Japanese combo kills Washington County Breakdown

[hellindc]

Check it out -- Bluegrass from Japan.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tLEo2...eature=related

[RB250]

Checkout the video by Kenny Baker on same song where Sam Bush does a mando solo. Someone please direct me or post the tabs to that or a similar mando solo of Washington Breakdown. Thanks
RB250

[Willie Poole]

Did anyone notice how much that song sounds like "Just Because"...I know that will get some comments, a lot of bluegrass instrmentals are take offs of songs that have words and vice-versa....

[re simmers]

The Japanese version is good, but the fiddle is the only one that really captures the music. The rest are impressive, but not as musical. Kenny Baker is so dead-on the melody - it's as if the song has words. With Baker, whatever it takes to make it a special piece of music.....hot licks and simple ones.....he does what the song calls for. This is one of my favorite fiddle tunes and, played correctly doesn't sound like anything else. Chords may be the same, but that's it.

Anyone know who wrote it....Was it Baker, Buck Ryan, or is it older?

I only knew it as "Washington County." Never heard the 'breakdown'.....not that it matters.

Bob

[Mike Bunting]

My copy of the cd credits it to Kenny Baker.

[swampstomper]

According to Kenny's notes on his first County LP CO719 "Portrait of a Bluegrass Fiddler" from 1969 (where this appeared) it is inspired by the Washington & Lee Swing. BTW that's a project worth adding to your collection. All the tunes are great, I especially like his take on "Cricket on the Hearth" which was reportedly a favourite of T Jefferson, and of course "First Day in Town", a real Monroesque piece. The project has Roland White chopping mandolin and Del McCoury, Vic Jordan and Ranger Doug Green. I checked County Sales and it seems this one never made it to CD, although some of the pieces are on Master Fiddler.

[fredfrank]

I thought the Japanese group's banjo player did a very tasteful break to it.

[mandobassman]

I thought the Japanese group's banjo player did a very tasteful break to it.

It's interesting to hear differences in peoples opinions. The banjo lead was my least favorite of all. None of them did much for me, but if the banjo was the only instrument playing lead, I wouldn't have even known what tune they were playing. I thought it was completely tasteless.

[swampstomper]

So I finally watched the video... nice job by the fiddler, they call it a tribute to Kenny Baker so she played it pretty close on her first break and then stretched out on her second. She caught a lot of that Baker tone! The mando man ripped through pretty nicely. The banjoist --- he has his moments but the flashy single-string stuff shows that not everyone has Don Reno's taste and timing.

Did you notice the name of the band?? "Bluegrass Police/Porice" (I guess making fun of their own pronunciation).

[fredfrank]

It's interesting to hear differences in peoples opinions. The banjo lead was my least favorite of all. None of them did much for me, but if the banjo was the only instrument playing lead, I wouldn't have even known what tune they were playing. I thought it was completely tasteless.

Sorry, I couldn't find the facetious emoticon. I did not really care for that break either.

[Bertram Henze]

Could someone please give that fiddler something to eat?