Scrubbing Out The Music Scrubbing Out The Music Scrubbing Out The Music Scrubbing Out The Music Scrubbing Out The Music

One afternoon while staffing the AR show booth at the IBMA convention last fall, I heard the upbeat sounds of music and percussion coming from an exhibit stage on the next isle. The publisher told me to check it out that there might be a story there. As I wandered closer, I observed a group of folks gathered around a gentleman bubbling with enthusiasm and wearing some sort of percussion device. I saw that all the folks were similarly equipped. Upon a closer look, it was apparent that these percussion instruments were washboards—you know those things on which grandma scrubbed clothes during wash day. No clothes washing for these folks; everybody was scratching out a lively rhythm in time with tunes from a small amplifier setting nearby. After the session ended, I learned the leader of the group was representing a company named Cincinnati Washboards. This Argentinean company custom manufactures washboard instruments for use by percussion musicians worldwide.

This curious encounter started me on another onion peeling adventure about washboards as musical instruments that I thought you might find interesting.

To start us along, we should understand that a washboard is a device used to scrub laundry by hand consisting of a wooden board or frame that holds a metal plate with a corrugated surface. According to Chris Carson on the web site ourpastimes.com/the-history-of-

By Edward Tutwiler

washboards, historians believe that washboards originated in Scandinavia just prior to the turn of the 19th century. This device was widely used in rural and poor areas of the US before washing machines became common. It is worth noting that the only remaining washboard manufacturer in the United States is the Columbus Washboard Co., which has been making washboards since 1895.

Although the washboard was initially designed for washing clothes, it soon was used as a musical percussion instrument by musicians in poor neighborhoods and rural areas in the mid to late 19th century. When used as a percussion instrument, players place sewing thimbles on their fingers and rub and strike the corrugated surface of the board to add a raspy or scraping sound to the rhythm of a music performance. Thus, the washboard can provide normal drum rhythms or add an additional layer of rhythm to a performance. continued on page 20

Various sources hold that using a washboard as a percussion musical instrument is a derivation of doing the hambone. Hambone is the act of stomping, slapping, and patting one’s arms, legs and chest. This rhythmic art form was created by enslaved Africans in North America. Since these folks were forbidden to use drums, they found ways to make rhythms with tambourines, bones, and body music such as hand clapping and body and thigh slapping. Thus the hambone is a musical technique where players basically play their body. It is easy to imagine the transition to using a washboard to simulate the same rhythms.

The early public use of the washboard as a musical instrument was in Jug bands. Jug bands, which used jugs, spoons, and washboards to provide rhythm, became popular in the 1920s. They were common across the American South, and were typically made up of African American vaudeville and medicine show musicians. They played a mixture of blues, ragtime, and jazz.

Scrubbing continued from 19

The use of the washboard as a novelty percussion instrument spread and is still used in some string music bands, Dixie-land bands, and other folk music traditions; however, nowhere is it more visible that in the zydeco music of the black Creoles of southern Louisiana. Zydeco is a form of dance music with roots in French, African American, and AfroCaribbean styles and was created by those of African heritage in Louisianan French culture (the Creoles).

With the integrating of the washboard as a percussion mainstay in certain musical traditions, innovation most certainly was bound to occur; thus enter the frottoir (zydeco rub-board). This device dispenses with the frame and consists simply of the metal ribbing hung around the player’s neck on a strap. It is played primarily with spoon handles or bottle openers in a combination of strumming, scratching, tapping and rolling. There are now available commercially manufactured frottoirs that are highly polished and contoured to fit the player’s body. It is worth noting that the frottoir is a mid-20th century invention designed specifically for zydeco music and is one of the few musical instruments invented entirely in the United States.

It is also worth noting that people keep alluding to the washboard as a musical instrument that was a part of old-time and early country music. Maybe it was on a very local, rural scene; however, I cannot find any references that document its widespread use in that genre. Nor can I find any mention of anyone playing a washboard at any of the early established country music venues.

