John King

The ukulele is most often identified with the music of Hawaii, and to some extent, with popular American music of the 1930's and '40's. Mass produced ukes flooded the market in the post-war U.S., with the Chicago makers (Harmony, Silvertone, Airline, etc.), Martin, Gibson, and Favilla responding to the ukulele craze.

Rarely is the ukulele seen in the context of western classical music, despite its origin as an adapted version of the Portuguese Cavaquinho.

Here is a clip of guitarist and ukulele enthusiast John King, and his arrangement of Bach for the little four-stringed wonder:

Hotplate

Developed in conjunction with guitarist Mike Dowling, National Resophonic has introduced the Hotplate.

Previously, the pickup options for the single cone resophonic guitar were limited to a number of piezo-based solutions from a variety of manufacturers, including K&K and Highlander, or thin, surface mount magnetic pickups like those offered by Lace. Some people have sought out some of the classic Dearmond pickups, but those are few in number, and fewer yet are thin enough to fit between the top of the guitar and still allow adequate string clearance.

The Hotplate features a single coil Telecaster sized pickup from Jason Lollar. Lollar's pickups are quickly becoming some of the most sought after replacements for classic electric guitars, basses, and steel guitars. Currently, Collings is installing his pickups in their boutique electric guitars, and as any Collings fan can tell you - they simply use the best materials available.

The Hotplate is a drop-in replacement for all of the single cone, biscuit bridge National guitars, and the slightly oblong mounting holes should allow installation in a variety of imported resos currently available on the market. The Hotplate cover is available in either brushed (shown) or bright plated surfaces; and features a tone control, volume control, and a standard 1/4" output jack. This design means that one needn't drill a hole in their guitar for the output - a serious consideration for steel and brass bodied guitars.

The demand for these is great, so prepare for a bit of a wait while NRP ramps up production - (The Podium is currently on the waiting list and will have a couple of these as soon as National can get them out the door.)

Paul Geremia

Paul Geremia has been carrying the torch of American roots music for over forty years. An exceptional player, singer, and interpreter of traditional music, Geremia is nothing short of a national treasure.

From his bio:

Geremia's background isn't typical for a bluesman. He is a third generation Italian-American who, as he laughingly puts it, "was born in the Providence River Delta". Growing up in a family that moved across the country and back numerous times weaned his appetite for music, history and travel, which served him well later on.

During the sixties, Paul noticed that the music he had enjoyed playing on harmonica (his first instrument) was now referred to as "Folk Music" and was enjoying popularity. During his short time in agriculture college, he was mostly occupied with learning guitar and hitch-hiking to where the music was. He soon left college and hit the road permanently. He found paying gigs in coffee houses and "basket houses" in cities and at college campuses and made occasional forays South and West in search of the music he loved and what gigs he could find.

Looking at his calendar, readers in Rhode Island, Connecticut, and Massachusetts should get out and see Paul in the weeks to come.

Le Trio Joubran

On Saturday, February 23rd, Le Trio Joubran will be performing at 8:00 pm at Hamline University's Sundin Hall.

Brothers Samir, Wissam, and Adnan all perform on the oud. Samir also lends his vocal talents to the group, and Wissam studied under his father and at the Antonio Stradivarius Institute of Cremona as an instrument builder.

Here is a clip of the trio from Janaury 2007 at Webster Hall in NYC:

Changing Guitar Strings

One of the things that seems challenging to new guitarists is the process of changing the strings on his or her instrument. While not particularly difficult, the first few times can be a bit challenging. How much string to wind onto the tuning machine? Which direction to wind? How tight should the string be wound? How do you get those darn pegs out?

In the shop, we teach people how to change the strings on a guitar all the time.

Since not everyone can visit us at The Podium - and given the sub zero weather we are currently experiencing in Minnesota, our hope is that living in a warmer climate is the reason you can't visit us in person - guitar repair guru Martin Reynolds has graciously given his time to demonstrate this fundamental and important skill.



Thanks Marty!

