Tag: Pharis and Jason Romero

Modern Old-Time Sounds From Canada

Posted on by Justin Hiltner

A few years back, we put out an album called Modern Old-Time Sounds for the Bluegrass and Folksong Jamboree. The title was a nod to that 1960s trend of naming records in a way that tried to cover every possible base. It was tongue-in-cheek, but it still sums up what we do – and what you’ll hear on our latest Lonesome Ace Stringband album, Big Wing. We don’t really play old-time music so much as make a modern old-time sound, and that’s exactly what this playlist is all about

Up here in Canada, we have a wealth of traditional music – distinct regional fiddle styles from coast to coast, songs and ballads that reflect the multicultural makeup of our country, and Indigenous music that predates all of it. Even with this abundance of homegrown music to draw from, many of us have found ourselves charmed by the traditional “old-time” sounds of the American South.

Being far away – geographically and culturally – from the source of the music you love presents some challenges, but it also affords a certain freedom. The first step is always to understand where the music comes from and its history; eventually, though, we all need to find our own voice within it. That’s sometimes easier to do when you’re removed from entrenched scenes and long-established communities.

One way I see this playing out in the old-time music coming from Canada is that writing original tunes and songs seems to come naturally and early in the journey. Whether it’s composing new tunes in the tradition or letting the sounds and themes of traditional music color our lyric writing, we’ve developed a wealth of modern old-time sounds up here – and I’m excited to share a few examples in this playlist. – Chris Coole, Lonesome Ace Stringband

“Maggie At The Door” – Arnie Naiman

Arnie Naiman has been playing old-time music longer than anyone else on this list. When I first met him in the early ’90s, he’d already been playing for around 20 years. Back then, he was mostly on fiddle, but sometimes he’d pull out the banjo at the end of the night and share some of the original tunes he always seemed to be writing. This led to us making a couple of albums together – and to me becoming a lifelong fan. “Maggie at the Door” is a great example of how he can write a banjo tune that also works on the fiddle – not as easy as it sounds. It was written for his dog and it’s probably the most badass-sounding tune ever written for a golden retriever.

“Lonesome Song” – Rube & Rake

Rube & Rake are Josh Sandu and Andrew Laite. Both live in St. John’s, Newfoundland, and are writing beautiful songs while touring hard. We ran into them in the UK last year and were instantly taken by their deft playing and the “low lonesome” sound of their harmony singing. “Lonesome Song” is a moody example of all that.

“Platform Four” – The Slocan Ramblers

The Slocan Ramblers are Canada’s bluegrass band – at least as far as I’m concerned. Although Frank Evans no longer plays full-time with the group, I chose this tune to remind everyone that while he’s mostly known for his three-finger bluegrass playing these days, he’s also on another level as a clawhammer player. There are a few licks on “Platform Four” that he’ll probably take to the grave.

“Narrow Line” – Mama’s Broke

Mama’s Broke are another duo from Eastern Canada (Nova Scotia). We crossed paths with Lisa Maria and Amy Lou Keeler at the Baltimore Old-Time Gathering a few years ago. They put on a riveting show and blew us away with their singing and playing. The arrangements on their records are so imaginative – they capture the spaciousness of their live sound while layering on subtle textures. “Narrow Line” is an excellent example of this and one hell of a song.

“White Horse Plains” – The Red River Ramblers

The Red River Ramblers feature the music of Douglas Richard Sinclair, a Red River Métis musician whose last album, Reverie, showcased original tunes inspired by the Métis fiddle tradition. “White Horse Plains” highlights Douglas’ tuneful guitar playing and answers the question: What would Norman Blake have sounded like if he’d been Métis?

“Saint Elizabeth” – Kaia Kater

Kaia Kater’s 2016 album Nine Pin made a lot of folks take notice of this exceptionally talented songwriter. Kaia is a perfect example of someone who’s really tried to get to the roots of the music; she studied Appalachian traditions at Davis & Elkins College in West Virginia. She’s taken what she learned there and carried it to a creative place that defies genre or categorization. “Saint Elizabeth” is a perfect example.

