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Thread: Gerald Trimble

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    Default Gerald Trimble

    I picked up an old copy of Geralds 1986 release "Crosscurrents", which I knew nothing about, and its full of sparkly picking on ringy and wellrecorded Sobell citterns and more. I haven't heard a lot about Trimble over the years - does he still perform and record?

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    Default Re: Gerald Trimble

    Gerald Trimble recorded three really good cittern albums. I got to hear him live in the early '80s, just after his first album was released. Then he took up viola da gamba, and has recorded a CD of that (Celtic Cantigas). I have no idea what he's doing these days, but I've liked everything he's done so far. There are a couple of Youtube videos of his -gamba work.

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    Registered User Niall Anderson's Avatar
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    Default Re: Gerald Trimble

    Have you heard First Flight and Hearrtland Messenger, Kevin? I have copies I can lend you if you haven't. Lots more good stuff, and he does(did?) get a great sound.

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    Default Re: Gerald Trimble

    First Flight was one of the main reasons I decided to get a bouzouki/cittern. Great recording!

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    Default Re: Gerald Trimble

    I have not heard that name in a number of years. I'd like to know what Trimble is doing too. A fine musician indeed.

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    Default Re: Gerald Trimble

    I don't know what Gerald is up to these days, but I still remember listening to 'First Flight' and got completely blown away by it. I don't think I knew what a cittern was at the time, and the recording changed my life.

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    Default Re: Gerald Trimble

    He is on Facebook.
    His site is called Gerald Trimble's Celtic and World Music Sessions and has quite a lot of September activity.


    https://www.facebook.com/CelticAndWorldMusic
    David A. Gordon

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    Default Re: Gerald Trimble

    Trimble's Pumpherson (Pumpherston?) Hornpipe is my favorite spooky melody (as Halloween approaches...)

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    Default Re: Gerald Trimble

    Trimble didn't actually write Pumpherston Hornpipe. It was written by Big Jim Sutherland (don't know much about him). It's a very cool tune, though, and spooky - it always makes me think of the Addams Family. Lots of fun to play on the mandolin. I love Trimble's arrangement of it.

    Jack

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    Default Re: Gerald Trimble

    Jim is a cittern and percussion player of great distinction, and a tremendous and accomplished composer and producer now. He was a distinctive part of Scotlands great trad swing line up The Easy Club, and theres some good fottage of them on youtube from 1987. He compsed some quirky memorable tunes which were published in a collection in the 80s but I dont know if its still available. A great guy!

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    Default Re: Gerald Trimble


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    Default Re: Gerald Trimble

    Most of First Flight is on Youtube. Here are a couple of tracks:




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    Default Re: Gerald Trimble

    Interesting to see both the Sobell cittern and Sobell archtop roundhole guitar--is that Rod Patterson playing that?

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    Default Re: Gerald Trimble

    Quote Originally Posted by jdsobol View Post
    Interesting to see both the Sobell cittern and Sobell archtop roundhole guitar--is that Rod Patterson playing that?
    Yes, that's Rod Patterson. Poor Jack Evans seems to be out of shot for most of that footage...

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    Default Re: Gerald Trimble

    I had the First Flight on vinyl years ago, lost to me now.
    That "Martin Wynn's #2 " kills, and is the kind of thing that got me into playing octave mandolin.

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    Default Re: Gerald Trimble

    My story is similar. I first "mistakenly" got into the mandolin by way of Terry Woods of the Pogues.. having heard his sobell OM on "If I Should Fall From Grace With God", I read the liner notes and assumed the instrument I was hearing was the mandolin. I later picked up Gerald's "First Flight" CD straight off a shelf at a university record store because I was intrigued by the instrument pictured on the cover. I later located Stefan Sobell and sent off a letter asking after a 10-string, and managed to scrape up to afford one a few years later.

