Next meeting will be April 21st at the Devonshire Senior Center

2802 E. Devonshire, Phoenix AZ from 12:00 - 3:30

S

Open jam from 12:00 to 1:00 (all are welcome!)

Featured Entertainer from 1:00 to 1:30 will be

Gene Burkhart Born in Ohio, Gene opened the Landmark Jamboree for Dottie West several times. He was on Rising Stars in Cleveland. He did a Radio show on Saturdays in Wooster, Ohio, and made a 45 record. The rock song he did is in the Library of Congress. Known nowadays as the electric guitar and standout vocalist in the Youz Guys Band, Gene’s deep, syrupy voice brings songs to life. He and the band host the Friday night Open Mic at the Desert Rose Steakhouse, among other appearances. The CD he recorded with The Arizona Pioneer Trio titled Last Taste of Yesterday is available on CD Baby.

Open Stage follows featured performer until 3:30

AZ Pickers & Grinners Newsletter

Since 1972, The Longest On-Going Folk/Country Music Organization in Arizona April 2018 Vol 53 Issue 50

Spring is here, and with it comes Easter on the first day of April. April Fool’s Day and Easter are on the same day, which seems wrong somehow. It seems that any jokes you may want to play would be inappropriate somehow. Larry Jolly was our entertainer on St. Patrick’s Day and he was great. Next month we will have Gene Burkhart, with his syrupy country voice and good songs, I can’t wait—he is one of my favorites! This issue of the P&G news has some fun things in it. The Lieberman’s article is a great story about the Damone family, good reading no matter how you look at it. There seem to be banjos in the wind this month—with a re-view of the album by Bela Fleck and Abigail Washburn n page 5. There are even spring cleaning tips from Deering on page 3! I found Banjo trading cards (who knew?), Erin Inglish puts out a Banjo Babes calendar every year, (see pic of Megan McKamey below), I always try to get one for Lon, just to support her cause, besides, beautiful girls playing banjos . . . What’s not to love?!!! Visit her website at erininglish.com to see her schedule and her causes, and to sign up for her e-newsletter. John Prine’s new album was reviewed by Folk Radio UK (see the back page). I can’t wait to hear the song called Caravan of Fools. There are other little tidbits and surprises throughout the newsletter, I hope you enjoy. Happy Easter, happy spring and happy picking, no matter what instrument you play. Andy

From the Editor

Music to Our Eyes By Jeremy Rowe for True West Magazine

(To subscribe, visit truewestmagazine.com)

Measuring 4.25 by 5.5 inches, this 1871 half-plate tintype of Camp Verde in Arizona Territory is believed to be the earliest outdoor tintype that was definitively taken in Arizona. Earlier

photographs of the territory in other formats do exist. Photo Courtesy Collection of Jeremy Rowe Vintage Photography,

VintagePhoto.com

The earliest-known outdoor tintype of Arizona Territory preserves a military band scene at Camp Verde. Across the bottom of a half-plate tintype, in the emulsion, was scribed, “Camp Verde, Arizona.” The 1871 image, the earli-est identified tintype taken outdoors that has been attributed to Arizona Territory, initially surfaced in a catalog in 1978, then disappeared for almost 40 years before resurfacing last year. The tintype shows a military camp scene with two tents and a group of soldiers mugging for the camera with their musical in-struments. Eleven of the figures had been numbered as well, but the key with names and identities is long gone.

The Velma Teague Library in Glendale Presents World Music Concert Series featuring AJ Odneal

Saturday 4/28/2018 2:00 PM - 3:00 PM At the Murphy Park Amphitheatre (58th Ave & Glendale Ave)

Enjoy the pure enchantment of indie folk singer/songwriter AJ Odneal's beautiful voice, accompanied by guitar and ukulele, at this family-friendly concert. This program is funded in part by the City of Glen-dale through the Centerline Arts & Cultural Initiative.

When the doctors showed me an X-ray of my brain, they pointed to a black hole on the upper left side and told me that all memory from that spot was dead. I thought to myself that I hoped that's where I kept 'The Orange Blossom Special.' Johnny Gimble

Banjo Babe Megan McKamey

ACOUSTIC MUSIC IN ARIZONA by Myron and Rachel Lieberman

Page 2 Continued next column Continued on page 3

THE DAMONE FAMILY

The world lost a remarkable music pioneer on February 11, 2018, when Vic Damone passed away. Vic Damone had his first top ten hit in the forties, when all music was acoustic. Vic Damone’s music is recognized and respected internationally, but this article will fo-cus on his son, Perry, who has been active in Arizona music and entertainment for decades until his death in 2014. MAMIE DAMONE – Music teacher Mamie Damone and her husband Rocco Farinola, who played guitar, provided a music friendly environment for their one son, Vito (aka Vic), and four daughters. She was a major source of Vic Damone’s love of music, which has been passed on to future generations. He used her maid-en name as his stage name. VIC DAMONE - Vito Rocco Farino-la (aka Vic Damone) was born in Brook-lyn in 1928. Vic Damone had a life that could be the basis for a movie or even a TV series that included interactions with and complications of a number of super-star celebrities, five wives with their own successful careers, Las Vegas and New York hotels and music venues, brushes with the mob and the law, and the release of over 2500 recordings. Vic Damone wrote his autobiography Singing was the Easiest Part in 2009. Scott Eyman’s review of it in the Palm Beach Post can be found at www.palmbeachpost.com/entertainment/music/legendary-singer-vic-damone-loved-the-art-not-the-biz/WrcLN2bs0whW6ZVjZhkq8H/. Celebrity media coverage often contains interpretations that are intended to stir interest and emotion rather than objectivity, even in some of the links below. That re-view is an example. It noted Vic Damone’s humility and said “Damone's book, co-written with David Chanoff, is a benign, breezy read about mobsters, wives, bankruptcy and friends named Sinatra and Como, among many others. He emerges from the pages as a nice guy without an instinct for the jugular, but one who sus-tained a lengthy career based on the fact that he was a supremely lyrical singer of romantic ballads.” It stated that a death in the family was a suicide although official and family sources indi-cate it was accidental. The NY Times obit below said the same for two deaths. Vic Damone successfully bridged a major change in record-ing and performance methods between the “Tin Pan Alley” era of the first half of the 20th Century and the “Rock and Roll” era of the second half. He remained active until his retirement in 2001. Please note that while ASCAP and the Songwriters Hall of Fame list the rock and roll era as starting in 1950, the first success-ful rock and roll song was generally considered to be the Les Paul electric version of Mockingbird Hill, which was a waltz and the apparent inspiration for Shorty Allen’s Rock and Roll Waltz, which became a 1956 megahit for Kay Starr. Ten years after retiring, Vic Damone performed one more time in his home town in Florida. WWD, in David Moins’ 1/21/2011 article The Magic of Vic Damone notes that “After a 10-year hia-tus, Damone acknowledges missing the spotlight. Sentiment is mo-tivating the comeback.” and quotes Vic Damone as saying “I don’t need the money, but, you know, my six grandkids have never seen me on stage. It will be the first time. I will introduce them. It’s go-ing to be exciting for me. Before I die, I want them to have heard me perform at least once.” His New York Times obituary at https://www.nytimes.com/2018/02/12/obituaries/vic-damone-singer-dies.html provides a detailed biography. Please check Wikipedia, Allmusic.com and other standard music resources for musical achievements, awards, and discographies.

