Word: banjo
(lookup in dictionary)
(lookup stats)
Dates: all
Sort By: most recent first
(reverse)
Black English retained some African words that later entered into Standard English (examples: goober, jazz and banjo). More important, Dillard found that Black English arranged English words according to a syntax resembling that of West African languages. Black English does not require a distinction between present and past tenses, for example, but it does require a differentiation between continuous and momentary action. Thus, Dillard notes, if a black says of a laborer, "He workin' when de boss come in," he means that the man worked only when the boss was present. On the other hand, if he says...
...guitar playing with local groups, he was "discovered" in the early '60's. He toured alone at first, but teamed up in 1964 with his son Merle who at 22 is now showing a dose of his father's guitar-playing brilliance and an extraordinary talent with the banjo as well...
...show off his finger-picking expertise. "He Had a Long Chain On," a ballad adapted from a Civil War legend, reemphasized his wide-ranging skills in vocal interpretation and the historical lines running through so much good country and bluegrass music. The Watson's duets on guitar and banjo were spectacular, as was Doc's classic, lightning-fast playing on "Black Mountain Rag." The flawlessly coordinated performances of father and son produced a sound rich enough to have emanated from half a dozen instruments, while unified and clear enough to have come from a single guitar...
...George Gershwin, Doc and Merle infuse Paxton's "The Last Thing on My Mind" with the same honest feeling that they devote to the traditional numbers on which Doc made his start. One of Merle Watson's own compositions. "Interstate Rag," provides a catchy, rhythmic showcase for his agile banjo playing and, again, for his father's mastery of the guitar...
...most exciting aspects of the group is the double banjo work, which has no par in blue grass today. The guitar also without equal, is heavily influenced by blues, and many who have heard this group feel that Country Cooking is the first true synthesis between blues and blue grass...