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"The Sucarnochee Revue Presents" MISSISSIPPI CHRIS SHARP AND THE JANG-A-LANG STRING BAND Available at: and just about any record store on the planet, but try CD BABY, FIRST!
Above photo courtesy of Wayne Rawson. ©2006 Wayne Rawson
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These items were all moved from the Home Page!!! __________________________________ LATEST NEWS!! THIS JUST IN!!!! Happy New Year!!! 1/4/08 Computer troubles, misplaced software, busy at work, in the studio, a new record coming out, and experiments with MYSPACE have all meant that I have neglected my website. When I had computer troubles and had to reload WINDOWS, I misplaced my copy of Front Page, which I use to publish the web site. I found it last weekend, and and now back up and running. The first thing I am doing is publishing the latest installment of A MIGHTY EVENT. Thanks to all of you who have e-mailed me to ask about the latest installment. Ol' Professor Pat needs to get busy now and finish this saga, which is drawing to its mighty climax. November 3, 2007 - Off with Larry Wallace and the LARRY WALLACE BAND to play at the PARDON JOHNNY CASH festival in Starkville, Mississippi. Big show with Marty Stuart on the bill as well. Come on down!
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 6, 2007 - - LIVE PERFORMANCE IN WATER VALLEY, MISSISSIPPI. SHOWTIME 6:00PM. Downtown next to the Casey Jones Museum. 10/1/07 Thanks to Larry Wallace for asking me to fill in with THE LARRY WALLACE BAND last Friday night (Sept. 28) I enjoyed the trip down to Richton, Mississippi to play with Larry, Lyle, Sparky and Cory at Richton's famous PECAN FESTIVAL. It was great to be picked up at my door, delivered to the gig, get out, tune up, play the music, and be delivered back to my door. 9/21/07 - HENRI'S NOTIONS was a guest on the Sucarnochee Revue tonight. What a delightful CELTIC band. I love it when someone hits the stage and just takes over! They put it in there. If you haven't heard them, be sure to go when you get a chance! Visit their website http://www.henrisnotions.com/
8/25/07: Last night's Sucarnochee Revue was the best ever. A large crowd and tremendous music from:
I'm waiting on photographs from the show from Carrie Sharp to post on this page. As soon as I collect more information on the rest of the show performers, I will post it here.
Track 45 at left. Click on the photo to visit their MYSPACE page.
8/18/07 - NASH STREET visited Stump Whipped Studio at Timberview Lodge for the recording of an original song written by members o this young, exciting group. It was HOT in the studio, but Hannah, Caroline, Daniel and Jason are real pros, working hard all day to get just the right sound. Sorry, but I didn't take any photos. Look for a release of their new record soon!! Thanks to all these hard working young people for their professional attitude and their dedication to their music. Thanks, also, to Cindy Melby. 8/6/07 Thanks to Jenny Anderson for the photos shown below. Senator Videt Carmichael hosted his own mighty event on August 6, 2007. Performing at Meridian's Bonita Lakes Park was Doug Anderson, Jeffrey Moffett, Leslie Scott, Mike Compton, David Grier, and yours truly, Mississippi Chris Sharp. Everyone enjoyed Free Catfish and good music.
Photos ©2007 Jenny Anderson From Left: Mike Compton; Mike Compton, Mississippi Chris, David Grier; Mike, Chris; Doug Anderson, Jerrfey Moffett, Leslie Scott, Chris; Doug Anderson, Videt Carmichael, Mike Compton. Thanks to Joe Newmann, Jessie and Jack Gurner, and all our friends in Water Valley for a good time! We enjoyed playing there. Water Valley Chamber of Commerce President, Joe Newmann helped to establish the Friday night Summer Concert Series, designed to provide entertainment to the citizens of Water Valley. We were very pleased to close out the season by being part of the series. Thanks to all our friends who came out to see us, including Snooky Williams, Dave and Stevi Woolworth, and Andy Hall. We were treated like kings and appreciated the great turn-out and music loving crowd. The following photos were taken by Jack Gurner, a professional photographer in Water Valley. Thanks, Jack, for your permission to use these photos here. All the photos shown are ©2007 Jack Gurner. Please visit Jack's website at www.gurnerphoto.com or go to the COOL LINKS page shown at the left for a link to his website.
6/6/07 Hello fans and friends!!! Daughter Piper delivered a beautiful baby girl yesterday, Olivia Alayne. She weighed in at 7lbs. 3 oz. Mother and daughter are doing fine. Granddaddy is proud to post this photo.
Don't those long fingers make that baby look like a future fiddle player??
Pat Flory is steadily writing new episodes of A MIGHTY EVENT. I'm trying to let him catch up a bit before publishing mroe!! R.E. Huffmaster and I made a trip to Russellville, Alabama, Saturday May 19, to the home of Andy and Theresa Martin for an old-fashioned pickin' party. We had a great time. Thanks to Andy and Theresa for being such gracious hosts. They have a beautiful home and fretted like mother-hens looking after their guests. The pulled pork barbeque was great, and those Hello-Dolly treats, well, lets just say that I sure had my share (and perhaps some other folks', too . . . but my sweet tooth just kicked into overdrive.) I finally got to meet the great Rual Yarbrough. As a student of Bill Monroe, it is always great to add another influential Bluegrass Boy to my list of acquaintances. I enjoyed picking with Rual and his friend. They sang many great duets. Also picking with us was my friend Eric Mashburn, a fine banjo player and singer, and apparently all-around good-fellow, who hails from Hartselle, Alabama, where he is a family practice physician. I enjoyed meeting and picking with Hugh Banks, who is a phenomenal guitar player. Hugh's finger-picking style THUMPS! I also enjoyed the mandolin playing of Rick Hall of Muscle Shoals, Alabama. Rick was very interesting to talk to, and his stories of his years in the music business are fascinating. It was a real treat to get to meet Rick. While we had such a good time, it certainly was a long drive home! Thanks, Andy, for offering us a place to stay. I had a delightful time. Below are some photos, courtesy of Eric Mashburn. I am expecting some more photos from Andy and perhaps a few other folks. Drop back from time-to-time.
From left: Host Andy Martin, Eric Mashburn, me, Rick Hall, Raymond Huffmaster, Hugh Banks.
From Left: Eric Mashburn, Rual Yarbrough, and me!
Ol' Mississippi Chris and Eric Mashburn.
