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No. 189 October 2004
The Banjoists' Broadsheet
THE BANJOISTS’ BROADSHEET NO. 189 FOR OCTOBER 2004 PAGE 1
It’s ON THE WEB!!
Fiddling around recently, trying to find out whether
there was anything worth watching on ITN, I came
across the film archive. This led me on to the Pathe
News archive which has lots of down-loadable
‘shorts’ (with very low resolution – but you can get
better versions at a price!). I thought it worth listing
them. The information is slightly edited.
From the ITN archive
2002 Switzerland: award-winning banjo player
Allison Brown appears at the Vermier festival.
Kurt Masur, James Levine, Evgeny Kissin, Vadim
Repin, Joshua Bell... all flocked to the Swiss hills
for the magical music-making that is the Verbier
Festival. This year the line-up offered an alternative
to classical with Grammy-award winning banjo
player Allison Brown.
For American banjo player Allison Brown, Vermier
is a little different to her normal platform. The
former investment banker with a BA from Harvard
who went on to ditch taxes and bond issues for a
Grammy award has never been played at a classical
music festival before, but was delighted to bring her
banjo to the Swiss mountains. “It’s interesting
because most of the time you don’t see a banjo in a
jazz context but that’s what our quartet is. It’s
basically piano, bass and drums, so it looks like a
jazz trio with banjo up front. And it’s music that
I’ve written, so it’s a little bit different repertoire for
the banjo but it’s a real mix of bluegrass and jazz
and Celtic music and some other things.”
20/4/1960 South Africa: Johannesburg: celebrations
at union festival for coloured people Thousands of
coloured people filled the stadium at Newlands,
Johannesburg, April 18, for the official opening of
their Union Festival. They roared their appreciation
as girl drum-majorettes marched rhythmically along
in procession to the music of a banjo band, followed
by a smart parade of boys in kilts. In a speech to the
crowds, South African Deputy Interior Minister, Mr.
P. Botha talked of new bonds of friendship between
coloured people and the Government.
04/07/1932 Smart set’s regatta Leander Boat Club
beat Thames in the Grand Challenge Cup. Society
crowds see a great race, the climax of the finest river
festival at Henley, England: Semi view of man in
punt playing Banjo. Semi view of people in punts
having lunch.
01/05/2002 France: Film director Shane Meadows
speaks about his latest film “Once upon a time in the
Midlands” Ricky Tomlinson describing his character
saying: I play a sort of a country and western singer
who goes round the clubs earning a few quid, but I
know I know a million of them guys, there’s a
million of those guys in Liverpool right at this
moment and 20 years ago I used to play not the
guitar, I used to play the banjo and go round the
clubs and the pubs and do a bit of a stand up, a bit of
a Billy Connolly stuff like that so I know exactly
where that guy’s coming from and I know exactly
where he’s going - he’s going nowhere but some of
those guys are lovely and they wear the stetson and
the long hair and the cowboy coats and the boots
with the spurs and they live the part.’
20/11/1992 Benny Hill: Props auction: Stills
Hill playing banjo and standing by Abbey Road
street sign.
British Pathe (downloadable shorts)
7/03/1949
Music Festival on Strings Westminster Central Hall,
London.
SV Banjo player sorting out instrument cases: LV
Banjo player arriving: VS of more banjo players
arriving: LV banjo player arrives on bicycle: SV
woman instrumentalist gets out of taxi: VS more
musicians arrive: CU Poster ‘Music Festival’: LS
Elevated audience: Various CUs of people playing
in a massed banjo and mandolin band: SV Judges:
LV Band. (playing “Man the Guns”): LV Audience
applauding: LV Band standing and acknowledging
applause.
No titles.
Banjo Player - could be Ernest Jones or Alvin
Keech. A heavy plush curtain is pulled back to
reveal a man sitting on a set decorated with potted
palms and playing the banjo. The man has a thin
moustache and wears white tie and tails (evening
dress). He sings a pleasant little song - Dreaming of
the Day, about how wonderful life will be when
“you’ll be mine”.
(The next item listed is by the same person!)
THE BANJOISTS’ BROADSHEET NO. 189 FOR OCTOBER 2004 PAGE 2
Banjo player Lou Abelardo sings the plaintive song
S’posing in the studio. On a set dressed with the
usual potted palms, we see Lou Abelardo, a slim
man with a moustache wearing white tie and tails,
playing the banjo. The song is a plaintive little tune,
called S’posing. It’s about “S’posing I should fall in
love with you, do you think that you could love me
too? S’posing I would hold you and caress you,
would it impress you, or distress you?” (note – he’s
obviously using guitar/ukulele tuning)
Felix the Cat - Uncle Tom’s Crabbin
Animation. One in the series of “Adventures of Felix
the Cat” cartoons by Pat Sullivan.
A Yeti in the snow. Felix with knapsack journeying
through the snow. He arrives amongst sunny fields
of sunflowers. Uncle Tom is playing the banjo and
his child is dancing. Felix joins in. The music wakes
an angry man (dressed like a ring master). He uses
his whip to break the banjo and threaten uncle Tom.
Mammy is cooking pancakes. Felix turns her frying
pan into a banjo using his whiskers as strings. The
family dance again. The angry man chases them and
Felix turns the banjo into a unicycle to escape. The
man throws stones, but Felix turns the banjo into a
tennis racket and hits them back. A little girl gives
Felix her hair bow which turns into a propeller to lift
him into the sky. The man turns his whip into a stair
case and then into a dog to try and catch him. They
chase and fight, but the dog turns back into the whip.