National Resophonic at NAMM

In addition to the new Reso-Acoustic 400 Sound System - an acoustic amplifier voiced for the resonator guitar - NRP brought out two new offerings in their guitar line-up:

The Don

This is a single cone, German Silver reso inspired by the classic National of the same name. Featuring a V-neck profile, 14 fret neck, Double-cut Diamond pattern engraving, engraved handstrap, MOP position inlays, a pearloid headstock overlay, arched back, and Waverly tuners, this is the first German Silver guitar produced by NRP. The guitar will be a limited production of 100 instruments, with a tri-cone model to follow.

Also new from the folks at NRP is the Resolectric Junior:

Carolina Chocolate Drops

On Sunday, January 20th, this acclaimed African-American stringband will be hosting a workshop at the new MacPhail Center for Music from 2:00-3:00 pm, and performing in concert at the Cedar Cultural Center at 7:30 pm.

From the bands bio:

"The Carolina Chocolate Drops are a group of young African-American stringband musicians that have come to together to play the rich tradition of fiddle and banjo music in Carolinas’ piedmont. Rhiannon Giddens and Justin Robinson both hail from the green hills of the North Carolina Piedmont while Dom Flemons is native to sunny Arizona.

Although we have diverse musical backgrounds, we draw our musical heritage from the foothills of the North and South Carolina. We have been under the tutelage of Joe Thompson, said to be the last black traditional string band player, of Mebane, NC and we strive to carry on the long standing traditional music of the black and white communities.

Joe’s musical heritage runs as deeply and fluidly as the many rivers and streams that traverse our landscape. We are proud to carry on the tradition of black musicians like Odell and Nate Thompson, Dink Roberts, John Snipes, Libba Cotten, Emp White, and countless others who have passed beyond memory and recognition."

Come and check out these extraordinary performers!

Lily Afshar

This week, Iranian-born classical guitarist and head of the University of Memphis guitar program Lily Afshar will be performing on Friday, January 18th at 8:00 pm at Hamline University's Sundin Hall.

On Thursday, Afshar will be presenting a workshop at the University of St. Thomas featuring an ancient Persian instrument - the Setar.

For more information, visit the Minnesota Guitar Society website.

Domo Arigato Mr. Roboto

In the futuristic landscape of 2008, with hovering cars running on water instead of petroleum, cathode ray terminals in every home that permit users to shop at virtual stores and send telegrams electronically, and telephone-like devices that operate without wires we present...

The Robot Guitar

Gone are the days of having to rely on one's hearing to adjust the tuning of an instrument. Simply press a button and the guitar, enhanced with state-of-the-art electronics, will tune the instrument for you.

Given Gibson's lackluster success with their USB guitar, I can't help but think of this as a "look at us - we are on the cutting edge" sort of marketing angle.

Nevertheless, I present:

The Robot Guitar

Joe Pass

The other day I was talking to David Roos - jazz guitarist extraordinaire and a veritable walking encyclopedia of all things guitar at The Podium.

He was telling some great Joe Pass stories, and I remarked that as amazing a player as Joe was, I never really could get into his recorded work. Dave understood, and remarked that in a live context, the excitement that Joe had for the guitar and guitar music was so palpable and present - in short, wonderful.

He's right of course, and thankfully I had an open mind and enough sense to trust David.

For your enjoyment and amazement:

Electrified!

While The Podium's mission is to provide our customers with some of the greatest acoustic guitars in the world, you could say that we've been electrified for some time.

A number of offerings from Taylor, Martin, Seagull, and Larrivee come stock with pickup systems, ready to plug into an amplifier or direct box.

Other guitars are often fitted with pickup systems by our in house guru Marty at the customer's request. We offer a wide range of solutions from Fishman, Highlander, L.R. Baggs, K&K, Schertler, Sunrise, and others.

But I'm talking ELECTRIC here.

Recently, Taylor has entered the game with a few solid bodied electric models. Following the success of the electro-acoustic hybrid T5 series, Taylor has developed a series of solid bodied guitars featuring their new Style 1 and Style 2 humbucking pickups, single cut-away, patented T-Lock neck joint, and innovative use of tone chambers.

Check out these Taylors here, here, and here.

Extending his love for carved tops, as evidenced in his mandolins and archtop acoustics, Bill Collings has also entered the electric fray.

