MP3s

Want to learn clawhammer style on 5 string banjo- need suggestion for under $500 beginner banjo-HELP?

I’m figuring out this yahoo answers thing, so… I can read music, play the piano, but have always been happy when I hear the banjo played. I love Scruggs, Keith, melodic styles, but want to start with claw hammer…. I have about 4-500 bucks to spend and would most appreciative of any suggestions as to what to look for in a good beginner’s banjo… open back? short neck? Thanks in advance…

http://www.banjo.com/Bean_Blossom_BB_100_5_String_Banjo_Starter_Pack_p/223.htm

Cripple Creek clawhammer style?

Old-Time Pickin’: A Clawhammer Banjo Collection $6.18 Now that Ralph Stanley has established himself as America s foremost singer of traditional mountain music, it s easy to overlook the fact that he is regarded by many as one of the finest practitioners of old-time clawhammer banjo. Like his singing, Stanley s clawhammer banjo playing is a product of a particular place, the hills and hollows in an isolated corner of far southwest Virginia where he w…

Old-Time Banjo: Clawhammer Style [VHS] $19.95 Frank Lee, of the sensational old-time band The Freight Hoppers, has one of the strongest banjo sounds around. His clawhammer frailing style locks in tight with David Bass’ fiddle, sometimes doubling the melody and other times providing an exciting counterpoint to it. Frank’s rhythm playing highlights the solid tempo established by Cary Fridley’s guitar and Jim O’Keefe’s bass, making The Freight H…

Howard Wallace- Old Time 5 String Banjo Clawhammer Style LP lp…

EstWing E320SM 20 oz Solid Steel Nail Hammer Milled Face $28.76 Fully polished; forged one-piece solid steel construction to eliminate loose heads. Nylon vinyl deep cushion grips bonded to steel handle for comfort and durability….

Estwing Nylon-Vinyl Grip Framing Hammers – Style: Smooth Face Wt: 30 once $38.50 Nylon-Vinyl Grip Framing Hammers – Style: Smooth Face Wt: 30 once. For driving and removing nails…

Machinists’ Double-Face Hammers Style: Head Wgt:1/4lb, Len.:9 3/4, Wt.:1/2lb (H-44FG) $53.64 H-44FG Style: Head Wgt:1/4″lb, Len.:9 3/4″, Wt.:1/2lb (H-44FG) This item features: -Non-sparking. -Non-magnetic. -Corrosion resistant. -Made in the USA. -Beryllium-free. -Handle Material: Fiberglass. -Price is for 1 Each. Testing and approvals: -Factory Mutual Approved. Len. = Overall Length…

Clawhammer Style Banjo: A Complete Guide For Beginning and Advanced Banjo Players, Vol. 1 & 2 $26.98 CLAWHAMMER STYLE BANJO – DVD Movie…

Singing With the Banjo-Songs and Accompaniment Clawhammer Style $19.03 Here’s a terrific lesson for banjo players who want to sing and accompany themselves in the old time clawhammer style. Grammy Award winner Cathy Fink covers the basics for beginners, then goes on to show the licks and tricks that will add style and excite…

Southern Banjo Styles #1 Clawhammer Varieties & more $16.59 SOUTHERN BANJO STYLES 1 – DVD Movie…

Clawhammer Style Banjo $15.51 From Ken Perlman,Clawhammer Style Banjo is a brilliant teaching guide that is destined to become the handbook on how to play the banjo. The style is easy to learn, and covers the instruction itself, basic right and left-hand positions, simple chords, and fundamental clawhammer techniques; the brush, the “bumm-titty” strum, pull-offs, and slides. For the advanced player, there are banjo lessons on …

Bound to Ride $16.98 This disc collects 20 recordings made in the early ’70s by the legendary Ralph Stanley with his Clinch Mountain Boys, who included, at various times, Ricky Skaggs, Roy Lee Centers, and even the late John Duffey. The fierce, elemental purity of Stanley’s sound is captured beautifully on these sessions, many of which feature him playing clawhammer banjo in the style he learned from his mother. But though his banjo playing is very good, it’s Stanley’s singing that has always set him apart from the rest of the bluegrass pack: His piercing mountain tenor voice and his sanctified delivery almost sound like something from another world. When he sings “Pretty Polly,” “Riding the Midnight Train,” or especially, the hair-raising “Man of Constant Sorrow,” the effect is visceral and spiritual at the same time. Listening to him blow out the microphone with Duffey and Centers on “The Lonesome River” is almost literally a religious experience. This is mountain music at its finest. ~ Rick Anderson, Rovi

