Bruce Burnside's Musical Genius

Look closely and you'll see that America is fast disappearing; the sense of place, of regional identity that has created the rich mosaic of our culture is rapidly being swallowed up by the relentless quest for consumerism - the bleak but ubiquitous landscape of asphalt and corporate logos. Music is no exception. The days when musicologists like Alan Lomax and John Hammond and others penetrated the Appalachian hollows, the vast Western plains and Native American reservations, the prisons, the Delta cotton fields, and the other nooks and crannies of our shared musical experience are long gone.


Fortunately for future generations, a modest, unassuming and extremely talented musician/author/musicologist/educator named Bruce Burnside is hard at work keeping this aspect of our culture alive. Bruce has dedicated his entire life to playing, recording and respecting these important traditions. Recently, BSRR caught up with Bruce to ask a few questions about his work and all important goal of preserving our musical culture.

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BSRR:

Why is preserving traditional music so important? What is that our culture gains by making sure that the music remains intact for future generations?


Bruce Burnside:

Traditional music for any culture is a reflection of the different social levels within that culture. For America, the diversity of the land and living experiences along with the expanse of years created songs. These songs, with their origins in distant lands, were created to tell the American experience. It's important for us to keep the wisdom in these songs alive to teach us about our lives today. The daily interpretation of old melodies and stories gives us, as a culture, free will and creativity to put music in our hearts. That experience gives traditional music life for each generation and provides a national idiom of social communication.


BSRR:

What got you interested in traditional music to begin with?


Burnside:

I got interested through learning to play guitar. The techniques of playing took me from Chicago blues to Delta blues, from Johnny Cash to Jimmie Rodgers , from what a guitar's role was in a string band, bluegrass band, jug band, blues band, jazz band, and rock band to the folk revival of the Sixties when traditional music resurfaced. I didn't learn everything but at least became aware of all of it.


BSRR:

How many instruments do you play? Which one do you prefer and why?


Burnside:

I'm still learning to play the instruments I play, which includes the banjo family, the mandolin family, electric and acoustic guitar and assorted others. The banjo family includes the five string instruments of banjeaurine, piccolo banjo, banjo, cello banjo, mandolin banjo, and ukulele banjo; different banjos are set up to play different styles, such as claw hammer or "frailing", bluegrass and classic, using nylon or gut strings as do the first four I mentioned. Mandolin, mandola and mando-cello are the mandolin family instruments I play. In addition, if I need a dobro, auto harp or dulcimer part for a recording, and I can't find anyone who plays, then I'll try to locate the instrument and practice enough to record the part. Actually, I don't really feel accomplished on any instrument. I just play and most of the time it sounds good; I have learned my limits and what not to attempt.

Different instruments inspire me in different ways. I write melodies for the banjo that are "banjoesque"; in other words the sound and physical placement of the notes contribute to the melody that gets written. Learning from the classic banjo compositions of the period from 1850-1910 along with the techniques found in the fiddle/banjo music of the Southeast, has helped give me a foundation to work from. The same idea applies to mandolin and guitar. Certain instruments have certain sounds that bring out different responses from my heart to the instrument. I write with my heart, by the way. It's something I've learned to trust and I let it take the lead in guiding me from the beginning to the end of a melody. My entire inner body projects the rhythm. Rather than prefer one instrument, I let them all have their place.

BSRR:

Speaking of writing with your heart, there are two songs in particular on your CD " Three Stag To An Oak" ((c) Bruce Burnside, 2004, Tortoise Humor Recordings) that touched my heart, "Oh My Little One" and "A Path Towards Erin". What inspired you to write these songs?

Burnside:

"Oh My Little One" is a lullaby to us all. It is about life's journey and was inspired by being a child, an adult and a parent. "A Path Towards Erin" is in the classic banjo tradition of the 1880-1890 period of five string banjo. I wrote it with an Irish sound, hence the title.

BSRR:

How did you devise the name Tortoise Humor Recordings?

Burnside:

The name Tortoise Humor was a phrase that one of the members of the band I've been in for 27 years used to describe my sense of humor. I studied herpetology as a young person and kept hundreds of turtles, tortoises, snakes,horned toads, etc. The phrase fit - the motto is "A winning way at a slower pace". It also means that it is my studio. I work on projects that I choose. It is not commercially available. I designed it to do multiple acoustic tracks. The hand time is set for an acoustic sound. I don't have to do something I don't like or a poor job because it's rushed.

BSRR:

What is the purpose of Forgotten Wisdom? How does it fit in with your mission of preserving the past?

Burnside:

Forgotten Wisdom is a 501 (c) 3 (IRS designation for nonprofit - Editor's Note) which allows me to write and receive grant money and donations. The mission statement includes preserving fretted string instrument techniques that are lost or endangered.

BSRR:

What musicians have you played with that impressed you the most?