The SoCo Deluxe features a carved top, premium lacquer finish, incredible neck, and wonderful pickups from Jason Lollar. Featuring a more traditional aesthetic than the Taylors, these guitars are ideal for the same tone connoisseurs that have made Collings one of the most sought after boutique builders.

Another voice, another guitar.

Both of these builders have presented players with an option that serves a different function, but remains consistent with the quality that fans have come to expect.

Choosing a Harmonica

The combination of guitar and harmonica has a well established history. From folkies to rockers, blues players to jug band stompers, the harp offers a sound that far surpasses its diminutive size.

It's no wonder that a number of musicians want to try out the harmonica for themselves. It's small, affordable, and as long as a prospective player's expectations aren't virtuosic, the harmonica's diatonic nature makes it hard to play a bad note.

The question we most often field in regard to harmonicas - "Which key should I buy?"

This is a question that can be difficult to answer for a number of reasons. While it is true that the harmonica is only capable of playing a full major scale in the key that it is sold in, there are work-arounds.

First off, the harmonica can be used to play in other keys, albeit with some missing notes, in the various positions. Bending and over-blowing can help to fill in some of the missing notes as well.

Secondly, a player may be interested in playing a melodic "straight harp" style, or a bluesy "cross harp" style full of bends and overblows. (Yes, you can bend notes rather accurately on a diatonic harmonica. To hear this done to good effect, and with a virtuosic accuracy, check out the stylings of Howard Levy.)

Most new players will likely be looking at the harmonica from the perspective of the first two positions to start with.

To play a harp in first position, you simply match the key of the harp to the key of the song that you are playing. If you are strumming a country ballad in the key of G, you will likely play a harp in the key of G.

For people exploring the bluesy "cross harp" style, you choose the harp based on the second position which places an emphasis on the draw, and as such, facilitates easier bending. In this case, you choose a harp that is in a different key than the song is written.

Here is a chart that will help you to determine the key to choose:

Many new harp players might want to begin by using a book, CD, or other learning tool. In that case, the most common key is C, though you should check with the materials first to be sure. Having the right key harp will make it possible to play in tune with the lesson materials.

For the price of a few packs of strings, giving the harp a try is a pretty low risk investment that could open up a world of fun.

Happy New Year

A Happy New Year to all from The Podium. May 2008 be a year of joy, music, and of course, fine guitars.

Dakota Dave Hull and Adam Hurt

Local legend Dakota Dave Hull and North Carolinian (by way of Minnesota) Adam Hurt will be playing together at the Gingko Coffeehouse on Thursday, December 27th.

Come on out and see some of the finest acoustic musicians anywhere in this comfortable and intimate setting. Guitar and banjo fans will not be disappointed!

Holiday Hours at The Podium

In light of the upcoming holidays, we will be adjusting our normal hours at The Podium:

December 24 - 11:00 - 3:00 PM

December 25 - Closed

December 31 - 11:00 - 5:00 PM

January 1 - Closed

We will still be opening the shop on Sundays from 12:00 - 4:00 for a few more weeks, but as we are normally closed on Sundays, please call ahead.

On behalf of everyone at The Podium, we would like to wish everyone a safe and happy holiday season.

A Happy Christmas from the French

Here's a wonderful and subtle holiday medley, done Hawaiian style:



Joyeux Noël et bonnes vacances!

Guest Blogger...Tim Sparks!

Dear Podium,



Thanks for your support for Roots, Rags and Blues.



It's been an interesting couple of weeks, starting with an unexpected angioplasty at the end of October and then a trip to Paris for a couple of concerts. (Just thought I would celebrate my heart operation with a week of Fois Gras and Creme Brulee!) I met, heard and jammed with some nice guitarists, including some Manouche cats. I learned that there are three terms for Gypsy in France. Gitans is for Gypsies from Egypt by way of Spain. Tzigane is for Gypsies from Eastern Europe. Manouche is the term for Gypsies from Belgium, like Django Reinhardt.

I found a rare video of Django:

(Sorry Tim - it looks like the copyright holder pulled the video down.)

You can see how he could only use two fingers because of a childhood injury. Amazing!

