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General => General Discussion => Topic started by: patrickstefanski on September 26, 2012, 09:03:24 AM

Title: Uncle Pen--Something Interesting
Post by: patrickstefanski on September 26, 2012, 09:03:24 AM
I'm sure most of you musical geniuses will already know this, but I'll toss it out there anyway.

So I've been taking some Bluegrass banjo lessons over the past couple months.  Last night was another lesson and we were beginning to go through a tune called "Solider's Joy."
He played an old Scruggs record with a cool versino of "Solider's Joy" on it.  After a few seconds of listening I commented, "Wow, this sounds a lot like 'Uncle Pen'"  he kind of gave me a look like, "um, ok"

So the song ended and I was like, "Yeah, that sounds a lot like Uncle Pen" and he very politely told me I was wrong, and I dropped it. 

So I came home, and looked up Uncle Pen, listened to it etc.  And after a little bit of looky-looin' around google I found out why it sounds so god damn familiar. 

Short Version: Phish is fucking awesome. 

Long Version:  The second verse of the song goes:

Well, he played an old tune they called the "Soldier's Joy",
And he played the one they called the "Boston Boy".
Greatest of all was the "Jennie Lynn",
To me, that's where the fiddlin' begins.

Then, Phish (being Phish) takes their solo breaks, but before they come back into the main tune, they play a mash-up of those three songs listed in the second verse.  So I have heard Solider's Joy about a few dozen times within the context of the Phish instrumental section of Uncle Pen.

I sent it to my banjo teacher just as a "hey check this out."  He is a super blue grass purist, and pretty much scoffs at anything not-blue grass, but hopefully he'll get a kick out of it (I sincerely doubt it though).
Title: Re: Uncle Pen--Something Interesting
Post by: the_great_lemon on September 26, 2012, 02:48:24 PM
I had no idea!  Uncle Pen is even cooler than I thought  8)  Coool info, thanks for sharing!
Title: Re: Uncle Pen--Something Interesting
Post by: sour d on September 26, 2012, 05:17:30 PM
 Nice. What's up with those purists anyway?
Title: Re: Uncle Pen--Something Interesting
Post by: fulltone1989 on September 27, 2012, 01:00:51 AM
Phish does a Paul and Silas -> Pig in a Pen w/ Jeff Mosier on the Altanta '93 box, nice segue and goes to show another similarity between Phish bluegrass tunes. How long have you been playing banjer? I've been playing mandolin for about a year or so but its a lot of fun and easier than learning guitar the first time.
Title: Re: Uncle Pen--Something Interesting
Post by: patrickstefanski on September 27, 2012, 09:00:18 AM
Purists are Pure-tentious.

I have been a banjer player for a whole big 7 week now.  So I am pretty much  Bela Fleck at this point. 
I agree with it being a lot easier to pick up than guitar was.  I can hear better (not just in a volume-y way).  So I can pick out "Oh, that's the 4th, that's the 5th" type things that I have trouble with on the ole guit-fiddle.
I really am digging the banjo quite a bit.  I plan on spending a couple years in Scruggs style to get a good fundamental base.  Eventually I wanna move into the Bill Keith melodic style.  Then on to Trischka/Fleck style ridiculousness. Let's see how far I get on that road.
Title: Re: Uncle Pen--Something Interesting
Post by: fulltone1989 on September 27, 2012, 09:45:47 AM
Nice! Bluegrass is always a good time, and it seems like the only style of music a lot of musicians play in my area for better or for worse  :) Do you like Old and In the Way? Jerry is the banjer player in that group. 
Quote from: patrickstefanski on September 27, 2012, 09:00:18 AM
Purists are Pure-tentious.

I have been a banjer player for a whole big 7 week now.  So I am pretty much  Bela Fleck at this point. 
I agree with it being a lot easier to pick up than guitar was.  I can hear better (not just in a volume-y way).  So I can pick out "Oh, that's the 4th, that's the 5th" type things that I have trouble with on the ole guit-fiddle.
I really am digging the banjo quite a bit.  I plan on spending a couple years in Scruggs style to get a good fundamental base.  Eventually I wanna move into the Bill Keith melodic style.  Then on to Trischka/Fleck style ridiculousness. Let's see how far I get on that road.
Title: Re: Uncle Pen--Something Interesting
Post by: Stecks on October 06, 2012, 03:32:15 PM
Quote from: fulltone1989 on September 27, 2012, 09:45:47 AM
Nice! Bluegrass is always a good time, and it seems like the only style of music a lot of musicians play in my area for better or for worse  :) Do you like Old and In the Way? Jerry is the banjer player in that group. 
Quote from: patrickstefanski on September 27, 2012, 09:00:18 AM

O&itW is great!  Also love Garcia/Grisman/Rice Pizza Tapes, that's a good one!   I've always been into progressive bluegrass/newgrass whatever you wanna call it...  Pretty awesome that Chris Thile was just named a MacArthur Fellow "genius grant" winner....  Amazing!   Punch Brothers are actually going to be in town here on Monday, I believe...