Burnside:

The most impressive musician I've worked with is Vassar Clements. His playing always had great power, vitality and surprise. ...A person I got to know a little, initially through Vassar, was Jethro Burns who was the greatest player I ever heard. No matter who he was on stage with, Jethro could raise the intensity effortlessly...There is a very long list of other musicians I have stood next to that have impressed me - Johnny Cash for his focus and simplicity, Willie Nelson for his ability to pull in an audience, Steve Goodman for his showmanship and musical versatility. Remember, I play, listen and compose with my heart. All the sounds that touch me make a deep impression - Sonny Boy Williamson, The Band, Eva Cassidy... the entire New Grass crew of Sam Bush, Bela Fleck , Edgar Meyer, Jerry Douglas and the next generation like Chris Thile and Bryan Sutton.

BSRR:

What projects are you currently working on? What projects are you planning for the future?

Burnside:

Currently I'm writing, recording and composing for a radio documentary about the area of Wisconsin I live in. It's a small, remote valley settled by the mixed blood descendants of French Canadians and Ojibwa Indians in 1884 after the final treaty was signed. The original families are still the residents. I have collected information for over twenty years. Last year, I wrote a presentation on the area and recorded the elders, funded by the Wisconsin Humanities Council.

In the future, I hope to complete a musical history of westward expansion through the Midwest. Some songs have been written and some research done. I'm also near the end of an instrumental CD. I have at least two more CDs worth of material written. I'd like to write something for children in hospitals and am considering researching and writing a play for kids to perform about health, nutrition and weight.

I do what I do because it makes people happier, helps kids learn and develop, and it makes me happy as well.

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There is absolutely no question in my mind that long after the latest "manufactured" pop star self destructs in some trailer park tragedy, the work and the music of Bruce Burnside will help define and enrich our culture for generations to come. But don't just take my word for it. For complete information on the Tortoise Humor catalog, performance schedules and general information, go to http://www.bruceburnside.com/ . You'll discover the work and the philosophy of a true musical genius.

Helpful Links

Just to keep you all well informed:

For info on the Rhode Island Film Festival, go to: www.RIFF.org

For The Cutlass Three's latest gigs: www.myspace.com/thecutlassband

For Scott Allen's music, info, and downloads: www.milomusic.com

For more on Martha Davis and The Motels: www.marthadavis.com

For truly twisted humor: http://rantsfromrockyhill.blogspot.com

For Dick's incredibly insane sci-fi novel (I get $3 a copy!!!):
Go to www.Xlibris.com
Got to homepage, click on bookstore
Enter title: Winworld

I'll keep adding to this in the future.

Shameless Self Promotion Part 1

In recognition of the fact that the two things I like to write about are music and humor, I've begun another blog (After all, it's free, and there's no freelance markets anymore anyway). The title is "Rants From Rocky Hill. The correct web address is http://rantsfromrockyhill.blogspot.com/

I've decided that, in order to maintain quality, I will now do posts on both blogs in two week intervals (For the two or three of you who read this !).

I am also going to focus the music blog on artists I know that I think deserve more exposure, so, in two weeks, you can read all about a truly gifted practioner of traditional music, a friend since the age of 18 named Bruce Burnside.

Last but not least before I get off the soapbox and get back to reality, if you'd like to contribute to the Big D. Retirement Fund, why not check out my totally insane scifi epic "Winworld" and maybe even buy your own copy. Just go to the Xlibris site and search by the title.

That's it for now - peace out from your trusty correspondant.

Only the Lonely

I can't recall a year in my life in which I've experienced so much emotional pain. My close relationships have been colored by death or disease or misinterpreting someone else's emotions due to my own desperate need for light at the end of the tunnel. So much of my life has been spent alone that I've turned to specific songs over the years for solace, to somehow fill the void. These tunes don't necessarily cheer me up, but they help me hold on until the pain softened and the tears stopped, which they eventually do.


I first heard The Motels back in the early 80s when I was working at a suburban Boston radio station, surrounded by relationships but unable to form one myself.The song on their 1981 album "All Four One" (Capitol) that had the most impact on me was Martha Davis' existential LA lament "Only The Lonely" (Not to be confused with the Roy Orbison song). Fortunately, she is still recording; you can get the latest information about her and the band by visiting http://www.marthadavis.com/. One part of the site has excerpts from an interview with Martha, in which she describes herself as a child: "I was a loner...awkward and self-deprecating. Not much has changed.."( (c) 2007 The MotelsMarthaDavis ) Most people I know would agree that this fits me perfectly.


