Old Man Old Woman
At the time of the LP’s release in 1974 this was one of my favorite tracks. In 2026 it isn’t. It seems to me to be oddly mixed. It’s like a rhythm guitar solo with melodic…
Read moreUp The Hill to Margaridoville/ My Own Recordings part 2
The Battle Of Aughrim
The actual 1691 battle was both political and religious. The tune has been variously played as a march, reel, and polka. Here in California it was normally played in A minor. People were surprised at my…
Read moreA Practical Matter/ My Own Recordings part 1
By the early 1970s I had played as a support musician on more than a few recordings but had never made a record as the featured “artist”, as they say in the Music Biz. And then I met Mike Cogan…
Read moreImpecunious Students and "Stupid Vegetarians" / Musical Memories part 1
I am going to discontinue the talk about microtones and modes until such time as I can arrive at a clearer way of conveying what I mean to say.
For the next few blog entries I'd like to talk about…
Read moreMississippi, Mozart, Tuners & Ambulances/ Modal Music & Microtonal Intonation Part 3
I first became consciously aware of neutral pitches in 1965 when I was playing guitar with Fred McDowell. (See my blog entry of June 6, 2026 ,“Where’s Your Gui-Tar, Man?” for details). Fred lived in Northwest Mississippi in a spot…
Read moreEasier Reading with Recorded Examples/ Modal Music and Microtonal Intonation Part 2
The previous blog was a slog. A slog blog. Maybe I should delete it. I don’t want to post boring words.
I hope today’s blog post will be more engaging.
I remember looking through the LPs in a huge Paris…
Read morePreconceptions and Intertwangled Entities/ Modal Music and Microtonal Intonation Part 1
When, in my first blog post, I announced the topics I intended to write about, I received the most positive response about the topic of modal music and microtonal intonation. People want to read what I have to say about…
Read moreEnergizing Panic in the Nervous Novice
Spaghetti and meatballs, peaches and cream
Jody on a soapbox letting off steam
-from “Talking Cell Phone Blues”
I’ve been thinking about how things change. Red and blue did not used to indicate the political right and left. Not so…
Read more
Potato Truth
I have been mistakenly identified as the person who affixed the term “potatoes” to a rhythmic figure that is sometimes played at the start of fiddle tunes. I did no such thing. No-siree-Bob. Some years ago I wrote an article…
Read moreWorld Control/ Early Recording Experiences Part 5
My third recording session at the start of 1970s was as part of an ensemble accompanying David Bromberg in successive concert situations at a venue in Philadelphia that modestly called itself “World Control Center” or maybe “World Control Studios”. I…
Read more