Don Huber Says:
Sunday, January 19, 2014 @2:23:39 PM

I like the fact that you use three finger backup on some old time tunes. Your KDHX version of Rye Straw, I feel, is superior to the one you recorded. This was a great version of Fine Times!

jeffmiller Says:
Monday, January 20, 2014 @7:42:45 AM

Thanks, I feel the same about it. Not too long ago three finger playing was almost taboo in the ot world, I hid the fact I played bluegrass for many years! in the last ten years it's become normal. When Rhys, Jim and I won the clifftop band contest in 2004 I fingerprinted all the rounds, Think it was the first band to win without clawhammer banjo.

Don Huber Says:
Monday, January 20, 2014 @6:18:33 PM

I hear you, Jeff. Regarding your "closeted" BG years, I have a little theory that I call the OT Banjo Inferiority Complex. Here it is in a nutshell: When the OT revival really started to pick up steam in the 70's, there was an understandable "identity" problem. We all had a brother-in-law or co-worker who'd say, " I hear you play banjo; I love BG, play me that there Deliverence song!" And then you had the big rift between BG and OT pickers which came down to, "which side are you on, which side are you on?" And like all persecvuted minorities, Ot banjo people developed their own little subculture that in a way defined OT as "anti-BG". This meant ditching anything with a hint of BG: resonator banjos, picks, non-vintage tone rings, playing standing up, breaks; even lead to the wonderful cottage industry of our great openback builders! Funny thing was that most of the few remaining OTimers broke a lot of these rules: Oscars Wright & Jenkins, Wade Ward, Franklin George, Kirk McGee, Matokie Slaughter, Clyde Troxell, Lilly Mae Ledford, Ola Belle Reed, George Pegram, Dock Boggs, Roscoe Holcomb, Paul D. Smith...gee whiz I could go on and on citing my OT heroes. Here is something else about myself that I cannot deny. My first and only teacher that I took CHammer lessons from, as a teenager, was a professional BG picker, Jon Tickner who played CH on a Mastertone. I was both "imprinted" by his sound, and determined to learn how to fingerpick the banjo at least a little some day. Well, that's my rant for today if you've made it this far! I think it's so cool that you played the way you felt like playing @ Clifftop and thrilled that we can all finally be out of the BG closet and "cross dress if we choose! And it's great to have a conversation with somebody that understands all this! Thanks for your time...Don

jeffmiller Says:
Monday, January 20, 2014 @7:17:16 PM

I agree with much of what you said. Funny, my only formal banjo lesson also was with Jon Tickner when I was teen...seems we have much in common.....