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CONVERGENCE
12-09-2006, 09:38 AM
Well They got me converted. when I heard Alison Krauss on PBS .

"Fiddler Alison Krauss has a voice as clear and sweet as a mountain stream. There's something so pure, so unaffected about her singing that it just compels you to listen. And her songs are so wonderful, you're almost disappointed when they end. You want them to last forever."

If you want to record her show on tape I sugest getting 60min tapes High quality. Her voice is so clear and even that an old tape will not render her vocal justice.

I would like to hear her hit some high notes . If they are lazer type.
I would sugest to try a few songs like Mary Hopkins " Those were the days"

Great talent Hypnotyzing voice.

Here is the site with a good review.

http://www.bonitanews.com/news/2005/dec/08/review_bluegrass_fiddler_and_singer_alison_krauss_/

moldyoldy
12-09-2006, 11:27 AM
It's always nice to be pleasantly surprised when trying out a different genre. I've always had a thing for good female fiddlers, and Allison Kraus is one of the best.

Several towns in the area host local bluegrass 'festivals' several times a year, some are strictly bluegrass, but most also have a variety of gospel and folk as well. Often made up of local non-pros, many will continue for 2-3 days, with folks camping out, and sharing good food, homemade music, and a few tall tales. If you want to forget all about modern problems for a day or two, and spend a little time having fun the old-fashioned way, get your tent aired out and resin up your bow. Just keep in mind in the bluegrass world, it's 'fiddle' not violin, and a 'harp' has no strings.;)

Hoerninger
12-09-2006, 11:51 AM
Just keep in mind in the bluegrass world, it's 'fiddle' not violin, and a 'harp' has no strings.;)

:dont-know

___________
Peter ;)

Zilch
12-09-2006, 12:25 PM
Fiddle = violin, but refers more specifically to a particular playing style.

Harp = traditional/country/blues slang for mouth organ, or harmonica.

There's also a different traditional instrument, the lyre-form mouth harp, or jew's-harp.

Harp doesn't usually mean that, unless one is actually in hand.

All clear now? ;)

moldyoldy
12-09-2006, 12:29 PM
:dont-know

___________
Peter ;)

Just a different way of saying the same thing Peter, a fiddle and a violin are the same instrument, but country folks call 'em fiddles, and opera-goers call 'em violins. A violin player strives for perfection with pluck and bow, while a fiddle player goes straight for the base emotional response. It's a little different with a harp, which is the proverbial stringed instrument that angels play for the opera-goer, while a harp is a harmonica to us hillbillies.

Traditionally, folk/bluegrass instruments were either inherited from elder generations, or more often, homemade, and the music is seldom ever written to paper. The lack of percieved sophistication along these lines never hindered them though, nor did they miss it.

Hoerninger
12-09-2006, 01:46 PM
... a harp is a harmonica to us hillbillies.

Traditionally, folk/bluegrass instruments were either inherited from elder generations, or more often, homemade, and the music is seldom ever written to paper. The lack of percieved sophistication along these lines never hindered them though, nor did they miss it.

Moldyoldy,
this kind of music is not completely unknown here. Although I can't define the styles, I would like to say that hillbilly is not so often heard here (in the radio). But for decades there is a group named "Truck Stop" here in northern Germany which is playing American country music. They are still on TV from time to time.


All clear now?
Zilch,
thanks, I think so.

Fiddle ... refers more specifically to a particular playing style.Presumably it's not bottlenecking. :bouncy:
___________
Peter

Zilch
12-09-2006, 02:00 PM
Presumably it's not bottlenecking. :bouncy:It might work on a fiddle, though I'm unaware of any practicioners of that particular art.