Thanks to John Hotze at www.johnjartford.org for pointing me to Keith Dudding at KDHX (www.kdhx.org) St. Louis. Thanks, Keith, for the laugh in the e-mal. The CD is on the way, along with a couple of SUCARNOCHEE REVUE shows for your listening enjoyment! I've received a few e-mails from folks wanting the words to "FLAT LAND BLUES." Thanks to all you folks who like this song. If you notice a difference in the words posted here and those on the CD, the words posted here are correct. The CD is a live recording, and has all the glorious spontaneity of live music, with all its inherent risks, which include but are not limited to the composer botching the lyrics of his own song . . . and loving live music like I do, I would not change a thing! Thanks, again! FLAT LAND BLUES ©2002 J. Christopher Sharp/Stump Whipped Music/ASCAP The blues are like these redbugs they get up under your skin just when you think you've whipped them they fester up again but don't go telling me about that high and lonesome sound the blues went to the mountains but they surely came back down
I've got the flat land blues here this morning it's the Mississippi good old-fashioned kind got the hound-dog bark good-Lord it's dark heavy on my mind the Mississippi good old-fashioned kind
They say that on a mountain the living's mighty thin over these delta field's high cotton that we're picking in but don't go telling me about these fertile soils so fine 'cause I'm sweatin' and I'm pickin' and it ain't none of mine
I've got the flat land blues here this morning it's the Mississippi good old-fashioned kind got the hound-dog bark good-Lord it's dark heavy on my mind the Mississippi good old-fashioned kind
I'd rather be drinking some mountain dew and picking my old banjo than sweatin' in this cotton field dragging this sack from row to row
've got the flat land blues here this morning it's the Mississippi good old-fashioned kind got the hound-dog bark good-Lord it's dark heavy on my mind the Mississippi good old-fashioned kind Chapter 41 of A MIGHTY EVENT is now published. GOING FISHIN' Video. Produced by Allen Delk. Shot at Old Waverly Country Club. Thanks Allen for providing me with this video. See the GOING FISHIN' VIDEO - - HERE - - You may need the QUICKTIME plug-in to view this. This video is ©2007 Allen Delk, Luxapalila Records.
Some Photos of recent events:
From left - - Photo1: Col. Thomas B. Vaughn and Augie at the Sucarnochee; Photo2: Ed Dye in Columbus, MS; Photo3: Chris, Margie, Enoch, and Ed backstage at the Sucarnochee; Photo4: four very important women; Photo5: Diane, Chris, Debbie, Bryan; Photo6: AJ, Blanche and Chris; Photo7: Daniel Sharp, Mississippi Chris Sharp, David Lauderdale after a recent session; Photo8: a recent visitor to Stump Whipped Studio; Photo9: at a recent party; Photo10: A lucky man and six pretty girls! The new CD is being received well across the country. A couple of initial reviews are in. It is now posted with all the record retailers. Tomorrow is the official release date. It is being distributed by Allegro Music. Thanks to Pat Flory for his MIGHTY VISIT . Professor Flory and I had a great time, and enjoyed some wonderful music. Mississippi Chris Sharp's BRAND NEW CD . . . The Sucarnochee Revue Presents Mississippi Chris Sharp and the Jang-A-Lang String Band is HERE!!! Get yours now!
Avialable now! Get yours shipped today! Send $17.00 to ($15.00 plus $2.00 Shipping and Handling) to Stump Whipped Music, 11703 Firetower Road, Porterville, MS 39352, or if you have a PayPal account, email me at missippichris@yahoo.com for the PayPal address . . . Mississippi Chris Sharp - - Live from the Sucarnochee Revue
"Mississippi Chris Sharp is a musician's musician. With
the Jang-A-Langs, he has invented a new, and highly enjoyable genre. I value
Chris as a friend, and admire him greatly as an Artist."
Mississippi Chris Sharp – Lead Vocals, Rhythm Guitar. The Jang-A-Lang Strang Thang:
Thanks to Jacky Jack White for the vision and determination to produce a show like The Sucarnochee Revue, which gives so many of us musicians a place for our voices to be heard. Thanks to Augie, Clint and Bryan for their commitment to this music; they give so much of themselves. A special thanks to Cousin Ed Dye for his long-time mentoring in the art of performance; I am humbled in his presence and forever blessed by his friendship. Thanks to my long time friend Butch Robins who has inspired more music in me than anyone else; a journeyman musician without peer who chose to play the banjo . . . my life has not been the same. Thanks to Murray Krugman who was able to hear in this something that pleased his ear. Thanks to R.E. Huffmaster, Avil Linton, Jetson Neal, Bob Fowler, Mike Compton, John and Lynn Hedgecoth, Linda Ward, and Gene Bush for their musical instructions and occasional reprimands. Thanks to my mother, my wife Debbie, Canaan, and Piper. Thanks, foremost, to a kind and benevolent providence whose influence and direction cannot be measured. My cup runneth over. December, 2006. Recording and Technical Information:
NEXT SUCARNOCHEE REVUE: APRIL 20, 2007! Y'all Come!!!
Thanks to all of you who share your photographs with me so I can publish them here. Photographs are a big part of this website. New Photos from the SUCARNOCHEE REVUE! If you are a fan of the great Rock Killough as I am, you will enjoy these photographs from Rock's appearance on the show. What a great songwriter and performer!
Some other photos from the January show:
From Left: Sucarnochee Revue Audio Engineer, Kenny Suire of Kabana Productions; Jacky-Jack White and Kenny; Friends and extraordinary musicians Neil Yarbrough and Steve Smithson. And thanks to Eva Herod for the following photos from The Larry Wallace Band CD release party at Hal and Mal's in Jackson, Mississippi on January 6. At left, below, is Larry and Mississippi Chris; the next photo - Larry presents plaques to all those who participated in the project. From left: Huffy Huffmaster; Lyle Meador; Raymond Huffmaster; Jim Brock, Sr.; Mississippi Chris Sharp; Cory Burton; Larry Wallace; Alan Sibley.
Lots of news but no time to report it all. Here's a few highlights with more details to come! First things first!
THIS JUST IN!! SPECIAL NEWS! The Larry Wallace Band CD Release Party at Hal and Mal's in Jackson, Mississippi. Saturday, January 6, 2007 was the date for the Larry Wallace Band's CD release party at Hal and Mal's in Jackson. As part of the project, I was invited to attend, along with Raymond Huffy Huffmaster. Long-time friend and mandolinist with the band, Lyle Meador met me at Raymond's house that afternoon and we all rode together to Jackson. What a time we had!
Thanks to Larry and Barbara for being such gracious hosts at the party. Prior to the actual event, they hosted a dinner, and the SEAFOOD BISQUE at Hal and Mal's was delightful! Attending the meal were, Larry and Barbara Wallace, the boys in the band (Alan Sibley, Cory Burton, and Lyle Meador), legendary fiddler Jim Brock, Sr., Raymond Huffmaster, Huffy Huffmaster, Leslie Burton (Cory's bride and the album photographer), and Arliss and Eva Herrod. We passed a good time at the dinner.
Later,
Bill introduced Larry and the band, and the new CD, and the band proceeded to
tear the roof off the place with some of the most driving Bluegrass I've ever
heard. After a couple of songs, Larry introduced all the people
I had a great time! Thanks, Larry and Barbara. Best wishes on the success of this project. May it be well received where you had hoped it would be, and even better, in those places you never thought !!! Visit the ARCHIVE link on this page to find out more about the recording of this project, which was handled by yours truly at my STUMP WHIPPED STUDIO as Timberview Lodge in Porterville, Mississippi!
If you took photos of this event and want to share them here, please forward them to me at missippichris@yahoo.com and I will post them with credit.
Please visit Larry's website at
www.larrywallaceband.com
By the way . . . Bill Ellison has a copy of ONE OF THESE DAYS. Look forward to hearing some tunes from it on GRASS ROOTS! Thanks, Bill, for making sure that visitors to the Bluegrass Cabin get to hear some homegrown music.
AND NOW FOR SOMETHING COMPLETELY DIFFERENT . . .
For you folks interested, I am a frequent and happy
visitor to the BANJO
HANGOUT. It is my favorite virtual clubhouse! I have edited my profile so
that non-members may view it. There is a nearly a whole CD of music you can
download there if you'd like.
