Topic: July 18 - Ari Eisinger and Pat Conte in concert

[frankie]

We had about as many people in there as we possibly could - 20 - it's a small space.  It sounded just great in there.  Pat did his thing with fiddle, banjo, mandola and guitar, but what instruments...

- the fiddle was a homemade brass fiddle from about the turn of the century - not particularly loud, but best described as the way a fiddle sounds in your dreams

- the banjo was a one-off from just around the minstrel era...  fretted, huge dobson-style neck with a slotted headstock and the fifth string at the sixth fret...  metal clad rim about 14 in diameter and 4 or more inches deep.  You know Thalos from Jason and the Argonauts?  If he had a banjo, this would be it.  Everything played on it sounds like it was transmitted across time to your ears

- the mandola - 1918 H model - deep and sonorous...

- the guitars - my goofy Kay roundhole archtop and what's probably a wartime L-00 sized Gibson prototype with some archtop characteristics and some flattop...  best slide guitar I've ever heard...  what a voice.

Pat's set

fiddle:
Snowbird (Manco Snead)
Primrose Hill
Brown Skin Girl

banjo:
Old Joe
Jawbone/Alberta
Delia's Gone
Bible's True
Liza Jane
Been All Around This World

guitar:
No Special Rider (Booker)
Cumberland Gap

mandola:
Jet Black Woman
Shine Like A Star In The Morning

guitar:
Mourning Blues
Dark Was The Night

Ari was his usual brilliant self, playing the Stella and the Delphi all night.  Ari's set:

One Dime Blues
Bad Feeling Blues
No Dough Blues
Chump Man Blues
Hunkie Tunkie Blues
Blind Arthur's Breakdown
Rope Stretchin' Blues
Depression Is Gone From Me
They Got It Fixed Right On
If You See My Savior
Up The Country
I'm Throwing Up My Hand
Jesus Gonna Make Up My Dying Bed
Nobody Knows You When You're Down And Out
Drunken Barrelhouse Blues

His playing was flawless - hardly any surprise, there, but he did unflappingly survive an exploding capo during Hunkie Tunkie Blues.  Never missed a beat and finished out the song to boot.

From my perspective, it was a great success - good music and good company all around.

edited: song titles and instrument details

[uncle bud]

Is Mourning Blues the Uncle Dave Macon song I've Got the Mourning Blues or something else? Interesting choices all.

Any backup musicians?

[frankie]

No backup musicians.  The Mourning Blues he did was from Smith Casey.

[Johnm]

Hi Frank,
The concert sounds great.  I'm really curious about the brass fiddle.  You said it was home-made.  Did the maker make more than one of them?  Do you know how Pat came by it?  Was it quieter or louder than a good wood fiddle, or just different?
All best,
Johnm

[frankie]

It's very fragile - not sure anything at all is known about the maker.  Aluminum fiddles are fairly common, but I believe this is the only brass one that Pat's run across...  can't remember where he found it - I'll have to ask him next time I see him.

It's definitely not a particularly loud fiddle, and sounds very different - it has a peculiar "echoey" quality, like you're hearing it from far away.  I wouldn't describe it as a pretty or strong tone, but it is beautiful in its own way.

[frankie]

Do you know how Pat came by it?

Got this from Pat this evening:

brass fiddle from a new england collector/violinist (acquired ca 1980)