Vic Damone had five wives: Pier Angeli (1954-1958 followed by a seven year custody battle in the courts over their son Perry), Judith Rawlins (1963-1971. They had three daughters.), Becky Ann Jones (1974-1982), Singer/actress Diahann Carroll (1987-1996) and Rena Rowan (1998 until her death in 2016). While his last marriage was his longest and most successful marital partnership, his first wife, Pier Angeli, is most pertinent to this column’s content. Proce-dures and attitudes at the time of Vic Damone’s divorce from Pier Angeli were such that in a custody case only the mother could be considered. Vic Damone felt so strongly that the father’s input should also be considered that he became an activist on that point, not just for his own case, but for all custody cases. He was jailed

apparently for expressing and advocating that both parents should have input but his efforts were ultimately successful.

PIER ANGELI – Anna Maria Pierangeli (aka Pier An-geli) was born in Sardinia, Italy, in 1932 and died at age 39 in 1971. Her twin sister was actress Marisa Pavan. Pier An-geli was romantically linked to Kirk Douglas and James Dean before marrying Vic Damone in 1954. Their son Per-ry Damone was born in 1955. Rafaella Britto’s biography of Pier Angeli at https://medium.com/cinesuffragette/a-tribute-to-pier-angeli-there-arent-many-like-you-af9ca7f7cb7c contains a 1955 photo of Vic, Pier and Perry Damone as well as a thorough overview of Pier Angeli’s

life. A biographical blog at http://avengers-in-time.blogspot.com/2014/04/1971-deaths-actress-pier-angeli-dies-at.html includes their wedding picture, a photo that includes Vic and Perry Damone at Pier Angeli’s fu-neral, more 1955-6 photos and another de-tailed biography. Jane Allen’s Pier Angeli biography Pier Angeli: A Fragile Life is previewed on Google Books.

PERRY DAMONE – Perry Rocco Luigi Farinola Damone (aka Perry Damone) was born in Los Angeles in

1955. As a result of a custody battle he lived with his mother in Italy until age 10, then lived with his father in California having the unusual experience of being raised in two single parent families. He expressed nothing but love for both of his parents in his inter-views and criticized the media for not consulting the family when writing about them. He moved to Arizona where he became a music producer, artist manager and on-air personality. He left KEZ (aka KESZ) radio in 2003 to produce a CD for his father. Perry Damone

died in Scottsdale in 2014 after a multi-year battle with lymphoma. Per GlamourGirlsoftheSilverScreen.com Perry Como was named his godfather and Marisa Pavan his godmother. Per his thorough obituary in the Fountain Hills Times “His favorite part of being a radio broadcaster was being able to speak with his listeners, not to them. He always answered his phone and spoke to people, and cared about what they needed and what they had to share. He felt that radio should serve the community. Working for KEZ for al-most 15 years is a lifetime when it comes to radio. During that time Perry realized another dream... helping children to find their pur-pose and self-esteem. That is when the idea for Kidstar Radio was first conceived. Perry Damone was involved with many facets of the media during his career. He wrote a regular column for Let’s Go magazine for a couple of years ...Perry’s Pics. He was a regular face and voice on News Channel 3 TV, he worked on Channel 8 telethons to help raise money for their station, and worked many charity events to help the community.”

Vic, Pier & Perry 1955

Perry Damone

Page 3

Damone, continued from page 2

KIDSTAR RADIO – The Damone family requested that in lieu of gifts donations be made to Kidstar Radio, a now national effort which Perry Damone founded and the family supports. The Kidstar website includes this message from Perry Damone: “As a radio broadcaster for over thirty-five years, I wanted to give back to the community and to our children by using all that I have learned from the wonderful experiences. Every day it seems when I turn on the news there are more horrible situations where kids are in trouble. It is just heartbreaking. Kidstar provides an opportunity where none would otherwise exist, where we can get kids involved at an early age and help mold their character and instill a value system that will let them (succeed). Since 1987, The Kidstar Program has been help-ing children find their voice and giving them a positive direc-tion towards their future. Not only do the kids “Do It All,” such as becoming sportscasters, on-air hosts, producers, engi-neers, interviewers – every task those involved in radio media per-form – they are building character. They learn they can be an inte-gral part of their community. Kidstar touches the lives of thousands of children and young adults and makes a positive difference within their lives that will carry them throughout their lifetime.”

NANCY DAMONE - Nancy Carol Damone was married to Perry Damone for 21 years until his 2014 death. She is no stranger to Arizona music herself, often appearing as a vocalist with Scott Hallock at his performances. She took a break from performing after losing her husband, but came back strong as a soloist and as a member of Scott Hallock’s band, the Browne Dog Blues Band, the Cocktail Rock Band and others. Nancy Damone became an activist in the social media recently, using Facebook to help stop specific practices that could harm animals, people, or the environment by encouraging and expediting the signing of petitions. She has fol-lowed in Vic and Perry Damone’s footsteps in showing that one ded-icated person can help change the world.