It begins to snow.
09/09/1937
Raymonde and his banjo band play a medley of
marches on their twangy instruments. Music is:
Stars & Stripes, Washington Post, Colonel Bogey.
02/07/1936
Close up shots of Raymonde and some other players
playing Blaze Away. (note – this is the sort of thing
which killed the banjo as a musical instrument!)
12/07/1951
Various shots as musicians of Britain’s Banjo,
Mandolin and Guitar Clubs arrive in Red Lion
Square with their instruments. Various shots as they
enter Conway Hall. Interior shots of crowds
applauding. L/S band playing Mind the Guns (sic)
conducted by Phil Barker. Various shots as they
play. People applaud at the end.
07/06/1943
Various shots of banjo players Tarrant Bailey Junior
and Renaldo playing Streamline, an original piece
for the banjo. Cataloguer’s note: both men play
with fixed grins on their face making it
(unintentionally) funny to watch. (both play
plectrum banjos)
06/04/1939
M/S of Tarrant Bailey playing the banjo and
smiling. Various shots of him playing lively tunes,
some shots are superimposed over others. (playing
finger-style)
22/10/1936
M/S of broadcaster Tarrant Bailey Junior playing his
banjo in the studio. M/S of him with Geoff Sisley on
the guitar, they play a lively composition of their
own. Various C/U’s of him and shots of them
together. They look very happy and finish with a
flourish.
13/09/1934
Titles read: “Now Pathe Pictorial has pleasure in
presenting - Britain’s Greatest Banjoist - Tarrant
Bailey Jr. of Broadcasting and Record fame in a
novelty Banjo Solo - The Donkey Laugh. Various
shots of Tarrant Bailey, in white tie and tails,
playing the jaunty novelty tune The Donkey Laugh
on his banjo. Shots of a donkey are intercut.
01/07/1937
Various shots of Gene Essen, banjo player and his
band of banjos of various sizes playing Turkey in the
Straw and Old Joe. (this is truly appalling! – Get
me out of here – I’m a musician)
08/09/1930
Full titles read: “Mario de Pietro - the famous
instrumental virtuoso. At the piano Jean Melville.”
Various shots of the famous musician Mario De
Pietro sitting down. He plays a song called
Rosmarin on his Mandolin, and is accompanied by
Jean Melville who sits in the background on (sic!)
the piano. When the piece is finished. Pietro turns to
Melville and asks - “Well Jean, what a shall we play
next ?” She replies, “Well, I think Lollipops would
be rather nice.” Pietro picks up a Banjo and starts to
play the lively tune.
THE BANJOISTS’ BROADSHEET NO. 189 FOR OCTOBER 2004 PAGE 3
3/12/1934
Titles read: ‘NOW PATHE PICTORIAL has
pleasure in presenting - “The Wizard of the Strings”
- MARIO DE PIETRO - well-known to countless
Radio listeners’. Mario de Pietro, the Wizard of the
Strings, plays the banjo. He is accompanied by a
woman at a grand piano. Both wear evening dress.
No details on what the tune is - paperwork lists it
simply as ‘His own music’. It’s an upbeat, jaunty
number! - SL.
09/11/1939
Mario de Pietro is introduced to the camera by the
guitar player in the band. Both have posh English
accents - they don’t sound at all Spanish! As well as
the guitar, the other instruments in the band are the
banjo (played by Mario), the double bass, the
accordion and the violin. All the musicians wear
satin shirts and floppy hats - they are supposed to be
gypsies. They play upbeat gypsy style music.
09/08/1934
Titles read: ‘NOW Pathe Pictorial has pleasure in
presenting - Gene Essen and his Chicago Vellum
Boys in a Plantation Medley’.Various shots of Gene
Essen and his orchestra of banjos of all shapes and
sizes, plus pianist, playing The Old Folks At Home
(a.k.a. Swanee River) in a slow and soulful way.
Two musicians play larger banjos with bows, like
cellos. They are all wearing white suits with black
lapels, black ties and a black stripe down their
trousers. Gene’s suit is all white. Shots are intercut
showing swamp land (?), a river with willow trees,
an African-American woman fishing in a lake and
an African-American man leaning against a tree and
walking about. It sounds like the tune changes
halfway through, but I don’t recognise this one.
(Note: Gene and his boys are all white.)
04/08/1938
M/S of lady playing piano, Eddie Peabody comes on
and says a few words before playing Listen to the
Mocking Bird on the violin. C/U as he simulates bird
sounds by grabbing the strings and moving the bow
quickly. M/S as he sits down with the banjo. M/S as
he gives a lesson on how to use the instrument
before playing When I Grow Too Old to Dream.
Various shots as he plays slowly then livens it up
towards the end.
30/11/1933
Titles read: “Now Pathe Pictorial presents – Troise
and his Mandoliers (of Variety and BBC Fame,) in
Old-time Favourites. Various shots of Troise and
his Banjoliers playing a medley of ‘old-time
favourites’. Most of the men play banjos of varying
sizes (including a double-bass banjo) and there is
also a pianist, drummer and accordionist. All the
musicians are dressed in flouncy shirts. A man
conducts - presumably this is Troise.
The only tunes recognised by this cataloguer are Oh,
Susanna! and Jingle Bells.
19/10/1933
Various shots of Troise and his Banjoliers, all clad
in light flouncy shirts and dark trousers, playing the
jaunty tune At Sundown. Almost all the musicians
are playing banjos of varying sizes, including a
double bass banjo! There is also a pianist,
accordionist and xylophone player.
Central Hall, Westminster, London.
