THE OLD-TIME STRING BAND WEEKEND
The Old-Time String Band Weekend
5/24/2018
A weekend with three masters of fiddle and banjo hailing from Tennessee and Virginia, featuring Joseph Decosimo, Luke Richardson and Cleek Schrey!
CONCERT
Saturday, June 23rd at 7:30pm
Joseph Decosimo (Bucking Mules), Luke Richardson (Bucking Mules) & Cleek Schrey (Bigfoot)
With Los Angeles’ newest old-time band, The SHAKYTOWN Ramblers (Nick Bachman, Pat MacSwyney, Steve Lewis and Laura Osborn!).
Timewarp Records
12204 Venice Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90066
WORKSHOPS AND JAM
Sunday, June 24th at 1:00pm
At the Old Time Tiki Parlour in Northridge. Contact davidbragger@gmail.com
Joseph, Luke and Cleek will be teaching two workshops with a potluck in between!
1:00pm Cumberland Plateau Fiddling Workshop
In this workshop, we’ll sample some rare fiddle pieces and stylings from the sandy soil of Tennessee’s Cumberland Plateau. Spanning north to south across Tennessee, the region has been home to a range of sounds—from John Sharp’s incisive, driving tunes to Oscar Overturf’s loping grooves to Blaine Smith’s swooping, squirrelly pieces. We’ll explore two or three delightful tunes drawn from the northern and southern ends of the plateau. We’ll consider the details of bowing in play. Participants will leave with a couple of tunes and a rough sense of the region’s music.
2:30pm Potluck and Old-Time Jam
4:00pm Tennessee Clawhammer and Fingerstyle Banjo Workshop
In this workshop, we’ll divide our time between repertoire and right-hand refinement. Clawhammer and fingerstyles will be explored as well as tunings. Every skill level is welcome. Recording devices are strongly encouraged.
ABOUT THE PLAYERS
Joseph Decosimo, Luke Richardson and Cleek Schrey explore Old-time sounds and repertoires on fiddles and banjo. This trio is the culmination of six years of collaboration between these Tennessee and Virginia natives. Composed of a Clifftop fiddle champion and two national banjo champions, the trio features members of prize-winning stringbands the Bucking Mules (Luke and Joseph) and Bigfoot (Cleek). In this project, these musicians explore the possibilities for nuance, ambiguity, and expressivity beyond the contemporary stringband sound. Drawing on their deep study of fiddle and banjos styles from Tennessee and North Carolina, they will draw listeners into uncluttered, spacious performances. Don’t miss this rare opportunity to hear these Southern masters!
The SHAKYTOWN Ramblers are a north Los Angeles-based Old-Time String Band performing all the hits from 19th and early 20th century rural America. Drawing from the old 78 and field recordings of long gone fiddlers, the band plays a wide spectrum of both Appalachian & Midwestern breakdowns, assorted rags and the occasional song. The SHAKYTOWN Ramblers features Nick Bachman on Fiddle; Laura Osborn on Guitar & Tin Whistle; Steve Lewis on Banjo; and Pat Mac Swyney on Mandolin & Tenor Resonator.
David Bragger is a Los Angeles-based instructor and player of old time fiddle and banjo music. He also photographs, films, and collects the lore of traditional artists, from puppeteers in Myanmar to fiddlers of Appalachia The Old Time Tiki Parlour