Old Chattanooga

Due to a scheduling/weather snafu, we got bumped out of our usual spot at the Market Street Tavern tonight just after we started our old time jam.  Luckily, the house isn’t too far away, and miraculously, it was even clean enough for guests, so we negotiated with the kind tavern for a case of beer to go, and transported the whole jam to 18th Street.  Now I generally look forward to Monday nights as my fiddle practice night, but given that there were already one-hundred-and-eleventy-seven fiddles, I went for the more diverse option, the dulcimer.  Of course, I was also able to pull out the banjo on a tune, and even spun around on my stool and banged one out on the piano.  It turned out to be a really fun evening with some great tunes!  Thanks to all of you who came, for being so flexible.  Looking forward to next week’s jam, back at the Market Street Tavern, 6-9.  For anyone who has just happened upon this post, the weekly old time jam on Monday nights is open to any musicians who want to play old time tunes–no experience necessary!  Beginners welcome!

Here’s the tune, Old Chattanooga, being played in my living room, Monday, May 26, 2008:

Appenzell, 2003.

This is what happens when you stay up too late vainly googling yourself. I found this mp3 that my friend Paul Beck had posted in the CWA (Cimbalom World Association) online forum sometime after the 2003 congress in Appenzell, Switzerland. It’s a clip from my solo performance, where I was simultaneously representing Ireland and the USA. I do recall the stagefright I was experiencing at the time. I do recall Kalman Balogh watching me from the wings. I don’t recall the names of some of the tunes that wriggled their way into this mad medley, but I do know that the first one is “Flying to the Fleadh” (a longtime favorite), and the second tune is “Bear Island Reel”. “John Stenson’s” is the final tune. I also know that my playing style has changed a lot since this performance. For one thing, I NEVER play this fast anymore when I’m on my own. And even though I’ve all but lost my grip on Irish tunes these days, I know that I play them with far more swing… Anyway, it’s a rare recording that captures me, on stage, solo, stringing together tunes willy-nilly, improv and all. And what’s with the long airy intro at the beginning? I don’t remember doing that, or even thinking of it. But heck, I think I oughta use it from now on!

Christie Burns, on stage at the CWA congress in Appenzell, Switzerland, October 2003:

Got a Bose Stick Today

Weee! I just got my brand new Bose stick sound system (L1 model II), set it all up, plugged in my dulcimer (the Masterworks) and took off on some kind of improvisation using the delay effect. Ain’t ya proud, Dan? Ok, so this is like way a lot of fun… I’ll keep this post short and go back to playing with my new toy! Good times to come! And sweet sounding music.

“Stick Today”, recorded by Christie Burns on 18th Street, May 18, 2008:

Mothers Day Composition, for my mom, of course.

This past Sunday, Butch and I were playing our first of many Sundays out at the aquarium. He’d gotten up for a bathroom break, so I was left there alone to improvise on my dulcimer. A small meditation on my mother, and Mothers Day in general, is what came out. When Butch came back, he added in all kinds of ambient loops with the guitar, real spacey rhythmless stuff, and it sounded great. I should’ve been recording then, but I wasn’t. Instead, I’ve recreated my part here in the living room this morning on the brand new Masterworks 16/15c I’m selling.

It’s called, “My Mother Is Beautiful,” recorded on 18th Street in Chattanooga, May 13, 2008:

Creek Hill Dulcimers, Ned Smith

There’s a funny thing happening around Chattanooga these days. There are hammered dulcimer players living on streets across from other dulcimer players, the sole dulcimer players’ magazine in the USA is published on Signal Mountain, dulcimer players can be found on the street and in churches all over town, at festivals, parties, art galleries… And now we even have a guy who’s building them. It’s been fun teaching dulcimer lessons to Ned Smith, because not only do I get to see his musical progress with the pieces, but every time he comes for a lesson, I get to try out a new dulcimer he’s just built. And they’re really nice!! Ned and I are highly critical of one another’s work (and we wouldn’t have it any other way, right Ned?), so I’ve been offering opinions and perspectives on his instruments all along. Today he walked in with the one I love the best so far, so I decided to record a quick piece of music on it and post it to the blog. Ned has his own website about his instruments: http://www.creekhilldulcimers.com/ and he’ll also be taking orders for new instruments at the Chattanooga Dulcimer Festival this summer. I almost didn’t let him take this dulcimer home with him today… It’s pretty, and it sounds great–and will sound even better once it’s broken in. This tune I recorded is “Flying to the Fleadh” by Patrick Davey, a tune I seem to have gotten a bit rusty on, and I really did not tune the B on the bass bridge as well as I should have… but still, I think the beauty of the instrument comes out.