To celebrate the Newport Folk Festival 50th anniversary...

I thought I'd look at this great old 1968 book I have, The Face of Folk Music - and look what I found -

The book is disintegrating around the edges -

PARADOX CAFE RADIO

Gary, I think we have another model for the Paradox revival:

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/08/us/08radio.html

http://www.kxzi.com/tuner.php

WELCOME STEVE NOONAN!

Sherry Miller is working on access today as well.

Before long, the whole gang will be here....

Video of the day

This is you don't often hear a five-string tune that can be described as contemplative. This is from a Kruger Brothers show where there'd been some tension in the crowd. So Jens and the boys played this lovely bit of business and cooled the place out. Listen for the 5 second pause about halfway in. Leaving a hole that big takes some serious cojones

The Kruger brothers are Swiss-Austrian. But they've been on the bluegrass circuit long enough that their first names are well-known in the mountains of Virginia. I don't think I've ever heard a better 5-stringer than Jens.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QyQOm2i9DMs

Golden Bear ReunionTables SOLD OUT

We've decided since it's an expensive ticket we should only go to 2nd show and book a decent restaurant for our own pre-show dinner. Looks like we'll have a gang of 20 or so. We just finished locking up table 7 and table 8 for the 2nd show Sept. 26 10:00 pm
Dining arrangements still to be arranged. That gives us 24 seats at our 2 tables @ $68.50 each. I have verbal and email confirmation on 14 already. I think the rest will go fast so if your coming please re-confirm with myself or Helen. You can your send money for tickets to either of us. Any questions shoot me an email. Should be fun!

Coming September 22

Recorded in Nashville's Blackbird Studio and produced by legendary recording guru George Massenburg and GRAMMY award winning singer/songwriter Jon Randall Stewart, 'Speed of Life' kicks off with Jimmie Fadden's blistering harmonica on the opening track "Tulsa Sounds Like Trouble to Me," setting the tone for an album that spans the gamut from the wistful and flawless vocal harmony of "Resurrection" to "Lost In The Pines," John McEuen's evocative banjo showpiece. 'Speed of Life' features 13 tracks, including new tunes penned by the band (with help from a handful of friends) and two covers: the Woodstock classic "Going Up The Country" and "Stuck In The Middle." Not to mention a blazing two-step throwback nod to bluegrass progenitor Jimmy Martin, on the aptly named "Jimmy Martin."

Or Maybe This

And this was her guitar

Vishnu, Garuda, Gajendra, Makara

I'll see you, raise you this one.

We're Leavin' The band that wasn't

Thought I'd post the un-album cover for We're Leavin

Arthur McBride

Paul Brady


Thought you might enjoy this.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cBGkhPx529g&eurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Emartindardis%2Ecom%2Farthur%5Fmc%5Fbride%5Flyrics%5Fchords%2Ehtml&feature=player_embedded

And now for something entirely different (from Sherry Miller)

Blind Lemon Barr

Time The Conqueror

Ralph and I drove up to Santa Barbara Sunday and caught Jackson at the Santa Barbara Bowl.

It's always great to see artist's on their home turf.

Jackson and Band cranked out a fine show. The band was extremely tight and Jackson and the bu singers were in great voice. If you saw the show in Ojai it was pretty similar, but way more refined. First time for us at the Bowl and it's a beautiful place to catch a show. Seats were behind the mix position and sound and light were pretty much spot on.

Life is good!

Went back stage after the show, but it was a total zoo so didn't get to talk with Jackson. We did spend some time talking with Buddha and mentioned maybe doing a Paradox Reunion Concert. He seemed to think time permitting for Jackson, that it could happen.

He said Jackson is well aware of his roots and where he came from. I thought that was encouraging and pretty cool.

More Reunion Pics

Hank Jr. Reunion Pics

I think it all started here:

The Nitty Gritty Tractor Band......

My favorite band on Planet Earth

About eight years ago I found a record in the bargain bin at Amoeba Records on Haight St. It was called "Music Cheaper Than Food" and was a $2.95 sampler of acts on Northside Records, which imports Scandinavian pop-folk acts into the US. The entire album was an ear-opener, but one act, a Swedish band called Väsen (VEH-sin) was heads and shoulders above the rest. So much so that when I heard that they were playing in Medford, OR, almost 400 miles away, I packed the car and took a road trip up. Norma, good sport that she is, came along, having no idea why.