WINE AND GARLIC - Camp Verde was home to a winery that also featured Italian specialty foods (often based on locally grown garlic) since 1978. Our daughter apparently stopped there for a rest stop while on the I-17 and brought us a souvenir. It was a small jar of pickled garlic labeled “Perry Damone’s Italian Scallion” with a caricature of Perry Damone in boxing gloves. The “San Dominique Winery – Home of Garlic Paradise” closed in 2016.

Nancy Damone & Suzie Kiraly

Spring Cleaning Hardware Tips From deeringbanjos.com

While winter seems to be hanging on fiercely in some areas of the country that just means that spring is right around the corner! It’s time to pull out those cleaning materials and spruce up your banjo before you head out to the exciting world of festivals. I have a couple of new tips on cleaning using materials that may be more close at hand as well as the “tried and true” tips of previous articles. There should be something for everyone!

Cymbal Cleaner: I got this tip from a customer! I visited YouTube to get some tips to pass on to you for use. You can use any kind of cymbal cleaner you want. It is available at most music stores or online. I see that most cost from $8-$10 and it looks like one bottle will last quite a while. Spray on the cymbal cleaner…be sure not to get it on your wood! Leave it on for 15-30 seconds. Wipe off with a paper towel. Dry it off again with ANOTHER paper towel. Do not leave it to dry on the hardware as it will leave a residue!

Brasso: Brasso is a metal polish designed to remove tarnish from brass, copper, chrome, and stainless steel. It is available as either liquid or impregnated wadding. Believe it or not, this one has been around for over 100 years and originated in Britain in 1905. This is amazing stuff; known to have been used to polish CDs, DVD, screens and even pools. It is mild solvent with an extremely fine abrasive so it should be safe for your banjo hardware. Put some of the liquid on a soft cloth (like an old white t-shirt) Rub gently to remove tarnish. Dry with another soft cloth and admire your handy work! As always, keep OFF the wood surfaces. You can find this one easily…I believe even Wal-Mart carries it. It can be had for less than $10 a bottle in most locations.

Glass Cleaner/409 Cleaner: These are available at most stores and can be had for well under $10. The production manager says this works well on banjos with “very grungy hardware.” Chances are if you are taking the banjo apart, this will work best. The quality con-trol supervisor suggests that you put the cleaner on a soft white terry cloth and rub. You have more control over the liquid and can prevent overspray on the wood. By the way, both of these work great on to clean up the banjo head as well.

Simichrome Polish: This is a thick paste that comes in a tube. In the “old days” when we had chrome bumpers on cars, you could find this easily in most hardware stores. You can find this easily online for under $10 with free shipping. One tube will last forever. I used it once on a customer’s very old and sad looking hardware and I was amazed that the shine came back! Put a small dab on a paper towel or soft white cloth. Rub on tarnished hardware and clean with a separate white cloth and be prepared to be amazed. KEEP OFF wooden surfaces.

Deering Care Cloths: The most convenient way to clean the hard-ware is to use one of our care cloth sets. It really is what we use here at the factory to clean our hardware and wood and each luthier has his own favorite among the set. They are available online for only $19 at www.deeringbanjos.com. White care cloth: Good for nickel or chrome but not gold hardware. This one has just a slight be more abrasive in it and is great for when you have “forgotten” to clean your hardware after each session of playing as per my factory recommendation. You just rub and you might have to slightly moisten the hardware service to release the material in the cloth. Don’t wet the cloth! Just moisten the surface you are going to clean if needed before using the cloth. Grey care cloth: Can be used on gold, chrome, or nickel. This is what I like to call your “daily” cloth. It has two cloths in one. The outer one is grey and can be used to wipe down the hardware to

Spring Cleaning continued

remove moisture and oils. The inner cloth has the milder tarnish in it and is great for removing the lighter tarnish on the metal. Pink care cloth: Meant to be used on the wooden surfaces of the ban-jo, this one has wax in it. This is also a good “daily” use cloth in that it is safe for all surfaces.

GENERAL TIPS AFTER CLEANING: Once your hardware is clean, put a light coat of car wax/polish on the surface of the armrest, and wipe it off, you will have thin protec-tive coating on it. Because this is the surface that gets the most wear, it will give some further protection.

ALWAYS wipe down your banjo after each playing session. Wheth-er you use a care cloth or a soft white t-shirt, it will remove the oils and moisture from your hands and keep the surfaces cleaner and brighter. Wash your hands before a playing session to be sure you don’t have any lotions or after-shave or any chemical substance that might interact with the finish of the banjo neck. It is an easy thing to do and will save you a refinish cost and the inconvenience of being without you trusty banjo when you want to play!

Continued at right

Page 4

This story is courtesy of Ted Allison & the Library of Congress.

“Roll On, Columbia:” Newly-discovered Woody Guthrie discs acquired by AFC

from the Library of Congress February 22, 2018 by John Fenn This is a guest post by AFC acquisitions coordinator, Todd Harvey

“Big things come in small packages,” they say. I coordinate acquisitions for the American Folklife Center at the Library of Congress and I can attest to the wis-dom of this adage. Our archive acces-sions about a quarter-million items annu-ally and they range from the invisible—most are digital files—to the tangible, without direct correlation between re-search value and fixed form. Similarly, some collections are vast and some are not, but all add to the ornate tapestry of expressive culture documentation that comprises the Folklife Center archive. A small package arrived last week containing ten 12-inch in-stantaneous discs. They had been obtained in a Portland, Oregon, estate sale by a local record collector. They appear to be recordings of Woodrow Wilson Guthrie singing such classics as “Pastures of

Plenty,” “Roll on Columbia,” “Columbia Talk-ing Blues,” and seven others. In my estimation they are heretofore lost discs from Guthrie’s 1941 recording session in Portland. The session dates from a well-known part of Woody’s songwriting career. Hired by the Bonneville Power Authority (BPA) to provide music for a film about the nearly completed Grand Coulee Dam, Woody spent a month musing about the Columbia River, mentally tracing the canyons that would soon be flooded, articulating the dam’s meaning to this dry Northwest region. He claims to have written 26 songs, a handful of which he recorded at the BPA offices in Portland, Oregon. Here is the tricky part, the caveat that al-ways accompanies this type of material. Instan-

taneous discs require specific playback styli to avoid damage. Li-brary of Congress standards demand that discs only be played by a trained engineer for preservation purpos-es. Before listening, our processing archivists need to rehouse and catalog them. The discs will then be moved from Capitol Hill to the National Audiovisual Conservation Cen-ter in Culpeper, Virginia, where they will be digitized. Once they are digitized, scholars can listen and determine, for example, if we have three new versions of “Pastures of Plenty” to dis-cuss. At this point, however, we know the

basic provenance. A noted authority was consulted and agreed that they looked like originals or near-original copies of Woody’s Bonneville Power Authority recordings.