Various shots of a large orchestra on stage during
the Westminster Music festival, London. Several
shots of musician H. J. Brisby, the oldest competitor,
playing solo on banjo with orchestra in background.
Several shots of conductor and members of the
orchestra. People arriving at Central Hall,
Westminster and entering the building. Several shots
of the audience and judges listening the concert.
Two men, possibly Ronga brothers, finishing
playing and leaving the stage. MS. Mr Brisby
finishing & acknowledging applause. More shots of
the orchestra and the judges listening. Various close
up shots of the audience listening and applauding.
MS. Mr Brisby playing Freckles - natural sound.
SCU. Mr Brisby playing Freckles. MS. Brisby
taking ovation. Various shots of the orchestra
playing - natural sound. Various shots of the people
arriving to Central Hall with their instruments.
Several shots of the youngest competitor, Anita
Bloom and another young girl arriving.
27/01/1938
Various shots of river boat sailing across Sydney
Harbour. The boat is very old and used to be used as
a ferry before the building of the bridge. On board
the boat is an enormous banjo and ukulele band.
Good views of the city and Sydney Harbour Bridge.
THE BANJOISTS’ BROADSHEET NO. 189 FOR OCTOBER 2004 PAGE 4
28/12/1936
Carson Robison Wild West Cowboy quartet
consisting of female vocalist, two banjo players and
a guitarist. Various C/Us of the group as they
perform ballad, Sleepy Rio Grande. Performers all
wear traditional cowboy clothing, set looks vaguely
like they are sitting around a camp fire. Song is in
close harmonies, with a warbly whistling interlude
by one of the men.
09/10/1933
Titles read: “Now to meet again Carson Robison and
his Pioneers. Real cowboy Troubadours of the
Prairie - in an old time Hill-Billy [sic]”.
Various shots of three men and one woman singing
Hot Time in New Orleans Tonight. The men play
banjos and guitars; one plays a mouth organ /
harmonica. They are all in cowboy / cowgirl clothes.
Brief shot in the middle of the song of a crowded
showboat on a river.
Dear Julian . . .
Sorry to hear about your computer (wayward?
Unreliable? Unfaithful? Dodgy? Defective immune
system – prone to virus attacks and sudden states of
collapse? – aren’t they all!). Even more sorry to
hear that subscribers’ manuscripts had been forwarded to help meet Government recycling targets!
I have to confess that my own prolonged Senior
Moments make me aware of also having recycled
my rough copy of the article and, even worse, I had
seemed to have forgotten most of the substance of
the article. BUT, this Senior Wrinkly’s cranial
computer did eventually remember the subject
matter: viz. The Floating Resonator!
D
id anyone else read the short article about
Buddy Wachter’s experiment of loosening
the resonator fixings and using a foam
washer to allow the resonator to ‘float’ with a view
to improving the instrument’s tone? Who else other
than this Senior Wrinkly [and jules – ed] decided to
give it a go? (or was it – “Who else was taken in?”).
Who else is playing quite happily with a floating
resonator secured by a central bolt with a foam
washer made from some jewelry box lining? No, it
doesn’t rattle; no, it doesn’t slip from side to side
against the flange sections; no, it isn’t uncomfortable
against the legs and body. Who else tried this
experiment and is brave enough (or stupid enough)
to admit it in print, and with what results?
Having been complimented a number of times on
the sound quality of Colin Chapman’s tenor, I can’t
say that there’s been a marked improvement in tone.
On the other hand, it definitely hasn’t got any worse
as a result of the experiment. Recent remarks from
our normally quiet (in both manner and playing)
drummer about the Chaplin tenor being a loud
instrument seems to suggest that there has been a
gain in volume.
Perhaps a little scientific detail, if available, might
throw some light on the background to this unusual,
to say the least, experiment on tonal improvement.
So until such time as I hear that I might be damaging
my health and sanity or that, like passive smoking, I
am the source of similar life-threatening problems
for the listening public, this Senior Wrinkly will
carry on floating.
Best wishes
Griff Thomas
Bath Banjo Festival
I think we’ve sorted out the date for next year’s bash
– it will be June 24-26. The venue will be the
University, again, and we have some plans to make
it more friendly (tea and biscuits on tap, more space
for playing, etc) and have it in a bigger hall. We’ll
have the Friday and Saturday evening sessions as
before, in the Senior Common Room bar. It was
unfortunate this year that the students decided, at the
last moment, to have their Annual Ball on the same
evening, but it wasn’t such an imposition. It was
also a shame that I had to leave on the Sunday for a
project meeting in Bonn.
So who do we have on the Concert list? Bill Keith
said that he’d be willing to return (he gave one of the
best performances I’ve ever seen. But we’ll have
some PA this time so’s you can hear him in the back
row of the auditorium!). Doug Back, a finger-style
player from the USA whose CDs have been
reviewed in the BB, also wants to come but only if
enough finger-style players want to have lessons (the
tuition fees at the BBF are about half what you’d
normally pay – and your tutors are necessarily some
of the best in the world. So you can’t say they are
expensive!!). We have yet to fill plectrum slots, and
perhaps could have another 5-string player and need
an Irish exponent. Suggestions gratefully received.
THE BANJOISTS’ BROADSHEET NO. 189 FOR OCTOBER 2004 PAGE 5
--==Bits and Bobs==-Cleaning Windows
The Guardian On-Line August 26th
Blog Watch, by Bobbie Johnson
eorge Formby has a lot to answer for.