“New Caledonia” – Pharis & Jason Romero

Pharis & Jason Romero probably need no introduction to anyone here. They’re old friends of ours and we’re big fans of their music. It almost seems remiss to share a song that doesn’t feature their beautiful singing and lyrics, but we’re always enchanted by Jason’s tune writing, backed by Pharis’ always-right-on-the-money guitar playing. “New Caledonia” is one of those tunes that instantly takes you somewhere. It manages to say a lot without a single word.

“The Wheels Won’t Go” – Hannah Shira Naiman

Hannah Shira Naiman comes to the music honestly. She grew up learning fiddle and banjo from her dad, Arnie Naiman, while listening to her mom, Kathy Reid-Naiman, sing the songs of Jean Ritchie, the Georgia Sea Island Singers, and the Delmore Brothers. Hannah has taken it all in and made something uniquely her own. “The Wheels Won’t Go” is the title track of her 2022 album.

“Wellington” – Allison de Groot & Tatiana Hargreaves

Allison de Groot is one of our most treasured banjo exports – clean, hard-driving, and full of tone. Best known these days for her work with Tatiana Hargreaves, she’s also a fine composer. “Wellington” is one of her own tunes, a reminder that she’s as creative as she is technical.

“Mama’s Boy” – Lotus Wight

Lotus Wight (AKA Sam Allison) is best known for his work with Sheesham and Lotus & Son. He’s a beautiful banjo player, a lovely jaw-harpist, a rock-solid bassist, and even plays the contrabass harmoniphoneum. I didn’t know until his last album that he’s also a moving songwriter, somewhere between John Hartford and Leon Redbone. “Mama’s Boy” tells the story of the three men who were fathers to Sam over the course of his life. I can’t remember the last time I heard such an honest and tender song.

“From Silence” – Daniel Koulack

Daniel Koulack hails from Winnipeg, Manitoba, where he’s been making music and teaching banjo for many years. (Allison de Groot is one of his students.) Daniel has always been game to take the clawhammer banjo to new and unexpected places – which might explain “From Silence,” possibly the only clawhammer banjo and saxophone duet in the known universe.

“At the Airport” – Old Man Luedecke

Old Man Luedecke is one of the crown jewels of Canadian singer-songwriters and he also happens to be one hell of a clawhammer banjo player. He’s written most of his songs on the banjo (at least the early ones), which gives them those unmistakable twists and turns – in both phrase and melody. And he has that rare gift for putting a bit of hope into everything he writes, whether the song is sad, funny, or introspective. “At the Airport” is a perfect example.

“May Day” – The Andrew Collins Trio with The Lonesome Ace Stringband

The Andrew Collins Trio (Andrew Collins, James McEleney, Adam Shire) collaborated with us on “May Day,” a tune Andrew and I wrote together many years ago. These three are next-level players who are always pushing the boundaries of what’s possible on their instruments. Known for mixing new acoustic bluegrass with classical and jazz influences, we had fun diving into some weird old-time with them on this track from our new album.

Photo Credit: Jen Squires

Brad Kolodner’s
Gourd Banjo Journey

Posted on by Justin Hiltner

My gourd banjo journey began on a crisp, winter day in downtown Ithaca, New York. While an undergrad at Ithaca College early in my banjo-playing days, I stopped by the local acoustic instrument store and saw a peculiar banjo-like creature hanging high up on the wall. I was instantly hooked. It had five strings and a short drone string just like my banjo. I could play the same clawhammer style I was familiar with, but everything felt and sounded different. The instrument had an earthy, plunky, and rich tone. Besides being completely fretless and tuned a few steps low, the head was made of a gourd that smelled like dirt. Flash forward 15 years and here I’ve just released an album of solo, unaccompanied gourd banjo music called Old Growth.