Our friend Janneke (left) was here from Australia for the Folk Festival in February, & we enjoyed her singing of the song Waltzing Matilda very much. I didn’t realize that “waltzing” meant walking until she explained it! One of our Tucson buddies point-ed out its authorship by Banjo Paterson and my

interest was piqued. Here is a brief biography of his life.

Banjo Paterson- A Biography Andrew Barton "Banjo' Paterson (1864-1941). Poet, ballad writer, journalist and horseman.

'Banjo' Paterson, known as Barty to his family, was born Andrew Barton Paterson at Narrambla, near Orange on 17 February 1864. His parents, Andrew Bogle and Rose Isabella Paterson were graziers on Illalong station in the Yass district. Paterson's early education took place at home under a governess and then at the bush school in Binalong, the nearest township. From about the age of ten years he attended the Sydney Grammar School. He lived with his grandmother in Gladesville and spent the school holidays at Illalong station with his family. After completing school the 16-year-old Paterson was articled to a Sydney firm of solicitors, Spain and Salway. He was admitted as a solicitor in 1886 and formed the legal partnership, Street and Paterson. During these years Paterson began publishing verse in the Bulletin and Sydney Mail under the pseudonyms 'B' and 'The Ban-jo'. In 1895, at the age of 31 and still in partnership with Street, Andrew Barton Paterson achieved two milestones in Australian writing. He composed his now famous ballad 'Waltzing Matilda' and his first book, The Man from Snowy River, and other verses, was published by Angus & Robertson, marking the beginning of an epoch in Australian publishing. This hallmark publication sold out its first edition within a week and went through four editions in six months, making Paterson second only to Kipling in popularity among living poets writing in English. His poetry continues to sell well today and is available in many editions, some of which are illustrated. Paterson travelled to South Africa in 1899 as special war corre-spondent for The Sydney Morning Herald during the Boer War, and to China in 1901 with the intention of covering the Boxer Re-bellion but he arrived after the uprising was over. By 1902 Paterson had left the legal profession. The following year he was appointed Editor of the Evening News (Sydney), a position he held until 1908 when he resigned to take over a property in Wee Jasper. In 1903 he married Alice Walker in Tenterfield. Their first home was in Queen Street, Woollahra. The Patersons had two chil-dren, Grace born in 1904 and Hugh born in 1906. During World War I Paterson sailed to Europe hoping for an appointment as war correspondent. Instead, during the course of the war he was attached as an ambulance driver to the Australian Vol-untary Hospital in France and was commissioned to the 2nd Re-mount Unit of the AIF. He was eventually promoted to Major. In Australia again he returned to journalism, retiring in 1930. He was created CBE in 1939. At the time of his death on 5 Febru-ary 1941 his reputation as the principal folk poet of Australia was secure. His body of work included seven volumes of poetry and prose in many editions, a collection The Collected Verse of A.B. Paterson (1923), a book for children The Animals Noah Forgot (1933), and an anthology The Old Bush Songs (1905), in addition to his many pieces of journal-ism and reportage. Paterson's role in Australian culture has been celebrated on the Aus-tralian $10 note.

From wallisandmatilda.com.au

Label for the instantaneous disc recording of “Ballad of the Grand Coulee Dam” by Woody Guthrie. Photo by Todd Harvey

Harvey inspects the contents of the Guthrie package prior to signing in order to accept delivery. Photo by John Fenn.

Todd Harvey re-ceives the package of Guthrie recordings at the Library of Congress loading dock. Photo by John Fenn.

Left, One of the ten discs that form this im-portant collection. Photo by Todd Harvey.

The note of hope is the only note that can help us or save us from falling to the bottom of the heap of evolu-tion, because, largely, about all a human being is, any-way, is just a hoping machine. Woody Guthrie

Page 5

Dolan Ellis

As readers of this site will doubtless know, these two-star banjo players have a hell of a history between them. Short version: after many years pursuing parallel careers, they came together in 2005, worked together in The Sparrow Quartet, then in 2009 became a married couple, and since around 2013 have also been fully fledged touring partners as a duo. Béla and Abigail finally re-leased a joint album, one of a deceptively plain eponymous title (reviewed here), and it earned them the 2016 Grammy Award for Best Folk Album. And I’d not be at all surprised if their follow-up duo album, Echo In The Valley, earns them the same award all over again this year, for it’s absolutely stunning. OK, in a sense it’s more of the same – in the broadest and most superficial of terms, it can be undersold to the uninitiated or closed-minded as three-quarters-of-an-hour of nothing but banjos and vo-cals (well, for the most part I mean just Abigail’s voice). But just hang on in there, trust me. Sure, to the outsider, the prospect of a whole album of banjo duets might still seem way beyond the pale, but this new album, like its predecessor, is honestly 100% recom-mendable in every respect. I’ll readily subscribe to a paraphrase of Béla’s oft-quoted view “we’re banjo players, and that should be enough” – i.e. when there are banjo players of this calibre, then that’s gonna be more than enough to keep me interested – and yeah, happy. Surely, you say, a banjo is just a banjo? Now c’mon, no jokes please – for here we’re treated to the connoisseur’s selection, no fewer than seven different vintage instruments, including a re-stored upright 1905 banjo bass – each instrument proving fascinat-ingly different in timbre. But you really don’t have to be a banjo nerd to appreciate these differences. (Same principle applies to gui-tars of course – and does anyone ever question that?) Think too, of the wealth of experience on display here. For Bé-la’s a totally all-around virtuoso progressive instrumentalist of con-siderable ingenuity; he’s been many times nominated, in all manner of categories, and is proven master of any playing style from blue-grass to newgrass, jazz and classical, while also resolutely open to all manner of cross-cultural experimentation including exploration of the banjo’s African roots. Often regarded as the world’s premier banjo player, Béla’s also guested on innumerable albums and ses-sions in addition to recording his own albums and leading his own outfits including the celebrated Flecktones ensemble. Béla’s all-embracing musical aesthetic makes him the ideal partner in every sense for Abigail, who’s a fantastically inventive banjoist in her own right who, like Béla but in a fully complementary and harmoni-ous way, strikes a keen balance between accomplished technique and emotional response. Abigail’s also a critically acclaimed “post-modern old-time” singer and songwriter, erstwhile member of the band Uncle Earl (and founder member of the above-mentioned Sparrow Quartet), and a respected musical diplomat who’s spent time studying orien-tal, in particular Chinese music (and indeed also plays in a duo with guzheng master Wu Fei). Abigail also holds the trump card of pos-sessing an amazing singing voice – light and wispy in character, but boasting a massive range and enviable flexibility and a totally