Here's the link to my profile page. Once
Episode 25 and 26 of A MIGHTY EVENT are posted for your reading pleasure! SPECIAL EVENT: THE LARRY WALLACE BAND CD RELEASE PARTY, JANUARY 6, 2007, at HAL and Mal's in Jackson, Mississippi!!!!!! 12/05/06 Since I'm so delinquent in posting new episodes of A MIGHTY EVENT, I've gone ahead and posted episodes 22 AND 23 for your reading pleasure. My thanks go to Pat Flory for allowing me to publish this enjoyable story here! If you read it . . .
be sure and let Pat know! My friend, M. Wayne Stanton - Tuscaloosa, Alabama
One of my long-time and very best friends, Wayne Stanton, has his website up and running. Wayne is one of the top violin luthiers in the country, some say in the world. I do not think this is an exaggeration and hereby give my unqualified endorsement. Please visit Wayne at http://www.mwstanton.the-improvisor.com/ Wayne has shown me broken bows he has repaired, handed me a loupe, told me exactly where the repair was, and I STILL COULD NOT SEE IT!!!! He is one of the last of the true, old-world type craftsmen. An interesting story about Wayne: He makes violins which are very much in demand by players. Though he has made them for decades, you cannot go to his shop and see examples of his work, BECAUSE HE DOES NOT HAVE ANY IN HIS POSSESSION! Why?? He sells them as fast as he chooses to make them. I have known other violin makers who can show you, at any moment, dozens of their lovingly handcrafted violins, some of which have been in their possession for decades since their manufacture. Wayne is unable to do that. He may still have the latest one he made in his possession, but that is never for long. Think about that for a minute, please! Also, Wayne's bow's are recognized around the globe. His bows are preferred by the most discriminating player, and the bow is just about the most personal part of a violin outfit. New bows, custom bows, and bow re-hair and repair - that's Wayne Stanton! Congratulations, Wayne, on getting your website going! You're a true friend and one of the people I admire most. Excellence is so hard to find in this world, yet you display it in everything you choose to do, and also demand it of your friends and associates. We should all expect excellence from each other. Thanks!!!!!! Some MP3 audio files recorded live at Larry Wallace's Festival in McCall Creek, Mississippi on 11/4/06. Thanks to Huffy Huffmaster for these recordings. Luckiest Man T'was Born Bye Bye Birdie Sally Goodin-Grey Eagle Here's a little history on the above songs: The LUCKIEST MAN T'WAS BORN is a song I wrote that Mike Bub, musician extraodinaire, liked and sang as his feature number with the Del McCoury Band. Mike is still singing this song on various shows that he does. He does a great job with it and I am proud to have it well received by audiences all over the country. BYE BYE BIRDIE is a song I wrote about 15 years ago. I wrote it for my daughter but never sang it, because I suppose I was saving it for he right time. It's the right time now, since she's getting married November 25, 2006. Folks have really seemed to like this song. Hope you do, too! Piper, this is for you. SALLY GOODIN/GREY EAGLE - I never get tired of hearing Butch Robins just tear this song up! I've got it posted here from different venues, but here it is again. What a banjo player!!! ___________________________________________________________________________________
11/06/06 Thanks to Larry and Barbara Wallace for hosting such a great show at Larry's
McCall Creek Bluegrass Festival. The show was held last weekend, November 2-4,
2006. The folks turn out for Larry in his hometown of McCall Creek, near
Brookhaven, Mississippi. It was great to see so many friends and great
musicians, some I had not seen in years, among
Larry got me and Raymond Huffmaster and Huffy Huffmaster up on stage to do
his recently released
Butch Robins came down and performed a two-hour presentation on the origin and development of bluegrass music, and then played two shows with Jang-A-Lang. We were well received and appreciate all the kindness and hospitality we received at the hands of this very enthusiastic crowd. Thanks to Mary LaRosa for sending me these pictures she took at McCall Creek.
Here's a photo snapped by an anonymous photographer at Taylor Grocery last summer. You know who you are . . . Thanks!!
Mike Bub, Matt Combs, David Long and Me at IBMA in 2005. Thanks Linda Kattuah, for taking this photograph and allowing me to use it here!
NASHVILLE MANDOLIN
ENSEMBLE PERFORMANCE: Last night,
October 26, 2007 saw my friends come to the Bibb-Graves Auditorium at the
University of West Alabama. The Nashville Mandolin Ensemble put on a stellar
performance for the students and other attendees in the acoustically superior
auditorium. Long-time friends Butch Baldassari (Mandolin), Matt Combs (Mandolin
and Fiddle), Van Manakis (Guitar), Walter Carter (Mandola), John Hedgecoth
John Hedgecoth (left) and his wife Lynn have been my close friends for nearly 30 years. It was great to see them so close to my home. I hope they come back this way, soon!
From Left: Matt Combs, John Hedgecoth, Van Manakis, Walter Carter, Butch Baldassari, the Ensemble, and the Ensemble again. Make no mistake about it, every one of these guys are power hitters and this was no bush league performance. What WAS bush league last night was the behavior of a significant portion of the audience. Some of this wonderful music was wasted on an ill-mannered, unappreciative freshman Music Appreciation class that was required to attend the show as part of their class work. Thank goodness that nearly ALL of those boorish, poorly behaved persons left during the intermission. I never saw so many conversations being held across THREE rows, out loud, and the glow in the theatre from the cell phone screens open for the constant text messages they were sending was nearly as bright as the stage lights. I think that these students clearly showed their ignorance of proper public, show etiquette and they are in dire need of the education that will be provided to them through the music appreciation class they are being required to take. What Clods!!! What disrespect shown by a group of people who do not like to be "dissed" themselves. I'm sure the Music Appreciation has had a long talk with his class, and instructed them on just how rude and disrespectful their behavior was, at least, I sure HOPE he does. I hope they are embarrassed. I hope they are remorseful. I hope they are ashamed. If so, then maybe a kind providence will lead them gracefully to more respect than they have shown to others. If not, then perhaps this same dis-respect will come back around, be bitter in their mouth and wormwood in their stomach. The Ensemble, being the true professionals they are, handled this with great restraint and grace. They played, played, and continued to play for the sheer joy of the music. I enjoyed every note I heard issue from every instrument the entire evening. Here's a link where you can learn more about this group and their delightful music: http://soundartrecordings.com/nme.shtml Way to go, fellas!!!! Thursday, October 19, 2006 - Clint, Augie and I accompanied Allen Delk (we're known as the LBOBs when we play with Allen) at the USGA Womens PRO-AM Tournament at Old Waverly Country Club in West Point, Mississippi. We had a fine time enjoying all the festivities at Old Waverly, whichis a fabulous place. We enjoyed backing up Mississippi State University President, Dr. Robert Fogelsong, as he led the crowd in a spirited version of MAGARITAVILLE. No one has to worry about Dr. Fogelsong's timing . . . he knows when to come in! Thanks to Rosemary, Mr. George Bryan, and Allen Delk for having us entertain their guests at Old Waverly. I should have some photos in a few days. Friday, Oct. 20, 2006 - I just keep on being amazed at the level of talent scouted by Jacky Jack White for each Sucarnochee Revue. Each show is better then the last. This show featured Joyce Shearer; our FOH sound engineer, Kenny Suire; legendary guitarist Wayne Gray, who played for Tex Ritter and Johnny Cash, among others, and is credited by Jimmy Page with influencing his use of the violin bow on the guitar; duet Mike Brown and Belinda Cross; singer-songwriter Ken Hart, 45 South, or the Johnson kids as we know them; and show regulars J. Burton Fuller, Britt Gully, our host Jacky Jack White, and of course, me and the Jang-A-Langs. We played to a full house who enjoyed themselves. Thanks to Tony Holt, Kenny Suire, and Bobby Martin for all their hard work. A very special and great big thank you to Mrs. Mary Dean Fuller for all the good things to eat in the Green Room. If anyone took any photos at this show, send them to me and I'll post them here, along with the proper credit, of course. The next Sucarnochee Revue is in January. I do not know the date yet. 10/09/06 -Back from the big Eastern tour! We made it safely back from St. Simons Island, but not without a few adventures along the way. A blow-out as we neared Selma, Alabama caused us to make a stop there. There's lots of tire places in Selma, but only one that had tires in stock and someone to install them. Thanks, Kevin, for fixing us up! We stopped in Red Rock, Georgia, for a visit with Clint's family, Royce and Jo Jordan. It was nice to see where Clint got his charm and talent. Thanks, Royce and Jo, for your hospitality while we visited your home. On to St. Simons Island. Our gracious hosts, Buddy and Kathy Rice put us in a condo on the beach at the Shipwatch Condominiums. What a nice place! We played the gig on Friday night at the Village Creek Landing on Sea Island. The Landing was on a point out in the marsh. We enjoyed watching the tide come in, and particularly enjoyed Norma's delightful Key Lime Pie, made the old-fashioned way. Thanks, Norma. Thanks also to Buddy and Kathy Rice, and Kelly and Phillip, and the entire party for making us feel so welcome. We certainly enjoyed entertaining your guests. Buddy taught us a couple of clever sayings which were adopted by members of the band who used them continuously on the way home. Good luck Kelly and Phillip!!! It was also good to see Jay, from Baton Rouge, who is one of our biggest fans. He said to be sure and quote him, "Geaux Tigers!"
