I found this site a week or so ago...Slack had mentioned it as a fingerpicking resource on the Gretsch forum...I have been looking for some material to help me improve my limited finger-Travis picking skills and I liked John Millers lessons...not that Ive started working them but they're on the list...I think I'm more interested in the technique than any songs or artists per se.
I live in Anchorage AK, am 54..Ive played since I was twelve..basically moderately familiar with much and master of nothing...in fact I am probably better at signing up for internet forums than playing...
I played guitar and steel for a number of years in a comedy-parody group...sort of Al Yankovich meets Alaskana..we did alot of styles, folk, bluegrass, rockabilly, blues, swing, Hawaiian, etc so I had to learn enough of those styles to play them generically...we recorded a CD about 8 years ago. One of the tunes surfaced recently on a fishing show on one of our radio stations...wheres my royalty check???
Ive also played lead in a couple of short lived country bands..I'm a recovering cosmic cowboy with a double bodied B bender tele, a pearly snapped shirt and a New Riders of the Purple Sage CD..I currently play guitar and Dobro in a duo..we do everything from Chicago blues to rocknroll to county blues...which in our configuration comes off kinda like the Lovin Spoonful did when they played country blues...
I'm likely to be more a lurker than a real regular poster around here...I'm not familiar with alot of the artists and tunes mentioned to add a whole lot to any threads..but I'll be lurking and reading and absorbing...and maybe piping in when the topic move to something I may know something about...
This is the only site I have found with such a comprehensive array of early American music on discussion. I myself play tenor banjo and uke. Some of my favorite bands and musicians: Memphis Jug Band, Cannons' Jug Stompers, Whistlers' Jug Band, Skip James, Papa Charlie Jackson, Five Harmaniacs, Roy Smeck, Buell Kazee, Minnie Wallace, Bo Carter, Tampa Red, Charley Patton, Bessie Smith, Blind Boy Fuller and many others... More modern bands: R. Crumb & His Cheap Suit Serenaders (a bit of an obsession for me), Old Crow Medicine Show, Gillian Welch, His Bobness...yadayadayada...
Cheers Gambling Jack ps R. Crumb heroes of the blues avatars a nice touch.
Welcome to Weenie Campbell, Gamblin' Jack. A man after my own heart with Gus Cannon near the top of your list. Feel free to revive any jug band threads you come across.
All for now. John C.
Logged
"People who say it cannot be done should not interrupt those who are doing it." George Bernard Shaw
“Just because you're paranoid doesn't mean they aren't after you.” Joseph Heller, Catch-22
Hello Blues Children, I am pleased to find this site. I had posted through the Mandolin Cafe blues section looking for some good acoustic blues to try and was directed here. I am an old guy (56) playing in the BLUES HOTBED, Harlan, Iowa. I've been playing guitar a bit over 11 years and also mandolin and harp. I have gotten more and more into blues the past few years. Sad story. My blues friend and mentor, Terry, had carotid artery surgery on June 1 to prevent a stroke. On June 2, he had a bad stroke anyway. I have hopes that he will sing and play harp again, but I fear his guitar days are over. I am a big Guy Davis fan and also like Steve James, Mississipi John Hurt, McKinley Morganfield, Lightning Hopkins, Ledbelly, and Little Walter. I hope to learn more at Weenie Campbell- more to enjoy, some blues fellowship, and hopefully improve my play.-- Currently learning finger style guitar. Thanks! SmilnJackB
this is the first time i,v posted, as i don't know anyone else who listens,anyway iv been listening to weenie allmost everyday for the last year,its the best. Just received my 2006,2007 blues calanders niceone.
Welcome to the fold! Normally the other mods do the welcoming seein' as how I'm such an old grouch and everything but they're at Port Townsend right now so I thought I'd step out of character and welcome you. Great avatar.
HI everyone This is the second time iv tried to post a hello on here iv never used a forum b4 so i don't really know what I'm doing,anyway I'm from nottingham england 34y,o been listening to weenie for about a year,and love it. Been into the blues since i was 18,and trieing to play like Sam Chatmon ever since i first heard him playing, trying i must say. I thought it was about time i introduced myself since iv been listening so long, take care people, cruel kid dowling.
Hi Rivers Thanks for reply ,i just noticed it today(after i posted another hello)iam just about managing to work out how to use this forum,its great to be able to talk to other country blues fans/players,what is port townsend a festival,or a blues course, i was looking at some pictures of the 2004 port townsend in the forum it looks great. cheers Rivers great name(i know a graffitti artist called River,a Jamaican guy i hope your not as mad as him,ha,ha.) Cruelkid Dowling.
My name is DocJohn, from Florida. I've been into country blues since I was about 16, which was a long long time ago. I have taken a long road to where I am today. Fred McDowell was probably the strongest influence n my playing aside from John Hammind. After all these years my wife is starting to understand my twisted way of hearing music when I hear something like Joe Cocker or Michael Jackson playing and I say, "wow, I could play this kinda like Fred McDowell with a slide swoosh right here and thumping my foot on a wood box and make some REAL music."
I play a 70's model OMI Dobro usually tuned to open D, sometimes G. I have some other guitars including a takamine 12 string, a microfrets calibre electric which I love and a Gibson made Dobrolectic. I recently bought some factory rejects off E-bay which include a wood reso body and neck as well as an unplated brass OMI dobro body. As I creep toward building them perhaps I'll figure a way to show the process.
I've been lurking here a few days and like the Little community you have here. I look forward to getting to know y'all and hopefully developing some friendships.