For the Love of Banjo Clark

Oh, I sure hope Nashphil hasn’t removed the download of this great tune.

One of the few songs I can actually play well on the mando is Old Joe Clark. (There’s a story about why we call it Old Jack Clark at my house, but, that’s another post entirely.) Anyway, I heard Darrell Scott perform this a few weeks ago and WHAT a GREAT song. If you know nothing about the banjo, suffice it to say it came across the pond as the banjar, a popular gourd instrument among African tradition bearers. The tune is actually a very old tune, but the words are not, and it attempts to tell the tale of our beloved banjo.

http://www.timobrien.net/livetracks/banjo_clark_2006-03-04.mp3

This version includes fiddler Casey Dreissen and bassist Dennis Crouch, in front of whom I embarrassed myself by dissing him, basically, when I met him last month because I didn’t connect the name DENNIS with CROUCH as in, you MORON, that’s DENNIS CROUCH. Ah, but again, another post for another time.

All I can say is, this time next Saturday night, I’m hoping against hope that the tribulations of Homework World and the insults suffered at the hands of many an unimportant, self-deluded, asshat will fall away long enough for me to enjoy a supreme show by Tim, Dennis, and Casey. Maybe if I show up with a case of Sierra Nevada Pale Ale, I’ll be forgiven my previous transgressions.

For you locals: Kent Stage, Saturday, April 8, 8 pm. If nothing else, come meet some of my family and friends, and watch me make a big fool of myself (even more than I have on this blog, I mean).