10/3/06 Jang-A-Lang is off to St. Simons Island, Georgia to entertain at a private party on the beach this weekend. Wish us bon voyage. Augie, Clint, Cousin Ed and myself are cutting out of East Mississippi on Thursday morning, October 5! As we travel, if you are along our way, we might stop in for a visit (just about supper time . . .!) Friday, Sept. 22, 2006 - The Sucarnochee Revue was a great success. We were fortunate to have a large crowd of enthusiastic student on hand. Guests included Danny and Danielle Buckalew, Father Rick Losch, Scott McQuaig, The Psalms Trio, Manley Blackwell, Bruce Nemerov, aka Professor Zeno, along with show regulars Britt Gully, J. Burton Fuller, our host, Jacky Jack White, and of course Mississippi Chris and Jang--Lang. More, later!! Saturday, September 23 - Threatening rain did not stop the pre-game festivities in the Grove at Ole Miss, Saturday. The rain held off until kick-off time, when the bottom dropped out. The game was delayed due to lightning and when it finally got underway, it was a big disappointment for the Ole Miss fans. Hotty-Toddy, anyway! Due to the inclement weather, and the dismal performance of the Rebels, we had a large crowd at Taylor Grocery. On hand to play music for the people were Cousin Ed, Augie Joachim, Bryan Hayes, Clint Jordan, and sitting in with us was our friend Professor Zeno (Bruce Nemerov) and Doug Anderson. Doug, having recently moved to Water Valley, Mississippi was on hand due to a gig that was cancelled in Louisiana. Mutual friend Doug Webb, who had come to Taylor with his wife to enjoy the always excellent food, asked called up Doug and told him we were playing. Ten minutes later, in came Doug, who sat in with us for he rest of the night and did some fine mandolin picking. Thanks, Doug, for sitting in with us. We had a great time and continued playing even after the everyone else had gone home, with Doug burning up such Bill Monroe tunes as SOUTHERN FLAVOR and GET UP JOHN.
Aside: This doesn't have anything to do with music, but my good friend Richard Harris owns a grocery store in Lauderdale, Mississippi. Last Wednesday, May 10, we had some extremely violent thunderstorms. Immediately after one had passed through, I was in Lauderdale to be able to take this photo as the sun peeked it's head out from the clouds for a brief moment before it set and another thunderstorm moved in. A serene setting . . . the calm after the storm. But, this was just before the next wave of storms rolled through. I hope you like it. Richard Harris has been a friend of my family for many years. He serves up good food, and has the best fresh meat anywhere!
____________________________________________________ All photos are ©2006 J. Christopher Sharp Riverboat Song, Gotta Keep On Moving Blues, Rooster Town, and I'm Going Fishing are ©2000-2006 J. Christopher Sharp/Stump Whipped Music/ASCAP/All Rights Reserved
09/12/06 THE LARRY WALLACE BAND
If you want to see right-smart a pile of ribs, tater salad, baked beans,
Texas toast, and sweet tea disappear quick, just set a mess of them down in
front of these boys and stand back! I cooked the ribs, and my gracious and
wonderful bride, Debbie, did the rest. The next evening, she laid out a spread
of sandwich meats and trimmings for a hungry bunch of tired musicians who had
not ea
The buzz is already started in some Bluegrass circles about this recording.
