"Muleskinner"

[levin4now]

On Friday night, I was at the home of Don Batten (aka 'batman' on the cafe), who is an awesome mandolin picker, and before I left, he lent me some instructional materials he owned, as well as a video called "Muleskinner" which was a recording of a concert of Grisman, Rowan, C. White, Richard Greene, etc...performing before a live audience in the 70s. I watched about half of it last night. It was pretty cool. I've never heard mention of it here. Any of you seen it?

Alan

[AlanN]

Yep, it's very cool and historical. The story is, Monroe and BG Boys were to have done that TV spot, but their bus broke down and this band was quickly assembled. One of the few (if only) vids of Clarence doing grass. At times Dawggy looks manic, to me

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

[Mando4Life]

I have the CD and absolutely love it. Grisman on New Camptown Races is great and Clarence W's kick off to 'I am a Pilgrim' is flat out classy.

Would like to see the video. I wonder if you can still track it down someplace.

[Don]

It's here:
http://www.elderly.com/videos/items/SIERRA-V101.htm

Don.

[Mando4Life]

Thanks Don....I'll check that out.

[Scotti Adams]

..Yes...Ive seen it and own it also....great stuff....thats THE MAN...Clarence....I was reading the book "Bluegrass Odyssey" last night and in it there is a cool pick of Lamarr Grier, 12 yr old David Grier and Clarence White at the Indian Springs Bluegrass festival stepping over a passed out festival goer,,,,gotta love it....

[levin4now]

I don't know much about Clarence White. If he's smiling, you can't tell. Is he having a good time there or what? I was considering purchasing a cd of his guitar instrumentals but wasn't sure if I'd like it.....any comments?

[Lefty&French]

Scotti, it's funny you mention this photo : Yesterday, I was re-reading a 1997 Flatpicking Guitar Magazine (David Grier on the cover), and I thought it was really a good and strange one!

[Scotti Adams]

yes..thats it..even Clarence is sippin on a Pabst,,,great pic I think...makes me wonder what the converstation was at that point...

[jim simpson]

Scotti,
I love that photo and looking at the photos of Bluegrass Odyssey gives me such a great feeling of the history and roots of this music. It was cool to spot some old friends (the Hutchinson Bros.).
At least the sleeping fellow wasn't wearing a kilt!

[Scotti Adams]

...its a geat book...should be required reading...and being a Buck-Billie from Ohio I was amazed to see so many pics taken around my area....pretty cool if you ask me. Theres just something that has to be said for Clarence stepping over drunk at a festival in his Nudie suit...classic.

[mmukav]

Great picture! I'm gonna have to pick up a copy of that video.
Love the Hutchison Brothers too! We saw them at a show in Cleveland in the 70's. They're great! Bought their LP, still listen to it now!

Great stuff!

[Scotti Adams]

Mike...I see your an Ohioan..what part?

[mmukav]

Hey Scotti--I live up in the frozen northeast---Chardon to be exact---you know, snow capital of Ohio!

Grew up in a suburb of Cleveland, moved to Chardon 4 years ago. Now live close to Little Mountain Music in Middlefield,
owned by Doug Campbell, great guy and great supporter of bluegrass in our area.

I downloaded your song from the mp3 file here on the site, that was some mighty fine pickin'! Your mando sounds great!

Mike

[Scotti Adams]

..wow...Cleveland huh?...sorry about your luck http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/tounge.gif seriously...if you ever make to the Dayton area look me up...and thanks for the kind words about my mando..thats BRW#6...she a tone monster...Im playing #40 now...she gonna be a tone monster....#6 just hangs on the wall now.

[mmukav]

Hey--watch it buster!
Cleveland is a wonderful place, you know......poorest city in the country and all.......

Chardon is much nicer, just a lot more snowy! Pretty as a picture in the winter-time!

Just make sure you have your Damp-its ready for when the furnace runs.....and runs......and runs.........!

My daughter-in law is from Dayton! They were married outside of Dayton at a farm. (can't recall the name right now)--My band mate and I played guitar and mandolin at the wedding. It was great!

[Scotti Adams]

Actually I live in Xenia about 20 miles east of Dayton,,home of one of the biggest tornados on record on April 3rd 1974.....we have our share of snow but I bet we have had a dozen or more tornados since then....everywhere I used to play in the 80's people would call me "Tornado Baby"....just kiddin about the Cleveland jab.

[evanreilly]

I had bought the original 'album' when it came out. I thought that was pretty good. But the video is even better; they do 'The Dead March'...<G>
The video has a few tracks that weren't on the album.

[mmukav]

Xenia! How could I forget that tornado!

And my daughter-in law Kat is actually from West Alexandria, the wedding was at the Preble County Historical Society. Nice part of Ohio!

Sounds like most of the good bluegrass is in your part of the state. Oh well, we just got a House of Blues! (not bluegrass, but still should be fun!)

We saw the Huthchison Brothers in a place in downtown Cleveland called Bobby Mcgee's. It was kind of a bluegrass/folk place. The band I played with did a gig there. That night the b#*@jo player was sick as a dog! Turned out he had pneumonia! But we did our set anyway!
The "Good Old Days"..............

[Lefty&French]

Evan, seems you're talking about the studio Muleskinner album, because :

"A POTPOURRI OF LIVE BLUEGRASS JAM"
MULESKINNER LIVE (CD) contains : New Campton Races, Dark Hollow, Land of the Navajo, Blackberry Blossom, Knockin' on your Door, Opus 57 in G Minor, Red Rocking Chair, Going to the Races, Eighth of January, I Am a Pilgrim, The Dead March, Sitting Alone in the Moonlight, O.B.Special.

MULESKINNER LIVE (Video)contains : New Campton Races, Dark Hollow, Land of the Navajo, Blackberry Blossom, Knockin' on your Door, Opus 57 in G Minor, Red Rocking Chair, The Dead March, O.B.Special.

On the studio album "Muleskinner, a potpourri of bluegrass jam", only remain Dark Hollow and Opus 57 from live tapes.

[AlanN]

Yes, and I recall reading somewhere that Roland White played mandola on the Opus 57 intro on the studio take.

[Tom C]

Well, I know what Meigs county OH,is famous for. Even the mayor seemed proud of it from an article I read a few months back. Hint:Folks in Amsterdam have even heard of Meigs County.

[doanepoole]

I don't know much about Clarence White...I was considering purchasing a cd of his guitar instrumentals but wasn't sure if I'd like it.....any comments?

If your talking about that 33 Instrumentals CD, if you have any interest in flatpick guitar, this is one of those must have CDs. There is so very much in those recordings to learn about the possibilities of tasteful flatpicking, I have had it basically since it was released and I still listen to it.

That's what's so cool about the Muleskinner video because you can actually see a bit of his right-hand technique as well.

[GVD]

Scotti Adams Posted

..even Clarence is sippin on a Pabst,,,great pic I think...makes me wonder what the converstation was at that point...

Well since it was a Pabst he was sippin the conversation probably went something like this

"All Right who P##### in my beer" #http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/rock.gif


GVD

[Scotti Adams]

...lol...your probably right George..

[evanreilly]

It will probably appear as a DVD sometime with additional content; figgers.

[batman]

I have another video with Clarance in it. It's also from a tv show in the early 70s called "Guitar Workshop". a 30min show hosted by this guy who i'm guessing was a little gay. He kept trying to get Clarence to smile. pretty good views of the right and left hands. at the end he's joined by Roland, Byron Berline and others for Soldiers Joy. anyone else seen this? Don