Behind that cheeky exterior, Lancashire’s
favourite four-string strummer has helped
spark a whole world of uke on the web. First stop
for anyone doing a tour of duty should be Ukulelia –
the self-proclaimed “world’s greatest ukulele
weblog”. Who are we to argue? Then there’s the
highly regarded Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain,
whose website doesn’t seem to offer audio clips but
at least quotes daytime TV great Richard Madeley:
“They are HOT!”
http://ukulelia.com
www.ukuleleorchestra.com
G
J
ulian Pilling sent an excerpt from The Book of
Royal Trivia (Brown & Cunliffe 1982). Under
the heading of modern songs associated with
Royalty, we find that the Duke of Windsor sang The
Red Flag at Oxford to his own banjo
accompaniment, and Mr Gladstone, the Prime
Minister, sang The Camptown Races, accompanying
himself on the banjo, at the insistence of King
Edward VII and his guests at Sandringham. The act
received several encores.
This BB’s cover
riff Thomas visited Jersey in August and
saw these two sculptures of musicians on St
Helier, both by Carole Vincent (no relation).
They are near the eastern end of Queen Street, where
six roads and streets meet. Les Jongleurs (The
Jugglers, 1996) is sculpted in a creamy grey rock
(granite) and depicts a trio made up of banjo, fiddle
and accordion. Working in Concert (1999) is
outside La Motte Chambers, sculpted from greenflecked granite (?) and has banjo, fiddle, concertina,
bodran and singer. Griff’s drawings are based on
photos he took.
G
J
This BB’s music
ohn Kennaugh was given this piece when he
visited a repairman, Frank Lucchesi, in
Holyoake, Mass. Along with the music came
the tale that the Bacon Banjo Band provided the first
live music to be transmitted to the UK. Anyone
comment?
Banjo Science
Roger Siminoff has been on the banjo scene for a
good while now, having written and published on all
technical aspects of the banjo, making, repairing,
set-up and playing. He’s doing some occasional
articles in Banjo Newsletter (q.v.) on finding the
right tailpiece. Very informative and interesting. To
find out more, either subscribe to Banjo Newsletter,
or go to Siminoff’s web site – www.siminoff.com
Banjo books
ohn Winch of Hastings writes to introduce
himself and announce that he’s writing a book
about banjos. Have a look at him, and hear
some of his music, on http://www.johnwinch.com
J
--==Letters==-Dear Mr Vincent,
Through the good offices of one of your subscribers,
Peter Durham, I have copies of articles about my
grandfather, Walter Langley, which appeared in
BB186 and BB187. The contribution from Richard
Ineson, which appeared in BB187, was particularly
interesting.
When, some 60 years ago, my grandmother,
Langley’s widow, died a banjo was one of the many
items discovered in her home in Penzance – nothing
had ever been thrown away – and this I well
remember as one of the more unusual arrivals at our
home in Cheltenham, courtesy of the GWR. Neither
I nor my brother had the slightest musical talent and
my father sold the banjo, in Cheltenham!
If Eliza Creegan’s statement that she had my
grandfather’s banjo was correct (and I have no
reason to suppose it was not) it suggests to me that it
is likely he passed on an older instrument to her
when replacing it with a more modern one.
The name ‘Eliza Creegan’ is not familiar to me, but
then it would have been under her maiden name that
my grandfather would have known her, possibly as a
model for one or more of his paintings. From the
article it appears Eliza was born in 1897 and, as she
said that my grandfather taught her to play the banjo
when she was a young girl, I would suppose that she
THE BANJOISTS’ BROADSHEET NO. 189 FOR OCTOBER 2004 PAGE 6
either featured in one or more of his paintings, from
(say) 1905 on, or was a friend of the family. There
are several painting candidates but, regrettably, Eliza
cannot have been the young girl to the left of the
paintings featured in your Broadsheets, which date
from 1898.
If Mrs Creegan’s daughter is still alive perhaps she
might recall more of the circumstances under which
Walter Langley came to teach her mother the banjo?
Roger Langley
Dear Festival Director,
I am extremely grateful to yourself and Mr. Perlman
for providing me with the opportunity to meet, and
receive tuition from, the great Bill Keith. It turned
out to be a very enlightening and awe inspiring
experience. Thanks also to Dorothy and Colin Cosh
who allowed me to visit their home in Shepperton,
where Bill was ‘in digs’ both before and after the
festival, for more banjo and music wisdom. Great
stuff. Thanks a million.
Yours Sincerely
Norman Jones
Dear Julian
I am beginning to think that banjo playing is a
disease from which one does not recover. I am
deeply, madly, into Ragtime at the moment, playing
and reading about it. My recent favourite is
Peaceful Henry by EH Kelly (1901) arranged for 5string banjo by David Miles.
Many thanks for the work that you put into
organising the Bath Banjo Festival. I had not
planned to go to any workshops this year, but after
spending some time with Bill Keith I attended his
workshop. I was most impressed with the music
theory that he covered. At last I feel that I
understand the circle of 5ths and how to use it to
work out any chord, especially the augmented and
diminished ones, in any key. My thanks to Bill for a
most unusual and interesting approach to the banjo.
Yours sincerely
Dorothy Cosh
Hello Banjomaniacs,
Just wanted to let you know that the Zing! Went the
Strings of My Heart Customize-Your-Own FourString Banjo Emailable Postcard is finally finished!
You
can
check
it
out
here:
http://www.stringsofmyheart.com. When you get to
the website, just click on the little star at the upper
right hand corner (it says “banjo postcard” on it).
You’ll definitely want to have your sound turned on!