Clawhammer Style Banjo: A Complete Guide For Beginning and Advanced Banjo Players, Vol. 1 & 2 [2 Di $39.95 Clawhammer Style Banjo: A Complete Guide For Beginning and Advanced Banjo Players, Vol. 1 & 2 [2 Di

Mark Johnson Teaches Clawgrass Banjo – From Clawhammer to Bluegrass $29.95 “Clawgrass” is a powerful banjo style that combines the percussive sounds of old-time clawhammer with the driving, complex rolls of bluegrass picking. Mark Johnson developed this exciting technique, and it’s transforming the way many players are approaching their instrument. Seven traditional and original instrumentals are taught. INCLUDES TAB • LEVEL 3 • 105 MIN.

Old-Time Pickin’: A Clawhammer Banjo Collection $9.99 Ralph Stanley is one of very few bluegrass banjo players who still occasionally takes off the steel fingerpicks and plays in the older, more traditional clawhammer (or “frailing”) style. It’s a more modal and percussive approach, one that carries with it the rough-hewn charm of old-time string band music rather than the flashier, more commercial appeal of bluegrass. This 18-track set (half the tracks are new to CD) is drawn from Stanley’s long run with Rebel Records and includes him playing the banjo in the clawhamer style he learned from his mother when he was 11 years old. The virtuoso speed and considered slickness of contemporary bluegrass are nowhere to be found here, but that doesn’t mean this is a radically different Ralph Stanley, it’s just Stanley working closer to his string band roots. The approach is still the same, and his singing is still full of mountain gospel as he searches for meaning and redemption in the old songs. ~ Steve Leggett, Rovi

Recapturing the Banjo $11.99 Thanks to films like Deliverance and the rise of bluegrass since the mid-’50s, the banjo has come to be associated with white Appalachia in most people’s minds, but the instrument actually has its origins in West Africa, arriving in the New World via the slave trade, and consequently became a dominant factor in early African-American song styles. A simple instrument with tremendous modal possibilities, the banjo, particularly in its five-string version, also has a much wider range of tones, approaches, and styles in its repertoire than most people only familiar with the slash-and-burn speed style of modern bluegrass are likely to realize. In this regard, the title of Otis Taylor’s ninth album, Recapturing the Banjo, is quite literally a mission statement. Taylor has always featured the banjo on his various recording projects, but here he brings the instrument front and center and enlists the help of several other contemporary black musicians, including Alvin Youngblood Hart, Guy Davis, Corey Harris, Don Vappie, and Keb’ Mo’, to present the banjo in a clearer historical light. This is no archival museum album, however, and while it does encompass and illustrate several banjo styles, from the clawhammer work of Davis on the traditional “Little Liza Jane” to the delicate picking style of Keb’ Mo’ on his own “The Way It Goes” and the jug band approach of Harris and Vappie on Gus Cannon’s “Walk Right In,” Recapturing the Banjo remains very much an Otis Taylor release, full of the kind of driving, modal trance tunes that he has always done so strikingly well. The opener, “Ran So Hard the Sun Went Down,” a Taylor original, is a case in point. With a massed banjo army of Hart, Harris, Vappie, and Taylor himself, and amended by Taylor’s daughter Cassie Taylor on bass and backup vocals, the song races in modal fashion with a steam-engine drive not unlike some of the North Mississippi trance blues of R.L. Burnside and company. It’s all pretty exhilarating. This isn’…

Singing with the Banjo – Songs and Accompaniment Clawhammer Style $29.95 Here’s a terrific lesson for banjo players who want to sing and accompany themselves in the old time clawhammer style. Grammy Award winner Cathy Fink covers the basics for beginners, then goes on to show the licks and tricks that will add style and excitement to the songs of intermediate pickers. Includes music & tab. Early intermediate level. 1 hour, 45 minutes.