Väsen was far better live than on record. I'd never heard anything like them. They played viola, lightly amplified 12-string, and an amazing kludge called a nyckelharpa, which is a cross between a Hurdy-gurdy and a string section. They had begun life 25 years ago as a dance band that played Swedish traditional music (sort of a Viking New Lost City Ramblers), but have become superb composers in their own right, and the music has become something unclassifiable and all their own. Some of it rocks, and some of it is achingly lovely.

In the last eight years we've become like Deadheads about these guys, sitting in the Freight and Salvage ticket line for an hour and a half so that we can sit in the first row. Driving to Felton to see them at a Mexican restaurant, and to Santa Cruz to catch an amazing show they did in the sanctuary of a Catholic church. We've seen them ten times and they've only been good once. The other nine times they were transcendentally great.

Here's a taste of the contemplative side of Väsen. Itäs a road tune, written in an hour by the guitarist and the viola player, while they waited for the nyckelharpa player to come back from an errand. It's an AABB traditional folk form, but with a C section added so that they can regroup.
The nyckelharpa plays the melody for most of it while the viola player dances around him. The guitarist, who is the key to their sound for me, reharmonizes the tune on each pass, so his stuff is what builds the tune emotionally. Listen all the way through and listen on good speakers, and pay attention to Roger Tallroth, the 12-stringer who will play rhythm, harmony, and will add a bassline that continually changes as the tune progresses. Olov Johannson, the nyckelharpa player anchors the melody while Tallroth and Michael Marin, the viola player improvise. I can't get enough of this stuff.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BsFhRtmOow8

This just in from Sherry Miller

Black Fly Song

Thought I'd throw up this link for those that haven't seen this. The National Film Board Of Canada made youtube take it down.

http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&videoid=28173986

Just Remembering

Thought you might enjoy this.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2_G0vVo7zBU

A SAD DAY FOR ALL

Mike Seeger passed peacefully in his sleep last night. His great contributions to the folk music world were legendary. Some of us were fortunate enough to be at the Paradox when The New Lost City Ramblers performed. It was a great lesson in musicology for us all.

We will miss you ,Mike.....

This just in from Daisy

Daisy is waiting for you all to come back, missing sharing food and music with all of you.....

Rand's "Windy" Dada

Helen - We'll send your Reunion documentation package soon. As you can see, we're awful busy! Mandie


This is a 1962 Harmony studio-grade guitar sold for $24.95 at Sears and Roebuck and rescued at a garage sale for $1

Mike Seeger

Some of the most fun I had in the mid 60s was watching the New Lost City Ramblers at the Ash Grove. They were scholars of southern and Appalachian mountain style folk music, who remembered that the point of the excercize was fun. At its core was one of the amazing Seeger clan, Mike, on banjo, fiddle and guitar. These are the guys who weaned me away from the slicker pop-folk acts and helped me develop my taste for mountain music of the homemade variety. To everything, there is a season, and sad to say, we're losing him. Ed Ward just posted this note from Alice Gerrard to my online musicians forum.

Topic 1812 [music]: Musicians in Need
#12 of 13: Flavor of the Weak (captward) Thu Jul 30 '09 (09:50) 17 lines

Not so much in need, but I guess this is where this goes:

From Alice Gerrard:
I don't know if you've heard the news re Mike Seeger but I thought you
should, and also pass it along to anyone you think should know. Mike
has been fighting non-Hodgkins lymphoma for a long time as you probably
know, but very recently it kind of morphed into a multiple myaloma
leukemia that involved blood, bone and throat. He underwent radiation
this past week but it didn't work, and he's opted to go home and
receive hospice care. It is probably a matter of days according to his
wife, Alexia. Her email is alexia at rockbridge.net and she prefers to
receive emails rather than phone calls. They will leave the hospital
where he's been receiving treatment and go home tomorrow.

Sad days...

Alice



And, although I never met him, I feel like I'm losing an old friend. So long, Mike

"Some went on...."

"...to make commercial recordings...
said Hank.
And Rik Elswit was one of them. How ironic that
"Everybody's making it big but me..." with Dr. Hook, made
him BIGTIME. One of the hip young nobody's who walked into
the little funky Paradox with hope and wonder and climbed
on up the Stairway to Stardom to become a Star.

The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band became stars too.
Jim Fadden and Bruce Kunkle hold the stage with
Jim Fielder of Blood, Sweat and Tears playing bass.
Just how these young kids, Elswit, Fadden, Kunkle, Fielder and the rest
had the stuff to be professionals at that age I can only wonder.

Two more Nitty Gritty Dirt Band founding members, (with Jim playing bass).
That makes 4 Dirt Band founding members on the Willow Valley Stage.
Amazing.
Fielder, a superb master of Bass, JB, a superstar still, and Ralph Barr,
destined to become a legend with amazing, spellbinding guitar and song.
Different paths for these extremely talented and practiced musicans.
They each confided in me that they were pretty sure it
was the Chocolate Chip Cookies.

