Jim Besser Posted April 28, 2008 Share Posted April 28, 2008 (edited) As usual a great festival with no lack of concertinas. A very nice C.Net session Sunday with David B, David FR, JDMS and myself. Several passersby reported that while we were a small group, we made our presence felt. Missed Mark, though. David B's playing was outstanding as usual as his Morris group braved a chilly drizzle. Was the Derek jamming in the hallway on Saturday evening a Cnetter? Didn't have a chance to chat. And, as always, nice to see the BB guys. Edited April 28, 2008 by Jim Besser Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Evans Posted April 28, 2008 Share Posted April 28, 2008 Ah Jim, I thought about you Lads Saturday and almost slipped away from the house and my charges "for just a few hours" which of course it wouldn't be. What beautiful weather it was. Too bad Sunday was chilly and drizzling. I would have so enjoyed it anyway. NEFFA is indeed a unique and wonderful festival and it was particularly galling that the new venue is only four exits up 495 from me. Last year was such a treat. I'm glad DavidFR had a box to play this year, for last time around he loolked so forlorn. I wonder was it that "tweeked" A/D Lachenal he had a few years ago. What a voice that beast has! I hope that at least someone was there to hold up the EC end of things. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DavidFR Posted April 28, 2008 Share Posted April 28, 2008 I hope that at least someone was there to hold up the EC end of things. Sadly no! Jim, Josh and I were all playing G/D anglos, and David B had his lovely Hadyn duet. We had a really great time, however, and it was exciting to finally meet Jim and David B who I only knew of through CNet. I did see Rachel Hall in the hallways of Neffa, but didn't get a chance to speak to her as she was engrossed in conversation with someone else. It was after we had our jam session so I couldn't have invited her to represent the EC anyway, but she's a great player and a very nice person if you ever have a chance to meet her. My G/D is playing very well these days, and I was happy not to be forlorn this year. My Kensington has not quite arrived so I wasn't able to show it off, but it was a happy coincidence that all three of us Anglo players had G/D boxes and therefore were able to play together quite happily. Might be something to look into next year to have a "scheduled" concertina jam session - I did notice a fair number of concertinas wandering around that didn't seem to belong to cnetters, and creating something official on the schedule might serve to grow both our online and offline communities. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Barnert Posted April 28, 2008 Share Posted April 28, 2008 (edited) David, Aaron, Jim and I found an empty classroom to jam in from about 1 to 2:30 yesterday. It was great. Me and three GD anglos There was a photographer there from the Patriot Ledger (a paper from Quincy, MA) who told us to keep an eye on http://www.patriotledger.com/ for pictures and a video he shot of us. I just checked. Nothing yet. I had a chance to play a couple of tunes with Rachel at the organized jam session in the hallway late in the day. Also got a chance to borrow a cello for once through "The Ash Grove." Edited to add: I had lunch at NEFFA (after aforementioned jam and his earlier concert) with Mike Agranoff. After carefully wiping off our fingers, we traded a few songs and bits of playing. He had never been up close to a Hayden before, but quickly found his way around it. Edited April 28, 2008 by David Barnert Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Evans Posted April 28, 2008 Share Posted April 28, 2008 I hope that at least someone was there to hold up the EC end of things. I did see Rachel Hall in the hallways of Neffa, but didn't get a chance to speak to her as she was engrossed in conversation with someone else. It was after we had our jam session so I couldn't have invited her to represent the EC anyway, but she's a great player and a very nice person if you ever have a chance to meet her. My G/D is playing very well these days, and I was happy not to be forlorn this year. Yes, I am quite the fan of Rachel's mastery of the EC. With red face I realize I know nothing in AC speak. Of course your instrument is a G/D. Seems that all AC are a wall of the unknowable to me. Your idea about an organized Concertina Jam is very cool indeed. I would love that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DavidFR Posted April 28, 2008 Share Posted April 28, 2008 Seems that all AC are a wall of the unknowable to me. I feel the same way about EC and DC! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jdms Posted April 28, 2008 Share Posted April 28, 2008 David, Aaron, Jim and I found an empty classroom to jam in from about 1 to 2:30 yesterday. It was great. Me and three GD anglos There was a photographer there from the Patriot Ledger (a paper from Quincy, MA) who told us to keep an eye on http://www.patriotledger.com/ for pictures and a video he shot of us. I just checked. Nothing yet. The video is here--the site is part of "Wicked Local," which I believe is associated with the Patriot Ledger. We're at 4:34 or thereabouts (and the video opens with my wife's rapper team). Incidentally, I'm Joshua, not Aaron--could you be thinking of Aaron Marcus? He's Hayden player and was at NEFFA last year (and I remember seeing the two of you playing together for morris), though we don't look at all alike... I was in far over my head at our jam session, but I had a fine old time and am looking forward to doing it again next year. jdms Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JimLucas Posted April 28, 2008 Share Posted April 28, 2008 Seems that all AC are a wall of the unknowable to me.I feel the same way about EC and DC! Well, would you like to learn? The English is my main squeeze, but I'm pleased to have experience with both anglos and duets, as well as with variations within each group. In terms of arrangement, there are a few things that each can do but the others can't, and a few more that are much easier (or more difficult) on one than another. And in the playing of each I've discovered "tricks" that I could use on another, but which I doubt I would ever have thought of if I had restricted my experience to only one. Somewhat of a digression, but I think anyone who might ever be teaching tunes to a mixed group should have at least a rudimentary familiarity with the variety of keyboards. In my workshop this past weekend at the SSI I played English, but a lot of time and frustration was saved by my being able to pick up an anglo or duet and play the tune, showing the fingering to someone who had trouble finding on their own the right sequence of buttons (and bellows directions, on the anglo) to match the sounds of the melody. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Evans Posted April 28, 2008 Share Posted April 28, 2008 (edited) Ah, too much work for an old bluegrass banjo player turned EC player. Spent years fighting a German concertina feeling like I was shackled to a millstone. Even tried the cross-row thang' a couple of years back and realized it was not a fit, particularlly when picking up the EC, I was free to fly again. A feller like me has got to understand his limitations or more likely unwillingness to do the mental work required. I almost made the jump to AC back when the Button Box got the Morse into production. Glad I held out. Some things were not meant to be. Edited April 28, 2008 by Mark Evans Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JimLucas Posted April 28, 2008 Share Posted April 28, 2008 A feller like me has got to understand his limitations or more likely unwillingness to do the mental work required. I almost made the jump to AC back when the Button Box got the Morse into production. Glad I held out. Some things were not meant to be. Not everyone enjoys -- or even tolerates -- the same things. For some, one kind of concertina is "impossible", while another is something they can't do without. I get a kick out of playing with a variety of keyboards, while some others would consider it anything from tedious to torture. Such differences are hardly limited to concertinas. I have one friend who hates the taste of raspberries, another who dislikes strawberries, though both love other kinds of berries. I don't shun them or try to tell them they're wrong. On the contrary, I'm more than happy to consume all the berries they don't want. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jdms Posted April 28, 2008 Share Posted April 28, 2008 The photos are now up here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Evans Posted April 28, 2008 Share Posted April 28, 2008 The photos are now up here. Ooh, de lads look luvely! Damnation.....missed something good I see. David, is that not a different box than you were playing last year? I remember a metal ended Wheatstone. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Besser Posted April 28, 2008 Author Share Posted April 28, 2008 The video is here--the site is part of "Wicked Local," which I believe is associated with the Patriot Ledger. We're at 4:34 or thereabouts (and the video opens with my wife's rapper team). I was in far over my head at our jam session, but I had a fine old time and am looking forward to doing it again next year. We're all in over our heads, actually. They also have a nice still pic of our jam here: David B is the bald one, I'm the balder one. David, what was the name of that tune we were playing in the video? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DavidFR Posted April 28, 2008 Share Posted April 28, 2008 Well, would you like to learn? I'm actually restoring a beat-up old English I picked up an antiques fair. I don't think I'm doing the best possible job and I don't think it will become a fantastic instrument, but I enjoy it and and I'm chalking it up as a learning experience. Let's just say that making your own bellows is harder than it looks, and I have the utmost respect for those on the forums that have spent the time and developed the expertise to do this well! If I actually get it finished and playing I may develop some limited skills on the English, but I have a feeling that my brain will only work on the Anglo system - that back and forth from side to side up the scale is just so counter-intuitive for me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Barnert Posted April 29, 2008 Share Posted April 29, 2008 Incidentally, I'm Joshua, not Aaron--could you be thinking of Aaron Marcus? He's Hayden player and was at NEFFA last year (and I remember seeing the two of you playing together for morris), though we don't look at all alike... My sincere apologies, Joshua. I can be terrible with names. No, I wasn't thinking of Aaron Marcus. But you do remind me of another Aaron I know (not a concertina player) and although I knew your initials were JDMS, I guess I sort of had a brain f*rt while I was typing. David, is that not a different box than you were playing last year? I remember a metal ended Wheatstone. Your memory is correct. Look more carefully at the picture (I'm on the left). That's the instrument I'm playing. David, what was the name of that tune we were playing in the video? It's a Scottish tune called "The Ton" (rhymes with "gone," not "done"). We were doing it in G, but it's also frequently heard in A. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Barnert Posted April 29, 2008 Share Posted April 29, 2008 The video is here I just noticed we're named in the closing credits. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JimLucas Posted April 29, 2008 Share Posted April 29, 2008 The video is here.... Thanks for that. NEFFA is one of the few things I miss here in Denmark. I recognized some old friends -- a couple of the fiddlers and a few other folks, -- in addition to David B. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Barnert Posted April 29, 2008 Share Posted April 29, 2008 They also have a nice still pic of our jam here: David B is the bald one, I'm the balder one. My wife says we don't look very happy. Pictures can be deceiving. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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