Steve Martin – The Crow – New Songs for the Five-String Banjo $29.95 Steve Martin is a comedian, novelist, screenwriter, actor and many other things, but his first love is the banjo. His recent hit CD, The Crow, features 15 original tunes in both clawhammer and Scruggs style. This book of tablature, accurately transcribed by Tony Trischka, is a great learning tool for aspiring players. Also includes an introduction and tuning notes from Tony.Contents: Daddy Played the Banjo • Pitkni County Turnaround • Hoedown at Alice’s • Late for School • Tin Roof • Words Unspoken • Pretty Flowers • Wally on the Run • Freddie’s Lilt • Saga of the Old West • Clawhammer Medley • Calico Train • Banana Banjo • Blue River Waltz • The Crow. This special edition includes both the tab songbook and the original CD!

Young Buckethead, Vol. 1 $14.95 The Deli Creeps had only been performing for a couple months when this footage was shot in 1990, but they were clearly on their own path. The decidedly uninhibited Maximum Bob’s disturbed ramblings combined with Buckethead’s otherworldly presence put this band into the realm of performance art metal. Buckethead shows unbelievable facility on guitar, playing much of the set with no strap on his guitar (no mean feat). Even at this early date, he was pulling out oddball (for the metal scene, at any rate) tidbits like “When You Wish Upon a Star,” almost certainly further confusing the crowd. The segment from the soundcheck earlier that day shows Buckethead without the mask (!), although he’s VERY conscious about not wanting to be seen without it (his face is deliberately blurred when shown). The “Buckethead in the Basement” segment has Buckethead playing some great horror-flick soundtrack music, moving through all the creepy keyboard presets as Jas Obrecht raves insanely from behind his milk-crate prison. But the most amazing segment is saved for last. It’s a “Buckethead” family barbecue, and marks the first time Buckethead performed as Buckethead for most of his family. He walks into the backyard wearing a pair of shorts, mask and bucket donned, carrying his guitar and a very small amplifier and sits down. There’s some chuckling from the family, and someone asks “Brian” a question. It’s then revealed to the family (by Jas) that Buckethead doesn’t talk. Then Buckethead turns in what has got to be one of the most incredible, jaw-dropping displays of guitar virtuosity ever performed. Over the course of about 12 minutes, he goes from metal licks to classical style to Travis picking to flat-picking to tapping to clawhammer banjo style to funk slap and pop and just about anything in between. There’s even a great Star Wars medley in there. It’s truly nothing short of amazing and worth the price of admission by itself. ~ Sean Westergaard, Rovi

Find Out How And Why Deregulation Effects Your Natural Gas Price

The Early Days of Regulation

The regulation of natural gas dates back to the very beginnings of the industry. In the early days of the industry (mid-1800s) gas was primarily manufactured from coal, to be delivered locally, generally within the same municipality in which it was produced. Local governments, seeing the natural monopoly characteristics of the market at the time, deemed gas distribution a business that affected the public interest to a sufficient extent to merit regulation. Because of the distribution network that was needed to deliver to customers, it was decided that one company with a single distribution network could deliver it more cheaply than two companies with overlying distribution

Today, competitive forces are being relied upon more heavily to determine market structure and operation. However, this has not always been the case. Almost all aspects of the industry were regulated at one point – a situation which led to tremendous difficulties in the industry, including the shortages experienced in the 1970s

Natural gas price was so low, it simply wasn’t worth it for the producers. Producers also saw little incentive to search for new reserves. While the price at which they could sell interstate gas was fixed, the finding and development costs for establishing new reserves was as variable and unpredictable as ever. Producers saw little reason to engage in the exploration of new reserves that would cost more to find than they could be sold for under FPC wellhead price control.

However, the FPC only regulated producer wellhead prices for natural gas destined for the interstate market, leaving it’s sales within the intrastate market relatively free of regulation. So while demand was surging nationwide, economic incentives did not exist for producers to ship their gas across state lines. They could sell it at a much higher price to intrastate bidders. In 1965, a third of the nations proved reserves were earmarked for intrastate consumers; by 1975, almost half of the proved reserves were committed to intrastate consumers.

