It is good to see the african strings bands the blues originated from one race of people?Where did the blue come in "Blue Grass"?No one want to give black people any credit when it comes to string bands ,jug bands,bluegrass ,old time etc.when they take from us it is borrow w/o credit,instead of steal.These brotha 's play how they play .They are wonderful.You are just ignorant!!!
See also: Otis Taylor 'Recapturing the Banjo' and the Carolina Chocolate Drops. Old Time is what they play, 'hillbilly' is what Ralph Peer (The Bristol Sessions, Jimmy Rogers, the Carter Family) of RCA would have called it, if he didn't see who was playing it.
See also: Otis Taylor 'Recapturing the Banjo' and the Carolina Chocolate Drops. Old Time is what they play, 'hillbilly' is what Ralph Peer (The Bristol Sessions, Jimmy Rogers, the Carter Family) of RCA would have called it, if he did't see who was playing it.
If anyone reading this sees these guys playing,could you go up to the banjo player.Norris,and say a big HALLO from Dave Betts over here in the UK..Thanks
I just saw this group today, playing in a NYC subway station. They are great, and got an enthusiastic crowd response. Thanks for the video. I was wishing I had my camera.
Just happened upon this group this weekend in the Times Square subway station on my way to dinner. I couldn't leave, and judging from the size of the crowd gathered, neither could they. We all just stood there mesmerized by the music and the fact that they so obviously enjoyed playing it. Great stuff. Gotta hear them again - it's such "happy" music.
Enjoy it ! The banjo, was brought over to America, from Africa, by slaves. That's old it is. We can appreciatte that fact. And if anything good came out of it, it was that. I'm not trying to make a poor excuse, though.
@glencoe6305 Check out an African instrument called the "akonting." Lots of videos of it on YouTube. That sucker is obviously an early form of banjo. There is also a closely-related instrument, varying mosatly in manner of construction, called the "gimbre" which is widespread throughout North Africa, which closely resembles instruments shown in Egyptian tomb paintings. Cultures that do not borrow elements from other cultures will sooner or later stagnate.
I see these guys now and again on the subway around 42nd St. I have 2 of their CDs which are good but I like them better live. You just don't expect to hear it in Manhattan so it puts you in a good mood. Some people call it mountain music I think.
Bluegrass is nothing more than Jazzed up (Bebop like) Old time/string band music. Go look up what Bill Monroe said his music was composed of! Black String bands/old time music has always existed (ask Dock Boggs) but the record companys didn't record much of it.
I really do love this band's music. You can't beat a fiddle and a banjo and bass fiddle and the washboard. I like the sound of the washboard using either the fingers or the brush like this young gentlemen is using. They are all terrific. Thank you for posting. - Paula
he best part of commuting through Grand Central Station is that these wonderful gentlemen are so often playing in front of the Shuttle - I have them on my IPOD along with Emmylou and Alison. They are authentic and inspiring musicians.
And what "old-time african american string bands" are you referring to? The great thing about them is that Bluegrass & Folk are the two traditions that truly don't have any racial exclusionary mark on their origins. So lets not try and cast anyone out of any particular musical traditions if we can, ok?
Klm49, you really should do your homework before you make these pronouncements. Oldtime is a distinctly different sort of music than Folk or Bluegrass. And you're right about one thing-- it did include input from musicians of many different origins, including both Irish and African. And you should ask the Ebony Hillbillies what type of music they play. I know what they'll say. :-)
Bluegrass started with Bill Monroe. Bluegrass started when folks in the Appalachians got electricity and radio.
African American string bands were just as prevalent as white string bands but not from the eye of the recording industry, which is why there are not more recordings of the great black stringbands from the 20's and 30's. There is some however, some great stuff was field recorded by Lomax and can be found on the "Black Appalachia Cd". Also, other current traditional African-American string bands to name a few are the Carolina Chocolate Drops and the Sankofa Strings. Check them out.
It'd be nice if more people could hear these guys-- they and others should be on TV. Most folks are still unaware of the Black string band tradition.
