There have certainly been more flattering pictures of me, but this is about as typical as I get when I've rushed to a session, grabbed a seat and someone hands me a copy of the comhaltas magazine before anything gets started. Thought you all might find it as entertaining as I did.
There actually is a story behind this. I've been playing ITM for about 15 years now but that's in addition to my "real" job, which has been in newspapers for the past 40 years. Over the years, the people I work with have occasionally known about my hobby but mostly I'm just some random reporter -- editor, now -- who takes care not to be photographed because it's considered bad form, me working for the paper and all. The group I work for now has five small papers in Connecticut. I know my own crew but the photographers (and certainly the reporters) in the other papers only know me by voice or email. When I showed up at comhaltas on Thursday, I took a seat and settled in and then the branch president announced there was a photographer from the local paper there. It was too late to move to the back row (which I would have if i'd known he was there when I first walked in) so I just pretended I was some random musician. He never came up to ask me for my name, so I figured I'd dodged a bullet.
Friday I'm in the office doing work and I get an email from the photographer asking if this photo was, indeed, me and what name I go by. It seemed the photo editor, who knows me by sight, recognized my profile in another shot and asked him if he had a face-on photo of me so she could double-check and he pulled up this one. She thought it was pretty funny and had him send it. I acknowledged the identification and told him he should have warned me to comb my hair. Anyway, now at least one off-site photographer knows my alter ego!
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1920 Lyon & Healy bowlback
1923 Gibson A-1 snakehead
1952 Strad-o-lin
1983 Giannini ABSM1 bandolim
2009 Giannini GBSM3 bandolim
2011 Eastman MD305
Funny, Randi! I assume they didn't use this in the article with this caption, "People who play Irish music prefer to read magazines and look at their phones."
Jim
My Stream on Soundcloud
19th Century Tunes
Playing lately:
1924 Gibson A4 - 2018 Campanella A-5 - 2007 Brentrup A4C - 1915 Frank Merwin Ashley violin - Huss & Dalton DS - 1923 Gibson A2 black snakehead - '83 Flatiron A5-2 - 1939 Gibson L-00 - 1936 Epiphone Deluxe - 1928 Gibson L-5 - ca. 1890s Fairbanks Senator Banjo - ca. 1923 Vega Style M tenor banjo - ca. 1920 Weymann Style 25 Mandolin-Banjo - National RM-1
In action at Rhyl Folk Club Xmas party.
I am playing my Resonator Mandolin, made by Stuart Wailing.
There was an element of fate involved in its acquisition.
I saw it in the gallery on the Stuart Wailing website years ago, and envied it.
It was described as an example of a custom commission for a client. Stuarts custom commissions were way out side my price bracket at the time sadly.
A year or so ago, I started playing in a local Barn Dance band, and it turned out that the band leader was the guy who commissioned it and now wanted to sell it, a price was agreed and it became mine.
I think it safe to say that it is not 'subtle' .... 'tinny and twangy' would be more accurate, but I like it ... it is 100% the wrong instrument to play Bluegrass on. This suits me fine, as what I play could be accurately described as 'not bluegrass'
Colin Bakewell
Hey Randi, I love that Runa is on the back page of that magazine. Shannon Lambert-Ryan (lead singer of Runa) and I have worked together at the Philadelphia Folk Festival since 2000. I've loved watching how successful they have become.
Jamie
There are two things to aim at in life: first, to get what you want; and, after that, to enjoy it. Only the wisest of mankind achieve the second. Logan Pearsall Smith, 1865 - 1946
+ Give Blood, Save a Life +
1994 Gibson F5L - Weber signed
"Mandolin brands are a guide, not gospel! I don't drink koolaid and that Emperor is naked!"
"If you wanna get soul Baby, you gots to get the scroll..."
"I would rather play music anyday for the beggar, the thief, and the fool!"
"Perfection is not attainable; but if we chase perfection we can catch excellence" Vince Lombardi
Playing Style: RockMonRoll Desperado Bluegrass Desperado YT Channel
Randi,
I was a photographer for 30 years at my hometown paper and I was lucky that I was on the backside of the camera, as I do not like to have my own photo taken. I am glad that your president announced that a photographer was in the room because some folks get downright nasty to us photogs. I always tried to let folks know I was in the room and if they didn't want to photographed it gave them time to move or tell me not to shoot them. The only people I have ever run into who never objected were politicians.
George -- that is a scream! our politicians are exactly the same, unless they've been caught doing something they shouldn't, then we have to rely on file photos!
Most people don't realize how tough it is for newspaper photographers to do their work. I admire all they do and am constantly astounded at what a difference there is between a photo taken by even a talented amateur and someone whose job it is to do the impossible on a daily basis.
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1920 Lyon & Healy bowlback
1923 Gibson A-1 snakehead
1952 Strad-o-lin
1983 Giannini ABSM1 bandolim
2009 Giannini GBSM3 bandolim
2011 Eastman MD305
Jim
My Stream on Soundcloud
19th Century Tunes
Playing lately:
1924 Gibson A4 - 2018 Campanella A-5 - 2007 Brentrup A4C - 1915 Frank Merwin Ashley violin - Huss & Dalton DS - 1923 Gibson A2 black snakehead - '83 Flatiron A5-2 - 1939 Gibson L-00 - 1936 Epiphone Deluxe - 1928 Gibson L-5 - ca. 1890s Fairbanks Senator Banjo - ca. 1923 Vega Style M tenor banjo - ca. 1920 Weymann Style 25 Mandolin-Banjo - National RM-1
When I first looked, I was focusing on your instrument, then I looked a bit more closely and saw the best feature of the photos. The expressions on your little girl's face in these two pictures are just magical. These are wonderful pictures that you should treasure. Is that her mandolin? Does she play? If not, I hope you will teach her. Thanks for posting these wonderful family shots.
Purr more, hiss less. Barn Cat Mandolins Photo Album
Worlds okay-ist mandolin player
Relative newcomer
Weber Yellowstone F (2015)
Red Valley EM (2018)
Howard Morris Blue A4 (2023)
Flatiron 1N (1982)
https://youtube.com/@zachwilson54?si=iGum4xPlSj0pbcjj
Thank you. Currently that is not her mandolin though maybe one day it will be. Both those instruments are pre-1898 Orville Gibson made pieces. She's 6 and has just been starting to play ukulele. Once she gets pressing down on strings and frets maybe we will move onto mandolin or guitar. A friend of mine requested a photo of me for his blog so I grabbed what is most precious to me to be in it. His post can be seen here http://harpguitars.net/blog/2018/03/...ages-addendum/. Artwork behind us is also from her.
Phil
I want to say you are an elegant man.
Love this thread! Replied once years ago but felt it was worth an update.
Now playing a Summit F-200x in a community mandolin orchestra (I'm in the middle, wearing a tie):
(Apologies for the zoomed-in smartphone pic).
Here's the link to our website for those interested:
http://www.minnesotamandolinorchestra.org/
Also a better pic of the mando for fun:
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