Only The Lonely created a vision for me, evoking the emptiness of the so-called modern world, the existential groping between people trying to connect. Her dramatic vocal paints a picture of a lost relationship: "We walk the loneliest mile / We smile without any style/ We kiss altogether wrong / No intention". ( Martha Davis / Clean Sheets Music/BMI) My interpretation was the sensation of waking up in a relationship, realizing , as so many people do, that you've pushed yourself or been pushed into a love affair that was a mistake from the beginning, but you cling together out of fear. As the refrain echoes" It's like I told you/ Only the lonely can play" (Martha Davis / Clean Sheets Music /BMI) .

So often in life we drift aimlessly from one failed attempt at love to another, allowed ourselves to be bruised because we feel we need companionship. The older I get, the more I realize how important it is to see things for what they really are. At times like this, I appreciate the insight of artists like Martha Davis.

The Evidence is Clear

I've rarely met someone who had the courage to act on their convictions, as well as unbridled creativity, a low key, laid back personality and incredible energy, but Scott - Doc - Allen combines all of these elements. I met him in a writers' group in Providence about a year ago, but had previously seen his name in the Providence Journal. After spending seven years as Medical Director for the ACI in Cranston, Scott resigned in protest over the mishandling and cover up of the beating of a mentally ill inmate housed in isolation. His moral stance made headlines, making me wonder how someone could be brave enough to sacrifice his job to make such a definitive statement.


Scott then shifted his focus, joining Physicians for Human Rights, working on their Campaign Against Torture. Doc Allen reviewed and published the causes of death for over 100 detainees primarily at "Gitmo" Bay in Cuba, and collaborated with major medical associations in helping develop ethical guidelines for health professionals relative to abuse and torture, which included testifying before the American Medical Association's annual meeting. PHR is on the verge of releasing a report co-authored by Scott detailing the likely health consequences of waterboarding, sleep deprivation, prolonged isolation, stress positions - the still permitted "enhanced interrogation techniques" - which are , in fact, torture and should be outlawed.


You might ask yourself how Scott Allen finds the time to make music, especially his CD "The Evidence", recorded entirely in his home studio in Cumberland, Rhode Island over a seven year period. I used to shudder when I heard the words "home studio" during my rock and roll radio days, never knowing if the battered cassette submitted by some wannabe rock stars would be brimming with off key vocals and badly mixed instruments, but "The Evidence" is a polished, high quality production. Scott explains in the accompanying notes that the 12 songs on the CD represent his experiences during the prison years.


The opening song - "The American Way" - is a freewheeling indictment of the cynicism, corruption and hypocrisy that pervades the system, focusing on the way things work in Rhode Island, which I've always thought is not much different from any other state - just small enough so that things are more obvious. Scott's vocal is very Dylanesque, world-weary yet playful, accompanying himself on acoustic guitar and harmonica, with percussion as well.


"You Ran" combines acoustic and electric guitar, organ and drums, as well as lead vocal and backing harmony with a bluesy feel, bringing new meaning to the phrase "one man band". It refers to a relationship, repeating the line "tears flow to the sea" and the "lightness/darkness between us", perhaps suggesting that any close interaction between two people is multi-dimensional.


Scott documents the prison routine in "Tuesday Morning", accurately describing the absurdity of the situation, the mistakes that are routinely covered up, the daily indignities that are part of the system, and the fact that he is supposed to cure the sick. The question is, who is sicker - the convicts or the people who keep them there? Doc Allen mixes electric guitar with piano riffs and percussion to give the song a bouncy, rockabilly feel.


"Help Me Make it Through This Day" is a love song about two people who need and comfort each other, the closeness that comes with time, the realization that your partner/companion/spouse is the one true thing in your life that sustains you. Scott's lead guitar on this song is exceptional, providing a slow rock and roll feel reminiscent of those heavy metal ballads by Aerosmith or Guns and Roses, leaving a powerful emotional impression.


Travelling Show" starts with a thunderstorm, then describes a lonely trip to another city where it "rained for hours between office towers" although the singer longs for the way back home. I felt an overwhelming sadness in the lyrics, the plaintive desire for more familiar surroundings.

In describing the music, Scott says that " the working title for this project was 'Flattened', a term used by inmates to describe finishing their full sentences..." Luckily, he managed to spend his time behind bars observing and reflecting and ultimately resisting the realities of the American penal system. Most of us are content to sit back and talk about making a difference; it takes a courageous, unselfish, modest human being like Scott Allen to stand up and actually do something about it.

For more information on Scott and his music, visit http://www.milomusic.com/

You Say It's Your Birthday

This week is my birthday, so I always allow myself to look back on where my life has taken me so far and where I have to go from here. Since my birthday is in the summer, I usually celebrated it on the Island, so I thought I'd share a few tunes that reflect both the passage of time and the influence MV has had on my life. No matter how many houses are built, regardless of how many daytrippers visit with one set of clothes and a ten dollar bill (As some people used to say, they visit the Island with both, but don't change either one while they are there) it is one of the most beautiful places in the world.