I think that would help dispel some of the mistaken ideas some folks have about American music history, including a narrow view of Black American music as being only Blues & Jazz; and the stupid idea that ALL Blacks & Whites hated each other til recently, which is simply not true.
I dare anyone to walk by when they are playing live, and keep your feet still! They play infectious great music, they are gifted, terrific musicians and really, really nice men!!! I am a total EH groupie!
Hmm, it may be older than Bluegrass but in all likelyhood, Bluegrass is the name we give to a large collection of music with this tone that, as you say, was created hundreds of years ago.
But the "problem" if you want to call it that, with music is that it has no containment possibilities, and as soon as something is heard by someone it can leak over into other traditions. These men couldn't play anything "pure" if they wanted to.
Keepin' alive the ancient tones. Great stuff. I especially love the fiddler here. These guys were recently on 'Woodsongs Old-time Radio Hour'. Go to the website and you can download the podcast for free.
bravo! that is what i call great music, come down to virginia where the rest of us are. there is a small local 2 day family concert in rockbridge county 'hootieville' in may. If you don't get onstage people play all nite. would love to see you there.
just so everyone know the root of bluegrass music is Irish music. you are very gifted. please come down!
You've stolen my heart!! Abiding and seated in the secret place!!! This reminded me to do so also... when i saw it, it lifted me right up to that place!!! Mahalo from Maui!! with much Aloha to you all!! God bless you all!!! Please come to Maui and share your gifts..you will be well recieved here. Just a thought! Keep the oil flowing in a darkened world till then!!! Angel Men are you.
Fantastic! I've always loved bluegrass and mountain music only to be told it wasn't "black" music. Well this group proves that Mother Africa is behind most music in America. Excellent job! You are an inspiration to other black folkies like me :)
AWSOME!
kenstasia 3 weeks ago
Hmm...Is that how strange i look as a white guy playing the blues?
robbiedaug 5 months ago
Very nice. I met the banjo player in the subway a few days ago. I missed them playing but he told me the name of the band.
SethKessel 5 months ago
String music is in Africa.Very prevalent very strong .Can you say Kora,Riti,Goteraney.Duh!!!
drkviolin2010 6 months ago
String music is in Africa.Very prevalent very strong .
drkviolin2010 6 months ago
It is good to see the african strings bands the blues originated from one race of people?Where did the blue come in "Blue Grass"?No one want to give black people any credit when it comes to string bands ,jug bands,bluegrass ,old time etc.when they take from us it is borrow w/o credit,instead of steal.These brotha 's play how they play .They are wonderful.You are just ignorant!!!
drkviolin2010 6 months ago
Makes me smile and gives me hope. Serous toe-tappin,' duck-headin' joyousness.
jdbush49 6 months ago
Humans are grounded by their surroundings not by race
konvict63 7 months ago
I like it guys. Makes me proud to be Black Country Singer/songwriter.
I really, really love it.
KOUNTRYMYWAY1 9 months ago
This is so wondrous ~ Makes me want to dance and play along!
abiwhale57 9 months ago
correction.. those are african american billies xP
sheyla2003 10 months ago
Music it has no color..... Awesome playing guys!!!!!
BHAF4163 10 months ago
Would love to see you guys at the washboard festival in Logan ohio in the summer sometime.
iluvharpokitty 11 months ago
String music has roots in Western Europe, not Africa...
Good try, though.
rickallison2223 11 months ago
@rickallison2223
Um, you may want to check out the history of the banjo . . .
ThomasAthanasius 9 months ago
@rickallison2223 Not true. String instruments come out of Africa.
ohohenio 9 months ago
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See also: Otis Taylor 'Recapturing the Banjo' and the Carolina Chocolate Drops. Old Time is what they play, 'hillbilly' is what Ralph Peer (The Bristol Sessions, Jimmy Rogers, the Carter Family) of RCA would have called it, if he didn't see who was playing it.
ciskoepike47 11 months ago
See also: Otis Taylor 'Recapturing the Banjo' and the Carolina Chocolate Drops. Old Time is what they play, 'hillbilly' is what Ralph Peer (The Bristol Sessions, Jimmy Rogers, the Carter Family) of RCA would have called it, if he did't see who was playing it.
ciskoepike47 11 months ago
@ciskoepike47 Summed up very nicely.
