Tim O'brien doing"Shady Grove"

[300win]

Yea, I'm way behind on all this computer stuff. Couldn't sleep last night, got on you-tube to listen to some music with my headphones on so as not to rile the wife. Ran across Tim O'Brien and the Chieftians doing Shady Grove, AWESOME !!!!! I play mostly Bluegrass, but love the Scots/Irish playing, and this was one of the best versions I've ever heard of that old song. Esp. liked the way they kicked it off, and the dancers at the end, man I'd give a $100 to be able to dance like that. Of course I got my mando and learned the kickoff, already knew how to play the song. Interesting that they were tuned higher than 440, is that something they intended or is it something that happened in the course of the computer download and just made it sound higher ? Anyone know ? In any event, no matter, I stayed up until 5;15 am listening to Scots/Irish tunes, and other stuff by Tim O'brien, the man CAN pick, and SING !

[foldedpath]

That is a very cool clip. I bought the MP3 studio version (Further Down the Old Plank Road - 2003) from Amazon because I liked the YouTube clip so much, but it turns out that the YouTube clip is longer, with more fire in the playing. The studio version suffers a bit from "studio syndrome" where everything is a little too clean and without as much energy.

YouTube doesn't ordinarily mess with pitch. They might have all tuned to Paddy Moloney's pipes, since those aren't easy to get right on A440 reference pitch. Also he's the leader of the band, which probably counts for something when everyone's tuning up.


Here's the clip:

[Perry Babasin]

He is rapidly becoming one of my favorites, check out some of his work with Darrell Scott, it's awesome. I highly recommend the DVD "Bluegrass Journey", he is featured prominently playing, singing and talking about his music philosophy... Him and Darrell do a song called Walk Beside Me which is fantastic... Perry

[foldedpath]

I was lucky enough to attend a few mandolin workshops and a week-long band lab with Tim O'Brien a couple years ago, at the Festival of American Fiddle Tunes. He's fun to be around in person. Very amiable and relaxed, no "star syndrome" at all. If you ever have a chance to attend a workshop with him, I highly recommend it.

I know we're all mando-focused here, but his most impressive performance that week was during a solo concert, when he sang and played fiddle simultaneously, weaving both sounds together. Powerful stuff. It's not fair that one person should be that good on vocals and several different instruments, dagnabbit! Makes the rest of us look bad.

[Brent Hutto]

...his most impressive performance that week was during a solo concert, when he sang and played fiddle simultaneously, weaving both sounds together. Powerful stuff.

It didn't happen to be that song "One More Year" from the Fiddler's Green album by any chance?

[Aran]

Oooh!! I really like the Celtic version of Shady Grove you shared with us!!! Thanks!

I have always been a fan of the way Grisman/Garcia did it on their "Shady Grove" entitled album and have tried to emulate that a bit over the years, keeping it in Dm etc... (my ropey version of it is on myspace)

As a personal opinion now!! I can't stand the major key bluegrass version of Shady Grove!!! It's totally horrible to my ears!!

Tim is a true gentleman and has always been very friendly anytime I have met him in Ireland... Really looking forward to the next time he comes across the pond...

[jim_n_virginia]

Win get the CD "Further Down Plank Road" the whole CD is awesome!
http://www.amazon.com/Further-Down-O.../dp/B0000ABGD3

[JEStanek]

The perfomances on the DVD are great. Tim O is a highlight along with the big finale piece.

Jamie

[Patrick Hull]

One of my favorite Tim O pieces is "Working on a Building" in which he sings and plays fiddle simultaneously. Really difficult to do under the best of circumstances, and for some reason, although that seems like a pretty simple song, it has always been difficult for me to play. And, lest I risk a visit from the Bg police, it seems to me that Mr Monroe struggled with it on a recording I have. I also have a recording of Old and In The Way doing it and although it doesn't seem to flow as well as some of their other stuff, Grisman does an admirable job. You can find Tim O's excellent version of Youtube.

[Steve Ostrander]

Tim's right hand technique is interesting. I'm so used to watching BG pickers that I immediately noticed the difference. His pick grip and strum is more like a guitar player. Is that an OT thing?

My only criticism is that there are too many Chieftans and not enough...oh, never mind!

[David M.]

What were the "choons" after shady grove?

[nick a]

What were the "choons" after shady grove?

i recognize the last one as "maid behind the bar" i think it also goes by "judys reel" dont know about the one before it.....

[300win]

i recognize the last one as "maid behind the bar" i think it also goes by "judys reel" dont know about the one before it.....

Sounded to me a little like a small bit of "whisky before Breakfast ". Good picking.

[300win]

Tim's right hand technique is interesting. I'm so used to watching BG pickers that I immediately noticed the difference. His pick grip and strum is more like a guitar player. Is that an OT thing?

My only criticism is that there are too many Chieftans and not enough...oh, never mind!

Whenever I play old tyme, I will strum with open chords more like a guitar rather than chopping like in Bluegrass. I think it blends with the music better. But my pick grip stays the same no matter if I'm playing BG, OT, or jazz.

[wsugai]

Check out that shaky clip on YT of him playing "Forever Young." If there's a single thing that I want to emulate, it's the way that he walks up to the melody notes. I sat in an Orville Johnson workshop at Dusty Strings here in Seattle watching the same thing and just can't for the life of me figure out how these guys can hear that.