In the early 1960s, pre-Beatles in America, we fell in love with a television show that showed on Saturday nights called HOOTENANNY. I’ve never forgotten the theme song: “It’s hootenanny, hootenanny, Saturday night…” and different groups would sing the theme each week. As I look at this promotion for a 3 DVD set of that series (that I just might have to purchase), so many memories of that time come back. I love the songs, the terrific harmony, and their gosh-darn wholesomeness.

WIkipedia defines a hootenanny as:

Hootenanny is an Appalachian colloquialism that was used in early twentieth century America to refer to things whose names were forgotten or unknown. In this usage it was synonymous with thingamajig or whatchamacallit, as in “hand me that hootenanny.” Hootenanny was also an old country word for “party”. Now, most commonly, it refers to a folk-music party.

I’ve heard that it’s common for men who turn fifty to go out and buy themselves a drum set. Some call it a midlife crisis. I say it’s never too late to rock n roll. And I prefer to call it it a midlife exuberance, in fact I’ve had several so far and am having another one this summer.

A few weeks ago we went to the Hollywood Bowl and heard three different groups that featured acoustic guitars and a male-female singer-songwriter duos (Swell Season, She and Him, The Bird and the Bee). I was amazed that I liked all three groups and their songs as well. But most resonant with me that evening was the thrilling and vibrant sounds of the acoustic guitars.

As I’ve mentioned below, my parents bought me my first guitar in 1965. My second one was an Eko acoustic 12-string guitar that I bought with money from my paper route (delivering the Milwaukee Journal in Green Bay, Wisconsin). In high school, my various rock bands brought in some income, and I put whatever money I made back into getting new guitars. I purchased my last guitar in 1970–a Gibson Dove. I have had it ever since. In 1973, I stopped playing the guitar a spent all my energy learning to play the piano. I wanted more notes. And, after too many nights of playing music in bars, and too many nights of playing manic Bluegrass rhythm guitar (using only four chords), I realized that that kind of musician path was not one I was interested in. After falling in love with Stravinsky’s Petrouchka, I turned my back on the instrument I played between 13 and 21.

I suddenly realized that people would kill to have the guitar technique that I do, and know the songs that I know. And I had decided to let that skill and knowledge go to sleep. Until a few weeks ago.

I decided to buy a new guitar. As musicians all know, when you get a new instrument, it brings out the musician in you, and you play and play and play. Music just pours out. Well, that’s what I’ve been doing. All the technique that I haven’t used since the early 1970s came back. That’s amazing. My callouses have slowly come back. Last week, Kenny Burrell, who was thrilled to hear that I had taken up the guitar again, gave me advice on building up callouses: “When your fingers hurt, stop playing.” A wise man.

So although I am revisiting all the old songs I knew from the 60s and 70s, I’m learning a lot of new songs as well. I’ve put together a huge playlist that I’ll play along with and I’ll just play along with whatever Daniel is listening to, or what is being watched on TV or on a movie. Having to do lightning-quick retuning in between songs is a technique I’d forgotten, but my ear is good as ever.

This experience has been a familiar one, almost like “coming out.” I’ve come out as a tonal composer; I’ve come out as a gay man; and now I’ve come out as a guitar player.

I never knew that I was in the closet as a guitarist until I found that no matter who I told that I’d just bought a new guitar, they ALL had no idea I ever played the guitar. Was I embarrassed to be a guitar player? As a CLASSICAL COMPOSER/guitarist? Jeepers, only Berlioz was that. But lo and behold, I found an embarrassment in the closet (literally) and it is now out and ready to be seen and played.

ALL THERE IS IS LOVE (1993)
Music: Roger Bourland
Words: Paul Monette
Performers: Phil Hettema, speaker; Gay Men’s Chorus of Los Angeles, Jon Bailey, conductor.
Publisher: Yelton Rhodes Music (Los Angeles)

Paul Monette gave me permission to set an excerpt of the introduction to his collection of early poems LOVE SONGS FOR ROG, recited here by Phil Hettema. Paul and I wrote this piece as a kind of thank you note for the Gay Men’s Chorus of Los Angeles’ powerful performances of HIDDEN LEGACIES.

“Red Black Window” is from the three movement set for soprano saxophone, viola and cello, THREE DARK PAINTINGS (1983) with music by Roger Bourland and choreography by Dorothy Massalski. The recording is from a concert of the Composers in Red Sneakers with Rikk Stone, soprano saxophone, Scott Woolweaver, viola, and Karen Kaderavac, cello performing.