PotterPossum1989 11 months ago
what a great band !
troynov1965 1 year ago
If anyone reading this sees these guys playing,could you go up to the banjo player.Norris,and say a big HALLO from Dave Betts over here in the UK..Thanks
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jannetmcmorrow 1 year ago
I Love Y'all
zcraig11 1 year ago
I just saw this group today, playing in a NYC subway station. They are great, and got an enthusiastic crowd response. Thanks for the video. I was wishing I had my camera.
perugia20 1 year ago
Great tune and great playing! Thanks for posting.
borealify 1 year ago
good music knows no boundries
dudehokie 1 year ago
Just happened upon this group this weekend in the Times Square subway station on my way to dinner. I couldn't leave, and judging from the size of the crowd gathered, neither could they. We all just stood there mesmerized by the music and the fact that they so obviously enjoyed playing it. Great stuff. Gotta hear them again - it's such "happy" music.
bigfatwhitecat 1 year ago
i am in love
janscronce 1 year ago
nice job!
rachwms 1 year ago
"Y'all come black now, y'hea?"
kapacon 2 years ago
Enjoy it ! The banjo, was brought over to America, from Africa, by slaves. That's old it is. We can appreciatte that fact. And if anything good came out of it, it was that. I'm not trying to make a poor excuse, though.
glencoe6305 2 years ago
@glencoe6305 Check out an African instrument called the "akonting." Lots of videos of it on YouTube. That sucker is obviously an early form of banjo. There is also a closely-related instrument, varying mosatly in manner of construction, called the "gimbre" which is widespread throughout North Africa, which closely resembles instruments shown in Egyptian tomb paintings. Cultures that do not borrow elements from other cultures will sooner or later stagnate.
leftysergeant 1 year ago
Crackuh, pleazzze
snydercairo 2 years ago
You just can't beat Old Timey! It has Celtic and African influences. Like all the best music, it's from the working class!
Larkin1907 2 years ago 3
OMG--great music.
Marquiffe 2 years ago
OMG black hillbillies cool!
ciller1985 2 years ago 10
@ciller1985
With Africa came great music....music that we may call "American"
sofranza 1 year ago
I see these guys now and again on the subway around 42nd St. I have 2 of their CDs which are good but I like them better live. You just don't expect to hear it in Manhattan so it puts you in a good mood. Some people call it mountain music I think.
tatran78 2 years ago 2
Bluegrass is nothing more than Jazzed up (Bebop like) Old time/string band music. Go look up what Bill Monroe said his music was composed of! Black String bands/old time music has always existed (ask Dock Boggs) but the record companys didn't record much of it.
BMZSOUL2 2 years ago
I would invite these boys to any social, these guys are the honest real McCoys.
OdessaMaki 2 years ago
thanx joan
erinaylor 2 years ago
I really do love this band's music. You can't beat a fiddle and a banjo and bass fiddle and the washboard. I like the sound of the washboard using either the fingers or the brush like this young gentlemen is using. They are all terrific. Thank you for posting. - Paula
PaulinaRena 2 years ago
These guys are great!
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seredamathew 2 years ago
just lovely! they sound great!
part of why i love living in NYC?: amazing music everywhere, even under your feet!
Klm49 2 years ago
Beautiful - what fun! And thank you!
Sqaaak 2 years ago
Just might be room for these fellas in Nashville.
nomandolin 2 years ago
he best part of commuting through Grand Central Station is that these wonderful gentlemen are so often playing in front of the Shuttle - I have them on my IPOD along with Emmylou and Alison. They are authentic and inspiring musicians.
babycuchie 3 years ago
Thank you for providing this great video to the worldwide public.
dbadagna 3 years ago
These guys are great! Their music is more in the vein of the old-time African American string bands than bluegrass, but whatever, it's the real deal.
aburtch 3 years ago
And what "old-time african american string bands" are you referring to? The great thing about them is that Bluegrass & Folk are the two traditions that truly don't have any racial exclusionary mark on their origins. So lets not try and cast anyone out of any particular musical traditions if we can, ok?