Bottleneckers don't fiddle, typically.... ;)

Phil H
12-09-2006, 03:29 PM
Sometimes I enjoy listening to bluegrass on the radio. My favoriite radio station, KCSN, plays bluegrass for 4 hours on Sunday morning. The station also broadcasts over the internet. If you never heard bluegrass, give it a try.
http://kcsn.org/programs/bluegrassetcetera.html

Fred Sanford
12-09-2006, 05:16 PM
I had the good fortune of seeing Alison Krauss when she toured with Lyle Lovett (at Lincoln Center, I believe). Great show, I have everything either of them have put out, I think...Krauss produces Nickel Creek, too, and one of my clients is their manager, so I get their stuff as well.

je

Thom
12-09-2006, 05:50 PM
Sometimes it's the instrument too. I once read a rather lengthy interview with Richard Green where he went to great length to explain the overtones from his instrument as compared to some others and basicaly laid out the sound one could expect for varias levels of money. He's some one anybody into fiddle music should catch if they get a chance. Blue grass players rework their bridge so that it's easier to play two strings at once. I guess a blue grass fiddler likes a little flatter bridge. Vasser Clements who played with Jerry Garcia and Peter Rowen in "Old and in the way" is a real fiddle players fiddle player. I remember I heard on the radio that Jerry Garcia and some friends were going to be playing some bluegrass at Crabshaws Corner and I got some friends together and we went and here's all these long hairs and this guy that looked like a carpenter (back then carpenters didn't wear their hair long). We thought maybe they had been drinking before the show and some guy at the bar said "I play some fiddle) man when he started to play. Allison's good but it's her voice that puts her over the top. The hardest working blugrass performer I've ever seen is Sam Bush. He used to play with Emy Lou then he started New Grass Revival that had Bela Flec in it. He puts on a show. If you live any where near the Bay area there is an investment banker that puts on a blue grass and some other stuff show every year for free for two days in speedway meadows, this year they had 5 stages and it's free. I guess it started out as a birthday present for his wife. It's called the "Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Festival" this year there were people like Allison Brown, Rodney crowell, Emilou harris, Joan Biaz , Robert Earl Keene, Ricky Skags, Alison Kraus, Doc Watson T bone Burnet, Earl Scrugs, Del McCoury, Hot Tuna acoustic , Jimmky Dale Gilmore, Jerry douglas Steve Earl, Guy Clark. Thats not half and no admission and you can park for free without too much hassle. This investment banker millionaire calls himself the mayor of speedway meadows for that weekend and pays the performers the sound people everything so it's not like a volentary thing where nothing works. it's just free. There are some volenteers from the bluegrass club but this is a festival you probably couldnt find for $50.00 and it's free and melow I think some of the best blue grass or at least it touches me are a couple of albums of Jerry Garcia and David Grissman. They have really learned to mic acoustic instruments lately. One thing I look for in speakers is to be able to play acoustic instruments at volume and they still sound liike what they are.

Allison Kraus isn't old but she's not that young now but when she joind the grand old opry she was the youngest member they had ever had. I guess Tanya Tucker didn't become a member when she was hot.

CONVERGENCE
12-09-2006, 08:31 PM
[quote. They have really learned to mic acoustic instruments .[/quote]


I agree the performers used large diaphragm mics on the acoustics except for one guitar and violin. I believe it was the KSM by Shure.

More studio mics are being used for these type of concerts.

moldyoldy
12-09-2006, 08:36 PM
Funny you should mention "Old and In the Way" Thom, 'cause that's What's Playing Now. I agree that Vassar's the Fiddler's fiddler, I got to hear him twice with Nitty Gritty. My all-time favorite fiddlin' is in the tracks on Dylan's "Desire", especially 'Hurricane', I can get shivers down my spine just thinking of it (but I'm drawing a blank on her name at the moment).

moldyoldy
12-09-2006, 08:40 PM
....I agree the performers used large diaphragm mics on the acoustics except for one guitar and violin....

Dammit Man, it's a Fiddle!;)

moldyoldy
12-09-2006, 09:07 PM
Moldyoldy,
this kind of music is not completely unknown here. Although I can't define the styles, I would like to say that hillbilly is not so often heard here (in the radio). But for decades there is a group named "Truck Stop" here in northern Germany which is playing American country music. They are still on TV .......Peter

Peter, I think it's safe to assume that traditional German folk music was a signifigant influence in bluegrass, as were all the other nationalities that populated the US. I know better than to believe all they show on TV, but I've seen several German villages having a REALLY good time when the beer flows and the local talent shows off. Can't be a lot different than a bluegrass fest. BTW, what do you call those 2-hand "squeezeboxes" I see being played, like a mini-accordian?