Also, you’ll need to have the flash player installed,
but if you do not have it the site will let you know.
I hope you’re all well! Enjoy the banjo fun!
Amy Finkel
Hi everybody,
Sue Sangiacomo has been making changes to our
website in order to accommodate the works of other
banjo instructors. We are pleased to announce the
Harry Reser Home Lesson Study Course is now
available through www.UltimateBanjo.com thanks
to the efforts of Jürgen Kulus. We have the book in
stock and ready for immediate shipment. To find
the Reser book in our website, click on “Books” then click on “Other Books” - then click on “Tenor”
and scroll to the title.
Four-String Banjo Hall of Fame recipient Tim Allan
now has nine instruction books and CDs available
through www.UltimateBanjo.com! Tim is one of
the most respected and well-known tenor banjoists
in the world. His instruction books are well thought
out and very informative. Many of the books are
tune related. Your favorite might be there. Now
you can learn it from one of the world’s best!
To check out Tim’s instruction books, go to
www.UltimateBanjo.com - in the top banner, click
on “Other Books” - then scroll down to Tim’s books
or go to the “Tenor Banjo” section of the website.
While in the website, be sure to what else has been
going on. We are continuing to streamline the
website for ease of accessibility as more instructors
and authors come on board. Also check out some of
the other categories in the site such as “Fakebooks
and Others.” You’ll find David Littlefield’s
extensive library in there.
Our continued goal is to make four-string banjo
instruction accessible and easy to find. I’m very
pleased with the progress being made in the website.
As awareness of the site grows, more and more
banjo students and players are checking it out,
purchasing materials and asking questions. This can
only be beneficial to the four-string banjo and its
presence in the music world. Please write to me with
any suggestions and / or recommendations you may
have concerning www.UltimateBanjo.com.
Thanks.
Dave Frey
THE BANJOISTS’ BROADSHEET NO. 189 FOR OCTOBER 2004 PAGE 7
Hello Julian,
I was given your e-mail address by Juergen Kulus.
He told me that you might know about Bill Trigg’s
Vol. 2 Book (Harry F. Reser). I was good friends
with Bill and was shocked when I heard that he had
passed away. I called Mrs. Triggs in February 2004
and she told me that vol. 2 was going to the printer
in the States and she would let me know when it was
done, but I never heard from her. I been trying to
call her but I think her phone number is changed.
Would you know anything on Vol. 2 book or would
you have her phone number? I am a tenor banjo
player and a lover of the music of the 1920’s. I also
collect Harry Reser 78’s and anything of Harry
Reser. I really enjoy reading the Reser book that
Bill worked on, it has lots of information, so I hope
there is another book coming out with more
information. I hope you can help me on this.
Thank you,
Gus C. Zimmerman
Dear Gus
Thanks for your note regarding Bill and his Reser
projects. Bill’s wife died earlier this year, and
anyway according to Bill’s daughter nobody in the
family really knew what Bill was doing. They had
no idea about the value of his various instruments,
for instance, and nearly sold them cheaply as ‘house
clearance’. However, all Bill’s records, collections,
etc were boxed up by his step-daughter and are safe.
Bill’s family contacted me shortly after his death as
someone who had known him for many years and
lived conveniently close. I have negotiated with the
University of Exeter (which has an extensive
collection of American music) that they’ll set up a
“Triggs Collection” and will lodge nearly everything
there. The 78s will then all gradually be put onto
CDs, and all the sheet music, MSs, letters, etc
catalogued and made available. After about a year’s
searching and negotiation we are just about ready to
move the stuff to the University. Until then it’s all
in boxes, and nobody really understands the significance of what’s there. When the boxes are
unpacked in Exeter, I’ll be there to see what there is
and help with initial sorting. I don’t know what will
happen after that. It will depend on funding and
who might be interested. Certainly the collection
will be more readily available than in Bill’s spare
bedroom, and it will be possible for people like
yourself to gain access and do your own studies. We
have yet to sort out problems like copyright (which I
don’t think Bill worried about!).
Best wishes
Julian
BANJOLLITY
John Whitlock’s BANJORAMA will be playing at
the Bradford on Avon Jazz Club on Friday 8th
October.
13th Annual Bluegrass Charity
Concert
(Charlie Gaisford Memorial Concert)
Dec 4th 2004 7pm to 11pm.
he concert will be held at the Riddell Hall,
Deans Lane, Walton on the Hill, Surrey
(Junction 8 M25, nearest station Tadworth,
courtesy bus service to Sutton station), tickets £7 in
advance, £8 on the door. Bar. This is a fantastic old
hall in a beautiful village in Surrey with plenty of
room for bands and audience. This year the concert
features Bob & Sheila Everhart from Iowa,
Smithsonian / Folkways Recording Artists. Other
bands booked so far, Monroes Revenge, Street
Legal, Betty Davila and the Acoustic Astronauts,
Bluegrass Express, Freddie Smith (“Boy Wonder” of
the fiddle) for more info call 07703 472824.
T
B
Fretted Festivals
ackwell came back, well as ever. Actually it
was the second time I’d been there (I visited
a meeting there about 25 years ago, before
the present series started). Mike Redman does an
excellent job organising this, in a nice airy hall with
good acoustics, easily accessible with enough
parking and lots of good playing. Unfortunately I
wasn’t able to stay for the evening part of the event
(dinner at a local pub together with a dispensation
for plectrum played banjos). Fred Determann and I
nearly had a fight when I played my Weaver with a
plectrum in order to provide a legato countermelody
to an exceedingly up-beat Teddy Bears’ Picnic, one
of the Community Numbers. What jolly fun!