seductive tone that brings a tingle to the spine as well as the heart. Though their individual musical personalities are distinctive and distinct, Béla and Abigail come together with a truly symbiotic front-porch sensibility that’s strictly personal, all their own, one that’s pretty much unique in roots music; it embodies a refreshingly inclusive, high-ly intimate though minimalist approach that draws the listener in and never lets go. Just listen closely, and you’ll find the intricate yet spacious quality of the interplay between the instruments immensely rewarding. Just as with the earlier album, you couldn’t envisage a greater musical variety or fluidity within the often shapeshifting scenario each of

the eleven tracks presents. Over half of these are joint compositions, each idiomatically covering “approved” ground – yet playfully, and with an infectious willingness to take the music gen-tly but poignantly into unexpected territories and down unusual paths within any song or tune. Not only do the couple reimagine old-time Appalachian music, but they also invest it with today’s con-cerns. Pick almost any of the original songs, and you could envisage it a long-lost artefact, with the resonant lyrics carrying universal application beyond the purely regional reference points. There’s so much going on in these open-hearted and minimally luxuriant textures: from the eerily jubilant gospellish hollerings of Over The Divide to the weird percussive dance step backdrop of the plaintive, soulful (yet disturbed) Take Me To Harlan; from the frantically animated tribal mantra of Don’t Let It Bring You Down to the strangely structured, determined declaration of love Hello Friend. Oriental inflections and progressions inform the melodies of several songs including album closer Blooming Rose. There are two songs that could be regarded as kinda lullabies: on one hand Let It Go, where the deep-throated tonal extravagances of 10-string and cello banjos underpin Abigail’s whispered, hushed entreaty punctuated by soothing high harmonies, and on the other hand, the T. Clarence Ashley-authored sinuous bluesy slow-drag My Home’s Across The Blue Ridge Mountains. Then there’s the rippling, thoughtful homily If I Could Talk To A Younger Me, contrasted with the positive-thinking drive of On This Winding Road, and a fine cover of Sarah Ogan Gunning’s powerful admoni-tion Come All You Coal Miners. Smack in the middle of the disc we find the lone instrumental cut, a stupendous near-eight-minute med-ley that frames Béla’s well-known tune Big Country with a pair of traditional Appalachian tunes – yet it proves so much more than it sounds from that description, not in any way a routine stitch-job, but a really intense, involving, organic progression. his Echo In The Valley continues to reverberate long after the record has finished. It’s compulsive listening, not just for Abigail’s ear-stopping vocal work but also because everything’s all so darned musical. Although it’s a display of – and a triumph of – technique, this doesn’t ever leave you cold, instead positively warms and ener-gises brain and body. It represents an affectionate and genuinely responsive dialogue between two musicians whose bond is so abso-lute, who so clearly, permanently, inspire each other to ever greater heights of music-making.

Béla Fleck & Abigail Washburn – Echo In The Valley Review written by David Kidman for folkradio.co.uk 9 March, 2018

This album was mentioned in the October 2017 issue of P&G news prior to release. This review was written in March of this year and is an enthusiastic endorsement of the music and the instruments used in recording.

There is a candy made from carob as a healthy alternative to chocolate. Its logo is a cartoon guy called Banjo Bear!

Here’s an Easter cake I stumbled upon—some creative soul made this a banjo-players dream!

And these are cupcakes!

Music Notes From the Arizona Back-roads by Andy Hurlbut

I have friends that still invite me over to color Easter eggs, and we do have a grand time laughing and making a mess with the dyes! One of these friends is an artist, a painter, and so of course her eggs are so crea-tive and so perfect that we just have to accept that hers will be works of art and ours will pale in comparison! I’m looking forward to it again this year—yes a bunch of over 65 re-tired bankers coloring eggs, what a hoot! Even though the folk festival was over, we sure covered some ground in March with the

folks that were still here visiting. I know I men-tioned our visit to the Folk Shop in Tucson last month, but I found pics of the guys playing instruments, and of course, a lot of banjos in the “Banjo Heaven” room! Here’s Lon doing just that, and you can see why he’d love it so much—the walls are covered with ban-jos! We went to Rosa’s for din-ner and then drove back to the

valley. I love that drive. Lon and I have written a lot of songs on that drive, and we got one mostly written this time too! It’s called Geronimo’s Moccasins.