Hoerninger
12-10-2006, 04:25 AM
... but I've seen several German villages having a REALLY good time when the beer flows and the local talent shows off. Can't be a lot different than a bluegrass fest.

Oh yes. The more to the south (Bayern) the better they are.
:cheers:
The more to the north the better the beer is!
:D
- in Bayern they are drinking yellow water.
:duck:

BTW, what do you call those 2-hand "squeezeboxes" I see being played, like a mini-accordian?My father-in-law told me it's called Bandomium, he owned one when he was young. Now he is proud owner of a Hohner Morino. He used to make music at birthday and wedding parties, real German folkmusic.
____________
Peter

boputnam
12-10-2006, 12:04 PM
If you live any where near the Bay area there is an investment banker that puts on a blue grass (sic) and some other stuff show every year for free for two days in speedway meadows, this year they had 5 stages and it's free. ... It's called the "Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Festival" The funder is Warren Hellman - he is a really nice guy and has an amazingly big heart for the genre but as you noted has widened the target to include quite a variety of music and artists.

Sound is annually provided by Sound on Stage - a fabulous group based in the bay area. Mains are uniformly L-Acoustics V-DOSC (http://www.l-acoustics.com/site-US/produitsus.htm) linearrays flown and subs along front of stage. The smallest of the stages this year used the 115XT HiQ's arrayed (I run a small array of the XT's as my rig :) ). SoS does a phenomenal job - the sound support is unending. Great people, all through the organization. I use them for larger gigs and was lucky to crewed Rooster Stage this year - hours of work and great fun.

-----

Back to Allison Krause - I think one of her best is "New Favorite", which introduced Jerry Douglas joining her touring ensemble. Great mastering. I'd avoid the recent "Allison Krause + Union Station LIVE" CD - there is far too much crowd noise fake-o edited-in between and during tracks. Very distracting from the artistry.

Ducatista47
12-10-2006, 12:28 PM
Wow, can I relate to this thread. To me bluegrass is one very advanced artform, rather like jazz. The surprising thing is that Bill Monroe developed the entire concept before his first bluegrass band ever played a note. This was not an evolution but a revolution. He had very concrete ideas about what a great acoustic band should sound like. He left his partnership with his brother, formed a band and got it as we now know it on the first try. I sometimes think that if my Christian friends make it to heaven, when they see Him on His throne he will look suspiciously like Bill Monroe. :D

Years ago I saw Alison Krauss and Union Station on Austin City Limits (PBS television). I was absolutely stunned by their talent. Knocked flat on my rear. I had heard of them, as she is from Champaign, not far from here and a town where I have worked and lived. But never heard them before. Their wonderful AKUS Live (sorry, that is what we fans say instead of Alison Krauss + Union Station :)) DVD has bonus material that pretty much explains where all this greatness comes from. Sadly, I have never seen them live. I tried to buy a ticket for a downtown Peoria concert years ago, but when I got to the ticket window I found out the concert had been canceled due to lack of interest. God Damn!!! That was before they got big and she got small. She used to be a lot heavier, and believe me she was still beautiful. She sang like an angel from the start.

Now David Grisman is another fellow who has been brilliant from the beginning. Check out his David Grisman Quintet work with the young Tony Rice playing Clarence White's Martin (Clarence White I saw with the Byrds. There is a string deity). Dawg fans unite!

On another note, my late Father worked for Shure Brothers for 24 years. I was more into the phono cartridges than the mics, but I knew how good they were. I still have a V15 Type III cart prototype he gave to me.

Clark in Peoria, Proud of even the weakest Alison Krauss connection.

Thom
12-10-2006, 02:00 PM
One of the Grisman Garcia CD's has some Tony Rice on it. I hate to say it but I didn't think the sound was nearly as good this year. Nothing wrong with it I just think it was better in previous years. Maybe they spread themselves a bit thin. Having 5 stages and having them not play over each other I'm sure took some precision and they pulled that off. But in past years when they ran three stages if I'm not mistaken they ran some bigger stuff on the main stage, Also this year you had to decide what you were not going to get to hear. It's amazing some of the people who played with Bill Monroe at various times. I know Richard Greene did and Peter Rowen did. From what I heard he was so tough that he ran through people like water.