These days, I play a gourd banjo built by Pete Ross, an immensely talented banjo maker who lives in my hometown of Baltimore, Maryland, a town full of banjo history. The first professional banjo maker in the world, William Boucher, set up shop in Baltimore in the mid-19th century. The neck of this banjo, notably the scroll-shaped headstock, is modeled after the Boucher style. In addition to being a tool for creative exploration, the gourd banjo serves as a prism into the complex history of the banjo. It’s a reliable conversation-starter everywhere I go. For more on banjo history, I encourage you to read Well of Souls by Kristina Gaddy.

While compiling this list, I was struck by the sheer variety in tone and texture possible with the gourd banjo. While the instrument connects to the early roots of old-time music, it continues to serve as a platform for innovation. Every player is unique. This list features gourd banjoists from around the world playing traditional and original material. Let’s go on a deep dive into the gourd banjo! – Brad Kolodner

“Josie-O” – Adam Hurt

Arguably the most influential gourd banjo album of our time, Adam Hurt’s Earth Tones is sublime. Cover to cover, this is a dreamy album of solo gourd banjo pieces and it’s on regular rotation at my house. Adam is one of today’s most influential clawhammer banjo players and there’s no question his gourd banjo playing, and this album specifically, introduced the gourd banjo to much wider audiences inspiring countless musicians along the way.

“Old Growth” – Brad Kolodner

The title track of my new album Old Growth is a dark, spooky tune I wrote in the depths of winter, yearning for those sun-filled summer days in the vibrant forests just north of town. I tuned my banjo extra low on this track, hence the extra mellow vibes. The title speaks to the seemingly ancient sound of the gourd while nodding to how this music continues to evolve.

“Julie” – Rhiannon Giddens

A song inspired by a conversation between an enslaved woman and her mistress during the Civil War, Rhiannon Giddens’ use of the gourd banjo is particularly poignant on “Julie.” Rhiannon is a tremendous ambassador for the banjo. She’s reframing the conversation around the history of the instrument and the role Black folks have played and continue to play in American Roots music. The early incarnations of the banjo made by enslaved Africans were gourd banjos.

“Rolling Mills” – Pharis & Jason Romero

Based in Horsefly, British Columbia, Pharis & Jason Romero build some of the most gorgeous (gourd-geous?) banjos in the world. Jason Romero built the gourd banjo he’s playing on this track. Both are immensely talented musicians who take great care in their instrument building and songcraft.

“Darling Cora” – Nora Brown

One of the most exciting young banjo players on the scene today, Nora has a deep reverence for the roots of old-time music. Her playing is absolutely sublime. She plays a gourd banjo very similar to mine also built by Pete Ross in Baltimore. All gourd banjos are handmade, which gives each one a unique sound.

“Long Hot Summer Days” – John Showman & Chris Coole

Chris Coole is a banjo hero of mine and his gourd banjo playing on this John Hartford track fits perfectly. The slinky nature of the fretless gourd truly embodies those sluggish long, hot summer days.

“Gourdness” – Arnie Naiman

Arnie is one of Canada’s finest banjo players and a clever tunesmith to boot. I first heard his playing on the compilation album The Old Time Banjo Festival produced by Cathy Fink & Marcy Marxer.

“Goodbye, Honey, You Call That Gone” – Jake Blount

Ok so, technically, Jake isn’t playing a gourd banjo on this track. He’s playing a fretless banjo with nylon strings which sounds an awful lot like a gourd banjo. The next incarnation of the banjo in the mid-19th century after the gourd banjo was along the lines of what you’re hearing on this track.

“Four and Twenty Blackbirds Dancing on a Deer Skin / Twin Sisters” – Teilhard Frost

Teilhard Frost resides on Wolfe Island in Ontario and is a longtime member of the band Sheesham, Lotus & Son. He set out to build gourd fiddles many years ago and now specializes in gourd and tackhead banjos.

