Paraprosdokian Sentences, Bluegrass Style

Paraprosdokian sentences are based on a figure of speech in which the latter part of a sentence or phrase is surprising or unexpected in a way that causes the reader (or listener) to reinterpret or re-frame the first part. Paraprosdokian is from the Greek meaning...

No Funny Hat Gigs

Made it, I’m done until next year! Only had to play those dang christmas songs four or five times this year. I had 4 gigs in December before Christmas, all with different players. These aren’t bands just groups of musicians playing “casuals”, as my...

Foibles, Bon Mots and Thoughts

“It was a bright cold day in April and the clock was striking thirteen.”  George Orwell 1984   “With the coming of spring I am calm again.”  Gustav Mahler “April is a promise that May is bound to keep.”. Hal Borland It’s April...

Earworms

As my year in pandemic captivity ends, I’ve been listening to a lot of music lately. Being the eclectic kind of guy I am, I have to confess it hasn’t been all bluegrass. I believe that listening to music is almost as important as working your chops in the ‘shed....

Perfect Pitch and Semi-perfect Pitch

We all know how important it is to play in tune, especially when we play with others. We also know that we have to listen very carefully whenever we tune our instruments. Music sounds so much better played in tune! Hopefully everybody in your next jam tunes carefully...

The Mistake Gene

(Editor’s Note: Here’s one of Bruce’s efforts from a while back) I have heard of ancient artisans who were so skilled in their craft, that when they completed one of their exquisite works, they deliberately added some tiny flaw, so as not to offend the gods. I have...

A Joke About….Music Theory?

Music theory isn’t supposed to be very funny. It’s all about roman numerals, numbers, letters and other exotic symbols and generally intimidating stuff that’s somehow supposed to relate to the songs and tunes we actually play every day. However, leave it up to someone...

Bluegrass is bustin’ out all over

Please let this summer continue – we’re not done with yet! Is it just me, or does this seem like a banner year for bluegrass around the state? Oh, I’m sure on some level, someone could claim, and maybe even prove that the bluegrass music business is suffering from a...

Collaboration

Good morning from Whiskey Creek, where the very comfortable mid-seventies bely the fact that fall is very much upon us. The leaves of the cotton wood trees have now mostly turned the brilliant yellow that signals their fall to Mother Earth, our five llamas and four...

Headed to Murhphy’s for Potato Pancakes

Good morning from Whiskey Creek, where, with Lynn and me, my two sons, Phillip and Peter, their two wives Summer and Ivona, granddaughters Lexy, Ava and Lucy and grandson Ted, the humans actually tie the number of non-human mammals…ten to ten. Oh happy day. Actually,...