(Arhoolie CD 421) 1994
This is a compilation of live recordings made during a 'National Tour Of Traditional Banjo Styles' organised by the National Council for Traditional Arts, in November 1993.
The tour presented several styles of banjo playing, with clawhammer and Irish tenor, two-finger, three-finger and melodic styles all on display. The tour also featured Ethiopoian, Seleshe Damessae singing in Amharic and playing his 'krar', a six string lyre which dates back to the ancient civilisations of the Nile.
Ralph:- "Seleshe would finger-pick that krar lightening fast, and he'd do some sort of talk-singing... We couldn't say much to each other, so we just talked through music. I got a kick out of Seleshe and his krar, and he got a kick out of my clawhammer... when I'd go out to do my part of the show he'd come out on stage and make a bow down to my banjo and sit right there at my feet. When I started playing, why, he would dance around and just have a time. Seleshe would hit the floor every time I played 'Shout Little Lulie'. He really thought it was it, and he would almost do somersaults and such onstage, the music made him so happy".[1]
It's a bit odd that Ralph commented on only being able to communicate with Seleshe through music - his English on the album is perfect, and he did spend twenty years in the US before returning to Ethiopia.[2]
November was a pretty busy month for Ralph, with approx eight of shows on the 'Banjo Styles' tour sandwiched between regular CMB appearances at clubs and festivals:-
(*) 'National Tour Of Traditional Banjo Styles'
The CMB's didn't accompany Ralph on the tour, instead he was backed by a bluegrass all-star line-up, which make the recordings sound a little different and quite interesting:-
It's notable too, that even on a 'Banjo' tour, one of Ralph's a cappella perfomances (Children Go Where I Send Thee) was also so good it just had to be included!
Track: |
Artist: |
Title: |
Time: |
Date: |
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A-1 |
Seleshe Damessae |
The Eldest Of All (The Nile) |
03:37 |
Nov 1993 |
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?? |
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A-2 |
Seleshe Damessae |
A Family Quarrel On Sunday |
03:17 |
Nov 1993 |
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?? |
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A-3 |
Seleshe Damessae |
If You Come, Come; If You Go, Go |
02:10 |
Nov 1993 |
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?? |
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A-4 |
Kirk Sutphin |
John Brown's Dream |
01:40 |
Nov 1993 |
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?? |
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A-5 |
Kirk Sutphin |
John Brown's Dream |
01:40 |
Nov 1993 |
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?? |
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A-6 |
Kirk Sutphin |
Let Me Fall |
02:26 |
Nov 1993 |
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Larry Richardson |
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A-7 |
Kirk Sutphin |
Yellow Rose Of Texas |
01:58 |
Nov 1993 |
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P.D. |
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A-8 |
Tony Ellis |
The Wild Fox |
01:54 |
Nov 1993 |
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?? |
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A-9 |
Tony Ellis |
Wind Chimes And Nursery Rhymes |
02:32 |
Nov 1993 |
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?? |
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A-10 |
Tony Ellis |
Cherry Blossom Waltz |
02:44 |
Nov 1993 |
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?? |
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A-11 |
Tony Ellis |
Hand In Hand |
04:14 |
Nov 1993 |
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?? |
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A-12 |
Seamus Egan |
Bird In The Tree |
02:32 |
Nov 1993 |
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?? |
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A-13 |
Seamus Egan |
Charleston/Mason's Apron |
06:08 |
Nov 1993 |
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?? |
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A-14 |
Seamus Egan |
Lark In The Morning Medley |
05:46 |
Nov 1993 |
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?? |
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A-15 |
Laurie Lewis & Dudley Connell |
The Lover's Return |
04:15 |
Nov 1993 |
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?? |
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A-16 |
Carroll Best |
The Johnson Boys |
01:59 |
Nov 1993 |
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?? |
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A-17 |
Carroll Best |
McMitchen's Reel |
02:07 |
Nov 1993 |
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P.D. ? |
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A-18 |
Carroll Best |
Say Old Man, Can You Play The Fiddle? |
01:44 |
Nov 1993 |
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P.D. ? |
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A-19 |
Will Keys |
Mississippi Sawyer |
02:21 |
Nov 1993 |
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P.D. |
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A-20 |
Will Keys |
Sweet Fern |
03:30 |
Nov 1993 |
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P.D. |
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A-21 |
Will Keys |
On My Mind |
03:05 |
Nov 1993 |
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?? |
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A-22 |
Will Keys |
Evergreen |
02:41 |
Nov 1993 |
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?? |
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A-23 |
Ralph Stanley |
Nobody's Love Is Like Mine |
02:11 |
Nov 1993 |
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C. Stanley |
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A-24 |
Ralph Stanley |
I'll Just Go Away |
02:53 |
Nov 1993 |
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C. Stanley |
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A-25 |
Ralph Stanley |
Children, Go Where I Send Thee |
02:31 |
Nov 1993 |
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P.D. arr C. Love |
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A-26 |
Ralph Stanley |
I Got A Mule To Ride / Rocky Island / Shout Lulu |
04:23 |
Nov 1993 |
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Donnie Joe Mullins / P.D. / P.D. |
[1] Ralph Stanley and Eddie Dean's book 'Man Of Constant Sorrow' (p.437)
[2] http://musicinafrica.net/directory/seleshe-damessae