“The Rain Done Fell on Me, Pt. 1” – Justin Golden

Primarily known as a blues guitarist and songwriter, Justin Golden plays a mean gourd banjo. Based in Richmond, Virginia, Justin is a gem of a human – and he’s been going through a real challenging time as he’s currently battling stage 4 cancer. There’s a GoFundMe for him here.

“Wild Bill Jones” – Ken & Brad Kolodner

When my father Ken and I first started making music together nearly 15 years ago, we figured the fiddle and banjo would be the core focus of our music. We soon realized the percussive nature of the hammered dulcimer and the drive of clawhammer mesh together beautifully. The gourd banjo adds yet another dimension to this unusual texture, especially when cranked up to the tempo of “fast.” That’s Ken Kolodner on hammered dulcimer, Rachel Eddy on guitar, Alex Lacquement on bass, and myself on gourd banjo.

“Western Pine” – Talise

In compiling material for this list, I came across this lovely original song by the Canadian artist Talise featuring gourd banjo. I’m excited to dig more into her work!

“Jagged Mountain Is on Fire (Gourd Banjo)” – Andrea Verga

Born and raised in Italy, Andrea Verga is one of today’s most inventive and creative clawhammer banjo players. He writes adventurous melodies; this tune is inspired by the jagged peaks of the Dolomite Mountains in Andrea’s home country.

“Ard Aoibhinn / The Hunter’s Purse” – Steve Baughman

Steve is one of today’s most influential Celtic fingerstyle guitar players – he’s also one of the most creative banjo players out there. He even plays clawhammer on guitar! This medley features a pair of Celtic tunes played on gourd and mandolin.

“Pompey Ran Away” – Clarke Buehling

Considered to be the first banjo melody officially documented, “Pompey Ran Away” dates back to the 18th century. Hailing from Fayetteville, Arkansas, Clarke Buehling is a renowned banjo player and historian who has long been an advocate for the gourd banjo.

Photo Credit: Frank Evans

CONVERSATIONS WITH… Pharis and Jason Romero

Posted on by Editor

PHARIS AND JASON ROMERO are a Canadian duo who live on a homestead outside the town of Horsefly, British Columbia. By day, they’re professional instrument makers and by night, they’re singers and songwriters (as as well as masters of the instruments they create). They took time out from a busy day of building banjos and making music to talk with Michael Verity about their influences, their love of old music and their new album, Long Gone Out West Blues. 

The first thing I noticed listening to ‘Sad Old Blues,’ the first track on Long Gone Out West Blues, is how Pharis’ voice fits into the classic folk singer mold. Has folk music always been your genre of choice?

Pharis: I wouldn’t call it my first choice; rather, it was a choice among many. My mom had a beautiful record collection that included artists like Bonnie Raitt and Joni Mitchell, so they definitely had an influence. But we also listened to a ton of Eagles and Rolling Stones and Cream and Led Zeppelin. My Dad was a classic country fan so I heard a lot of Merle Haggard and Johnny Horton and Hank Williams. Plus, I studied classical music so there was Brahms and Bach in there, too.

So it comes down to finding your own space within those many influences.

Pharis: Exactly. I know every word to every song on most of Joni Mitchell’s albums but I also recognize almost every bowing intricacy on Tommy Jarrell’s albums. It’s really about finding out what part of each of those musics I relate to.

If you don’t mind me saying so, on that particular song you remind me of Joan Baez.  Would you consider her a strong influence?

Pharis: Funny enough, I wouldn’t. She wasn’t a part of my parent’s listening catalog when I was growing up. I heard Bob Dylan and other folk singers from that era, but not much Joan Baez. So no, she wasn’t much of an influence. But I take that as a huge compliment.

There’s not a lot of hip-hop in my repertoire but my 14-year old listens to it almost exclusively. But, I take solace in the fact he does know the words to ‘Bad, Bad Leroy Brown.’

