Category Archives: Music

Practicing for a fiddle recital

Posted on April 12, 2014 | 1 comment

Yep, a 70-year-old (me) adult student of the fiddle playing a recital with a dozen (mainly) middle school violin students. I have seven weeks to memorize and perfect the rhythms of my two pieces: the American hoedown/reel Shove That Pig’s Foot A Little Further In The Fire, and the Blue Jig, a bluesy version of an Irish jig.

Another adult violin student (a former bass player in his 40s) will be dueting with me and our teacher, James Anderson, is trying to get two or four dancers to illustrate the contra dancing that generally goes with these tunes. Just hope that doesn’t force us to raise the tempo beyond my endurance. Stay tuned.

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Posted in Fiddle Stuff, Music, Texana

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Rule 5: Ruth Angell

Posted on March 20, 2014 | 1 comment

ruthie

This lovely English fiddler/singer has a toddler to cope with but she’s busy with music, too: “…the…16 piece Jazz ensemble SURGE, my own solo projects and many other artists from time to time. Sid Peacock and myself have recently started our own record company Peacock Angell Records.“

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Posted in Blogosphere, Fiddle Stuff, Music

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Ham Jam House Concert

Posted on January 29, 2014 | Comments Off on Ham Jam House Concert

APQHouseConcert14

APQ Tango’s first set in Daren Appelt’s living room in northwest Austin. House concerts are popular across the country. Daren’s, just around the corner from the rancho, have become an Austin institution in just four years.

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Posted in Music, Rancho Roly Poly, Texana

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Pete Seeger without the whitewash

Posted on January 28, 2014 | 2 comments

The Democrat snooze media already is falling all over itself to canonize the old Stalinist folk singer who died Monday at 94.

So it’s refreshing to find at least one fellow refusing to minimize or ignore Seeger’s lifelong Communist warts. And in the WaPo, of all places. Well, sort of in the WaPo. Not on the front page, you can be sure.

Can’t say I ever cared much for Seeger’s songs or his voice. And I don’t think he really accomplished all the progressive stuff he’s credited with. He was a generation behind me. But, then, so was Artie Shaw and I still dig him.

Via The Volokh Conspiracy.

UPDATE:  Lest I leave out Seeger’s support of Hitler, as well.

MORE:  More on the Totalitarian Troubadour, Communism’s Pied Piper.

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Posted in Blogosphere, Music, The Culture

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Austin Piazzolla Quintet

Posted on January 26, 2014 | 2 comments

Enjoyed two forty-five minute sets of our favorite tango/jazz band, APQ Tango, the other night at a Ham Jam House Concert which was just around the corner from the rancho.

These concerts have been an Austin institution since 2010, featuring acoustic acts across the musical spectrum. The audience is limited to about fifty people, asked for a donation of about $10 each and bring their own food and drink.

The intimate atmosphere in Daren Appelt’s beautiful hilltop home—with views from the second-floor balcony of downtown’s faraway lights—adds a lot to the appeal, and the acts are top-notch. My fine violin teacher James Anderson brings the fiddle fireworks to APQ.

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Posted in Fiddle Stuff, Music, Rancho Roly Poly, Texana

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Shakey Graves

Posted on January 9, 2014 | 1 comment

Country blues guitarist and singer Shakey Graves of Austin—whose offstage name is Alejandro Rose-Garcia—is really stepping out in Austin, Lubbock, etc.. Not to mention South Carolina, Georgia, and other places he tours.

A one-man band, even, something you rarely see anymore. With two drum pedals Graves-Garcia works with his heels, one hitting an empty-suitcase drum that is part of the act, and another on a tambourine wrapped in a bandana.

Sez my good San Antonio IT guy, Scott: “[Graves] has an unique sound, a really distinct voice, seems to be the real deal as a songwriter, and is blessed with movie-star looks. Here’s hoping he isn’t crushed like a bug by The Machinery.”

And, thanks to the magic of the Internet, you can see Shakey (Alejandro) for free. He is, in fact, all over YouTube. (But his stuff is worth buying to listen to away from your PC, laptop or what-have-you.)

Via The Fat Guy.

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Posted in Music, Texana, The Culture

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Have yourself a Jewish little Christmas

Posted on December 25, 2013 | 5 comments

The top ten Christmas songs? From Silver Bells to White Christmas? All written by Jews. Case you didn’t know it.

Enjoy them, one by one, on YouTube. Unless there’s a piano in your house, in which case, there’s liable to be sheet music available for almost every one of them.

Not a big surprise, this, considering the history of American popular music is largely a Jewish one.

Although I think we can skip over Rap. Mercifully. Do the rappers do Christmas? Well they “sing” Ho, Ho, Ho a lot.

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Posted in Blogosphere, Israel, Music, Rancho Roly Poly, The Culture, The Economy

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