Old Friends of Mine

While Steve Noonan was the first guitar of this Paradox crowd,
he was also the first friend I had among them.
I met Jackson, who sits in the audience about the same time.
The most recent addition to the Paradox musical
review must be Cat Girton, daughter of maestro John Girton
whom I met 15 some years later.
Three old friends from opposite ends of the timeline,
brought to the stage by those same two
firestarters.
Bob and Helen Sheffer sure know some good folks.

New, Old, ???

My old friend Rob, who I hardly ever even knew. But the atmosphere at
ReUnion '09 was so great, everybody seemed like old friends. It was
just great to meet Rob again, for real this time.
Rob's performance on guitar really stood out as extra fine to my ears. He really has that
instruments voice singing sweetly. Great playing and singing.
When Jan sang with him it was like a time machine, right back
to that olden' day of the Paradox.

The Green Room

The Heart of the Matter

....is musicians and instruments.



Click on the images for giant enlargement.
Attn:Bob and Helen...can you see these? I can make them smaller.
I have reduced them but I can reduce more and still have more
picture than anyone needs here.
Your complete collection is now ready and will be mailed on a
CD soon.
.

A Musical Place

Michael Ray Cox at Paradox Reunion

Hi All - Michael says he's not online much but liked the idea of a youtube video. If anyone runs into him, let him know he's on! Thanks, Mandie

Next Reunion and a Proposal (No - not that kind)

I sent this yesterday: "Pen",

First things first, I'll presume you got home safely and all that. What with work and all, it took me two or three evenings to finish your book. Absolutely wonderful. (I, of course, would've expected nothing less.) I'm writing this as I listen to the music on the Paradox blogsite. It's not just a trip down memory lane. It's an open door to the pathway of our road in life. "And the band played on", indeed. We must make the next one, no matter what. I have a proposal I'd like to make to everyone, that somehow, we consider finding a way to put on a telethon for some worthy cause. I know there's still enough "Star Power" amongst us to get that done, but there's another reason, and a good one, I believe, as well. It's the concept of "Out of little acorns, mighty oaks do grow". And by that, I mean that if the entire theme of the telethon, besides the worthy cause, of course, is to show how one little idea, "The Folkswingers" (how '60's), started at just one club, has led to everyone's rising influence in not only music, but in the greater community as well. By way of demonstration, I would propose that not only the original 40 or so musicians, club owners, promoters, et al, that were involved with the safe space to meet and experiment musically that was created for us at The Paradox be in this thing, to be a part of it, but those with whom the core group later went on to perform with be included as well. I know, I (trust me) know, the ego clashes would be nothing short of monumental (if we let them be) - so what! After all, at this stage in our lives, I believe the best thing we could do would be to "pass it on" by showing, in very clear, graphic (telegenic) terms, just what power a small contribution to the arts can accomplish. Besides, it could be one hell of a ride. And fun besides.

I think I'm going to post this (and I hope you don't mind) on the Paradox's site and see what apples (no lemons please) shake out of the tree. With your permission only, of course.

Your Friendly Curmudgeon,

John "J. B." Besharian

I received this reply today: Sure John! Go ahead and post. Did you go to the reunion?

Pen

Sent from my [her] Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

Last Call!

I still have several of Gary's beautiful 100% cotton reunion t-shirts for anyone who didn't get one, or who would like to treat a friend to a lovely memento of the weekend. For only $20 and your address it is yours.

We Are the Paradox logo cups, and reunion totes with everyone's name on it, are also still available for $15 each.

All proceeds help support the expenses of the reunion.

On The Radio

Norma and I are sitting in the KPFA studios, listening to Steve tuning up and getting ready to be interviewed on David Gans' "Dead to the World". And since I don't use Twitter, I figured I'd post to the blog. Live blogging, I think they call it. Since David's an old friend and singing partner of mine we figured to show up and be family and moral support for him and Steve both.

Well, it's 9:00 and it's just music for another half hour. David just wiped some stuff he had on his computer and is typing like mad into his computer trying to access his carts. And he's done it. Amazing how computerized everything in the world is. Steve just passed David the Edge Of The World album in a perfectly executed Nashville Handshake.

OK, event announcements and Steve opens by playing one live. He's on, and he's ON. Sounds great. You can hear this stuff at kpfa.org. Opened with "Bringing it Back Home" On to "Buy For Me The Rain".

