The night started with a stellar performance by Terry Joe Banjo. Terry Joe frails a long necked Gibson 5 string banjo like no one I've ever seen. One of my all-time heroes Doc Watson described Terry Joe's playing as "...some mighty fine banjo picking... I've never heard anyone frail that fast in all my life." Trust me, if Doc Watson says you're good, you're good. Terry Joe is also quite a versatile performer playing guitar, harmonica, a paper bag (apparently Tim Horton's bags have superior acoustic properties), and doing a little shuffle tap dance at various points throughout his set. You can hear one of his songs, "For Pete's Sake", below...
"For Pete's Sake" - Terry Joe Banjo
(audio only)
(audio only)
About 3 days into my first guitar building course Pat and Joshia brought me into Ottawa to see a friend's concert. Little did I know then that over four years later I would have seen Li'l Andy play countless shows and actually get the chance to have him perform in our shop! The CBC (that's Canadian for NPR for my American comrades) described Andy as having a "knack for packing the entire tear-jerking history of country music into one sucker-punch to the gut". Normally I don't enjoy getting punched in the gut (sucker or not), but I'll take it every time when Andy's doing the singing. Listen to him belt it out on "Auburn Fades Away"...
"Auburn Fades Away" - Li'l Andy
(audio only)
(audio only)
ps. Andy, if you read this, next time I see you please don't actually punch me in the gut.
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