This resulted in natural gas reaching consumers in the producing states, while the consuming states were experiencing natural gas supply shortages. In fact, in 1976 and 1977, many schools and factories in the Midwest were forced to close, due to a shortage of natural gas to run their facilities. Meanwhile, in the producing states, virtually no shortage was felt, due to the thriving intrastate market satisfying natural gas demand in these states. This led to certain ‘curtailment’ policies, advocated by the FPC and state utility regulators. These policies essentially set a schedule of priority, directing distributors and transporters to curtail supplies to certain customers who were deemed ‘low priority’. However, these policies resulted in numerous litigation suits and FPC proceedings that turned out to be extremely complicated and time consuming. Realizing that something must be done at the federal level to reduce the strain of these supply shortages and demand surges, Congress enacted the Natural Gas Policy Act in 1978.

Order 636 requires interstate pipelines to set up electronic bulletin boards, accessible by all customers on an equal basis, which show the available and released capacity on any particular pipeline. A customer requiring pipeline transportation can refer to these bulletin boards, and find out if there is any available capacity on the pipeline, or if there is any released capacity available for purchase or lease from one who has already purchased capacity but does not need it.

The Move towards Deregulation

The Natural Gas Price Policy Act took the first steps towards deregulating of the market, by instituting a scheme for the gradual removal of price ceilings at the wellhead. However, there still existed significant regulations regarding the sale of gas from an interstate pipeline to local utilities and local distribution companies (LDCs). Under the NGA and the NGPA, pipelines purchased natural gas from producers, transported it to its customers (mostly LDCs), and sold the bundled product for a regulated price. Instead of being able to purchase the natural gas as one product, and the transportation as a separate service, pipeline customers were offered no option to purchase the natural gas and arrange for its transportation separately.

Several events led up to the ‘unbundling’ of the pipelines’ product. In the early 1980s, noticing that a significant number of industrial customers were switching from using natural gas to other forms of energy (for example, electric generators switching from natural gas to coal), several pipelines instituted what they called Special Marketing Programs (SMPs). Essentially, these programs, which were approved by FERC, allowed industrial customers with the capability to switch fuels the right to purchase gas directly

Order 636 requires interstate pipelines to set up electronic bulletin boards, accessible by all customers on an equal basis, which show the available and released capacity on any particular pipeline. A customer requiring pipeline transportation can refer to these bulletin boards, and find out if there is any available capacity on the pipeline, or if there is any released capacity available for purchase or lease from one who has already purchased capacity but does not need it.

What this mean for the average person… You have a choice on who can provide and control your Natural Gas Price

Act now for more infomation contact me at “http://www.cheapergasandelectric.weebly.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Darryl_L_Brooks

About the Author

Let’s Play Minecraft SMP – Episode 1: The Beginning

Beginning Banjo: For 5-String Banjo $9.95 This DVD is designed for the beginner to intermediate level player. A full range of DVD special features have been integrated with video special effects to create the most powerful learning system yet produced by SMP. With your DVD remote control, you’re ready to take full advantage of the interactive menus, scene selections, and other easy to use features that are there at your fingertips. See ho…

Beginning Acoustic Guitar $9.95 Several months of valuable lessons are programmed into this one easy-to-navigate DVD.You’ll start out learning chords and strumming patterns so you can sing and play along. The songs are demonstrated slowly, phrase by phrase with split screen close-ups so you can see exactly how to play them. Then you’ll learn how to add the melody to your chord strums to create lead solo arrangements for a variet…

Beginning Mandolin $11.00 You’re in total control while your own private teacher patiently guides you from your first chord all the way through to complete compositions. Several months of valuable lessons are included with phrase-by-phrase demonstrations, split-screen closeups, and a tablature booklet which shows you graphically which strings to play on which frets. Learn to combine chord parts, single-note picking, and ot…

Beginning Fiddle [VHS] $1.96 Designed for beginner and intermediate players. If you are already taking fiddle lessons, this instructional video will enhance your learning between lessons. See how fun and easy it is to learn to play your fiddle in front of your own TV. Your own private video teacher is here to patiently guide you each exciting step along the way. You’ll begin by learning some useful bowing patterns along with …

Beginning Bass Guitar [VHS] $17.95 On this video, songs are demonstrated slowly, phrase by phrase, with split screen close-ups so you can see exactly how to play them on the bass guitar. You’ll learn major and minor scale construction, bass lines, runs, triads, octaves, arpeggios and walking patterns. 60 minutes…………

Lauri Toys Phonics Center Kit-Beginning Sounds $19.80 Look for the same beginning sound pictured on the mat. Includes 13 double-sided activity mats, 70 soft picture titles, and a box with drawers for organized storage . Activity Guide included. Ages 4 yrs. +….