It seems that there has been some public anticipation about any recordings that
might be forthcoming from this band. Larry Wallace and Lyle Meador are both very
influential players at the top of their game . . . Add Jim Brock, Sr., to the
mix and you've got MORE than enough to please the most discriminating ears. I've
heard "retro" Bluegrass, which was designed to imitate, and I like it. This,
though, is not "retro" Bluegrass; It is simply the real stuff, performed by
seasoned entertainers who know what delivery is all about. Folks are anxious for
real-time-hard-driving Bluegrass that delivers the old-time punch. I am
satisfied that if that is what one is looking for, The Larry Wallace Band is the
place to find it! Thanks, Larry, for choosing me to help you with the recording of this project! Photos: Left side from top - Larry Wallace, Lyle Meador, Larry Wallace and Jim Brock, Sr. Right side from Top: Alan Sibley, Cory Burton, and the inimitable Raymond Huffmaster. Photos are ©2006 J. Christopher Sharp
08/02/06 Fiddling Pat Flory's spoof of the Bluegrass Festival experience, "A MIGHTY EVENT" is being published here in installments. This is an hilarious, farcical expose of the thoughts and motivations behind many festival attendees. Tune in on a regular basis for the publication of new installments. Thanks, Pat, for allowing me to publish this here. Click on the link bar "A Mighty Event" to the left to go to the page with the story! 7/17/06 Seems like all I'm reporting on is the Sucarnochee Revue these days, but there's lots to report. The 7/14/06 show was another great one, featuring our host, Jacky Jack White, and the outstanding songwriter, Wood Newton, who penned such songs as PRIVATE ANDREW MALONE and DADDY WENT TO HEAVEN IN A PICKUP TRUCK. Also on the show were regulars Britt Gully, Joyce Shearer, J. Burton Fuller, and yours truly with Jang-A-Lang. Other show guests were repeat guests Russell Gully; Scott McQuaig, one of my favorite singer/songwriters; and Karen Elmore, along with her husband John. Karen stole the show with her fabulous, soulful singing. When it's showtime, she really puts it in there!!! The Steve Watson Jazz Quartet was back by popular demand, and they featured Jodie Tartt White belting it out on a tune entitled SKYLARK. My mother, Betty Hopper, closed out the show playing the piano for us as the entire cast sand HOW GREAT THOU ART. I had lots of friends and family in attendance at the show, including John and Betty Hickman whom I had not seen for many years; my Aunt Anne and Uncle Sonny Johnson, their daughter and my much beloved cousin, Ava Barr, all of whom are precious and dear to me, and my brother Newt and his bride Dottie. Thanks to Brian Henson and his grandfather for attending. Of course, no function would be complete without Ike Hopper. Thanks, Ike, for all your support! Blues Harpist Paul Shoffner was there playing with Russell Gully, and I'm looking forward to some of the great photos that he took during the show. I'll post some here as soon as I receive them. Look for a new CD release, soon. MISSISSIPPI CHRIS AND THE JANG-A-LANG STRANG THANG: LIVE FROM THE SUCARNOCHEE REVUE is coming out right away. This recording is all live from the stage of the Sucarnochee Revue. Show 16, which is a compilation featuring Jang-A-Lang music only is now making it's way through the broadcast cycle. You can visit www.shadygroveradio.com and hear it webcast twice a day! Lots of thank you's: Grant Brown for your help and support. Kenny Suire, or KABANA PRODUCTIONS for doing such a great job on the sound, along with his cohorts Bobby Martin and Ricky Holcomb, Julian Tomay and Tony Holt, and all the sponsors of the Sucarnochee Revue. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 6/27/06 The Sucarnochee show on June 23 was a resounding success. There were lots of great performers on the show: Kasey Lansdale from Nacogdoches, TX; great songwriter George Teren from Nashville; Robbie Neal from Meridian, MS; Tony Lisenbee from Livingston, AL; writers Nan Graham, Ruth Watkins, Allen Brown, and Madeline Thurn; Jodie Tartt White from Livingston, AL; and Steve Watson and his jazz quartet from Meridian, MS were all putting it in there. The show also featured cast regulars J. Burton Fuller, Britt Gulley, Joyce Shearer, our host Jacky Jack White, and of course, Mississippi Chris and Jang-A-Lang. Jacky Jack was greatly assisted by the most excellent fiddler, Tom Morley, from Fairhope, Alabama. As many of you will remember, Tom is the fiddler with the celtic band, MITHRIL, which was a featured act on the Sucarnochee a few shows back. It was a great show. I hope to have a few sound clips up in a couple of days. A few things were different this time. I was called on to assist in the recording and front of house sound. I had excellent technical help from Tony Holt from Tuscaloosa, AL, a long time media engineer with Alabama Public Radio, and Julian Tomay, the A/V technical director for the University of West Alabama. We got an excellent recording and will be doing the post-production work for the broadcast edition of this show. The next broadcast show will be a special edition, featuring an entire broadcast show of Mississippi Chris and Jang-A-Lang. That should be quite exciting, at least it is to me, of having an entire show of original music from Jang-A-Lang. When you hear that show broadcast, the Jang-A-Lang regulars appearing with me are Cousin Ed Dye, Clint Jordan, Augie Joachim, Bryan Hayes and Butch Robins. Also helping out on a couple of songs are Jetson Neal and Terry Baker. If you cannot hear this show broadcast where you live, it is webcast at www.shadygroveradio.com twice a day. Visit Shady Grove Radio and our friend Kenny Laing for the station schedule and webcast times. My friend Jack A. Neal, a noted photographer, was in attendance supporting his nephew songwriter Robby Neal who was featured on the show. I noticed Jack taking some photographs. Perhaps he will send us a link in the near future so you can see photos from the show. I was far too busy this time to take any pictures. I had several friends and family members in the audience. Of course my mother and step-father were there, Ike and Betty Hopper. Also attending were my Brother and his wife, Newt and Dottie Sharp. My friend Lloyd Hutcherson was there I heard, but I missed seeing him. Thanks to Dr. Rick Young and his bride for attending. Rick is the president of East Mississippi Community College in Scooba, Mississippi. Also in the audience and doing the opening announcement for the show was friend and songwriter Colonel Thomas Vaughn, from McMinnville, Tennessee. Jacky Jack White is a great host. Thanks, Jacky Jack, for having the vision and drive to push this show along to success. And a great big THANK YOU to all the sponsors who provide the funding to make it happen: The University of West Alabama, The Sumter County Fine Arts Council, and Weyerhauser. Thanks to Augie, Canaan and Brandon for their help in all the SCHLEPPING, STEPPING and FETCHING. We all worked hard to pull this one off. BRAVO!!!! 6/6/06 Had a large time at Taylor Saturday night, June 3. Oxford was packed with the NCAA regional Baseball Tournament, which is still going on, today. Ole Miss was a winner Saturday and the crowd at Taylor was in a festive mood. Jang-A-Langing with me was the core band of Ed Dye, Clint Jordan, Augie Joachim and Bryan Hayes. We missed Butch Robins, who was attending the Midwest Banjo Camp in Lansing, Michigan, as one of the instructors. Uncle Butchie, you were missed!!! We had a thick crowd all night, and were pleased to see our friend Mr. Calfee. The music was a little stilted and stiff until about the third set, when Jang-A-Lang fell in a groove that would last the rest of the night. Thanks to J.W. and Betty Lou Jones and J.W.'s brother and sister-in-law for the kind words. The Jones' enjoyed their catfish and the music. Enjoy your week! 5/23/06 Here's those sound files I promised. All live from Taylor Grocery, some of these were recorded in March and others in May, 2006. Hope you like them! At various times, the band is Butch Robins on banjo, Clint Jordan on round neck resonator guitar, Bryan Hayes on guitar, Jetson Neal on mandolin, Wes Tabor on dobro, Ed Dye on dobro, Augie Joachim on bass, Piper Sharp (lead vocal on Across the Great Divide), and Mississippi Chris on vocals and rhythm guitar.
You banjo enthusiasts might want to download the Sally Goodin/Grey Eagle Medley. Butch Robins is absolutely burning the banjo up on that one. He is simply without peer when it comes to the banjo. A BIG TIME IN TAYLOR SATURDAY NIGHT!!!
First Photo: Bryan Hayes, Jetson Neal and Mississippi Chris belt one out! Second: Clint Jordan (Fleetus Digitus) lets fly on his Tennessee 10. Third: A suave and svelte Cousin Ed Dye shows off his new California Ninja outfit at Taylor Grocery Saturday night. All the Jang-A-Langers were so proud to to be there for his return. Mississippi Chris told Cousin Ed that the entire band would be simply crestfallen if Ed were not able to make this gig! Not wanting to be responsible for band-wide crestfall-age, Cousin Ed came early and stayed late, and was an inspiration to us all! Fourth: Butch Robins, Jetson Neal, Mississippi Chris Fifth: Butch Robins, Jetson Neal, Clint Jordan, Bryan Hayes, Ed Dye, Augie Joachim, Mississippi Chris, relaxing after the show. STAY TUNED: Sound clips to follow, soon!!!
5/4/06
HOT NEWS!!!
THE RETURN OF COUSIN ED!!!!
