The Carter Family Special on PBS

[Steve Farling]

Maybe it's just me, but while I was watching the show last night I kept thinking of Rhonda every time I saw some of the younger pictures of Mother Maybell. Am I crazy, or does anyone else get this too? All in all, it was a great show! There were a few songs I'd never heard before, and it left me wanting to hear more.

[Steven]

I saw the show,thought it was great!Here in Maine its a miracle to see anything on the PBS station for music like that,or even Bluegrass for that matter,and whats up with Austin City Limits?,every week I stay up hoping they will have some Bluegrass,always disappointed.Dont know about the Rhonda thing,maybe a little.

[Don Christy]

I haven't seen it yet but have it Tivo'ed. Funny thing is my wife, who really doesn't care much for old time country or old time fiddle music, watched it last night and said she was fascinated. I'll be checking it out this weekend. If Mother Maybelle looked like Rhonda then she had it going on.

[JEStanek]

There was a nice 4 part documentary on PBS in 2001 of American Roots music. #You can still get the 2 DVD (four 1 hour episodes) here (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B00005Q65K/qid=1115728759/sr=8-1/ref=pd_csp_1/103-9421854-0023825?v=glance&s=dvd&n=507846). #This documentary covered a broad range #I call it Appalachain to Zydeco of roots music (Old Time, string band, bluegrass, western swing, gospel, R&B, Blues). #None of it gets really in depth and the original clips are sometimes too short. #As an overview for someone who was a blank slate this was a great place to start. #Amazon has it new for $31 and used from ~$19 (a better price). #I too saw the Carter family special and really enjoyed it. #I kept thinking of the Catawba Valley and Valley of Virginia and got homesick. #I would recommend a copy of the DVD or VHS from PBS at $19 to anyone who missed it last night.

The only Rhonda Vincet association I made was in a B/W photo of the trio in front of a banner for Martha White Hot Rize flour... then I thought of Tim O'brian... then I thought I could use a biscuit! #You might be onto something tho..

[JEStanek]

Rhonda...

[Lane Pryce]

I saw it too and enjoyed very much.Lot of good history there too.The Rhonda thing ---- naw I don't think so. Lp

[JEStanek]

Its the eyes and jawline for me I guess...

[csstanley]

Man, I hate that I missed that.

They are having a good one on tomorrow night about my home, Appalachia. yall check it out if ya can, it looks to be interesting.

[Rick Schmidlin]

I just wish they portray Maybelle with Loar style F5 and not with present day Martins.That would be like doing a documentray on Bill Monroe and having him play a Collings or Weber. Great mandos but not the Loar that was played by the artist.

[Michael Gowell]

Good show, hadn't noticed the instrument mistakes in the "recreation" segments (which I liked). The boys over on the D-28 Lounge site have a similar thread going, and they certainly did catch the guitar errors. #The mistake which stood out for me was that after having spent some time discussing the "Carter scratch" - Maybelle's breakthrough guitar style featuring the thumb picking out the melody on the bass strings alternating with the first finger brushing down & up across the chorded treble strings for rhythm - the Maybelle character in the recreation of the famous Bristol Virginia recording session (their first) was flatpicking with a pick! #Odd incongruity.

[JD Cowles]

that was a great hour of tv in a time where they are harder and harder to find. in the last few minutes there were some facts flashed on the screen. one alluded to the fact that the carter's themselves made very little $$$ on their songs, but now their music reaps some of the highest royalties. any one know who owns the rights to all that good stuff?
http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/coffee.gif

[Rick Schmidlin]

THE PEER ESTATE

[Gibsonman]

I had it wrote down for a week, so I would not forget, I forgot. My mind woke up after it was over. Don,t get old.

[Michael Gowell]

Remember, it's Public Television. #It will repeat, probably more than once.

[mingusb1]

Hey Maine Michael, I similarly noticed that thing about the "Carter scratch" (mentioned it today in our ongoing "what is oldtime" thread here on the board in the OT section). #

I found it odd that Gillian Welch specifically explained and demonstrated the "scratch", but she too was using a flatpick. #

But I did really like the show. #Amazing story about Sara singing "thinking tonight of my blue eyes" solo from Mexico, her boyfriend was listening in CA, and they were married in 2 weeks!

Z

[Jon Hall]

I thought it was a great show! As for as the flat pick issue, according to Mike Seeger, Maybelle did use a flat pick for some songs, notably "You Ar My Flower".

[ira]

i thought it was fantastic . they also had a hank williams one write after last night. really cool!- he was the man!

[JD Cowles]

nice ira! we got an hour long george jones all-star deal. man, vince gil is everywhere...

[evanreilly]

Maybelle's guitar was not a Loar-era L-5; it was a 1928, to the best of my recollection.
It is now in repose in a collection, after being on the auction block for $575K.

[JEStanek]

I totally missed the "Maybelle Scratch" error in the recreation. This is why I can't watch ER with my wife the Veterinarian... She's all over medical errors. Then she looks at me funny I tell her its television. I thoroughly enjoyed the show, the music, the hokey reenacting. You gotta admit, the session reenacting on The Carter Family special was alot better than the beards in Gettysburg (a favorite movie o mine).

http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/blues.gif

[katmando3]

Missed the show . . . but I absolutely loved the book titled "Will You Miss Me When I'm Gone? "The Carter Family & Their Legacy in American Music" by Mark Zwonitzer with Charles Hirshberg. So good I hated to reach the end.