The oldtime banjo blog from Kiel

M.T. is often quoted with the following sentence: "A gentleman is a man who knows how to play the banjo, and doesn't!" Shame on him for this! But I could not find the novel, short, storie or letter where he REALLY writes this. On the contrary it is said that this quote is used with lots of instruments, not only banjo. So may be he was a good American - and loved banjo? Don´t know. But I promise a free mp3 of  me playing "Cripple Creek" to the first person who can authenticate this quotation to me. Guaranteed! PS May this promise could be a reason not to call for this give-away?

Morgen ist (endlich) wieder Orchesterprobe. 18:00 Uhr in Hamburg-Winterhude. BitteCapo, Bleistift und Razzefummel nicht vergessen. Da werde ich auch was über das für nächstes Jahr geplante Dublin Retreat erzählen.

... but some Scottish music in the end ;-)

A few days ago I stumbled over an old Leonard Cohen song: Bird on the wire. It´s from the 1969 album "Songs from a Room" and I remember having heard (and loved ) it when I was a student. Today I could not help but giving it a try. At certain moments my voice is not really finding the right note (too high for me?). But I think our Transcontinental Jam Session could add some more instruments as mando and slide guitar. Please play a little louder at the - well, let´s say - "strange" moments of my singing and by such cover the wrong notes... Although the original song is in A I play it in G. Mine is in 4/4. Didn´t L.C. play it in 3/4? But Willie Nelson (on the CD "Tower of Songs") definetly uses 4/4 so I chose this way too. Bird on the Wire with guitar and banjo. I really would love to hear some mandolin and slide guitar to it.