Last night was just incredible. I got to talk to Ralph Stanley and have my picture taken with him. What a down to earth guy he really is. He just talks to everybody like he already knows them and considers them a friend.
I'll admit that our conversation was very brief and limited because, what do you say to a legend like him? He has probably been given every compliment under the sun. I simply told him I was a huge fan and that it was an honor for me to be seeing him and getting my picture taken with him.
When the show started, the Clinch Mountain Boys,(that is the name of his band that I have forgatten to mention until now. Sorry guys.) took the stage alone without Ralph and began playing a couple of instrumentals. Blazing fast. It was great.
I wanted to take notes or at least remember what songs they played and in what order but my arms were full of cd's, pictures,camera,drinks so there was no room for notes. Plus, I was so awe struck that I couldn't have taken notes anyway.
Every song, whether it was a traditional bluegrass song, or instrumental, or a solo acapela done by Ralph Stanley was just done perfectly. More than once he had tears flowing in the crowd with some of the tradition filled songs that they played. The night was far from being a big cry fest though.
Ralph Stanley and the Clinch Mountain Boys have such chemistry on stage. His bass player, Jack Cooke has been with him for 38 years and the way these two guys joke around and tease each other on stage, it is infectious and the crowd becomes very loose and relaxed. You almost feel like you are up there with them because they make you feel so glad to be there.
The mandolin player is his 15 year old grandson, Nathan Stanley. This kid, at 15 years old has the demeanor of a 30 year old. He just acts so much more mature than his age would indicate. Sure, but can he play? They played an instrumental that really showcased what he can do on the mandolin and it nearly brought the house down. It's like he was born with that mandolin in his hand. They played 2 or 3 songs that Nathan had written himself. He has a great love for Jesus Christ and gospel music and the only music that he writes is gospel with the bluegrass flair.
Now, if you know anything about Ralph Stanley then you know he is a pioneer and one of the greatest banjo pickers of all time. Nearly every banjo picker today uses techniques that he developed back in the early, I think 1940's. Definitely before I was born he was already making music that I would grow to love.
Now that he getting on in years, I know he is in his 80's and I think he is about 85 but don't quote me on that, he doesn't play the banjo on stage anymore. The only way he does play is, he has to asked to play by the audience, and he will only play the claw hammer style that his mother taught him as a child. This is only because he has arthritis and can't do the 3 fingered picking as well as he would like.
Naturally, the audience went bonkers and wanted him to play a song so he graced us with a song played in the clawhammer style. It was great, the crowd came alive. The people sitting next to me were clapping so hard I thought their hands would bust open.
He has another guy playing banjo for him and name is Steve Sparkman. Ralph had the most glowing things to say about this banjo player when he was introducing him so right away you had great expectations out of this guy. Let me tell you, he delivered.
They played a great version of The Clinch Mountain Breakdown that really showed everybody what Steve Sparkman was capable of and he was quite capable of making his banjo tell you what you wanted to know.
His fiddle player, Dewey Brown is a guy from Graham, NC which is only about 20 or 30 minutes from where the show was in Greensboro. He was awsome too. They showcased his talent with several great fiddle tunes but the one that really showed him off was the last one he did which was The Orange Blossom Special.
The guitar player was a man named James Alan Shelton. I guess I don't have to tell you he was great too. He did a crosspicking style song that I can't remember the name of but it was really good.
There is a song on the country charts by Josh Turner called Me and God. Ralph Stanley sings backup on some of the chorus parts of the song. He has such a soulful and mesmerizing voice that lots of country artists, rock too for that matter as well as bluegrass and many other styles, often get him to sing just small parts of their songs just to add the extra awsomeness they needed to have their music really appreciated. Plus, they just love the man.
Anyway, Ralph did an acapela version of Me and God that really got the tears flowing in the auditorium. He also did some things from the soundtrack Oh Brother Where Art Though? He sang Oh Death. That is just haunting and beautiful when he sings acapela and that is one of my all time favorites by him. Of course they also played The Man Of Constant Sorrow and they closed the night with Angel Band.
It was incredible and I will always remember the great time that I got to spend with this living legend. It's no wonder he has recieved all the awards that he has gotten over the years.
Now I will apologize for my lousy dinosaur of a digital camera. I cleaned the heck out of it hoping to get some great pictures but I still have halos and bubbles in almost every picture. I hope to have a new camera by the time the next show that I can go to comes around. Anyway, here are the photos that I got from last night.
Now, after seeing these pictures on my blog they look awful so I will apologize for my non zooming 2 megapixel scratchy lense camera one more time. AGGGGHHHHGHGHGHGHHGHGHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!! I wanted great pictures of this show but I just have to be happy with the fact that I was able to go. Thank you Kelley for my birthday tickets!
Ralph Stanley
.Bluegrass CD's
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