Midlands Fretted Orchestra
Meetings Thursday fortnightly, The Good Shepherd
Hall, Slack Lane, Handsworth Wood, Birmingham
(off College Rd behind St Andrew’s church)
THE BANJOISTS’ BROADSHEET NO. 189 FOR OCTOBER 2004 PAGE 8
The Orchestra caters for all ages, all levels of ability
and all fretted instruments. For more info. contact
Danielle Saxon Reeves, tel 01384 89 39 87 or email
daniellesaxonreeves@yahoo.co.uk
BANJO TIMES
a magazine for all banjoists
BANJO TIMES is issued bimonthly by David Price
and Natalie.
A forum for views, letters
correspondence and articles on banjo music and
musicians, historical notes, events, free advertisements, instructional hints. Annual subscription
£10.00 UK, £12.00 EU, £13.00 USA / Australia.
Wayside Publications, Wayside, Epping Green,
Essex, CM16 6PU. Email: dvprice@tiscali.co.uk
Ragtime Century
for the 5-string banjo
A layflat, spirally bound, book containing 100 rags
by Joplin and others arranged for 5-string banjo by
David Miles and Jack Holliday. In musical notation
with fingering and position markings. Arrangements
follow original piano copy. £25.00
Mastering the Classical Banjo
A comprehensive tutor by David Miles. Nearly 200
pages of instruction, graded exercises and music to
take the beginner to the most advanced stages of
playing. Also section dealing with self
accompaniment for the troubadour. £25.00
Bouquet of Classics for Banjo
120 pieces from the repertoire of the lute, guitar, and
other sources, arranged for 5-string banjo by David
Miles. £28.00
Morley Mania
83 of Joe Morley’s banjo solos for £20. 52 second
banjo parts for use with above for £13. £32 if
ordered together. Both with bound backs.
POP Goes the Banjo
Popular songs from 1560-1960. Musical notation,
fingering, position marking, plus chord symbols.
Half the songs are from the 20th century. Each book
contains 100 songs. Where appropriate 2 versions
are shown – “straight” and “swingy”. All are
written out with chord symbols, as well as fingering
and position markings. Spiral-bound, lay-flat
format. Vols 1 to 6, all at £25 each when ordered
singly. If two are ordered, any of vols 1 to 5 will be
reduced to £20 each. All prices include postage and
packing; payment by cheque or postal order. Only
from David Miles, 6 Millbridge Mews, St Andrew
St, Hertford, SG14 1HE. Index of each volume free
on request.
ANDY PERKINS
TRADITIONAL INSTRUMENTS
Large stocks of refurbished vintage banjos. New
banjos built to order in many styles. Exclusive UK
Distributor of GOLD TONE high quality American
banjos. Write or phone for a free catalogue. Apple
Craft Centre, Selling Rd, Faversham, KENT, ME13
8XF tel 01795 590374 / 633864
SULLY’S BANJOS
Original banjos of unmistakable style hand-made in
England. Order with confidence from this
internationally famous banjo shop, established in
1979 by All Ireland Banjo Champion Sully.
Supplies Tutors Tunes Repairs
Halshaw Music, 37 Catherine St, Macclesfield,
Cheshire, SK11 6ET, UK
Tel 01625 610849
Mobile: +44 (0)498 912736
Fax: +44 (0)1625 267136
sully@halshawmusic.co.uk
www.halshawmusic.co.uk
JOHN ALVEY TURNER
FRETTED INSTRUMENT SPECIALISTS
36 New Road, Ware, Herts, SG12 7BY
01920 466924, alveyturner@lineone.net
Most banjos supplied with fitted case. We have
many banjos in stock, including some interesting
early ones, plus all the usual accessories, strings.
---== TEACHERS ==--Current BB subscribers who teach banjo - let me
know if you wish to be included in this list.
Inclusion does not imply endorsement by the BB.
SJ HARROP 5-string and tenor banjo, guitar,
dobro, mandolin, bass, pedal steel. 18 Haveroid
Way, Crigglestone, Wakefield, WF4 3PG
Mike JONES tenor & plectrum banjo, plectrum
guitar, jass, blues, harmony, improvisation, how to
play tunes, etc. 27 Normandy Way, West Acres,
Fordingbridge, Hants, tel 01425 655163
THE BANJOISTS’ BROADSHEET NO. 189 FOR OCTOBER 2004 PAGE 9
Nicholas KIRK plectrum banjo 36 Kilpin Hill,
Staincliffe, W. Yorks tel 0192 440 2931
David MILES fingerstyle banjo, classical guitar,
chord & harmony for vocal accompaniment 6
Millbridge Mews, St Andrew St, Hertford, SG14
1HE tel 01992 501722
Vic PARTRIDGE ALCM tenor banjo and guitar,
classical and plectrum. Tel 01633 223333
David PRICE mainly plectrum banjo; occasionally
finger style and tenor; most techniques, especially
chord-melody & all areas of jazz. Tel 01992 577081
Danielle Saxon REEVES BMus (Hons) offers
tuition on banjo and guitar. All ages and level of
experience. daniellesaxonreeves@yahoo.co.uk tel
01384 893987 or 07947 168192
Chris SANDS fingerstyle banjo, saxophone
“Beeboles” Far Sawrey, Ambleside, Cumbria. Tel
015394 46742 or 33291
Pete STANLEY Blackface to bluegrass - all 5string banjo styles Kentish Town, London. Tel 0207
916 4178
Julian VINCENT tenor banjo, arranging & music
theory. Laburnum Cottage, 48 Frome Road, BATH,
BA2 2QB, tel 01225 835076
j.f.v.vincent@bath.ac.