How to Learn and Play Electric Guitar

Have u bought a new electric guitar? Want to create magic with that six-string instrument? Don’t worry. It is not at all a tough job. You just need to follow some guidelines.

Once you have the guitar then go to a proper tutor. Your tutor is the best person who can best teach you how to learn and play electric guitar.

A tutor can help you in many ways. He will be able to show you the chords practically; you can discuss your queries with him and over all he can boost you up, when you are down. Remember that even though playing an electric guitar is easier than playing an acoustic guitar, you still need a lot of patience.

But if you think that you don’t need a tutor and you can do it by yourself, then here are some simple tips for you on how to learn and play electric guitar.

- Buy some books where you can find notations of different songs. Start with simple 4/4 beat songs or 3/4 beat songs like Yankee Doodle, charade etc. These notations will help you increase your reflex. It will also help your fingers move easily.

- Once you get used to these notations then go for some more complicated ones, where you will get a chance to move your fourth finger. Remember, while you are playing an electric guitar, you need to be able to move your four fingers. Only the thumb will be on the neck for support.

- Now when you have got hold on all of your fingers, experiment with the time signature. Try to play more complicated key signature notations. Play 6/8 beat, 2/2 beat, 7/4 beat etc.

- You must remember one thing, if you want to be a good guitarist; you need to be fluent on scales. Practice scales everyday. Practice both the major and minor ones, the harmonic and melodic minors.

- Try to play on different fret positions. Try to be fluent especially on the 3rd, 5th and 7th position. Remember you cannot Learn How to learn and play electric guitar, unless you feel comfortable playing in every frate position of your guitar.

- Now, let us come to the chord section. Knowing to play rhythm is very important in electric guitar. Start practicing the easy chords first. Chords like D major, A major, E major, G major will be your first attempt. Play them on the nut position first. After becoming comfortable in nut position, go for the bar chords and the minor chords.

Try to play the ornamental chords like diminished, augmented, 7th chords, 6th chords etc. Practice different kinds of rhythms.

- To know how to grip the chords, go for good music books. There are lots of good books that will teach you how to grip these chords.

These are the basic guidelines. But there is something else also. If you seriously want to know how to learn and play electric guitars then you must listen to good solo electric guitar pieces. The more you will listen, the more you will get to know a lot of things.

And remember one more thing. Do practice everyday. If you do not practice sufficiently then this how to learn and play electric Guitar Lesson will be of no use.

About the Author

Victor Epand is an expert consultant for guitars, drums, and synthesizers. You can find the best marketplace for guitars, drums, and synthesizers at these 3 sites: electric guitars, six string guitars, drums, drum sets, and synthesizers, keyboards.

How to Play the Electric Guitar : How to Play Electric Guitar Power Chords

Lodge Logic LPGI3 Pro 20-by-10-7/16-Inch Cast-Iron Grill/Griddle $45.17 Lodge Logic, 20″ x 10-7/16″, Pre-Seasoned Cast Iron Pro-Grid Griddle With Reversible Cooking Surfaces, Smooth and Raised-Rib, Ready to Use, No Seasoning Required, Both Cooking Surfaces Feature A Slight Slope For Drainage Into A Generous Grease Gutter, Use On Camp Stove Or Inside On Gas Or Electric Range, Individually Boxed….

Lodge Double Play Reversible Grill Griddle $27.84 Already seasoned from the American foundry and ready to use, the cast iron experts at Lodge bring to your kitchen a reversible grill/griddle to fit over 2 burners with 2-in-1 convenience: breakfast griddle reverses to a large grill to enjoy authentic grilled steaks, chicken, pork chops or hamburgers indoors. Channels on the grill side drain grease for cooking healthy meals. Lodge Logic’s preseason…

Zojirushi NS-TGC10 Micom 5-1/2-Cup Rice Cooker and Warmer, Stainless Steel $151.00 The Micom Rice Cooker and Warmer helps you cook flawless rice and bake better cakes. The easy-to-clean stainless steel exterior matches your kitchen’s decor, and the user-friendly LCD panel makes using it a snap. An automatic keep warm and timer, so your cakes and rice come out just right each time. Also features a detachable inner lid and retractable cord. Stainless steel construction Dimens…

