Uncle Pen--Something Interesting

[patrickstefanski]

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).

[the_great_lemon]

I had no idea!  Uncle Pen is even cooler than I thought    Coool info, thanks for sharing!

[sour d]

 Nice. What's up with those purists anyway?

[fulltone1989]

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.

[patrickstefanski]

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.

[fulltone1989]

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. 

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.

[Stecks]

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. 

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...