SEEKING
Band to Join, Other Percussion, Violin, Background Singer, Fiddle, Upright bass.ABOUT
I play banjo and sing, mostly Celtic folk music, as well as a lot of old-time mountain music and some country blues. Also I've been learning about Balkan and Middle Eastern music and learning to sing in Arabic/Persian/Kurdish; I'd like to see how much these diverse kinds of music might be combined in performance... It ought to be fun! Mostly though, I'd like to find other musicians and get together on the old "Musical Journey" with a long term view of forming some kind of small gigging unit :)
- Screen name:
- owen91428
- Member since:
- Mar 22 2013
- Active over 1 month ago
- Level of commitment:
- Committed
- Years playing music:
- 14
- Gigs played:
- 50 to 100
- Tend to practice:
- 2-3 times per week
- Available to gig:
- 2-3 nights a week
- Most available:
- Nights
Influences
Christy Moore, Andy Irvine, Planxty, The Old Crow Medicine Show, The Pogues, Luke Kelly, Ronnie Drew... and all the other Dubliners! Flatt and Scruggs, Union Station, The Charlie Daniels Band, Flogging Molly, Hayseed Dixie! Stivell (especially Chemins de Terre, and some later solo stuff from Alain Stivell and Dan Ar Braz) The Dropkick Murphys, Dougie McLean, Billy Connolly (one hell of a banjo player, and ye canny beat a well timed comedy-track...), Shooglenifty, Capercaillie, Flook, Afro Celt Sound System, Davy Spillane (Eastwind in particular), Bruce Molsky, Django Rheinhardt, Gogol Bordello, Taraf de Haidouks, Majaz, Mad Dog McRae, The Wolfe Tones, The Fureys
EQUIPMENT
Open-back five string banjo, well worn clawhammer finger, also picks n' that, One elderly, battered, but mellow, charming and much-loved Maidstone violin (I'd really love to work with a fiddler; it'd be cool to do some dual-fiddle stuff, but mostly I'd be playing the banjo. I love the fiddle and banjo sound), a rosewood bagpipe chanter, a strong voice, a friendly temprament, and the music and lyrics to a whole lot of good songs and tunes locked up in my subconscious! I just really want to play music with people: anything else we'd need (like amps and that) would probably be best to leave for now and arrange later... :)
MUSIC
-
Wild Rovers in the Sky
Wild Rovers in the Sky Album: Seven Songs Genre: Celtic
This is my own arrangement of Frankie Laine's country classic, in A minor, clawhammer style, with the banjo in standard G tuning. I was playing the original number (Ghost Riders in the Sky) at a session that my brother and I played at a wedding party two years ago. The groom's Irish da pointed out that, back in his troubadour days, he'd discovered that the lyrics to the trad. Irish song The Wild Rover fit the tune perfectly. We never looked back! So here you go, it's a fun one to play. I hope that one day we'll be able to do it with a couple of other musicians! :)
-
The Remarkable Adventures of the Villain Sam the Skull
The Remarkable Adventures of the Villain Sam the Skull Album: Seven Songs Genre: Celtic
A delightful slice of Glasgow culture, overheard in the crooning of an auld feller in Sandy Bell's pub (in Edinburgh, of all places!). Promptly ran home and worked up a funky arrangement on the banjo, and the use of the harmonica in the headset developed a bit later. This recording was all in a one-er. Pretty chuffed with it, but I it always sound better when I can get other folk in on the tune...
-
The Jolly Beggarman
The Jolly Beggarman Album: Seven Songs Genre: Celtic
This is a good example of an Irish song that crossed over to the American mountain tradition. In Appalachia they call this tune Red Haired Boy, and it's played as an instrumental. I play this tune in the old-time clawhammer banjo style, and I sing the Irish lyrics over the top. There's at least one lyric in there that only exists on Arlo Guthrie's version, and a few of my own vocal innovations... It's really fun to play. Definitely needs double bass and fiddle! :)