    Strongly recommended, though not sure if it is still in print!
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    Default Re: Gerald Trimble

    Quote Originally Posted by danb View Post
    My story is similar. I first "mistakenly" got into the mandolin by way of Terry Woods of the Pogues.. having heard his sobell OM on "If I Should Fall From Grace With God", I read the liner notes and assumed the instrument I was hearing was the mandolin. I later picked up Gerald's "First Flight" CD straight off a shelf at a university record store because I was intrigued by the instrument pictured on the cover. I later located Stefan Sobell and sent off a letter asking after a 10-string, and managed to scrape up to afford one a few years later.

    Strongly recommended, though not sure if it is still in print!
    Gerald no longer plays instruments that were designed after 1800. So that rules out the Sobells and Monteleone citterns he used to play. Now it's down to viola da gambas, sultanas, English guittars and the like. Still a terrific musician.

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  21. #18
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    Default Re: Gerald Trimble

    Quote Originally Posted by jdsobol View Post
    Gerald no longer plays instruments that were designed after 1800. So that rules out the Sobells and Monteleone citterns he used to play. Now it's down to viola da gambas, sultanas, English guittars and the like. Still a terrific musician.
    Oddly enough, his latest facebook post is a video of him playing a teens gibson mandocello!
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  22. #19

    Default Re: Gerald Trimble

    Quote Originally Posted by danb View Post
    Oddly enough, his latest facebook post is a video of him playing a teens gibson mandocello!
    Well, there goes that principle.

    I guess Gerald just plays what he likes. Fair enough.

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    Registered User Mike Anderson's Avatar
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    Default Re: Gerald Trimble

    Discovering "First Flight" was certainly a formative experience for me! York Reel/Dancing Feet still raises the hairs on the back of my neck. I wish I could remember exactly who/what it was that attracted me to the CBOM world, it's been a while. Certainly Planxty and Bothys, then later Dervish and Altan, still my favorite bands. Gerry McKee with Nomos did some great stuff, and the tempi they were playing at were often fierce - really exciting little band. Might have to invest in Gerry's instruction CD-ROM at some point just to hear more of him.

    Thanks Kevin for that brilliant Jim Sutherland clip! Never have heard those other two Trimble albums, I see there are some Amazon resellers who have them though. More stuff to add to the "some day" list.

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    Default Re: Gerald Trimble

    Just stumbled on this too Mike ....


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    Default Re: Gerald Trimble

    From the early days of Sobell citterns, I used to really enjoy Brian McNeill's playing on his first album Monksgate.

    I haven't heard his stuff for a while, but I wouldn't say he usually plays quite like this nowadays - he's mainly either accompanying his own songs (he wasn't doing any lead vocals in the early Battlefield Band) or playing fiddle.

    But I always liked Monksgate. There is a lot of Northumbrian pipes played by (I think) Angus MacGregor? I think that was his name. Certainly very nice cittern.

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    Default Re: Gerald Trimble

    Quote Originally Posted by kmmando View Post
    Just stumbled on this too Mike ....
    That is one hell of a band, thanks for the clip! Wondering if he was the man who pioneered the brush-ended bodhran tipper?...

  27. #24

    Default Re: Gerald Trimble

    Quote Originally Posted by Mike Anderson View Post
    That is one hell of a band, thanks for the clip! Wondering if he was the man who pioneered the brush-ended bodhran tipper?...
    Apparently so: http://www.folkmusic.net/htmfiles/inart595.htm

    Those arch-top roundhole Sobell guitars were based on the same 1931 Martin C-1 that he based his carved-top citterns on. To repeat an oft-told tale, the Sobell cittern was a hybrid of two design ideas: the Martin C-1 and a Portuguese guitarra that he had lying around the shop.
    Joseph

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    Default Re: Gerald Trimble

    Quote Originally Posted by jdsobol View Post
    Apparently so: http://www.folkmusic.net/htmfiles/inart595.htm

    Those arch-top roundhole Sobell guitars were based on the same 1931 Martin C-1 that he based his carved-top citterns on. To repeat an oft-told tale, the Sobell cittern was a hybrid of two design ideas: the Martin C-1 and a Portuguese guitarra that he had lying around the shop.
    Joseph
    I will be damned...he was a great bodhran player too. I think I have a new idol!

    Wish I could find some of their albums, Jock Tamson's Bairns for that matter. Will have to keep an eye on the UK eBay site.

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