Having made that point, I do currently see musicians playing percussion washboard (and not always as a novelty device or point of comedy) with newer and non-traditional string music groups. Further, it is not uncommon to witness street musicians and folk musicians supplying percussion accompaniment via washboard in their performances. Plus, there are serious musicians now incorporating washboard percussion in their performances.

Remember that Pied Piper leading that rollicking jam session that I mentioned in the beginning of this essay? In 2016, Cincinnati Washboards launched the first ever washboard made especially for music. The company quickly ran out of stock in the first week, and they’ve been pushing out musical washboards ever since. You might want to check them out on the WEB at CincinnatiWashboards.com.

Explaining her approach to music as a “song interpreter,” Mara Levine says, “What I do is look for really wonderful songs and then put my own spin on them.” Along with the many classics from the American folk songbook, which she grew up listening to constantly, Mara has connected with many contemporary songwriters at conferences and workshops. “It really has to grab me, to add it to my repertoire.”

Once she has a song selected, there’s quite a bit more to be done to bring it to life. Mara typically starts with her vocals. “I work backwards. A lot of people will put all the instruments down first, then do the vocals. But I do the lead vocal first. Then I decide what I want to do with the harmony arrangements.”

Mara’s third collection of songs, Facets of Folk (2019) charted at #1 on the Folk Alliance International Folk Chart and had nine songs hit the top 20. It ended up as the #3 album for that year.

Since speaking with Americana Rhythm previously, Mara Levine has been working on adding a compelling visual element to her music. “What I’ve been doing since the pandemic, since I haven’t been able to be out of the house much, or go to the studio [is] working with Valerie Smith from Bell Buckle Records, my record label, and we are releasing singles from my previous recordings…making music videos to go along with them.” Mara has found herself experiencing an extended personal lockdown as she cares for her elderly parents with pre-existing health conditions. Necessity is the mother of invention, as they say. Mara and Valerie figured out how to be creative and productive, despite Mara’s extra limitations. “We hit on the idea of meeting and filming at a farm close to where she travels in Maryland for her business,” she explains. The pick-your-own sunflower farm, called The Sunflower Garden, provided a beautiful setting for the video of ,You Reap What You Sow.

Despite the continuing family challenges that limit her ability to travel and share her music in a live setting, Mara has found other ways to stay connected. “I’ve participated in many online song circles, open mics and online camps…and the silver lining has been the friendships and opportunities that I never would have had made under normal circumstances.”

ARTICLES BY DAN WALSH

Amelia Hogan has been called an “impeccably authentic singer of Celtic music,” and her heart comes through via the highly lyrical solo a cappella style of Irish music known as SeanNós, or “old style.” She also plays bodhran (Irish drum) and a small 22-string Welsh lap harp, and has toured internationally.

Despite growing up on the West Coast, Amelia was immersed in traditional Celtic music from an early age. She was also influenced by her mother, a professional songwriter. “I grew up as a babe in arms, going to folk music club events…” she remembers. She was “just really listening directly to previous generations,” as she matured.

Today, Amelia’s own songwriting and performing reflects the authenticity of that folk tradition. Whether traditional or modern, Amelia says, “The songs that I’m most drawn to…there’s got to be a level of emotional truth to the story. There’s got to be a sort of human experience that rings honest.”

Her latest album is called Taking Flight. The 16track album features one original (the title track)— a joyous a cappella number in four-part harmony— along with a number of traditional, public domain songs, and interpretations of songs by contemporary songwriters.

The songs express heartache, hope, and ultimately a joy-filled conclusion. The unifying theme of birds runs through the project. Often seen as a symbol of loss and sorrow, birds also represent hope and healing and the ability to find beauty in the midst of hardship.

“For many of us,” shares Amelia, “the few years since the spring of 2020 have been full of grief and loss, between death, illness, cultural changes, and unprecedented political upheaval. It feels as if nothing has been left untouched. As I worked through these feelings in my own life, I kept returning to singing and sharing songs related to birds as solace, comfort, and inspiration.

