The Unwound Third > Gitfiddles, Harps, Washboards & Kazoos

bass cano?

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Pan:
Hi all,

Searching for Yank Rachell tunes on the internet, I came across a bunch of his recordings from 1941 that seem to have an instrument called "bass cano" in the lineup. According to B&G this was played by William Mitchell on the April session, and by Alfred Elkins on the December session.

Since I've never heard of this instrument, I tried to see what google could come up with. Not much, I'm afraid.

Apparently, Elkins also played the instrument on Big Joe Williams' 1941 version of "Baby Please Don't Go"
http://www.earlyblues.com/BabyPleaseDont.htm
'Please Don't Go' BIG JOE WILLIAMS (1941) Delta Blues Guitar Legend

The instrument was apparently also used in Dixieland Jazz, here's some discussion of it.
http://ml.islandnet.com/pipermail/dixielandjazz/2007-August/049121.html

Another discussion on the instrument:
http://launch.groups.yahoo.com/group/BlackBanjo/message/11299

A possible image? :
http://www.sirenmusiccompany.com/images/SLRPhoto.jpg

And finally a Yank Rachell recording with the instrument:
Yank Rachell - Tappin' That Thing

If anyone can tell me more about the instrument, I'd be curious to know!

Cheers

Pan

Bunker Hill:

--- Quote from: Pan on July 26, 2012, 07:13:47 AM ---Searching for Yank Rachell tunes on the internet, I came across a bunch of his recordings from 1941 that seem to have an instrument called "bass cano" in the lineup. According to B&G this was played by William Mitchell on the April session, and by Alfred Elkins on the December session.

Since I've never heard of this instrument, I tried to see what google could come up with. Not much, I'm afraid.
--- End quote ---
I've been busting my brains over this. In the dim distant past, either in a blues magazine or during the early days of the prewar internet discussion group, this was a topic.

Bass Cano was used in the first B&GR (spring 1964), so it's been around in discographies at least since then.

Sadly my "little grey cells" ain't what they were and therefore can't recall  :(

Pan:

--- Quote from: Bunker Hill on July 26, 2012, 12:26:25 PM ---
--- Quote from: Pan on July 26, 2012, 07:13:47 AM ---Searching for Yank Rachell tunes on the internet, I came across a bunch of his recordings from 1941 that seem to have an instrument called "bass cano" in the lineup. According to B&G this was played by William Mitchell on the April session, and by Alfred Elkins on the December session.

Since I've never heard of this instrument, I tried to see what google could come up with. Not much, I'm afraid.
--- End quote ---
I've been busting my brains over this. In the dim distant past, either in a blues magazine or during the early days of the prewar internet discussion group, this was a topic.

Bass Cano was used in the first B&GR (spring 1964), so it's been around in discographies at least since then.

Sadly my "little grey cells" ain't what they were and therefore can't recall  :(

--- End quote ---

Hi Bunker Hill

There's nothing wrong with your formidable Grey Cells (heaven forbid!), the subject was indeed discussed in the pre-war blues group sometime in 2005. Unfortunately not much else, what I could dig up here, came from it. :(

Thanks,

Pan

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