fiddledave-blog

[fiddledave-blog]

Fiddle Dave here! I so much enjoy learning new songs by different people on a daily basis. I just learned this sweet Billy Strings song. One of my approaches is to record the song immediately after learning it...but before polishing it. I like to capture the joy snd spontaneity of that moment where I'm singing the song for the first time and really feeling the melody and lyrics firsthand. So while rough around the edges, I hope you can hear the bliss and love that went into a quick demo version of a new favorite song. This is a bare bones style Igh Lonesome Looping arrangement, using a Line 6 DL-4 to loop the verse progression, which allowed me to have a fun and hopefully dynamic attempt at jamming the song in the moment while accompanying myself. And as a fiddler by trade, by opportunities to play lead guitar are sometime few and far between and I relish the moment to dig a little deeper and let the guitar pickin' flow. Lastly, I love the lyrical content of this song and the beautiful melody and enjoyed every moment of singing this wonderful song. Grateful to Billy Strings for writing yet another gem of a song and happy I dug into it a couple early mornings ago, gave it a quick loop and a heartfelt go. I hope yoiu enjoy listening and can hear the love. I appreciate every one of you for reading this and listening!! Cheers!! in Music we trust-Fiddle Dave

[fiddledave-blog]

Just a moment ago...G'night from the west coast!

[fiddledave-blog]

“Prohibition/goes beyond the bounds of reason in that it attempts to control a man’s appetite by legislation and makes a crime out of things that are not crimes. A prohibition law strikes a blow at the very principles upon which our government was founded.”

Abraham Lincoln-1840

[fiddledave-blog]

Short Term Memory String Band presents "Old and in the Waste-an evening of Browngrass." Here's Baby Bitch as performed by the STMSB in Asheville, NC, at Stella Blue, in the late summer of 2008. That's Merl Johnson on the mandolin and fiddle and a harmony, Scott Murray on the dobro and banjo, Rob Heyer on upright bass and yours truly on guitar and vocals. Something from the STMSB archives...enjoy!!!

[fiddledave-blog]

Fiddle Dave solo show-setlist from March 8, 2011.

Setlist for Fiddle Dave Solo Show at Giordano Bros., North Beach, SF, CA from 3-9-11.

This show was dedicated to the memory of my friend Bad Chad Kelly, R.I.P.

Set 1-L and N Don't Stop Here Anymore

          Panama Red

          Crossties

          Spider John

          Bertha

          Peggy-o

          Kick Me When I'm Down 

          Midnight Moonlight>Tangled Up in Blue

          Walking Boss

          Cuckoo's Nest 

          Baby Bitch

Set 2 Candyman

         If You Need a Fool

         Mr. Charlie>Before You Accuse Me>Mr.Charlie

         Black Muddy River

         Black Peter

[fiddledave-blog]

Bad Chad Kelly and Fiddle Dave-SCRAPE the MUCUS OFF MY BRAIN-Here's another song Chad and I recorded back in the spring of 2009 in his living room. Part 2 of our "browngrass" Ween tribute, here's our version of Scrape the Mucus Off My Brain. Chad's Memorial in SF was epic! It was amazing to feel so much love in one room. I hope his friends enjoy hearing this recording of him singing and playing. Wow! What a rich, beautiful voice he had. The Angel Band never sounded so good.

[fiddledave-blog]

Here's the late great Bad Chad Kelly singing I Don't Want to Leave You on the Farm with Fiddle Dave back in April of 2009. Recorded in Chad's living room. Chad had such a beautiful voice and was a gifted guitarist as well. I will miss him forever and will always take inspiration from his memory. I hope his friends and family enjoy this recording. Sincerely-fd

[fiddledave-blog]

Cadenza=Big Rock and Roll Ending. Big Rock and Roll Ending=Cadenza

[fiddledave-blog]

This morning's SF sunrise. What did you do to start your day today?