It Might Get Loud $10.39 The Sony DVD It Might Get Loud is an epic, exhilarating backstage pass into the world of rock stars. There are guitar players, and then there are rock stars. Over the course of one day, three generations of electric guitar phenoms come together, crank up their amps, and let it roll.Documentarian Davis Guggenheim gives us so much more than an all-star jam session (that alone would make even the gna…

It Might Get Loud [Blu-ray] $16.94 There are guitar players, and then there are rock stars. It Might Get Loud is an epic, exhilarating backstage pass into the world of the latter. Over the course of one day, three generations of electric guitar phenoms come together, crank up their amps, a…

Blues Deluxe $12.22 New York guitar phenom walks tall in the blues tradition with this third album, jettisoning fiery riffs inspired by John Lee Hooker, B.B. King, Elmore James, and Albert Collins into the future with furious playing, a hard-rock sensibility, and a grizzled voice that owes a debt to Gregg Allman. Equally inspired by the Delta blues and the mid-’60s British blues boom, the young firebrand–who titled …

Learn & Play Guitar (Acoustic and Electric) Level 1- Young Beginner $2.49 Complete instruction package includes Lesson Book, videotape, and compact disc (CD). Level 1. Young Beginner….

BUSTER KEATON [2 tapes/6 episodes] ~ The Electric House / The Boat / The Paleface / The Frozen North / The Playhouse / Cops [VHS] $9.98 Buster Keaton revisits his familiar persona of a spoiled society dandy thrown into the surreal world. Young millionaire Rollo Treadway (the sap in the family tree, according to a title card) embarks on a long voyage to nurse his broken heart when his lady love, Kathryn McGuire, turns down his proposal of marriage. Of course he winds up on the wrong dock and boards a derelict ship, which (as luck w…

Beginning Electric Bass with Mark Epstein $3.25 Few bassists even come close to Mark Epstein when it comes to working experience. A solid “groove” plater, Mark is quick to point out that he’s the type of bassist who really likes playing BASS on the bass. Currently residing in New York City, Mark is constantly on the move dividing his time between independent studio work and live performances. He has played with the likes of Dr. John, David Cros…

Makita LXFD01CW 18-Volt Compact Lithium-Ion Cordless 1/2-Inch Driver-Drill Kit $168.00 The Makita LXFD01CW 18-Volt Compact Lithium-Ion Cordless 1/2-Inch Driver-Drill delivers power, performance, and improved ergonomics in a compact size. The LXFD01CW weighs only 3.3 pounds, and the 18-Volt Compact Lithium-Ion battery reaches a full charge in only 15 minutes on Makita’s ENERGY STAR qualified Rapid Optimum Battery Charger for more work and less downtime. View larger …

$7.77 shipped–Cute Cartoon Ben 10 Alien Force Electric Train Track Play Set (Green) $7.77 Cute cartoon Ben 10 Alien Force patterns. very popular with kids.<br />Include 1*electric train head. 1*train head. 2*train car and 12*train track.

…And They Have Escaped the Weight of Darkness $17.98 They must be putting something in the water over there in Iceland that makes musicians work in unexpected ways. Their biggest pop and rock exports — Bj? rk and Sig? r Ros, respectively — have borne very little relation to what the rest of the world thinks of as pop and rock, so why should their most promising young neo-classical composer be any different? At an age when most young men are still trying to decide between grad school and the night shift at Denny’s, Olafur Arnalds has already made a name for himself as a musical maverick who skirts the edges of the classical, rock, electronic, and avant-garde worlds with enthusiastic ease, a Nico Muhly with a higher tolerance for cold weather, if you will. On his second full-length release, Arnalds moves further away from electronics to embrace a more acoustically oriented approach centered on piano and strings. Electronics do play a supporting role — they’re simply used to enhance the atmosphere here and there, but in the main, Arnalds is creating 21st century chamber music here, as the piano makes simple, elegant statements whose harmonic possibilities are further fleshed out by the strings. And Arnalds may be a modernist in terms of pushing stylistic boundaries, but he still has some old-school, downright romantic notions about melodic movement — you won’t find any polytonality or serial music among these tracks. Arnalds prefers instead to repurpose old-school harmonic conventions in a new context, offering the listener a readily accessible emotional connection but still breaking new ground. And on the few strategic spots in the album where Arnalds drops in drums and/or electric guitar and repetitive motifs, the effect is not dissimilar to the headier moments of the aforementioned Sig? r Ros, or perhaps early-? 70s Pink Floyd at their most ethereal, showing the rock crowd that they too have a point of entry into this music. ~ J. Allen, Rovi