Come on Down to Taylor Grocery, Taylor, Mississippi, Saturday night, May 13 for a raucous time, graduation night at Ole Miss; celebrate with good music, good food, proud graduates, and even prouder parents (Got Junior graduated off, and those tuition and living expense bills are over!!!), and a huge dose and welcome back for COUSIN ED DYE, who is making his musical re-appearance after an extended sabbatical in California!!! It'll be pretty crowded at Taylor . . . expect to wait a while for a table, but sit outside and enjoy the music. We'll be playing inside AND OUTSIDE for the entertainment of the people!!! You can get the full Jang-A-Lang experience with Mississippi Chris, COUSIN ED DYE, Butch Robins, Clint Jordan, Bryan Hayes, and Augie Joachim!! COME ON DOWN TO TAYLOR, YOU'RE ALWAYS WELCOME HERE!!!! Showtime is 5:30PM . . .until???? If you want to eat, come early. If you want to stay and listen to the music, come late!!!!! If you can't make it, tune in on Monday for photos and a full update!! ED SAYS, "I'm glad to be home!" 4/18/06 Jackie Jack White, J. Burton Fuller and his bride Mary Dean and yours truly made a trip to the ancient and delightful city of Natchez, Mississippi yesterday, for a visit Under-the-Hill to the Steamboat THE DELTA QUEEN. We performed in a "guitar-pull" configuration, doing old country and original tunes. We were featured on "country night" for a group of bicycling couples traveling down the Mississippi to Baton Rouge. These couples would disembark at various ports of call with their TANDEM bicycles for rides and tours around the port cities. They certainly were having a good time. So were we! A usual, Jackie Jack was a charming and witty host. The affable J. Burton Fuller was his usual charming self. I was just glad to be there! It was delightful for me to entertain passengers on the Delta Queen. My love of Steamboats began when I first read Mark Twain's Life on the Mississippi and continues to this day. I first went aboard the DELTA QUEEN in 1977, when I was working on river tug THE MISS JULIE. We were fortunate enough to be fueling up the boat one day when steaming up comes the DELTA QUEEN. Of course, we had passed her, her sisters the MISSISSIPPI QUEEN and the NATCHEZ in the Mississippi river many times, thrilling to the sound of her steam whistle, or to the awkward grace of her calliope, but never had we been at port when a steamboat had pulled alongside to fuel up. A call from the Master of my boat to the Master of the DELTA QUEEN resulted in an invitation to come aboard, where we were shown the wheel house, the engine room, and all the things that were far more interesting to one who works on a boat than to the passengers who ride them for pleasure. My love for Steamboats also turned an already more than casual interest in the music of John Hartford into a passion. It was great to be able to play some of my original river songs for the crew of the Delta Queen, and some of John Hartford's river songs for them, too. The love of the boats, and John Hartford's music, is a special bond shared by all people who have spent time on the river. It was a wonderful time in my life. I cherish every hour I spent on the Mississippi river on a boat, and I had a delightful time once again being treated with royal courtesy aboard the DELTA QUEEN. Thanks to the entire crew for their courtesy and hospitality. Please visit the DELTA STEAMBOAT COMPANY website.
4/17/06 Thanks to Johnny Alford for having us at the East Central Mississippi Bluegrass Festival in Mathiston, Mississippi this past weekend! Lots of jamming under the shade trees, beautiful weather, lots of young musicians! Good to see Donnie Buckner, Larry Wallace and Barbara Wallace, Doug Anderson, Mike Godwin and Family, John Traweek, Sharon Fiveash, Scott Pinter, and Andy McCain. Lots of good pickin'! We Jang-A-Lang-ed until we were just beside ourselves. This performance was the last one on the books for the Grants Ferry Band, though it was pretty much Jang-A-Lang that had this event covered. There were some photos taken and I hope someone will send me some to post on the website. Wood College is a lovely campus with very nice facilities for hosting an event such as this. UPDATE!!!! For all you Banjo enthusiasts, and my friends at the BANJO HANGOUT! The order of the banjos is revealed!!!! See Below on the mp3 links. Identity of each banjo revealed on 4/17/06 Here's some fun for you. ROYCE, from the banjo hangout, posted a blind (or should I say DEAF?) test a couple of weeks ago, so we could all pick which banjo we thought was which brand. It was a lot of fun. I've posted recordings of me playing ROANOKE on seven different banjos. If you are a Banjo Hangout member, visit it and make your guesses as to which banjos you think are what. If you are not a member, visit www.banjohangout.org and join up. There's THREE pre-war Gibsons in this mix. Both RB-4's are original pre-war 5 string Mastertones. They are not conversions. Of course, one is a flathead and the other a ball bearing. The value of these banjos I used range from $500 to $150,000+. That's a lot of banjo horsepower in that list. They ALL sound good. Each has their own character and distinct sound personality. I have to admit that I was absolutely SICK of playing Roanoke before I got through with this yesterday. Read more about it HERE! These are all MP3 files.
3/31/06 Changing up the web site a bit. I don't have a CLUE about what I'm doing. Everything I seem to accomplish while building and modifying a web site can just vanish with one seemingly innocent click on the "publish" icon. Wish me luck! I've been getting lots of hits on the website. Thanks to all of you who visit here. We Jang-A-Lang-ed at Taylor Grocery last weekend (3-25-06) and had a great time. Jang-A-Lang-ing with me were Butch Robins, Clint Jordan, Augie Joachim, Wes Tabor and Bryan Hayes. We were sorry to learn that our host, the affable and delightful Lynn Hewlett was confined to home after recent back surgery. We wish for our friend Lynn a speedy recovery. Look for some sound files in the next few days from our gig at Taylor. Thanks to all our fans for turning out to see us. A special thanks to Frank Witherspoon and his family for their loyal support. Thanks to Big D, Sasha, Cindy, Kay, Susan, Bear and the gang for their hospitality. Tuesday evening (3/28/06) saw us on the campus of Mississippi College in Clinton, Mississippi, where we entertained for the annual student crawfish boil. Thanks to Bryan (who is a professor at MC) for setting up this event. It was well organized and EVERYONE seemed to enjoy themselves. The Crawfish were GREAT! Thanks, T-Beaux's! Sucarnochee Revue: 4/7/06. Y'all Come 2nd Annual Central Mississippi Bluegrass Festival, Mathiston, Mississippi, on the campus of Wood College, April 14 & 15 Good family entertainment. Y'all Come! Thanks for all your comments on "200 Dollar Pants." Several folks asked me to record the tune on my Crafter's of Tennessee MAPLE DELUXE, so they could hear the difference. I did that last night, and here it is. I'll post BOTH links again so they're easy to get to. The jury's still out on the Fostex VF160. Seems like it has a lot of artifacts that somewhat sully the recording, but then again, I just don't really know how to use it yet. Here you go: 200 Dollar Pants played on a Crafter's of Tennessee MAPLE DELUXE 200 Dollar Pants played on a Crafter's of Tennessee WALNUT DELUXE To my ear, the Maple sounds the best on a recording. There is something that happens on the ear, live, with the Walnut that makes me like it better, but today, the Maple definitely satisfies. I think the Maple has fewer overtones than the Walnut, which makes for a better recording. Of course, Maple has a characteristic sweetness when playing up the neck. But all in all, the Walnut's still got my vote and is my first choice; the one that I reach for nearly every time. They're both SUPERB banjos . . . thanks, Mark and the gang! 3/13/06 Been a little under the weather, lately. Thanks for all your calls and cards. I'm feeling much better now. I have been working on a banjo tune. While I was ill last week, had a chance to give her a basic record, along with guitar. It's called 200 Dollar Pants. It's an MP3 file. Hope you like it. Some info on the recording: Instruments: Crafter's of Tennessee Walnut Deluxe Banjo; medium gauge D'Addario strings, Scorpion banjo bridge, Bob Perry Cobalt picks. Guitar: 1939 Martin D-18. Recording: AT3035 microphone into Peavey VMP-1000 Tube Mic Preamp, into FOSTEX VF160 Digital Workstation. This is the first time I have used the FOSTEX recorder. It is very awkward, and I swear the Owner's manual is written in Greek. I've had this for several months but have never used it until yesterday. I admit that part of the awkwardness is because it is all new. The operation of this recorder is not nearl as intuitive as my AKAI DPS16, which was far easier to learn, and has less of a hard edge on the recording. I mixed this down to an Alesis Masterlink 9600 deck, and ripped the WAVE file to MP3 using a freeware program called CDEX. I think it would have sounded better using the AKAI, but I needed to learn how to use this FOSTEX unit. Still a lot to learn!! 200 Dollar Pants ©2006 J. Christopher Sharp/Stump Whipped Music/ ASCAP/All Rights Reserved. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I'll be changing a few things on the website, taking some of he older items cluttering up the home page to an "archive" link. Look to the left for the "ARCHIVE" button to see anything that was on this page that is now missing. If you have any links to anything that was here, you might want to update those links. Spring is here in Mississippi. Some strange weather patterns we experienced over the winter have diminished, and spring-like weather is here. It's been 80 degrees here within the last couple of days. I'm glad to see it. I'll be looking forward to April, when the inimitable Cousin Ed Dye returns from California. Thanks to Mike Compton for providing a link to my website from his. If you haven't been to Mike's site, or enjoyed reading his online journal, visit him here, or at http://www.mikecompton.net This is an excellent website created and maintained by Jim Richter at Richter Digital Media. The artistry of Mike Compton's music has no peer. Lightnin' Leon Williams visited at Stump Whipped Studios on February 25. Leon was full of new material he has written. We are looking forward to a doing a project together, starting now, and finishing ????? Look for it in the next few months. Here's a few photos you may find interesting.