Pharis: Jason and I joke about it all the time: whatever music you’re listening to, if you delve into what the artist was listening to at the time it was recorded, and keep going back, you ultimately arrive at The Carter Family.

Right! There are only six degrees of separation between Jay-Z and Mother Maybelle! Speaking of multiple genres, Jason, what style of music had the most influence on you?

Jason: I wasn’t playing music when I was younger so I wasn’t listening on the same level as we’ve been discussing. I was just into classic rock in high school. Even though I didn’t play, I wanted to know where that music came from, which took me to the blues, which took me to acoustic music which took me to banjos. Now, I’m drawn to anything recorded in the 20’s, 30’s and 40’s because of the purity of the sound. That could be Louis Armstrong and the Hot Fives or Git Tanner and the Skillet Lickers or The Blue Sky Boys. It’s hard to find something from that era that I don’t like.

Who do you consider your great influences as an instrumentalist?

Jason: It’s hard to point to any one person. Riley Puckett’s guitar playing really freaks me out in a lot of exciting ways ‘cuz it’s just so crazy. But I couldn’t pick just one.

The banjo you play in the video for ‘Wild Bill Jones’ is a beautiful. Can you tell me about it?

Jason: It’s one I made for myself back in 2010. People sometimes ask us for a lot of bling on the instruments we make but that one’s pretty stripped down visually. A lot of people reference that instrument when they order one for themselves.

‘Bling’ on a banjo? OK, what’s the weirdest bling you’ve ever put on a banjo?

Jason: I’m not sure I want to publicize that. (Laughs) Pharis does all the inlays on the banjos and she’s had to execute some interesting ideas for folks expressed through mother-of-pearl.

Let’s talk about the song ‘Long Gone Out West Blues’ which is, as I mentioned, the title cut of your new album. What is the story behind that tune?

Pharis: I was thinking about when my relatives travelled from Quebec to British Columbia five generations ago, what a transition it must have been for them to come across the country, that feeling of craving trees and mountains, the sense of the wilderness wrapping itself around you, the joy of reaching your destination.

It’s hard to tell the difference between the songs you’ve written in our time and the songs you’ve covered from years back.

Pharis: Where we live there’s a real culture of community. There are a lot of casual music gatherings and community dinners and that sort of thing. We have old fashioned dinners where everyone shows up with a potluck to share. That’s one of the things we really treasure about early music because there’s an indelible sense of place in that music; you get an idea of where people were living and how they were living and the importance of the community.

You cover Riley Puckett’s ‘Waiting For The Evening Mail’ and ‘It Just Suits Me’ by the Georgia Sea Island singers. What’s your personal connection to those songs? Or are they simply an extension of your feelings about music and place?

Jason: For me, with ‘Evening Mail,’ I don’t really have a personal connection with a person in prison waiting for the mail. I’m very drawn to the sounds of things and the sound of Riley Puckett singing that piece grabbed me.

Pharis: We have that song on an old record. The first time we put it on and listened to the whole record, it just stuck out. The same was true with ‘It Just Suits Me.’ I’m not a religious person so it’s not a message I felt the need to spread but the sound of that old recording is just amazing.

Long Gone Out West Blues isn’t all blues and bad times. ‘Come On Home’ is simply beautiful. It could just as well have been written by Mary Chapin-Carpenter. Will you tell me about that one?

Pharis: I think I was just having a rough day and wanted that feeling of somebody wrapping their arms around me and giving me a full body hug. I wanted to write a song that expressed that, just leaving everything behind and being welcome as you are. And I knew I wanted to sing the song with Jason as a duet with a little bit of call and answer. It turned out much the way I imagined it in my head.

Are you pursuing the same routes as a lot of bands — placing your music in TV and films, touring around your records — or are you satisfied with making albums and making instruments and sticking around Horsefly?

Pharis: Well, we just got back from a really fun tour and we love playing out. But, the banjo company keeps us close to home. Plus there’s a lot of hiking and fly fishing and gardening and community gatherings to attend to.