1963 Isn’t 1962 $16.98 Bukka White was “rediscovered” — alive and well, despite rumors that he’d died a violent death sometime after his last official recording session in 1940 — by blues enthusiasts John Fahey and Ed Denson. These live tapes, made late that year by Fahey and Denson, were among the first tangible results of that rediscovery. This older cousin to B.B. King still had all of his stuff — he was only in his mid-50s, and unlike a lot of older bluesmen who were well past their primes for the ’60s blues revival, he could still play and sing up a storm. Indeed, he was playing faster and more precise in 1963 than he was in 1940, and his slide work shimmers and glistens throughout this CD, and the voice is superb as well. Opening with “Streamline Special,” he goes through a dazzling display of repertory, sounding like two or three players at once as he works the strings, playing lead and rhythm simultaneously on his acoustic guitar, in pieces running anywhere from a minute and a half to eight minutes or more. King has admitted trying to recreate White’s sound in his own electric playing, but these tapes show just how much of a losing battle that was, against this acoustic guitar virtuoso. ~ Bruce Eder, Rovi

50th Birthday Celebration, Vol. 4 $16.98 At long last, John Zorn’s Electric Masada project gets a release of its own. Recorded during his 50th birthday celebration in September of 2003, the set delivers everything you would expect from an Electric Masada show: great tunes, blistering solos from everyone concerned, and a slightly rocked-up atmosphere. The band does not disappoint; there seems to have been a real air of excitement surrounding the whole 50th birthday series, at least judging from the performances that had been released to this point. The bulk of the soloing belongs to Zorn on alto, Marc Ribot on guitar, and Jamie Saft on Rhodes, with Ikue Mori’s laptop contributing interesting colors and tones, with sounds that range from what sounds like a babbling child to shards of broken glass. The double drums with percussion of Kenny Wollesen, Joey Baron, and Cyro Baptista come up with some wild rhythms, especially during Ribot’s solo on “Tekufah.” “Idalah-Abal” really rocks things up, and “Hath-Arob” gets even crazier, sounding like a Cobra-esque conduction. “Yatzar” and “Kisofim” are on the mellow side, but no less exciting musically. Several of the tunes stretch out to near epic lengths, giving the players plenty of room to play, with Zorn leading the way and calling the shots. This is a fantastic ensemble, with lots of time spent playing together, and Zorn knows how get the best out of them. Fans of the Masada series will not be disappointed. Excellent. ~ Sean Westergaard, Rovi

A Family Affair $14.98 Hallelujah! Christian McBride is not one of those strait-laced, down-the-line neo-boppers after all. Here, the prodigiously talented young standup bassist proves that he is also an astoundingly gifted electric bassist, and that ’70s-vintage funk and soul are every bit as close to his heart as ’50s and ’60s hard bop. On electric, McBride weaves inventive countermelodies around tenor sax Tim Warfield’s lead lines, taking Jaco Pastorius’ technique a step further in sheer speed and the ability to play really nasty funk patterns. The stylistic palette of the disc is much wider than anything McBride has done before as a leader, ranging from soul ballads (a lovely cover of Stevie Wonder’s nearly forgotten “Summer Soft,” Wonder-like vocals from Vesta on “…Or So You Thought”) to powerful funk (“Brown Funk [For Ray]“), open-ended electric jazz-rock (“Wayne’s World”), and yes, straight-ahead acoustic jazz grooving (on Sly Stone’s “Family Affair”). Charles Craig excels on acoustic piano, Fender Rhodes, and Wurlitzer electric pianos; drummer Gregory Hutchinson fearlessly handles any stylistic curve balls that McBride throws at him; and guitarist Russell Malone and percussionist Munyungo Jackson turn up now and then. As produced by fellow polystylist George Duke, this is a most encouraging step out of the trap of lockstep bop for McBride. ~ Richard S. Ginell, Rovi