Discussion of the state of the biz and the fact that it's devolving to a model of a small record company for each artist.

More music. Don't know the material enough to know the titles of the new stuff, but he's in great voice. "A Very Different Mile" No wonder I didn't recognize it. Not recorded yet. If I had any money, I'd pay to hear this.

Last tune. Next DJ just moved in to set up his intro music. This is going to time out perfectly.

Fielder Redux

I lightened this up a little, I hope you don't mind.
That Strato-Mando looks like fun.
What a fine looking bunch. I bet they sound
great. Thanks for sharing this fine photo.

THE FIELDER FAMILY MINUS ONE

Here is Jim playing with our two boys at church. Hamlyn, in the middle is on Mandocaster, and Gentry, on the right, is playing electric bass.
I am the photographer.
Love,
Alyse

Paradox Reunion 2009

Hi Paradox Folks. It's Mandie. Here's a little MandRand overview of our fun weekend at Bob and Helen's home. We're still talking about the folks, the music, and the beautiful land. Thanks for a wonderful time.



NEW TO THIS POST.....YOUTUBE VERSION NOW AVAILABLE....
A LITTLE BETTER QUALITY IN ALL WAYS.....
YOUTUBE LINK...CLICK HERE.....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G7qy2EfrUK0

WELL, THE CLICKABLE DON'T DANG WORK.
PASTE IT IN OR JUST GO TO YOUTUBE
AND SEARCH "PARADOX REUNION 2009"

Eureka! Gold discovered in California!

Ralph Barr.
Amazing. A Whole new level of something beyond.
A voice and a guitar that go further into their beauty than anyone ever has.
Legendary names could be mentioned as Ralph Barr moves beyond them.
The Tone.
He has Tone everywhere.
Appolo and Orpheo had it.
David had it.
Ralph has it.


Jim Fadden, a virtuoso with a black case of silver instruments
which he plays like a jeweler, sparkling chains, rubys and diamonds,
keeps company.

A real musical flash from the past....

Lavender

Lavender Bassman
As consistant as the rolling sea. He's always
there. Words could
never say how much he brings and shares.
Beautiful music comes through him whether
he's playing his instrument or simply being.
Jim Fielder.

THE PARADOX BALL

Specal thanks to Ralph, Michael Ray, Uncle Bob, Lavender Jim and the Paradox Choir for turning my words and a few chords into a song.
It was the first time I ever had a dog in the race and it was a major rush to hear it become a reality. Bravo!

Tony Duque Story

I have a story I tell people when I'm trying to give people a taste of what it was like, and Tony supplied the punchline.

One night in '66, Jose Feliciano was doing a late set at the hoot and quieted everybody down saying something to the effect of, "I want you to listen to this because I really mean it." And he floored us all by doing something that none of us had ever heard before. He did "The Star Spangled Banner" in a very Ray Charles soul style, the way he did when he messed with everybody's mind at the World Series a few years later.

OK, now everybody does it like that. Even Aretha. But in '66, in white suburban Orange County, just when Vietnam was blowing up in our faces and a number of us were afraid to go to the mailbox for fear of a letter from the government, nobody had ever done such a thing. It was unthinkable.

And he did mean it. He sang it from the heart, and everybody sat there, stunned. And Tony, who was sitting next to me, whispered, "Damn. It almost makes you want to enlist."

The Greatest Ringmaster.......

For the Greatest Show on Earth.
Master of Ceremonies **STEVE NOONAN**
sorts out precious stage time, wishing
this circus had at least 3 rings.
A tough job, done with expertise and laughter.

The Winner and Still Champion..

BOB SHEFFER and THE WILLOW VALLEY SINGERS.

Click on the picture for the large version of the photo.

Y'all behave now

Norma and I will be up on Saturday and staying for the duration. Don't play all the good stuff on Friday.

SHAMELESS CHEAP PROMOTIONAL STUNT

DAVE ADDS MORE RADAR BEAMS TO RALPH'S FINAL MIX

Getting Ready to Hit the Road!

"WHICH SIDE ARE YOU ON"

The Paradox Circus is coming to town

That ought to give you Happy Feet!

SENIOR MOMENTS

Quick ALTZHEIMERS Test
The following was developed as a mental age assessment by the School of Psychiatry at Harvard University . Take your time and see if you can read each line aloud without a mistake. The average person over 40 years of age cannot do it!
1. This is this cat.
2. This is is cat.
3. This is how cat.
4. This is to cat.
5. This is keep cat.
6. This is an cat.
7. This is old cat.
8. This is fart cat.
9. This is busy cat.
10. This is for cat.
11. This is forty cat.
12. This is seconds cat.
Now go back and read the third word in each line from the top down.