This performance is from one in Sanders Theater, in the late 1980s.

This just in from John Hall––and in that I see only 4000 people have seen this so far, more need to see it! Now, what’s the story with this sister trio? Twins and a sister one year older? Damn! They almost look like triplets.
]]> http://rogerbourland.com/2010/07/15/the-boswell-sisters-heebie-jeebies-1932/feed/ 0 http://rogerbourland.com/2010/07/15/aunt-marys-christmas-present/ http://rogerbourland.com/2010/07/15/aunt-marys-christmas-present/#comments Thu, 15 Jul 2010 19:11:09 +0000 Roger Bourland http://rogerbourland.com/?p=5267

My grandmother, Nancy Arnold Rhodes, gave me this photo album when she moved out of her home. It was originally given to her by her mother’s mother as a Christmas present in 1905, which is odd in that Nancy would have only been 3 years old. Perhaps it was an heirloom type present given to Nancy’s mother, Nancy Edy Ewing to enjoy until her daughter came of age. This book has photos of my relatives from and around Pendleton County, Kentucky.

Music: “Three Daydreams” from THREE IMPROMPTUS by Roger Bourland

Most of you have seen this by now, but for the few of you who haven’t, get ready for great joy.
]]> http://rogerbourland.com/2010/07/06/joyous-vigilante-performance-in-philadelphia/feed/ 0 http://rogerbourland.com/2010/06/30/two-cool-shuffles/ http://rogerbourland.com/2010/06/30/two-cool-shuffles/#comments Thu, 01 Jul 2010 00:58:37 +0000 Roger Bourland http://rogerbourland.com/?p=5221 And then there is my favorite song from the early 90s to shuffle to, Alannah Myles’ “Black Velvet.” So sexy!

So watching Dexter makes me wanna do the shuffle.

Like Stravinsky, every few years or so, I re-fall in love with (original member of The Byrds) Gene Clark’s music. I’m sure part of it was growing up in the 1960s and the memories associated with those years. But Gene’s gritty and intense songs and performances are emblazoned in my mind forever. Indulge me a brief flashback.

Gene Clark was one of my childhood heroes. He wrote and sang many of the Byrds early songs. Michael Stipe would never have been Michael Stipe had Gene Clark never had been Gene Clark.

Here is a Gene Clark sampler. Let’s start with the New Christy Minstrels, a very popular folk ensemble, still around today, but was a hotbed for many young artists in the early 1960s: Jackie and Gayle; Barry McGuire; The Association, and my (late) hero, Gene Clark. Here you’ll hear Gene sing the second verse, the lyrics begin with “…Step by step he traveled on…” The song is called “Follow the Drinking Gourd.”

I’ll never forget hearing this one for the first time. I was in the barber’s chair and I got insane goose bumps. The barber asked my what was going on. I told him it was the music’s fault. This performance is a live one I’d never heard that will be fun to share here as I assume most of you have heard the original version.

(Turn your speakers DOWN for this one, as it’s a hot recording.) And then Gene penned one of my fave tweens song “Feel a Whole Lot Better.” Here you’ll see Roger McGuinn in the granny glasses, David Crosby on rhythm guitar, Chris Hillman on bass, and Mike Clark on drums–none of them actually playing. Check out Gene’s Prince Valiant haircut.

And then he left the Byrds because of his fear of flying (sic) and put out his first solo album Gene Clark. One of my faves from the album was “Tried So Hard.” (This is NOT the recording on the album. It appears not to be available on YouTube at this time. It is close enough to the original to hear how it goes.)

And then the late-Clark masterpiece, “Spanish Guitar.”

In his stint with Doug Dillard, Dillard and Clark put out their cover of Lennon’s “Don’t Let Me Down.”

Here is an historic recording of Charles Ives singing “They are There!” I remember first hearing this on the Columbia multi-LP set of Ives’ complete work in the 1970s. In this performance, I hear a crusty old New Englander, slipping in swear words here and there. I hear what we all know and love about Charles Ives, the simultaneities of musics, the dirty harmonies, the crazy patriotic quotes, and with the addition of his voice there is another element: a sense of reckless abandon, a sense of kookiness, and an almost drunken delivery (although I doubt he was drunk in this performance)–all flipping the finger at tuxedo-ed and perfect performances.

Here is Ives playing from “The Alcotts” from his CONCORD SONATA, just to mellow things out a bit here.