Here's a few tunes recorded LIVE at Taylor Grocery in January, 2006. Hope you enjoy them. Lots of background noise, but the music is good. Riverboat Song Live from Taylor Grocery January 06 Indian Ate the Woodchuck Live from Taylor Grocery January 06 Sally Goodin Live from Taylor Grocery January 06 Flat Land Blues Live from Taylor Grocery January 06 All these files are MP3's. 2/22/06 Video of Mississippi Chris and Butch Robins on Butch's website! Butch and Chris are playing Chris' song "FRIEND" at the suite at the IBMA in Nashville back in October. Thanks to Butchrobins.net webmaster Jim Richter for getting this up and running and to friend and Jang-A-Lang co-conspirator Butch Robins for allowing it on his website. You'll need the latest version of Quick Time for this to play. Here it is -- FRIEND VIDEO Sucarnochee Revue last Friday, Feb. 17 - This was the best show ever. A full slate of professional talent excited the capacity crowd at Bibb-Graves auditorium on the campus of the University of West Alabama. The Celtic band MITHRAL, Sawyer Brown's Rockin' Bobby Randall, Joyce Shearer, Britt Gully, bluesman Russell Gully, bluesman Sam Moore, J. Burton Fuller, our host Jacky Jack White, and of course, Jang-A-Lang and others were puttin it in there for the crowd. Thanks to Jacky Jack for a great show. Thanks also to technical producer Barry Little with Nomad Productions, and his entire crew, for the excellent sound. Be sure to come to Livingston, Alabama for the next SUCARNOCHEE REVUE in April. INTERNATIONAL FOLK ALLIANCE, AUSTIN, TEXAS FEB 10, 11, and 12 RECAP: Mississippi Chris and Jang-A-Lang made a whirlwind trip to Austin to accompany Butch Robins at the International Folk Alliance Convention (IFA). The folks in Texas know good music, that's why they seemed to enjoy their Jang-A-Lang experience so much. While Jang-A-Lang and Uncle Butchie were playing in room 408, the great Johnny Gimble was playing next door. You never know who you will see in Texas. Later on, I was shocked and pleased to find myself standing next to Judy Collins. She didn't seem to recognize me!?!? [grin] The IFA went like this:
Each one of these showcases was a tremendous amount of fun for Uncle Butchie and the band. Thanks to Boulder Acoustic Society's Michelle, and the NashVegas Showpalace's Cynthia for being so hospitable. Thanks everyone for the Lone Stars, and the Old Chubb's. Thanks to Black Crow Booking's Alana Stewart for having all the details nailed down so all the band had to do was just show up and go to playing. Thanks to friends who are good travel companions. Thanks to local friends who were gracious and a joy to visit. Thanks to Austin for being a hospitable city. Thanks for cab drivers with a sense of humor. Thanks to the Bats who seemed pleased to stay put while I was there, and that was just fine with me. Thanks to the beautiful scenery in the Hill Country. Thanks to the River City Grille in Marble Falls, Texas, for that Smoked Sirloin I enjoyed so much. Thanks to Jack and Daye for being so courteous and supportive when I was a child and still being my friends now. Thanks to Jessie for her courtesy and charm, and for putting up with Bruce. Thanks to a kind heaven that let Bruce find such a good woman. Thanks to Bruce Tinnin for a lifetime of friendship and inspiration. Thanks to Butch Robins who shares his musical genius so freely. Just simply, Thanks. I enjoyed my trip to Marble Falls to visit at the home of Jack and Daye Tinnin. Sometimes a confused teenager needs all the help he can get. Jack and Daye always treated me like one of their family. For this I will always be grateful. Daye Lackey Tinnin is one of the most charming and beautiful Southern ladies I have ever met. Her every word, smile and gesture is filled with a grace as lovely as bluebonnets swaying in a warm April breeze. All the Lackey sisters are that way; it must be their Mississippi upbringing. It must be from soft words spoken in the middle of warm Mississippi nights. It must be from singings and dinners on the grounds. It must be from hands which gave blessings and mouths that offered words of encouragement. It must be from putting others first. It must be from all these things, but foremost, it must be from consciences which have been minded in such a way that the beauty that is on the inside manifests itself by washing away every hint of time and care so that grace and joy are all that's left to see. Claire and Betsy (those other Lackey sisters previously mentioned), I hope you get to read this, too. You all have been a blessing to me. I promised Bruce and Jessie Tinnin that I would be back soon for us all to take a trip out to the hill country, the Big Bend, and on out to Marfa, Alpine and Balmorrhea, my favorite parts of the great Lone Star State. I intend to keep that promise. Texas is what Mississippi would like to be when it grows up. A worthy goal for any state. Folks, Bruce is a founding partner in Powerhouse Animation Studios. You might not know them by name, but you are familiar with their work. Here's a link to their website. http://www.powerhouseanimation.com/ If you are on dial up, this site might not work well. I enjoy it every time I go there. Since they are professional graphics people, you'd expect them to have a fine website. Well, they do! They are excited about new projects they have coming up. We had a few bumps in the road on our trip down, but we made it there and back just fine. Another thing we are thankful for! Some photos:
From Left: Chris with Daye, Bruce and Jack Tinnin; Jessie Tinnin; Bruce Tinnin; Chris, Bruce and Stella. These photos were taken near Marble Falls and Highland Haven, Texas.
