I've known Mac's name for awhile, but didn't know much about him or his music, until about a week ago when a couple of his CDs showed up in the mail. One is his CD "I'm Going That Way" on Copper Creek, and the other was a new self-produced re-release CD of music featuring Mac and his wife Jenny.
Well, I look forward to listening to the Mac and Jenny CD, but I have been so captivated by his other CD that I haven't listened to much else over the past week. Mac is a very fine singer and fiddle player, and he is accompanied by wonderful musicians including Jenny. But it's his banjo playing that really, really grabbed me. From the first tune, "French Waltz" (which is not a waltz and probably not French either) he's a wonderful banjo player whose playing is both traditional and very fresh. They say comparisons are odious, but several times I thought that Mac's playing reminded me a bit of Walt Koken's -- not a lot, but a bit -- in case that touchstone helps.
I really look forward to spending more time with these two discs and may write a more comprehensive review once I do. I understand Mac makes banjos and I look forward to learning more about those too. Until then, I will just say:
Highly recommended!!
John
May 31, 2007
May 2, 2007
The End of Sugar in the Gourd?
I think you all know about the planned dramatic increases in fees that may go into effect (retroactively!) in less than two weeks.
If not, please go to http://savenetradio.org. David Byrne also has a good post at his journal. (Didja know I'm a big Talking Heads fan from way back?)
Thanks to all who have written to your Senators and Congresspeople.
A lot of people have asked me what will happen to SITG if these rates go into effect. The answer is, I'm not sure. I may try to keep going for another month or two while the dust settles, but I'll probably have no choice but to stop broadcasting. I don't know though. Like Ted Kennedy says, we'll drive off that bridge when we come to it. (Sorry, Ted. I love ya.) I have told people who want to send me promo CDs to hold off for now, as I don't know if this station will be around to play them.
For now, keep your fingers crossed...
John
If not, please go to http://savenetradio.org. David Byrne also has a good post at his journal. (Didja know I'm a big Talking Heads fan from way back?)
Thanks to all who have written to your Senators and Congresspeople.
A lot of people have asked me what will happen to SITG if these rates go into effect. The answer is, I'm not sure. I may try to keep going for another month or two while the dust settles, but I'll probably have no choice but to stop broadcasting. I don't know though. Like Ted Kennedy says, we'll drive off that bridge when we come to it. (Sorry, Ted. I love ya.) I have told people who want to send me promo CDs to hold off for now, as I don't know if this station will be around to play them.
For now, keep your fingers crossed...
John
Crossfades/overlapping tunes
Some of you have no doubt noticed that for the past few days songs are "crossfaded" into one another so that they overlap a bit. Sometimes it works OK, but a lot of the time it sounds pretty graceless, and sometimes it's downright jarring.
There is a reason for it: software now exists that will allow people to "rip" a stream to their hard drive, even breaking the songs into separate files with appropriate file names and tags (artist, title, etc.). I do a number of things to prevent this (one is running a very lo-fi mono stream!). This "crossfading" business is another. Running the songs together makes it impossible for the software to identify when one song ends and another starts. So this is an attempt to thwart people who are trying to "steal" the music. I'm going to continue to try to tweak it to make the transitions less jarring, or I may just do away with it altogether.
John
There is a reason for it: software now exists that will allow people to "rip" a stream to their hard drive, even breaking the songs into separate files with appropriate file names and tags (artist, title, etc.). I do a number of things to prevent this (one is running a very lo-fi mono stream!). This "crossfading" business is another. Running the songs together makes it impossible for the software to identify when one song ends and another starts. So this is an attempt to thwart people who are trying to "steal" the music. I'm going to continue to try to tweak it to make the transitions less jarring, or I may just do away with it altogether.
John