Bill WAISTELL finger style banjo in the Geordie
manner. 22 Ellesmere, Bourn Moor, Houghton-leSpring, Tyne & Wear, DH4 6EA. email
Bill.Waistell@btinternet.com
---== MAKERS/REPAIRERS ==--Phil DAVIDSON builds banjos, mandolins and
guitars to your specification. Top class workmanship, superb tone. Visit the website to see some of
my instruments in full splendour:
www.davidsoninstruments.com, tel 0117 937 4920
DAVE STACEY is building and repairing banjos
full-time and is actively seeking commissions. He
can make original instruments, copies or modify
original instruments (e.g. add a repro 5-string neck
to an original hoop). Write for leaflet and quotation
for your job. Dave Stacey, 19 Field Lane,
Letchworth, Herts, SG6 3LF, tel 01462 683074
BANJOS REPAIRED, RESTORED, TRADED
Barrie Lockwood, 40 Westbury Road, Penge,
London, SE20 7QH, tel 0181 778 5681
BANJO REPAIRS (carried out by master luthier
Clive Denman in consultation with Chris and you).
Chris Sands, Bee Boles, Far Sawrey, Ambleside,
Cumbria. tel 0153 94 46742, fax 0153 94 44532
REPAIRS, RESTORATIONS of all kinds. Andy
Perkins, Apple Craft Centre, Selling Rd, Faversham,
KENT, ME13 8XF tel 01795 590374 / 633864
REPAIRS Halshaw Music, 37 Catherine St,
Macclesfield, Cheshire, SK11 6ET, UK
---===FOR SALE===--Clifford Essex Concert Grand Plectrum banjo
pot, with arm made by Colin Chapman (who used to
play and make banjos in Kent) - £950
Jedson Paramount copy Plectrum Banjo (gold
plated, rosewood) - £950
Eric Robinson Custom Plectrum Banjo - £950
All three banjos are good playable instruments with
good tone and volume. There is a hard case with the
first two. They would suit jazzers or soloists! Tel
01924-402931 – Nicholas Kirk
Paramount Style B tenor refurbished throughout.
Great sound, possibly original case. £1600
Gibson RB250 Mastertone 5-string in mint
condition. History available. £1500. Superb Gibson
case.
Hand-crafted banjos – three (two 5-string and one
plectrum). Great tone and volume. Custom-made
tone rings to my own specifications. Very ornate.
For more details of these instruments, tel 01663
743610 Email mikejdeter@aol.com
OZARK Resonator Tri-Cone guitar – new, deluxe,
gold plated with m.o.p and abalone “Tree of Life”
inlay on the fingerboard. Slight damage to back,
hence on £350. Buyer collects
Reg Baynham hand made plectrum banjo. All
maple, good loud tone, ideal band instrument. £300.
Phone for details. Reg Baynham tel 01873 832007
Collection of banjos, including:
Victor Gem No 1 7-string banjo by Dobson
Mikado by Jos. Riley & Son, Birmingham (in
original case)
DeLuxe fretless by Geo. P. Matthew, Birmingham
THE BANJOISTS’ BROADSHEET NO. 189 FOR OCTOBER 2004 PAGE 10
Also various original exercise books by Grimshaw,
and Ellis’s tutor.
Offers for the above (and more . . . .!)
Norman Price, tel 01912 744660
Kevin Scott has the following tenor banjos for sale:
Slingerland Troubadour, Epiphone Band-master,
Paramount Style C, Gibson TB 250, Vega Whyte
Laydie, John Grey Chieftain, Bacon & Day No 2
Special, Stromberg Supertone, Reg Baynham
. . . and the following plectrum banjos: Paramount
Leader, Paramount Style A.
Contact Kevin on 01932 886538 or check the web
site where you’ll find full descriptions and lots of
nice digital photos. http://www.findajo.co.uk
Ideal for the Jazz Banjo player, a chord book with
charts for over 1,430 jazz favourites. Please send a
stamped addressed envelope for the complete index,
some sample pages and a copy of the review from
the American magazine ‘Just Jazz Guitar’. The price
is £45 plus £6 postage. Alan Noble, 52 Branksome
Drive, Nab Wood, Shipley, BD18 4BE or tel. 01274
583085. Email on alanbassmannoble@aol.com
William BALL’s CDs are available: Pompadour
(Morley compositions) and Humoresque (various
composers) at £10 each or the two for £18 including
p&p. Also available A Banjo Oddity CD by The
New Criterion Banjo Orchestra (reviewed in BB178)
at £11 including p&p. Fred Determann, 5 Nursery
Rd, Ringwood, Hants, BH24 1NF.
Banjollity CD by John Whitlock’s BANJORAMA.
20 tracks of jazz, ragtime and some original pieces
by John Whitlock. £11.00 (includes p&p) from John
at 8 Higher Brimley, Teignmouth, Devon, TQ14
8JS, tel 01626 774710.
Banjos For
Sale
A Good Selection Of Quality Instruments
Always Available.