The above photos were taken by Bruce and Jessie Tinnin. Thanks Bruce and Jessie. From Left: Augie and Terry; Chris and Butch; Augie, Chris and Butch; Terry, Augie, Chris, Butch and Clint; Cletus Magnificatus Resonatus.
See all the photos taken by Jack A. Neal, Photographer, during our latest show at Taylor Grocery. Click on the banner to the left called JACK'S PHOTOS. Thanks, Jack, for your permission to post these photos here.
2/4/06 Great visit this weekend from Leon "Lightnin'" Williams. Thanks, Leon, for coming by during our rehearsal session. It was good to visit with you. And folks, no sooner than Leon showed up when an opportunity to work on a music project together manifested itself. I'm hoping for lots of projects. Here's a Sound File for you. We're Jang-A-Langing on Saturday, Feb. 4, and Clint comes up with a modification of the "Jang-A-Lang" name and calls us the JANG-A-LANG STRANG THANG. Here's the JANG-A-LANG STRANG THANG, sitting around 4 large diaphram condenser mics arranged in a tight circle facing out, we're in a larger concentric circle facing in, and just tearing up "I'm Going Fishin'" while the Mississippi weather is nice and warm for a FEBRUARY. The signal from these mics was going into two Peavey 2 channel VMP-100 Tube Mic Preamps, and from there into an Akai DPS16 Digital Recorder, mixed down to an Alesis Masterlink Hard Disk Recorder. Butch was complaining later to Alana Stewart about being cold here in Mississippi while on the phone with her, and Alana was in Chicago! I laughed when I heard someone in Mississippi complaining to someone in Chicago about how COLD it was! As we recorded this, I could look out across the pond at my house and see the ripples from the fish stirring in anticipation of Spring. I began to think of my fishin' pole. I began to think of my fly rod. I began to think of hot peanut oil and a corn meal battered filet hitting the hot oil! Here it is, "I'm Going Fishin'", CLAMS, COUGHS, FEET TAPPING ON MIC STANDS, SOME NOISE AND GENERAL GOOD TIMES ALONG WITH THE CONFUSION, for your listening enjoyment. Get it while you can. It'll disappear in just a few days. If you like LIVE music, this is it! Let me know if you like it! Butch Robins and Ed Dye do NOT like it cold! You can count on that! I, myself, prefer about 90 degrees and 90 percent humidity, and barefooted sitting in the grass with my fishin' pole. Soon as the weather turns, I'm going fishin'. Here it is . . . . . I'M GOING FISHIN'.mp3
Mississippi Chris and the Jang-A-Lang Strang Thang at the Sucarnochee Revue. Photo Courtesy of Betsy Compton From Left: Bryan Hayes, Augie Joachim, Mississippi Chris, Butch Robins, Clint Jordan.
Photo at right: Unkl Butchie contemplating the banjo at Timberview Lodge, 1/21/06. Butch and I spent two glorious weeks playing music every night after his return from his tour of Japan with Kazuhiro Inaba. He'll be back this way on February 1, for us to prepare for our trip to the Folk Alliance in Austin, Texas on February 10. Butch is shown with his 2005 Gibson Granada. He also sports a 1934 RB-4, which was present when this photo was taken, but unattended. I took this photo with a Nikon D70.
And now, for something completely different . . .
B Banjoists, from left: Butch Robins, Mississippi Chris Banjos, from left: 1925 Gibson RB-4 (Chris') 2005 Gibson Granada (Butch's) 1927 Gibson TB-1 Conversion (Chris') 1934 Gibson RB-4 (Butch's) 2005 Tennessee Flathead Walnut Deluxe (Chris') 2004 Tennessee Flathead Maple Deluxe (Chris')
Above: Depending on one's point of view, this is a heavenly photo, or a hellish nightmare! And now, for something really, completely different . . . Ol' "Big in Taylor" had a big time at Taylor Grocery Saturday night, January 14, 2006. It was absolutely packed! The band consisted of a marriage of Jang-A-Lang and Grant's Gerry, with Butch Robins on Banjo! The crowd could hardly be contained because of their excitement over the music. Thanks to Butch Robins for a Stellar, Jaw-Dropping performance! Thanks to Terry Baker, Bryan Hayes, Wes Tabor, Jetson Neal, Augie Joachim, and Clint Jordan. We all wish Cousin Ed could have been there. The crowd delighted to two full sets of all original music. This was the first time we sprang ALL ORIGINAL sets on a crowd, and they seemed to love it. CD sales were brisk at the front counter, and many fans turned out to request originals such as ROOSTER TOWN and CORNBREAD MAN. Thanks to Lynn and Debbie Hewlett for being such gracious hosts. Lynn said he'd never seen the crowd so excited about the music before. Thanks to Keith, Cheryl, Alli and Mary Clarke for coming out to see us, and also John McCollum and Jack Neal who drove all the way from Jackson. (When you've got fans who drive 3 hours to come see you, you've got some loyal fans. Look for another update soon on Unkl Butchi's visit to Timberview Lodge. We've been picking banjos for two weeks now, ever since his return from Japan! More photos to come!! |
(Mando-Cello)
and Dave Spicher (Bass) just chewed up the scenery with ensemble arrangements of
such tunes as Bach's Ode to Joy, a Cowcelli baroque arrangement in three
movements, a Baldassari orginal tune, The Allman Brothers' In Memory of
Elizabeth Reed, several Beatles tunes, and my favorite of the evening, Walter
Carter's own arrangement called Soldier's Night Out (a wonderful
re-working of Soldier's Joy).
My good friend Larry Wallace and
s!) Everyone worked hard
but had a good time, and the music is dynamite. I think Larry will hit the
Bluegrass charts with this one. As Raymond said, "straight ahead old time
Bluegrass that hits like a jackhammer!" Everyone, be on the lookout for this
record when it is released! Be sure and visit Larry's website at the
above link. 
ten since breakfast. Thanks, Debbie, for being such a good sport when I
inflict large crowds of hungry musicians on you at the drop of a hat! We all
love you, especially me!!!!!!
5/15/06
Hey! Howdy!! and, HELLO!! What a big time in Taylor, Saturday night, May 13.
Lots of happy moms and dads and grandparents, and equally happy Ole Miss
graduates turned out for the fine food and GOOD MUSIC at Taylor Grocery. Our
hosts, Lynn and Debbie Hewlett were gracious, as always. Lynn was back
to his old pleasant self after recovering from back surgery. COUSIN ED RETURNED
FROM CALIFORNIA WITH BELLS ON!!! Everyone was glad to see Ed, as always. He was
looking fit and tanned from his sabbatical, in rare form, motivating and
inspiring the entire band. Thanks to Frank and Martha Witherspoon for
their continued support of our music. Frank and Martha turn out EVERY time we
play at Taylor. We missed Mr. Calfee this time, but heard that he was doing well
and are glad of that. The
great Butch Robins came all the way from Virginia to Jang-A-Lang with us
at Taylor. Thanks to Butch for his great devotion to this band. We were
fortunate to get to see Cindy, Kay, Sarah Margaret, Forrest, Sasha, Brandon,
Brad, Ricky, Colleen, Keith Stewart, and Piper Sharp, who sang a tune with us!
anjo Mania!