So, tonight I had a real Senior Moment. I'm in my local Starbucks. I stop off at the counter with the cream & sugar.I put cream & sugar in my cup and I set the lid on the counter ( as always), so I can come back and adjust my coffee. I proceed to the counter. The girl at the counter says we are just ready to brew a fresh pot. While I'm waiting I go out to my truck to continue listening to an NPR program they are doing on the aging population and senior memory. Five minutes later I go back to the counter and with about six people behind me I hand the girl my cup. She fills it with coffee and hands it back to me. I pay her and everything is going well up to this point. I then take the two quarters I'm clutching for the tip jar and without giving a second thought I drop them in my now full cup of coffee, which proceeds to splash all over the counter. She is now looking at me in utter disbelief, and the 6 people behind that watched this transpire are doing their best not to bust out laughing. She then asks with polite smile if I'd like her to rinse out the cup so I can start over . At this point it sinks in what I had just done and I am now laughing so hard at myself I can barely manage "That would be nice"

"Who were them fellers?"

Imagine my surprise, when viewing the "American Idol" finale, and Steve Martin showed up on my screen. He was accompanied by some nefarious hillbilly types, including one white haired feller with a white goatee playing mandolin. He looked kinda familiar, sorta like somebody I 'members playing banjo with Steve by reaching over to fret the strings of his while still fingering his own instrument (usually a banjo). This legerdemain was occasionally interspersed with the sudden appearance of "Flash Paper" and jokes by that dynamic duo. That was back at the Mecca. Great job, Johnny. I heard the disbelief in Ryan Seacrest's voice when he spoke to Steve at the end of the performance. It never ceases to amaze me how TV types are perpetually surprised that an actor, comedian or musician can actually be multi-talented. Go figure.

SDS

For you information, knowing that many of you many readers are quite confused at what the below picture could possibly be, let us explain. This is a SDS (Solar Dehydration System), held to the LS (Linear Supports) with the use of quite a few MR's (Modular Retainers).
Feel free to ask question's, we here at the ranch will be happy to share our solar technique's with you.
Bob h/s

Getting Ready!

This just in from Bob:




As you can see, we are getting ready for the reunion.

The Greening of the Paradox

This year, we plan to green our get together, and want to encourage everyone to do their part. We are going to buy more things in bulk (e.g., large water jugs, a keg for the beer, etc.), and will only have a minimal amount of disposable items available. This will not only help the planet, but will also help Bob and Helen with clean-up after the event.

We are encouraging everyone to bring their own plates, cups, utensils, etc. for meals. We'll provide areas where you can wash up afterward.

We'll also be selling reusable, commemorative "We are the Paradox" travel cups and plates as part of our porta-potty fundraiser for those who want to contribute that way and have something to take home with them. I'm also collecting utensils that can be washed and reused so that we can stay away from plastics.

It's getting close. It's getting exciting!

I hope you made a wish

Happy Birthday Uncle Bob Hope It's a Good One

From the Paradox Family

The Paradox Fund

Just wanted to throw this up for discussion. Am I reaching to high in thinking about setting up a non-profit Paradox Fund in support the arts or maybe a medical fund for struggling or aging artists. I know most of us are not wealthy in anything but Karma and ideas, but I think it's worth talking about. It would be a great way to keep The Paradox legacy alive when we are gone. That is definitely a worthwhile endeavor. Feedback appreciated.

Besharian speaks.....

Diane,

Ok. I got the invite. So ... I take it this is not the same site as "We are the Paradox"? Um, in that case why does it look so similar?

By the way, you all can find mine at myronjpoltroonian.blogspot.com. O.k.?

Nondiscombobulettum Selfrightus, indeed.

"J. B."

John Prine Concert

Bob and Helen left their little mountain home to go to the hussle and bussle of the big city, Sacramento, but it was worth it. We went to a John Prine Concert, one of Americas greatest songwriters. That guy sure can put words together in a magical way. We had great seats, wonderful evening. A very mature audience, like our age. His brother Doug lives in Sacramento so he did a lot of requests from Doug without his band, he did many of out favorites, great concert

Besharian found...!

He was just down the road from Bob and Helen's all along. So hopefully we'll see him at the reunion.

We're still looking for Suzi Thompson, Milt Weber, and Dan Winchester if anyone has any leads.

And we also haven't been able to find Cass Conway.

In the meantime, here's a short video from around the world to brighten your day (with thanks to Sherry Miller):

http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=2539741