The first Friday of every month there is a Rendevous de Gitarre at a little theater on Rue Sebastapol called l'Archipel. A cooperative group of 5 guitarists organize this concert and invite a different artist to be featured. This month it was your's truly and in December it will be Pierre Bensusan. There is a mix of solo and ensemble work followed by an intermission, then the featured guest plays a solo set with some more jams for a finale.



The concert I played included Romi Stan, Gilles Finzi and Michel Haumont. At the end of the evening, a nice old guy poured me a whiskey and introduced himself as "the boss". He turned out to be Roland Dyens' uncle. Roland Dyens is the classical guitarist who does very cool arrangments of Jazz standards, Edith Piaf classics, Baiao, etc.

On the following Sunday, I played at a Gypsy-Klezmer festival in Menilmontant at a large club in a converted warehouse called La Bellevilliose. I did a solo set and jammed with Tsim-Tsoum and Le Freyekh Trio. A horn ensemble from Lyon, Untchack Attak, finished the evening. The promoter was a guy named Sasha from Belgrade.

Earlier on that Sunday afternoon, I went to an afternoon jam session in Montmartre at a little restaurant on Rue d'Orcel called L'Anvers Au Decor. From the corner one could see the little park with a carousel featured in the movie Amelie and the steps beyond rising up to Sacre Coeur cathedral.

 A group called Beouf Manouche was hosting the session, led by a fiddler named Aurelian Trigo, who also doubled on bass and snare drum. Aurelian is the new hot fiddler in Paris these days. Needless to say, there were a number of killer guitarists, all kids from my perspective. There was also a crazy scat singer who engaged in a scat singing argument with the bass player. The jam session was fun, but I had quite a time finding a taxi afterwards.

Here are some of the Parisian musicians MySpace pages in case you want to give a listen:

Michel Haumont is especially great! Fingerpicker who uses a thumbpick to play solos.


Silvain Luc plays Jazz and works a lot in duet with Birelli Lagrene.

Roland Dyens is an amazing classical arranger.

Dominique Cravic is the co-founder of Les Primitifs du Futur with R. Crumb and the Ukulele Club de Paris.

Aurelien Trigo - hot fiddle!

Tomas Feterman - Tzigane and Klezmer music

Gilles Finzi - Klezmer Guitar and Oud. There's a tune on his MySpace player - Petite Fleur- a Sephardic song from Istanbul, very nice.


Untchack Attak - Avante Klezmer ensemble

Marc Ducret - Outside, free improv genius

Thanks Tim, our very first guest blogger!

Bob Brozman Live in Toulouse

Bob performing a percussive rendition of the Calypso classic "Down the Road":

Sure has been quiet here...

Ah.

The "busy" time of year.

Rest assured, readers, that regular posting frequency will return to this blog with the coming of the new year.

(Not that this is the last word for 2007...but things admittedly have been a little quiet around here.)

All is well, and there are good things to come!

Look out for a guest blog entry from longtime Podium friend and guitarist extraordinaire Tim Sparks...

Art of Field Recording, Volume I

Like many people fascinated by American roots music, I have placed Harry Smith's venerable Anthology of American Folk music near the top of my list of historically important recordings. Smith was able to capture a broad spectrum of material and assemble a collection of music that may well have disappeared or fallen into total obscurity without his efforts. I return to the collection often, and I find that it excites me and revives my sensibilities as much as it did upon first discovery.

The folks at the Smithsonian have done a wonderful job of building on this tradition, releasing albums that preserve the rarities of American music, urban and rural, for generations to come.

The new release from Dust-to-Digital, Art of Field Recording, Volume 1, is sure to appeal to anyone who might feel the same way.

As a label, Dust-to-Digital's mission is "to produce high quality cultural artifacts, which combine rare, essential recordings with historic images and detailed texts describing the artists and their works. "

This collection features over 100 photographs and illustrations, a 96 page book, and four compact discs - dividing the collection into Blues, Sacred, Instrumental and Dance, and a multi-genre Sampler.

This recently released box set is to be followed by a second similarly copious Volume II in 2008, and likely a third collection in 2009.

The music was collected by Art Rosebaum over a 50 year period, and like Smith's anthology, features a number of never heard treasures by often obscure artists.

You can find out more about this release, and other offerings from Dust-to-Digital here.