Rik Palieri came with us to our storytell-ers guild meeting the first Saturday in March and he made a presentation about how to include stories in a musical perfor-mance. He is so good at incorporating sto-ries that his performances are very compel-ling. We all went out to lunch at our favor-ite breakfast hangout, Ollies (on Olive and

51st Ave) and talked and drank coffee for a couple of hours until it was time to hightail it over to Bar-bara’s Place for the workshop that Rik and the Nestlers were going to do in the after-noon. That was a fun thing too! Lon and I were put in a group with our friend from Australia, Janneke, and we wrote a fairly passable song in the 15 minutes allotted! After that there was a potluck and then a concert—and like most concerts at Barbara’s Place, it was wonderful. I love that environment, the friends, the company. We put Rik on a plane on Sunday night and it was sad to see him go. He had stayed longer that he usually does, so we had lots of time to talk and hang out with him. He sent a box to Lon after he got home. He called it a “garage sale in a box!” Lots of fun things were inside—little thankyous and fun things. Rick and Donna played at the St. Patrick’s Day celebration at the

Knights of Columbus on the 17th, and that was a lot of fun too! Lots of friends came down, and most of Rick’s family that lives here too. I love his neph-ew, niece and their kids, they’re so much fun to be around. We sang all the songs and had a ball. Bob and Marian sat with us, and I swear I don’t think I’ve laughed so hard in ages as we did that night. We sure had a lot of fun.

A while back I bought a concertina, and Donna took it away with her after a visit and she and Rick fixed it up for me and made it eminently more playable. Now I’ll have to get serious about learning to play it! The last night Rick and Donna were here they came down to the Beaded Lizard Coffee house at the Beatitudes, and it was a really special night. They played, of course, and Midori’s friend Estelle played with her for the first time on stage. It was wonderful. During the jam, I noticed someone who looked like

Liz Warren in the audience, and asked Lon if it really was her! He jumped up right away and invited her to come up and do a story in the open mic, and she delighted us all by performing one of Dee Strickland Johnson’s poems titled Tomboy.

Looking forward, there are lots of fun things on the event hori-zon. Even though the festival has ended, there is lots of fun to be had. Amy Lou and Richard (also known as Corn Smut) have invited Lon to play with them on a night in June at a gallery called The Hive, up on 16th Street. We went to check it out last weekend, and it is charming, funky and fun. The gallery web page describes their place as a “mid-century modern space in the Coronado neighbor-hood.” There’s a little stage area in the space, and they have music. The weekend we went to see it, there was a neighborhood party painting a mural on the wall in an alley up the street. Go check it out! Look for the magic my friends . . . It’s out there!

Continued next column

Rik Palieri

Rick and Donna Nestler

Rick Nestler at the Folk Shop

Rick’s nephew Jon, Donna and Rick play-ing at the Knights of Columbus concert.

Page 6

I was raised with seven brothers near a place called Concho Lake. There was Jamie, Jeff, and Joseph, Sam and Seth and Sid and Jake. So I grew up rough and tumble, and I made my share of noise, Romped the dogs and roped the horses. I was rowdy as the boys!

Skinny tomboy, seven brothers, and assorted brothers’ friends On our little cattle ponies, raced to hell and back again. We’d roar down the dry arroyas; then we’d all come tearing back, There was Buzz and Paul and Donnie and that rascal Charlie Black.

But one Spring, as I grew older, Mama firmly told me, “No!” And when the boys went out on roundup— Mama said I couldn’t go. Then she tried to teach me cooking, how to sew, and keep the place; But my heart was roping yearlings, and I longed to barrel race.

Once she washed my hair in soap weed; while it still hung limp and damp, She stuck that rusty curling iron down the chimney of the lamp. “Sister,” she said, holding up a gingham

dress that she had sewed, “Andy’s comin’! Now you wear this So’s your legs won’t look so bowed!”

Andy was the new young foreman of the ranch off to our west, And of all my brothers’ cronies, Mama showed she liked him best. O, she was proud that she had made me look like something of a girl, Got me out of faded Levis, forced my stubborn hair to curl.

Well, it wasn’t long thereafter every time that Andy’d call, And the boys were pitching horse shoes, Andy’d linger in the hall. So he came to be my suitor, brought me candy, flowers and such, And the night he brought me per fume, Well, I didn’t mind too much.

Andy’d come ‘most every evening; he was courteous and kind, And it wasn’t any secret what the cowboy had in mind. Every Friday we’d go dancing, laughing clear to town and back. Andy made me feel a lady— so I married Charlie Black!

Tomboy © 1994 by Dee Strickland Johnson (“Buckshot Dot”)

Snapshots of the March Meeting Our featured performer was Larry Jolly, at right. He played a set of folk songs, originals, western music and border songs. Great mix and a great set!

Events Page!

BEADED LIZARD GATHERING

At the Beatitudes Campus. 1610 W. Glendale Jam starts at 5:45 PM - Sets start at 7:15 PM

For information or to schedule call Barbara at 602-307-0067 or e-mail her at oldtimemusic@cox.net

April 4 Forrest Smith Rhythm & blues and originals Randy Marquardt Music of the 70s

April 11 Tom Conner Ohio fingerstyle guitar, variety Richard Bogen 5 string banjo

April 18 LeeLee Robert Award-winning cowgirl jazz Improbable Quartet Western songs, harmony

April 25 Barbara’s Birthday Bash! Linda Bilque’s Lucky Band & Robby Roberson

Glendale Main Library 5959 W. Brown St. Glendale, AZ Free admission

Fervor Records Presents Music Business Summit April 7th in the Library Auditorium 12:00 pm to 5:30 pm

Join indie label Fervor Records and a panel of experts as we discuss how to master the new music industry. Fervor continues to defy the logic that you must be in an industry center to succeed. Fervor Records wants to give back to the creative community, share some of the knowledge picked up along the way, and introduce you to some super smart industry folks from around the country. The best part is, they're picking up the tab. Visit: https://www.fervormusicbizsummit.com for more information, including featured guests, and to reserve your spot at this FREE event.

Glendale Coffeehouse Thursday, April 12th 6:30 to 7:30

TNT—Folk, Americana, Pop Cloud Blue—Singer-Songwriters

Songs In Progress Workshop Saturday April 21st -1:00 to 4:00 pm - Free

(Large Meeting Room) Arizona Songwriters Association’s Jon Iger & Randy Brown give constructive feedback on your song, Both

have had TV and movie placements of their songs. Perform it live or bring a CD or work tape.

Live @ the Library: GCC Guitar Ensembles April 26th 6:30 PM - 7:30 PM Auditorium

The Award-winning Glendale Community College Guitar Ensembles re-

turn to the Glendale Public Library under the direction of Chuck Hulihan.