Acrobat: Music for, and by, Dmitri Shostakovich $16.98 Avant-garde bassist Michael Bates identifies the connection between the Stravinsky-influenced modern classical music of Shostakovich and his own free jazz tendencies on Acrobat: Music for, and by, Dmitri Shostakovich. Actually, only one track, the leadoff one, “Dance of Death,” is a Shostakovich composition, and that piece, as played by a group in which Bates is joined by Russ Johnson (trumpet), Chris Speed (clarinet, saxophone), Russ Lossing (acoustic and Fender Rhodes electric pianos), and Tom Rainey (drums), comes off in the style of Kurt Weill’s German period, as if it were a bit of incidental music from the score of The Threepenny Opera. On Bates’ compositions written for Shostakovich, the group can be playful, as is Speed’s clarinet on “Talking Bird,” and it can turn in a straight bebop performance, as it does on “Strong Arm,” which pairs Johnson’s trumpet with Bates’ bass in ascending and descending patterns, then follows with Lossing’s electric piano against Rainey’s busy drumming. “Some Wounds” is a slow blues with a mournful saxophone solo, while the equally melancholy “Fugitive Pieces” is more melodic and, as its title implies, more of a suite with sections strung together, including an unaccompanied clarinet solo. Later tracks, starting with “Silent Witness,” are more typical free works, with every man for himself, the only apparent agreement about how to play concerning tempo. Yet these are experienced musicians capable of giving such music the risky, exciting feeling of free jazz, in which things always seem about to fall apart entirely, but never do. What it all has to do with Shostakovich may be more inspirational than literal, but the composer’s reputation is only enhanced by an association with such inspired playing. ~ William Ruhlmann, Rovi

Ain’t Life Grand $12.99 Widespread Panic’s fourth album features tighter, more song-oriented writing. The searing guitar of the opening tune, “Little Kin,” introduces a grittier album than the previous year’s Everyday. After touring with the first two H.O.R.D.E. tours in 1992 and 1993, the band’s popularity was growing. Their rousing version of Bloodkin’s heartbreak tune “Can’t Get High” earned them radio play. As did their own smoothly melodic “Airplane,” which features lush vocal harmonies. “Blackout Blues” celebrates the hangover with electric guitar screams and a dance-inducing beat, while “Fishwater”‘s chaotic percussion intro awakens the soul. The disc also includes two gorgeous instrumental pieces, “L.A.” and the hidden, acoustic guitar track “Waiting for the Wind to Blow the Tree Down in My Backyard.” Ain’t Life Grand increased Widespread Panic’s fan base dramatically and gave them a taste of what continued radio play could mean for the band. ~ Carrie Nieman, Rovi

An Evening with John Denver [Bonus Tracks] $23.99 For those who know or have heard of John Denver, his life, his songs, and his experiences have been legendary. Bursting onto the scene in the early ’70s, Denver used his skill of folk-rock and mastery of composition to bring light and heartfelt spirit to the world of music. This compilation is remarkably engineered and produced. “I’ve been looking forward to this for a long, long time,” said Denver during this live recording for RCA at the California Universal Amphitheater in August/September of 1974. He also tells the audience, most attentive to say the least, that he worked on his songs late into the evening on the beach’s lifeguard stands the first time he arrived in California in the late ’60s. It was a long journey to the top of singing stardom, just eating in order to play for people in the early days. This is a different record from those of his individual ones. It is here that Denver is backed up by a phenomenal orchestra conducted by Lee Holdridge. Dick Kniss is there to back him up on bass guitar. Steve Weisberg adds the electric guitar, steel pedal, and dobro. Herb Lovelle sits in on drums, Hal Blaine adds the percussion, and John Sommers puts added touches with rhythm guitar, banjo, fiddle, and mandolin. The album begins with Denver’s song of encouragement, “Farewell Andromeda.” “Welcome to my morning/Welcome to my happiness/It pleases me to have you here for just a little while,” sings Denver. Then it’s off to the races with the uptempo Beatles cover “Mother Nature’s Son,” in which Denver received much praise for playing, keeping the spirit of the Fab Four alive. “Summer” takes the listener to their favorite vacation spot in the midst of a memory-filled season. He throws in Randy Sparks’ song “Toledo” for laughs. The artist receives from the audience a strong reception for the hilarious tune. A song about Denver’s uncle, “Matthew,” brings to the listeners a lesson “that joy is the thing you should be raised on/And love is just a way to…

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