(I’ve been locked in the woodshed with three band mates for the last two weeks working on some fresh material for our world tour this summer, This resulted in me missing my deadline this month, so I dug this column out of the archives. I hope I’m not in too much trouble.)
It’s very similar to the classic argument; is Doc Watson a bluegrass player? There are some great songs from traditional southern, folk, Appalachia and Americana sources, but my question is; are they bluegrass or more importantly for me can they be played by a semi-amateur bluegrass band. I have a couple of songs in mind as examples and I’ll get to them but first I need to digress for a while.
I take credit for coining the phrase semi-amateur bluegrass band. I first used it 5 or 6 years ago in describing my first bluegrass band. I find I can take credit for the phrase, in my opinion, because in all my rigorous research, I couldn’t find any previous use of the phrase semi-amateur and maybe even more importantly, no other use of it………ever.
Everyone recognizes pros. Music is their profession. Semi-pros are very talented players usually gigging regularly albeit locally but still have that curse of aspiring musicians everywhere……..the day job. Amateurs are the players sitting next to you at the jam. These include the ones who pass every break and also some very good players who have worked long and hard at their instrument but don’t gig and are happy jamming and playing casually. Semi-amateurs are players like me in bands that play gigs and some times get paid just enough for the NCAA to revoke their amateur status. Semi-amateurs can be found at gigs like Farmer’s markets (4 hours on hot pavement for tips) or senior centers, etc. There is an implied musicianship level in this hierarchy, particularly as it pertains to gigs. As I said there are some really good amateur musicians and this analysis doesn’t include them.
So as a self acknowledged card carrying semi-amateur musician, I’ll end this bird walk (digression) and get on with my point. There are some great songs that in my opinion won’t work as bluegrass in a band. Taking some tremendous flat or cross picking guitar songs and trying to add a 5 string Scruggs roll and a solid mandolin chop doesn’t seem to work, as I see it. Naming names, Norman Blake songs like Ginseng Sullivan or Church Street Blues come to mind. In my opinion, these are great tunes. Listen to Tony Rice’s version of Church Street Blues. It blows me away. Or Norm playing either of those songs solo or in duets, just dynamite but I’m just not sure of the semi-amateur bluegrass band arrangements for these songs.
My theory (and it is only a theory) is this applies only to singing songs not instrumental tunes. My experience, and thus my theory, is that fiddle tunes or instrumentals are more successfully arranged for bluegrass bands than singing songs that have a meter to the lyrics as well as the rhythm to the song. Also the songs I’m talking about here have what my friend Wayne refers to as hippie chords. You know the chords like the ones you have to play at 3:00 AM in jams when the survivors are calling Grateful Dead tunes.
If I had the time to digress again I would get into this seemed nomenclature of calling tunes with lyrics – songs and instrumental songs with no lyrics – tunes. What kind of horse pattutie is that? I’ll save that rant for another time..
II
I’m pretty certain that the pros could pull it off meaning a professional band could arrange these tunes and sound good but I’m also fairly certain that normally they wouldn’t unless it was to creatively present the song in a different light. The same goes for the semi-pros who usually do more covers and these may fit their style.
In my opinion the types of songs that I’m talking about can be covered more tastefully by solo performances or in small groups, maybe a couple of guitars or a guitar and fiddle. You get the drift. Said more succinctly, some songs however great they are or how much you like them should be left alone by semi-amateurs. At least that is my theory.
I need to run now. I need to practice Ginseng Sullivan and Church St Blues before tonight’s rehearsal. My theories don’t mean jack in our band. So it goes.
Before I go, This Sunday is the Santa Clara Valley Fiddlers Association jam at Hoover Middle School from 1:00 to 5:00. There will be plenty of jamming. Oh yeah, I’m the jam manager this Sunday so if you want a few extra minutes on the open mic stage for your semi-amateur bluegrass band, I’m your guy.