Acoustic Jam Session Wednesday, April 25th 6:00 to 8:00 pm - Large Meeting Room

Bring your acoustic instrument and play round-robin style. Audi-ence welcome. For more information, please call 623-930-3573.

Ivy (623) 930-3573

Ongoing Jams & Open Mics Mondays 2nd Monday Gospel Jam at the First Country Baptist Church 12844 W. Santa Fe Dr., Surprise 85378 Music 6:00 to 8:00 Free Coffee, soft drinks and snacks. Hosted by Bob Delaney Tuesdays 1st & 3rd Tuesdays – Jam session at the Peoria Library. Hosted by Bill Francis - Music 6:00 till 8:00 pm. Last Tuesday & 2nd Saturday - Paul’s Jamboree 6:30 - 9:00 at First Christian Church (Sun City) 14001 Thunderbird Blvd. Sing-along, comic fun, parody, local bands perform 8:00 to 9:00 Dancing encouraged. Contact Paul Wilson for info: 623.939.2406

Wednesdays Pyle Adult Center (655 E. Southern Ave), Tempe 12:00—2:30 pm contact Dave Bernstein @ Dnberstein@gmail.com for info Last Wednesday Acoustic Jam. Glendale Library 5959 W. Brown. Call 623.930.3573 for info

Thursdays 1st Thursdays Bring your voice and/or acoustic instrument for a Round robin style jam/open mic. 6:00 pm at the Velma Teague Branch Library (7010 N. 58th Ave, Glendale) 2nd and Last Thursday Jam Session - Youngtown Country, Gos pel and Humor Club meet at the Clubhouse (12030 Clubhouse Square) 6:30 to 9:00. Call Bob Burns for info: 623.245.0548 3rd Thursday Bluegrass Jam - Acoustic jam, not open mic. 6:30 to 8:30, all levels of players invited. Faith Presbyterian Church, 16000 N. Del Webb Blvd., Sun City. Info contact John Harris 602.448.4341 or Karen Harris 602.448.0409

Fridays Scottsdale Strummers Ukulele Group meet from 10:00 am to noon on odd numbered weeks at the Scottsdale Senior Center (1700 N. Granite Reef - just east of the 101 and north of McDowell) Call Pat for more info: 480.720.9190 Pyle Adult Center (655 E. Southern Ave.), Tempe 9:30—11:45 am contact Dave Bernstein @ Dnbernstein@gmail.com for info 3rd Friday (Sept - May) Gilbert Jam, 7 pm First Methodist Church, 331 S. Cooper Rd. Room 142, Gilbert. (Park in east park ing lot behind church). All instruments ok, mainly acoustic. All levels & types of songs ok. Contact Marty: Music@gilbertumc.org 2nd Fridays - Knights of Columbus Jam 8066 N. 49th Ave., Glendale. Fish fry begins at 5:00 or order off the menu. Acoustic Instruments. Contact Dave:davelawrence5555@gmail.com Desert Rose Steakhouse Open Mic 4:30—8:00 pm weekly 6729 N. 57th Dr., Glendale Contact Gene Burkhart (geneburkhart@gmail.com 480.729.9803) or Jackie Allen-Thomas (jjallen3@cox.net 623.815.2308)

Saturdays 1st Saturday West Valley CMA open mic at Desert Rose (6729 N. 57th Dr., Glendale) from 2:30—5:30 2nd Saturday - Arizona Autoharp Club meets Barbara’s Place 9003 W. Lillian Ln, Tolleson from 1:00 to 5:00 pm (not in summer) Call June for info 602.740.8113 2nd Saturday - Paul Wilson’s Jamboree in church located at 4001 N. Thunderbird in Sun City 6:30 pm Contact Paul Wilson 623.939.2406 *3rd Saturdays - Arizona Pickers & Grinners Society At the Devonshire Senior Center see details on front page. Call Andy for info. 602.437.0811 4th Saturday - Old Time Traditional Jam 9:00 am at North Mountain Visitor Center (12950 N. 7th St., Phoenix) Beginner to advanced, all instruments welcome - year round. Contact Mike McClure 602.739.4577 mcclurem@earthlink.net 4th Saturday—Acoustic Jam at Glendale’s Velma Teague Branch Library 3:00 to 4:45 pm. VTL meeting room. Round Robin. Stephanie 623.930.3440 7010 N. 58th Ave. Glendale Every Saturday - Milano’s Music Store 2:00 pm 38 W. Main St., Mesa - open jam in the middle of the store. Bluegrass and Ameri can roots music. Contact Linton Milano 480.833.2323

Sundays 2nd Sunday - Desert Dulcimers Jam, 2 - 4 pm at the Pointe Tapatio Club House - 10655 N. 9th St., Phoenix 85020 Last Sunday West Valley CMA open mic at Waddell’s Longhorn Restaurant (1625 N. 195th Ave., Buckeye) from 2:00-5:00

Glendale Foothills Library 19055 N. 57th Ave., Glendale

Foothills Coffeehouse April 4th 6:30 to 8:00 pm In the Roadrunner Room: Folka Polka & Fireside Bluegrass

Bluegrass Jam, Country, Folk, Gospel 1st and 3rd Fridays - April 6th & 20th 1:00—3:00 pm, Roadrunner Room

Acoustic round robin style jam. All levels of players welcome, audience and singers encouraged to attend.

Acoustic Jam, Second Tuesday of the month - April 10th 6:00 to 8:00 pm, Roadrunner Room

Bring your acoustic instrument and play round-robin style. Audience welcome!

