Mid-Mo Banjar | Banjo Rehab Center, Banjo Restoration

Jamming

Preserving and Celebrating

January 17, 2018

Affording some relief from bitter and unseasonably frigid weather inherited from gusting Arctic blasts, Missouri fans and Bluegrass musicians convened at a capital city hotel and its convention center last weekend to enjoy the annual Mid West convention of the Society for Preservation of Bluegrass Music of America. While the main auditorium hosted a roster of regional bands punctuated by awards ceremonies, Bluegrass pickers converged in the hotel`s cavernous lobby where spontaneous jam sessions erupted like springtime flowerbeds heralding the long-awaited end of an icy winter.

Curious hotel guests lingered about to investigate the spirited and spontaneous music. With some wonderment, one puzzled onlooker inquired what was the “Society for the Prevention of Bluegrass Music…” all about? The jammers politely paused and courteously clarified that the Society`s goal was the “Preservation” and celebration of the Bluegrass music genre. The listener returned, “Kinda like the Preservation Hall Jazz Band in New Orleans?” Smiles were exchanged.

In the face of inclement weather, folks from the Show-Me State devotedly invoke Mark Twain`s meteorological injunction, “If you don`t like the weather in Missouri, wait five minutes.” Twain lived much of his later years in Hartford, CT, and he is buried next to his wife in Elmira, NY. The actual quotation attributed to him is, ” If you don`t like the weather in New England, just wait a few minutes.” Twain was a professed banjophile.

MarkTwain-banjo

A requisite five minute wait notwithstanding, promptly after Missouri`s all ready frosty weekend temperatures in the teens, the thermometer plummeted to below zero in the subsequent glacial and snowy days.

P.S. Check-out the “5 string BRC open back `Fleur-de-lis` banjo” on eBay Jan.14-21.

Cell Perches & HVO

A Key to Life

January 2, 2018

Some people are plagued to identify existential meaning in their mundane lives by asking themselves questions. Bluegrass musicians are plagued at jam sessions to identify the key in which the next tune will be played by asking themselves questions like: Is a capo needed? Did I remember to bring a capo? Does anyone have an extra capo to lend? What are the words of the group chorus of this number? As pickers re-tune their instruments (an endless tyranny of the banjo) and chat between songs, there is a background tide of noise through which the title, tempo, and key of the next number must be announced. To penetrate these subtle but competing distractions, the song leader will typically designate the key of the tune and append it with a monosyllabic word to reenforce that letter of the alphabet like a military call letter ( Alpha, Bravo, Charley, etc.). Hence, the Key of D major would be proclaimed as “D-dog.” Over the years, the BRC founder`s band has evolved its unique and fun-filled musical key identifying system:

A- artistically, or alternately, “the Canadian key of Aye?” More recently, aardvark.

D- Django

C- Chopin

G- gnu or sometimes, “The gnarled gnome gnashed its teeth at the gnat-covered gnu.”

B major- Beethoven, Brahms, or Bach (the choice is yours…)

B flat- Bartok (your choice again, but alternates like ` Bluegrass` are ok)

The keystone to successfully establishing the key signature of an upcoming tune in a jam session is by keeping your fellow musicians keenly keyed into to the key of the song by whatever system works for you and your picking`pals.

Above are cross streets signs that one might encounter on a wintry stroll only a block from the BRC workshop and its keepsake Vega Martin Banjo Info archives. The BRC wishes all its faithful readers the Very Best in 2018!

G&F Singers

A Decade of Yuletide Cheer

December 20, 2017

For the last ten years, the BRC founder`s band and singing group have enjoyed providing festive Holiday sing-alongs for patients at the Children`s Hospital and at the University Hospital`s psychiatric center. The G&F Singers performed this week in the pediatric ward playroom where familiar tunes like “Rudolf the Red Nose Reindeer” and “Santa Claus is Coming to Town” were shared with patients and families. We always bring gifts of holiday-decorated surgeon`s caps sewn by our nurses for the kids and siblings. FullSizeRender

The adult psychiatric in-patients were entertained last week in the center`s activity room. At the end of the performance, we sang “White Christmas” for them as they headed back to their ward. Gainor & Friends then paused for intermission and a group photo by the staff. When the children in-patients subsequently arrived for their songfest, our musicians welcomed them with a jazzy instrumental version of “Greensleeves.” The kids promptly joined us singing Yuletide standards including the ever favorite “Jingle Bell Rock.”

The G&F band members and singers are grateful for the privilege to entertain these special audiences at Holiday time over the last decade. The BRC founder thanks these skilled musicians and vocalists for their Seasonal spirit and year round generosity.

Art Shows

A Ribbon and Thanks

November 17, 2017

Intent upon introducing his newest grandchild early to the finer things in our world, the BRC founder transported the infant in a marsupial baby carrier to the opening reception of a seasonal community art exhibit. The juried show was adjucated by a judge from the art department of a St. Louis university. At the awards ceremony, the little tike and his grandfather were delightfully astonished to discover that granddad`s “Ozark Rose Mallow` banjo, which had been quietly entered into the competition, had garnered a colorful Honorable Mention ribbon.

The open back instrument had been hung by the front window of the exhibit hall adjacent to a seaside oil painting and overlooking a nook where a jazz duo softly played background music for the milling patrons. FullSizeRender (58)

The Mayor of our fine city and his lovely wife graciously posed for a photo by the banjo with the BRC founder and his dozing grandchild while a fellow musician looked-on.

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With Thanksgiving only days away, check-out the below video link for a note of appreciation to a special group of Bluegrass pickers as compiled by a journalism student from a nearby campus. The BRC workshop wishes all blessings to our faithful readership this holiday of Thanks.

Antique Banjos

Sears and Roebuck catalogue banjo

November 3, 2017

From 1893 to 1901, the Sears and Roebuck Company contracted with S.S. Stewart Co. of Philadelphia to build banjos for sale as the `Acme` brand via catalogue marketing. Most but not all of these instruments bore the `Acme` label, and a few had incidental `S.S. Stewart’ markings. Some banjos were unmarked but clearly an S.S. Stewart product, although the Bay State and Luscomb manufacturers made strikingly similar designs in that era probably in response to buyer preference. IMG_5332 - Version 3

One such unmarked but well-crafted 5 stringer appeared for repairs in the BRC workshop this autumn. The tip of the peg head of this high-end instrument had a subtle absent white mother of pearl diamond amidst a cluster of 4 intact inlays.

Two yellow abalone inlays (arrows) were missing from the upper fretboard`s elaborately engraved wreath and wire floral pattern, and small wood chips were fractured off the neck- pot junction area.

The spun over rim, brackets, and talon tailpiece had a soft golden hue suggesting an unplated brass alloy, and the heel of the neck was festooned with handsome wood carvings.

The color tone of the inlays had aged significantly over the last century, and newly installed white mother of pearl was at least a half-tone different from the native peg head inlay.

A similar yellow abalone to somewhat match the discolored fretboard decorations was hard to locate but eventually obtained from a shop in Taiwan.

The neck had no truss rod and about a 5 degree forward bend to it. The inlay pattern and wood defects were patched-up gently because the wood was so dried-up and fragile that it was prone to crumble.