "Awesome set!"

Bob Brozeman : "That was great how you did all that stuff, and still kept the groove!"

A Recent Concert Review ~

"A gentle humor, not mean. It's actually very sophisticated; that kind of humor is hard to do.

Everytime I hear his banjo playing, it gets better, if such a thing is possable."

P.B.~ Producer of Sierra Center Stage;

Flecktones, Sam Bush, Tommy Emanuel, Marsha Ball, and more.

I got an email from a family that came to my Holiday show;

The next week their little boy unwrapped his Christmas present of a kid-size electic guitar! Wow! He was excited!

"Now I can pretend I'm playin' a banjo!"

Kids Concert DVD ~

I had a video crew shoot my Kids Concert at The Paradise

Arts Center. We had about 600 in there, and we rocked!

"Wow, it's hard to shoot while I'm laughing!" ~Camera #1

"Me too! I was laughing 90% of the time." ~Sound Tech

" I would shoot that for free; I was laughing so hard,

I really needed that!" ~Camera #2

Wups!

I'm not an awesome

computer-guy, but here is

the patent application for

the "special effects" pedal

on my 1926 B&D.

For banjo people; this

is the one you want.

I have played custom

instruments, and nothing

in feel, tone, beauty, nor

loving craftmanship can

come close to this.

The creek is also running clear again. Mr. Turtle is back in his ancestral home, fox are hacking outside our night window, the humming bird is trying to feed on my porch mobile, and two frogmen sucessfully lived out the summer in our bathroom and kitchen.

Though it is 100 degrees at noon, the summer is ending; there is a slight movement of air, signaling the coming fall.

I'm not sure if it's Catholic or Urses, but there is a huge poop on the creek trail about 60 feet from the front door. by the manzanita berries; I'll go with bear.

The range of the town people is also evident by their droppings, X-miles outta town, up the hill. We all have our spoor.

Thoughts of firewood...