Cell Perches & HVO

Of Mandolins…..

September 7, 2013

The little  guitar? The mighty mandolin is a powerhouse Bluegrass staple valued for its `bark` and pulsing off-beat chop. In comparison, a Bluegrass resonator banjo has a `pop`, and the open back 5 string has a `tubby` sound coveted in the old timey genre. A flattop guitar is called a boomer or a cannon if it is a `banjo killer`. Describing the tonal qualities of a BRC banjo on eBay is a seller`s challenge in descriptors: resonance, sustain, bright, twangy, plunky? This handsome hybrid banjo, recently auctioned online, had a `mid-range` tone because of its uncommon open back and arch top design

Although the text of a melody can be described onto scaled paper, only the sonic actuality of its performance on an instrument can translate the unique character of the music and the instrument. A few years ago, an e-mailer from New Zealand queried us about the sheet music for a You Tube mandolin solo picked by the BRC founder (see below link) at a coffee house gig for the Children`s Hospital. Our polite response: what is sheet  music? The knack to play music by ear, however, is a fanciful myth. It is best described as being a bard who does not know the alphabet. Listen to the BRC founder`s mandolin solo (at 1:48 mins) on “Glendale Train” per the below link.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M4tLaA7ZZdY&list=PLBADC586625A34D06)The

Check-out the below link for a neighborly thread about the Banjo Rehabilitation Center as offered by our brethren at the Mandolin Cafe. The BRC founder has long hoped to author a mandolin-friendly book entitled `Why Banjos Matter` but has been unable to set pen to paper. Is this a description of writer`s block?

http://www.mandolincafe.com/forum/showthread.php?73475-Funny-Banjo-Repair-Site

P.S. See the new Hall of Fame member- a mandolinist!

BRC Events

BRC leadership celebrates 250K visits!

August 23, 2013

Since  a hit counter was installed on the Banjo Rehabilitation Center website 23 months ago, over a quarter of a million visits have registered. This milestone underscores that vintage banjo restoration is alive and well in the conciousness of stringed instrument musicians. As pictured, our dedicated and tireless Senior Vice- President of Sales has the ethos of banjo rehabilitation well in hand.

 

 

 

Despite his junior years, but with a sister`s good example,  her brother and our new CFO is all ready picking up the 5-string.

 

 

 

 

 

Coincident with the 250K hit  milestone, these siblings celebrate the arrival of a new cousin and soon-to-be ex officio member of the BRC Board of Directors.  The precious newcomer dozes peacefully next to our CEO`s personal  banjo and perhaps dreams of full and permanent membership on the BRC Board when she gets a little older.

 

 

 

 

The BRC family thanks our faithful readership for sharing these special occasions, and we extend our best wishes to all for a pleasant upcoming autumn season. Grateful for our blessings, Grandpa Doc

P.S. Watch for a newly restored BRC banjo on eBay September 1-8 (sold, and the new owner described it as “…stunningly beautiful” per email). In the meantime, listen to the BRC founder (bass guitar) and his buddies play a favorite tune:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VCwjXocuVlk

 

G&F Band

The Bluegrass way….

July 20, 2013

In the autumn of 1991, award-winning photojournalist Torsten Kjelfstruad snapped a picture of three Bluegrass musicians jamming at the Hitching Post saloon in Hartsburg, Missouri. This nostalgic image, featuring the young banjo-playing BRC founder,  adorned the saloon`s 1992 calendar. A few souvenier copies of it are extant.

Four years later, at the inaugural Hartsburg Pumpkin Festival, the BRC founder`s band performed its first of several yearly benefit concerts in the small farming village for the Children`s Hospital. A flyer from that era recruiting pickers survives (click image to enlarge for small print).

 

 

Eighteen years later,  Gainor & Friends now plays an annual benefit gig for the Children`s Hospital at a street festival hosted by the local Harley Davidson dealership.

 

 

 

 

 

Some of the same band members from the mid 90`s are still pickin` for the kids today. It`s the Bluegrass way.

Cell Perches & HVO

Conservation and Bluegrass- a natural partnership

June 25, 2013

The wondrous and deeply philosopical nature book “Where Pelicans Fly” is a love letter to the environment and an almost prayerful plea to the reader to protect and preserve its beauties (see photo cover below).  Author Paul Sinrud Johnson , a US Forest Service retiree, presents his thesis in a breathtaking photo essay depicting the flora, fauna, and vistas in and around the Eagle Bluffs Conservation Area in central Missouri.

In this recently published treatise, the author`s photographic eye misses no small detail in the rich biologic tapestry of our precious Earthly home. Only at the very end of this coffee table-designed publication do we see a picture of human faces- the only specie that can safeguard the treasures of our biosphere. In a candid snapshot of the BRC founder`s band, Gainor & Friends are seen picking in a jam session at a country pub overlooking Eagle Bluffs.

We musicians are humbled and honored to be the final footnote at the conclusion of this magnificently illustrated and compelling book.

P.S. Scratch a Bluegrass musician and you will probably find an environmentalist underneath. Listen to us:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aqfcMhkM-2c

From the BRC:  Safeguard our world.

G&F Band

Bluegrass music is safe for kids

June 10, 2013

A long and soggy rainy season brought recent flooding to the Heartland almost reminescent of  the famous regional painting ” Spring on the Missouri” by native son Thomas Hart Benton.  The over-saturated  Earth generously gave up some of its waters to the basement BRC workshop that required a few days of clean-up.

The first real day of summer finally arrived on the second Saturday of June just in time for the Safe Kids Discovery Day fest (see placard) at the Children`s Hospital. This fun  carnival is part of a nationwide educational program  for children and families to learn injury prevention behaviors.

The BRC founder`s band opened the stage show and then held an interactive jam session for kids and parents to learn more about  stringed instruments and traditional Bluegrass music.

It was a glorious summer day followed promptly by rain showers the next morning.

 

 

P.S. Watch for a BRC “Peace Dove” banjo on e-bay June 17-24 (sold).  Upon receipt, the new owner  emailed, “The banjo is beautiful and sounds great.”