[fiddledave-blog]

...the beautiful path is patient, always waiting for you to come back, that path is so familiar to you, and so faithful. It knows you will come back one day, And it will welcome you back. The path will be as fresh and as beautiful as the first time. Love never says that this is the last time.

Thich Nhat Hanh

[fiddledave-blog]

"Learn to let go. This is the key to happiness."

Buddah

[fiddledave-blog]

I need a miracle every day!!

Gratefully putting 2010 to rest. Going FURTHUR in 2011!  Happy New Year friends!

[fiddledave-blog]

"2010-The Year We Stopped Talking"

This is the front page headline of today's USA Today. It was all about smart phones and texting and communicating via electronics. Turns out people are forgetting to actually "talk" to the people around them. Let's make 2011 the year we start talking again. Be here now, with the people you love. Right!?

[fiddledave-blog]

Life is like stepping onto a boat that is about to sail out to sea and sink.

Shunryu Suzuki. This was my daily "Words of Wisdom" quote from Monday. I just read it today. Seems poignant to me. Everyone enjoy the voyage, life is too short to worry about inevitable sinking ships!!

[fiddledave-blog]

And in order to consume a lot, we have to be very busy working all the time, leaving no time to love, to build up brotherhood and sisterhood.

Thich Nhat Hanh from his book "Answers from the Heart."

[fiddledave-blog]

Back in 2001, I had the great pleasure of picking a few songs with Danny Barnes.  We were both in attendance and performing at the Swamp 'n Grass Festival that took place on a little lake in Wisconsin in the middle of winter.  Average temp was about zero degrees.  So cold the only thing you could do was laugh about it.  Danny was performing with his band at the time, Thee Old Codgers, and I was performing with my band at the time, Wisconsin's very own Sloppy Joe.  We were big fans of Danny in that band and performed a few of his songs at our little shows. Needless to say it was a huge inspiration to pick a few songs with Danny during the Sunday morning Bloody Mary jam.    

[fiddledave-blog]

Here's the famous busking story of the great Joshua Bell playing a Stadivarius in a subway station.

(The following is a brief synopsis of the actual article which is a very comprehensive report by Washington Post journalist Gene Weingartner.  Due to the wonders of cutting and pasting, I somehow lifted this brief overview of the story from some unknown author on the web.  Straight to the point, I believe that even in synopsis form, this story raises an interesting question.)

Metro Station on a cold January morning in 2007. The man with a violin played six Bach pieces for about 45 minutes. During that time approx. 2 thousand people went through the station, most of them on their way to work. After 3 minutes a middle aged man noticed there was a musician playing. He slowed his pace and stopped for a few seconds and then hurried to meet his schedule.  

The violinist received his first dollar: a woman threw the money in the hat and, without stopping, continued to walk.  A young man leaned against the wall to listen to him, then looked at his watch and started to walk again.  A 3-year old boy stopped but his mother tugged him along hurriedly. The kid stopped to look at the violinist again, but the mother pushed hard and the child continued to walk, turning his head all the time. This action was repeated by several other children. Every parent, without exception, forced their children to move on quickly.  

The musician played continuously.  Only 6 people stopped and listened for a short while. About 20 gave money, but continued to walk at their normal pace. The man collected a total of $32.  He finished playing and silence took over. No one noticed. No one applauded, nor was there any recognition.  No one knew this, but the violinist was Joshua Bell, one of the greatest musicians in the world. He played one of the most intricate pieces ever written, with a violin worth $3.5 million dollars. 

Two days before Joshua Bell sold out a theater in Boston where the seats averaged $100.  

This is a true story. Joshua Bell playing incognito in the Metro Station was organized by the Washington Post as part of a social experiment about perception, taste, and people's priorities. The questions raised: "In a common place environment, at an inappropriate hour, do we perceive beauty? Do we stop to appreciate it? Do we recognize talent in an unexpected context?"  One possible conclusion reached from this experiment could be this: If we do not have a moment to stop and listen to one of the best musicians in the world, playing some of the finest music ever written, with one of the most beautiful instruments ever made.... WHAT ELSE ARE WE MISSING?