I'll Be Home For Christmas

Here is a new solo banjo recording I did of 'I'll Be Home for Christmas'... I'll Be Home for Christmas - Solo Banjo

Here's the tab...

Happy Christmas!

White Christmas

Recorded a few Christmas tunes for family this year and this is one of them.

Thanks to Mike Manyshen for vocals and recording everything as well as Chris Russell for providing guitar and Jacob Russel for his mando.  I play banjo, dobro and bass on this one.


White Christmas

Silver and Gold

This is a little solo banjo arrangement of the classic tune from the Rankin Bass Christmas special 'Rudolph the Res Nosed Reindeer'.  I posted the tab last year but thought I might post a video to show what it sounds like.  Aiming to post a few more Christmas tunes before the 25th if I can...

The Waxing Moon - Full Album Now Available on Bandcamp

My new progressive instrumental bluegrass album is now fully up for sale on bandcamp. I am really pleased with the album and feel really fortunate to have some truly outstanding musicians playing on it including John Reischman (mandolin), Chris Russell (guitar), Trent Freeman (fiddle) and Russell Sholberg (bass).  Check it out and see what you think...

Bury Me Not on the Lone Prairie

I like the Johnny Cash version of this song a lot.  Pretty straightforward picking, real bouncy and western-like.



Here's the tablature (click to enlarge)...

Danny Boy

Arranged this song for a student of mine...

Banks of the Ohio

Playing around with some Eddie Adcock-ish single string and came up with this.  First time through is straight ahead and second pass is mostly single string.  Not sure about the lick at the end but oh well...

Banjo Gecko

If I Don't See You in the Future, I'll See You in the Pasture

Just finished up my new instrumental solo album 'The Waxing Moon' which will be released November 7th.  It's really a passion project I've wanted to do for a long time and was fortunate enough to get some great players including John Reischman on mandolin, Trent Freeman on violin, Chris Russell on guitar and Russell Sholberg on bass.

This is the kickoff tune of the album (hope the link works); If I Don't See You in the Future, I'll See You in the Pasture

Here's the tab for anyone interested.  It's in standard tuning capoed to Bb...

Strong Armed

Another tune from guitarist Chris Russell's project.  Banjo solo very much improvised and rough.  Like the tune alot though.

Red River Valley - Key of F

Playing around in the key of F and ended up with this mess.

A few observations about playing in F using standard G tuning....

1)  The 5th string is no longer the tonic of the I chord but now contributes a colourful 9th sound.  It's different and can be real purdy.

2)   The  IV chord will be the Bb and works nicely letting go of the full barre occasionally.

3)  As opposed to playing key of G in open G your open strings now serve to lead you to chord tones for the most part rather than being the chord tones you want to sit on.  Sometimes this is nice and for better or worse you will get sounds you wouldn't be getting otherwise.

Here's a rough clip....




Here's the tab....

Bluegrass Brunch

If you are in Vancouver over the summer check out the Bluegrass Brunch sundays 11:30am-1:30pm at the Main on Main Street. I am serving as host generally speaking with a rotating lineup of local pickers and bands.  Grand opening is June 14th

Bill's Last Bash

This is a tune by Vancouver guitar legend Chris Russell.  A fun group to play with;

Chris Russell - Guitar
Devon Wells - Banjo
Scott Smith - Dobro
Russell Sholberg - Bass
Liam MacDonald - Percussion

Turkey in the Straw - Goofy Break

Picking around on Turkey in the Straw, searching for something...