Kevin:-01932 886538 or 0771 3768673
Email banjokevin@ntlworld.com
HARRY RESER and The Clicquot Club Eskimos
available on CD or tape cassette! This is a
compilation of 20 performances as broadcast in the
US in 1951 and never published before. The
Clicquot Ginger Ale Company had asked Harry
Reser to form the “Eskimos” band again for another
series of radio broadcasts. This album shows the
more contemporary Harry Reser and his
arrangements of that time. €15 ($15) for the CD; €12
($12) for the audio cassette. Jürgen Kulus, CarlSchmincke-Str. 12, D-71229 Leonberg, Germany.
tel/fax: +49-7152-949414
BANJO AMPLIFIERS AND JAZZ BAND PAs
Our JAZZ 50 (50 watts for £199) and JAZZ 100
(100 watts for £349) are light, compact “combo”
amplifiers designed specifically for banjo players
and other jazz musicians. We also manufacture 100
watt and 200 watt (stereo) PA amplifiers. The JAZZ
100 PA system has four input channels, two separate
loud-speakers and costs £399. The JAZZ 200 PA
system has eight input channels, two separate
loudspeakers and costs £499. Wadey Amplifiers Ltd.
23 Beaconfield, Beacon Park, Plymouth PL2 3LD
Tel 01752 563951
JULES & KEITH play tenor banjo and piano - a
CD featuring tenor banjo pieces by Reser, Mandell,
Weidt and others, covering jazz, ragtime, novelty
and classical music. 17 tracks all accompanied by
Keith Nichols at the piano. “A very interesting CD.
. . If virtuoso piano and banjo playing is your forte,
then this is for your listening” (Peter Lay, Just Jazz).
Cost £7.50 (includes postage) from J Vincent,
Laburnum Cottage, 48 Frome Road, BATH, BA2
2QB
CLASSIC NYLON BANJO STRINGS from Chris
Sands. Guaranteed manufactured from the finest
quality materials and to be the correct gauge. State
light, medium or heavy gauge when ordering. £4.50
per set, 85p p+p.
SUPERIOR LOOP-END STEEL STRINGS by
Ernie Ball. Please state light or medium gauge.
5-string banjo
£4.25 per set
Tenor banjo
£4.10 per set
Add 85p for postage and packing.
banjo bridges - £3.95; finest selected calf skin banjo
vellums (14”) - £29.95
THE BANJOISTS’ BROADSHEET NO. 189 FOR OCTOBER 2004 PAGE 11
MEL BAY BOOK of 16 pieces with a CD which
presented in fully-fingered music notation and
tablature. Book + CD are £15.99.
Tarrant Bailey Jnr BANJO SOLOS – his life and
works, by Chris Sands. Book and CD. Music
shown in fully-fingered standard notation and
tablature. £19.95
Order by fax or phone with Mastercard, Visa or
Access. Please include your name as it appears on
the card, the number and expiry date of the card,
your signature and address.
Chris Sands, Bee Boles, Far Sawrey, Ambleside,
Cumbria. tel 0153 94 46742, fax 0153 94 44532
A CHEAP WAY to make your day – send for a free
Deering catalogue. Stunning photos of stunning
instruments. And they sound as good as the adverts
say they do! Catalogue reviewed in BB141, Deering
GDL tenor banjo reviewed in BB146. Deering also
have a cheap instrument for the beginner - the
“Goodtime” which can come with a “starter kit”.
Bela Fleck plays a Deering, so do lots of other top
players. Deering Banjo Co., 3733 Kenora Drive,
Spring Valley, CA 91977, USA (619) 464 8252.
Fax 464 0833
email: info@DeeringBanjos.com
URL: www.deeringbanjos.com
Say you saw their name here.
PETE STANLEY with BRIAN GOLBEY Banjo
tunes and songs Vol 1. A 20-track cassette for £7.00
plus 50p postage and packing. Available only from
Pete Stanley, 15 Torriano Ave, London NW5 2SN.
UP AND KICKING with Peter Sumner and his
band Cats Whisker. Cassette of originals (reviewed
in BB155). Lentney House, Longlands Drive,
Heybrook Bay, Plymouth, PL9 0BL. £5 (inc. p & p)
BANJOVI REVIVAL HAVE NOW CUT THEIR
THIRD CD BANJOVI REVIVAL 10 YEARS ON.
As in previous years every penny we make will go
to charity. Anyone interested please contact Pauline
Gibson, 90 Straight Bit, Flackwell Heath, High
Wycombe, Bucks. HP10 9NA. All proceeds go to
charity.
HOWARD SHEPHERD’S LATEST available on
cassette and CD (plec banjo with guitar and double
bass), with Cherokee, When Day is Done, Czardas,
Tiger Rag, William Tell Overture, etc. £8 (includes
postage and packing). Cheques to M Dexter, 1
Meadow St, New Mills, High Peak, Derbyshire,
SK22 4AY
Triggs on Reser – the famous biodiscography is
available cheap to clear - £10 (includes P&P). Order
from Julian Vincent, Laburnum Cottage, 48 Frome
Road, BATH, BA2 2QB
The BANJOISTS’ BROADSHEET costs £5.00 for
8 issues (which lasts a bit more than a year) within
the UK, 13 Euros for the rest of Europe and £12 or
$20 in the rest of the World. Pay by any currency in
cash, but please, STERLING ONLY as cheque.
email delivery for half this price, or email copy in
addition to your postal copy at no extra charge. The
email copy is a .pdf file, so you can archive your
copies without taking up space. You need Adobe
Reader to view a .pdf file, but it is available free on
the Internet. Editorial address is Laburnum Cottage,
48 Frome Road, BATH, BA2 2QB tel 01225 835
076
mob 07941 933 901; email
j.f.v.vincent@bath.ac.uk
--==Wanted==-Does anyone in the Oldham area (Lancs) have any
information on Leslie Orme, banjoist and saxophone
player from many years ago? If so, please contact
Mike on 01663 743610