Pete Price

After getting a start in music at age four with a mandolin from his grandparents, Long Island singersongwriter Bobcat credits a very specific encounter with setting his musical trajectory in his teens. He listened to, and digested the 1994 Beatles compilation, Live at the BBC, which featured the young band on mostly covers of the rockabilly, rock & roll and R&B songs they had cut their teeth on. Bobcat says, “...after I learned all of that album (rudimentary—I was no John or George or Paul on the guitar)...it was my first huge rockabilly kick, at the age of about 16…”

Although still drawn toward roots music and the swing revival of 90s, Bobcat found himself immersed in the alternative music world with his first band. The desire to simply play music with others was key: “It was fun playing with those cats,” he remembers.

Closer to his original musical direction, however, Bobcat began his songwriting journey with The Arkhams, around 1997. Within this psychobilly group he found collaborators that helped him develop his writing talents.

As of December 2022, he had three albums worth of collected material, two of which had been released. They include older stuff (“Written by a 15 year old with a broken heart.”), road-tested Arkhams tunes, and more recent, personal expressions (“Everyone had a deeply personal experience of the pandemic.”).

Right now, Bobcat is focused on honing his oneman-band concept. On stage, he sits ensconced with one of his electric guitars among a guitar amp, powered monitor, mixer, pedal board at arm’s reach, with a kick and snare drum at his feet. (Yes, we said “snare drum.”) The performer brings a unique kind of show, propelling his often raucous music with his entire body.

But Bobcat is looking once again toward a future involving collaboration. While Long Island is currently lacking in like-minded musicians, he sees a path forward. “I want to build the momentum… I want to make a one-man-band sound like a full band. And eventually expand…”

To find out more, visit www.bobcatmusic.li

Pete Price had spent the last 30 years as lead guitarist for The Fries Band, a Dayton, Ohio staple, known for their lush harmonies and acoustic rock vibe. The group has enjoyed local success in Dayton’s thriving music scene, and opened for quite a few national acts when they came to town. The band reflects many of Pete’s personal musical influences, like Neil Young, Simon and Garfunkel, and James Taylor.

“I’ve always written songs,” Pete says, “but it really started hot and heavy during covid.” With live gigs suspended, the lockdown provided Pete with plenty of time to be still and to examine his thoughts and feelings. New songs and new ideas naturally started to flow, and in early 2020, with the encouragement of fellow musician and neighbor Nick Kizirnis, Pete began work on what would become his debut solo album, The Department of the Interior, released in January 2022.

“I’ve always been very interested in how your mind works…I’ve always tried to figure out what makes me tick, what makes other people tick—how people are motivated.” This theme runs through the record, which also explores spirituality, living, loving, loss, and even has a 21st century political protest song named “Common Ground” thrown in for good measure. The style touches upon Americana, rock, soft rock, blues and more.

When considering his songwriting process, Pete has a daily routine that allows for songs to emerge organically. “I try to play every day,” he explains. “Usually I try to play early in the morning before my mind is occupied with other things…Sometimes I’ve got a show I’m preparing for and I’ve got to rehearse different parts…but ordinarily I have at least some amount of time where I can just noodle around. A lot of my songs start that way.”

“Thank goodness for cell phones,” Pete adds, “because in the past, I’d come up with an idea and think that I’d remember it, and it would be gone within fifteen minutes.”

Check out The Department of the Interior on Bandcamp at peteprice1.bandcamp.com.

To find out more, visit www.petepricemusic.com

Are you? Thank you for checking out all these great new CDs! Make sure you go see live music whenever you can! And we’ll keep telling you all about the good stuff right here! Oh, and please tell them we sent you! Buy their CD. Support your favorite musician so they can keep making their music!