For information: 623.930.3844 or sherlache@glendaleaz.com

Folka Polka Fireside Bluegrass

Monday Night Melodies - Peoria Main Library 8463 W. Monroe St., Peoria, AZ. 85345

7:00 - 8:30 pm Every Monday Three sets: 7:00, 7:30 & 8:00

For Info, Call Sandra 623.330.1772 or E-Mail AZFOLK@AOL.COM

6

Local Music Organizations Arizona Accordion Club (602) 266-9622 Arizona Old Time Fiddlers Assn. (602) 840-0116 Arizona Songwriters Assn. (Jon@igermusic.com) Phoenix Friends of Old-Time Music (480) 893-3328 Southwest Folk Music Assn. (shadowcat1953@q.com) Desert Bluegrass Assn. in Tucson - Bonnie (520) 269-1231 Arizona Bluegrass Association (connect@arizonabluegrass.com) Arizona Autoharp Club (602) 765-2832 Arizona Bluegrass & Old-time Music Assn. (602) 678-0041 Ragtyme Jazztyme Society (480) 348-3702

Music Stores with Discounts: Be Sure to Show Membership Card

Bronson Guitar Works 6830 E. 5th Ave #101 Scottsdale 85251 480-941-2636 Harmony House Music 15229 N. Cave Creek Rd. Phoenix 85032 602-493-1234 Milano Music 38 W. Main, Mesa 85201 480-834-6581 Stages Music 7131 E Mercer Lane Scottsdale 85254 480-948-4720 Ziggies Music 3309 N. Third St. Phoenix 85012 602-266-9622

Newsletter: Andy Hurlbut 602.437.0811or 602.377.7183 Send news items, suggestions, complaints etc. to:

Andy at ahurlbut@cox.net

Arizona Pickers & Grinners Society Membership Application (A non–profit organization) (Note: you need not be a musician or vocalist — Grinners are welcome)

Membership entitles you to receive a monthly newsletter and discounts at participating music stores. Annual Membership dues are $20 per household.* (Please list each member’s name).

Make checks out to: Priscilla McKown. Mail to: Priscilla McKown, 1642 E. Mitchell Dr., Phoenix, AZ. 85016 . Any questions call Priscilla at: 602.234.1224 or Andy at 602.437.0811

Name (s) _______________________________________________________e-mail___________________________________

Street Address or PO Box _________________________________________________________________________________

City, State and Zip_______________________________________________________________________________________

Phone: ________________ Birthdates (not year) of above members________________________________________________

Instruments you play or indicate Vocalist or Grinner ____________________________________________________________

*The City of Phoenix allows the Pickers and Grinners use of the Devonshire facility for our monthly meetings. In lieu of a rental fee they require a $2.00 per person payment at the door or purchase of a Parks and Recreation pass ($20 annually for Phoenix residents, and $40 for non-residents)

which allows use of amenities at all centers. More information at phoenix.gov

Pickers & Grinners Bands or Groups This is a list of bands or groups that have Pickers as members.

Caught In The Act Continues Bill Francis 602.421.5306 Corn Smut Richard Bogen 480.294.5838 Jim Marchbanks Band or solo Jim Marchbanks 480.699.7608 Half Way Home David Baumann 602.307.0067 The Improbable Quartet Andy Hurlbut 602-437-0811 Jam Pak Anni Beach 480.963.6811 Mark Fogelson solo Mark Fogelson 480.734.4754 Mexican Beaded Lizard Band Lon Austin 623-628-9710 Red Rock Crossing Rochelle Tinstman 623-229-5986 Scottsdale Strummers Pat McInnis 480-946-3936

Pickers & Grinners Officers

President: Andy Hurlbut 602-437-0811 Vice President: Derrick Beracy 480-429-5107

Secretary-Treasurer: Priscilla McKown 602.234.1224

Board of Directors: Freda Dilley 602-268-8438 Lavona Manguso 602.478.9990 Kristin Schmidt 623.465.2793 Pat McInnis 480-946-3936

Guitar Repairs: Ziggies 3309 N. Third St. Phoenix 602-266-9622 Lessons: Nancy Hall Private or group at The Music Hall (11001 N. 99th Ave, #120 Peoria 85345) 623-583-6266 Bruce Wurst Fiddle, Mandolin, Banjo, Guitar, Bass Guitar 602-971-3355

John Prine’s The Tree Of Forgiveness Track List: 1. “Knockin’ On Your Screen Door” (by John Prine and Pat McLaughlin)

2. “I Have Met My Love Today” ft. Brandi Carlile (by John Prine and Roger Cook)

3. “Egg & Daughter Nite, Lincoln Nebraska, 1967 (Crazy Bone)” (by John Prine and Pat McLaughlin)

4. “Summer’s End” (written by John Prine and Pat McLaughlin)

5. “Caravan of Fools” (by John Prine, Dan Auerbach, and Pat McLaughlin)

6. “The Lonesome Friends of Science” (by John Prine)

7. “No Ordinary Blue” (by John Prine and Keith Sykes)

8. “Boundless Love” (by John Prine, Dan Auerbach, and Pat McLaughlin)

9. “God Only Knows” (by John Prine and Phil Spector)

10. “When I Get to Heaven” (by John Prine)

John Prine Reveals New Track from Upcoming Album written by Alex Gallacher for folkradio.co.uk 6 March, 2018 Following the announcement that legendary singer, songwrit-er and performer John Prine will release his highly anticipated new album, The Tree of Forgiveness, via on his own independ-ent label, Oh Boy Records (April 13 ), Prine has now revealed ‘Knockin’ On Your Screen Door’, the second track to be taken from the album. Watch the new video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=22&v=TN5b_RjE71g The album includes ten new songs written by Prine along with co-writers Pat McLaughlin, Roger Cook, Dan Auerbach, Keith Sykes and Phil Spector and features guests Brandi Carlile, Jason Isbell and Amanda Shires. He will also return to the UK in August for a short run of dates, including Cambridge Folk Festi-val. In celebration of the album, Prine will embark on an extensive worldwide tour that will span throughout 2018, in-

cluding a very special co-headline concert at New York’s Radio City Music Hall with Stur-gill Simpson (solo) on album release day as well as newly announced shows at L.A.’s Ace Theatre, Bos-ton’s Wang Theatre, Austin’s Bass Hall, Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium (two nights) and UK dates including an appearance at the Cambridge Folk Festival in August. The landmark album and tour follow a noteworthy 2017, which included an “Artist of the Year” award at the Americana Music Honors & Awards and a Chicago/

Midwest Regional Emmy Award for his “Chicago Voices” per-formance with Renée Fleming. Last year also saw the release of Prine’s debut book, John Prine Beyond Words, which in-cludes a selection of favourites songs, photographs and stories from Prine’s beloved catalogue.