Joshua Gone Barbados - Tom Rush
When I was a gawky, fat kid at the age of 16, I made about $15 a week at the Chilmark Community Center working for my brother who was the director (Talk about nepotism!). I would spend most - if not all - each week at the Mooncusser Coffee House in Oak Bluffs. That's where I first heard this song. Although it is quietly understated, it documents the brutal suppression of sugar cane workers on the Caribbean island of Saint Vincent. Rush's exceptionally fluid guitar playing intertwines with his plaintive vocal to capture the mood of subdued acceptance.


Born in Chicago - Paul Butterfield
If you've read this blog more than once, you know how obsessed I am with Paul Butterfield. He was really my introduction to the blues. At the age of 19, a few friends and I formed the Phoenix Blues Band , so named because it rose from the ashes before each performance. Our first "gig" was at the Vineyard Haven Yacht Club, and this was one of the ten songs we knew. Unfortunately, by the time the break came around, we had gone through our entire repertoire, realizing we still had another hour to go. We devised the incredibly clever idea of simply reversing the order, so we started back up, turning "Born in Chicago" into an endless jam. Nobody noticed it was the same tune we had just played BEFORE the break. Fortunately for the music industry, I abandoned my career as soon as that summer was over.


Amazing Grace - Judy Collins
Considering all the times I really pissed my mother off, she claimed she cried when I dedicated this song to her during a special birthday show I did on WVOI , the "Voice of the Islands". Let me start by dispelling the typical male myth that I have spent my life looking to replace her. We had more than our share of violent arguments over hair, clothes, language - you name it. I didn't want anything to do with her for years, but, as is frequently the case, the more I looked at her as a human as opposed to an authority figure, the more I began to like her. She had been a star athlete in high school and worked as a gossip columnist in the 1920s. She had a razor sharp wit and always wanted to be an actress, but her specialty was entertaining people, which she did very well. My birthday present to you, Mom, is that I forgive you for constantly referring to me as "that big dummy." I probably should have mentioned that her name was Grace.


Desolation Row - Bob Dylan
It has taken me a long time to appreciate Bob Dylan, but there is no disputing his status as a cultural icon, producing some of the best imagery of the Twentieth Century. I could spend hours dissecting the references in this particular song, but it is significant in the rise and fall of WVOI. One Friday afternoon in October, 1975, as I was doing my show, one of the station stockholders walked in and informed me that my career was coming to an end in 24 hours because the station was shutting down. Consequently, when I did my last show the following morning, "Desolation Row" was the last song I played before the station went dead. Talk about poetic justice!



Happy birthday to you whenever it occurs. Personally, I don't want any presents this year, because I given myself the best one of all - I no longer hate myself. As some famous rocker once said: " I was so much older then/I'm younger than that now."

Delaney & Bonnie

I'm back - barely - from the _______ reunion. Sorry I've neglected you, but the good news is I've got some new music to tell you about in the weeks to come, including tunes from my friends Scott "Doc" Allen and Bruce Burnside. I was wrong about drinking, shouting and clapping to "Gimme Some Loving" at the reunion, but pleasantly surprised when I put on a homemade Delaney & Bonnie CD and got a positive reaction to a handful of cuts from "On Tour with Eric Clapton".

Delaney and Bonnie Bramlett's credentials were solidly established before the album came out in 1970, Delaney as a studio musician in LA, and Bonnie as the only white "Ikette", performing with the Ike and Tina Turner Revue. Apparently, the duo met Eric Clapton when they were opening for Blind Faith. There's a pretty clear linkage between the "Tour" lineup and Derek and the Dominos, since Clapton put the Dominos together during that same year, using at least three musicians from the "Tour". 1970 also saw the release of "Mad Dogs and Englishmen", including "Friends" alumni Leon Russell and Rita Coolidge as well.

The opening cut - "Things Get Better" - is a prime example of what happens when the best session players get out of the studio and grind out the same tightly wound sound, the vocals, horns, drums and guitars blending perfectly in this uplifting tribute to love. "Poor Elijah - A Tribute to Robert Johnson" is a showcase for Clapton's slide guitar and Delaney's impressive vocal range, making you think that, if Robert Johnson had played electric guitar, it would sound like this.

"Only You Know and I Know" showcases the perfect blending of Delaney and Bonnie's voices, backed by a soaring horn section. The real killer on this quartet of songs is Little Richard's "I Don't Want To Discuss It". This closed out the tour, and it is nonstop, gradually rising to a frenetic climax, Delaney begging "somebody help me" as Clapton just keeps on jamming away.

There are six other Delaney & Bonnie albums, including one of my first records - " The Original Delaney and Bonnie - Accept No Substitutes" . This music is positive, uplifting and always provides a good time, probably because the affection between the two singers shines through every song.

See, reunions aren't ALL bad (just the food!).