Got one you want us to consider? send it to: Uncle Woody

The Spin Doctor, PO Box 45 Bridgewater, VA 22812

Brit Taylor

Kentucky Blue www.brittaylormusic.com

Kentucky Blue is Brit Taylor’s sophomore project, debuting at #2 on the Billboard Bluegrass charts. The Kentucky native has already landed wins on two different charts, and is headed to her Grand Ole Opry debut on March 22nd. Good stuff.

Starlett & Big John

Living In The South www.starlettandbigjohn.com

Living In The South is Starlett and Big John’s debut with Rebel Records, following their sentimental hit, “Straight 58.” The pair met in 2019. The connection was instant and a new Bluegrass duo was born. Keep your eye on these two.

Music

The World welcome to the Spring edition of SPINS for 2023. Festival days are upon us and we’re already enjoying some of our favorite acts!

Arkansauce

OK To Wonder www.arkansaucemusic.com

It’s a unique take on Bluegrass music from these four guys from the Ozarks. Their 5th album, continues their improvisational string leads, complex melodies, rich harmonies that gives them their distinctive Arkansauce flavor and sound.

Shelton & Williams

So Much Time, So Much Love www.sheltonandwilliams.com

Johnny and Jeanette Williams, and Jay Shelton make up this trio, featuring Americana, classic country, gospel, and trad and progressive bluegrass. Danville, VA (their hometown), recently honored Johnny and Jeanette with a Lifetime Achievement Award.

The Churchmen Shadow Of The Cross www.thechurchmen.com

Born out of a men’s fellowship night at church, this quartet sings and records only gospel music, and have done so from the beginning. Shadows Of The Cross, is the latest project from this deeply talented, faith based band. What a blessing to hear them live.

Ashby released his first solo project in 1999, and has been so busy writing and performing since, that it’s taken this long to cut another record. Well worth the wait though, as Ashby’s remarkable talent shines through here.

Skylight Intervention www.tomglynn.com

Singer/Songwriter, Tom Glynn started writing songs when he was just 10. His work has been featured on ABC, Fox, Showtime, and Lifetime. This Boston Music Award winner’s latest project is a great listen. You’ll want to hear more.

The Foreign Landers Travelers Rest www.theforeignlanders.com

David Benedict (South Carolina) and Tabitha Agnew Benedict (Northern Ireland) grew up worlds apart, but have come together for this debut release, Travelers Rest. Sierra Hull said they were “meant to make music together.” We agree..

Something In The Water www.jakeybarra.com

At 25, Jake Ybarra’s voice sounds more like a guy who’s well into a successful, seasoned career. His post-college career was born out of a musical childhood family, fueled by his Texas roots, and influences. You’ll enjoy his debut, Something In The Water.

Jill Rogers and Crying Time

Many Worlds Theory www.cryingtimeband.com

A stalwart of California’s Bay Area’s country music sceen, Jill Rogers and Crying Time have been performing together for 10 years. Their latest, Many Worlds Theory, is just another example of their solid musical performance.

Mighty Poplar

Mighty Poplar www.mightypoplar.com

This new, allstar project features Andrew Marlin, Noam Pikelny, Chris Eldridge, Greg Garrison, and Alex Hargreaves, teaming up on this bluegrass infused set that relies on the improv skills of these talented musicians to keep the music fresh.

Brian

Book Of Life www.brianblake.net www.AmericanaRhythm.com

Book Of Life is Brian Blake’s debut album on the heals of an award winning songwriting career. The Memphis based artist said this album is intended to “pay homage to my family,” he said. It’s a refreshing collection of carefully penned, personal songs.

Andy Leftwich

The American Fiddler www.andyleftwich.com

If you like fiddle music then this would be the album to add to your collection. Andy has recorded for many musicians in his career, but not often as a featured artist; until now. The American Fiddler blends Irish, Bluegrass and old time into a wonderful tapestry of sound.

Larry Sparks

It’s Just Me www.larrysparks.com

Larry Sparks is one of the few artists today still performing Bluegrass who helped pioneer the industry onto the international scene. When a guy like that releases a new album, we take note. It’s a milestone record for Larry, and a treat for all of us.