Klm49 2 years ago
Klm49, you really should do your homework before you make these pronouncements. Oldtime is a distinctly different sort of music than Folk or Bluegrass. And you're right about one thing-- it did include input from musicians of many different origins, including both Irish and African. And you should ask the Ebony Hillbillies what type of music they play. I know what they'll say. :-)
Bluegrass started with Bill Monroe. Bluegrass started when folks in the Appalachians got electricity and radio.
GreenSpeakDotOrg 2 years ago 6
@GreenSpeakDotOrg YAH BLUGRASS THE NAME ANYWAY WAS RATHER A RECENT NAME....
chiledoug 1 year ago
African American string bands were just as prevalent as white string bands but not from the eye of the recording industry, which is why there are not more recordings of the great black stringbands from the 20's and 30's. There is some however, some great stuff was field recorded by Lomax and can be found on the "Black Appalachia Cd". Also, other current traditional African-American string bands to name a few are the Carolina Chocolate Drops and the Sankofa Strings. Check them out.
412Flatpicker 2 years ago
@412Flatpicker
Hate to get into politics with my music, but...
It'd be nice if more people could hear these guys-- they and others should be on TV. Most folks are still unaware of the Black string band tradition.
I think that would help dispel some of the mistaken ideas some folks have about American music history, including a narrow view of Black American music as being only Blues & Jazz; and the stupid idea that ALL Blacks & Whites hated each other til recently, which is simply not true.
NorthTulsaBoy 2 years ago
That, and people could hear some more excellent music !
This stuff is definitely Old Time, as opposed to Bluegrass.
( ensemble playing, lack of solos, hot licks, etc.)
NorthTulsaBoy 2 years ago
I dare anyone to walk by when they are playing live, and keep your feet still! They play infectious great music, they are gifted, terrific musicians and really, really nice men!!! I am a total EH groupie!
copchik 3 years ago
Awesome! I heard about these guys on wevl in Memphis, and I hate bluegrass, but damn, they got musical flow...
scarstrangledbanter 3 years ago
This music is much older than bluegrass. Bluegrass is a poor stepchild to OldTime Music. It's probably why something in it touched you.
GreenSpeakDotOrg 3 years ago
Hmm, it may be older than Bluegrass but in all likelyhood, Bluegrass is the name we give to a large collection of music with this tone that, as you say, was created hundreds of years ago.
But the "problem" if you want to call it that, with music is that it has no containment possibilities, and as soon as something is heard by someone it can leak over into other traditions. These men couldn't play anything "pure" if they wanted to.
Klm49 2 years ago
Hi5!
satinhooks 3 years ago
Keepin' alive the ancient tones. Great stuff. I especially love the fiddler here. These guys were recently on 'Woodsongs Old-time Radio Hour'. Go to the website and you can download the podcast for free.
riverpotato 3 years ago
Awesome!
dread66mon 3 years ago
i walked by these guys once on a visit to the city, and ill ALWAYS remember it
trekkie951 3 years ago
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pronobalken 3 years ago
ONLY IN NEW YORK!
franksaninocencio 3 years ago
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rabiapr 3 years ago
very beautiful inspiring :)
fromthispoint 3 years ago
bravo! that is what i call great music, come down to virginia where the rest of us are. there is a small local 2 day family concert in rockbridge county 'hootieville' in may. If you don't get onstage people play all nite. would love to see you there.
just so everyone know the root of bluegrass music is Irish music. you are very gifted. please come down!
kittykitty0422 4 years ago
thanks for adding this
klakkin 4 years ago
You've stolen my heart!! Abiding and seated in the secret place!!! This reminded me to do so also... when i saw it, it lifted me right up to that place!!! Mahalo from Maui!! with much Aloha to you all!! God bless you all!!! Please come to Maui and share your gifts..you will be well recieved here. Just a thought! Keep the oil flowing in a darkened world till then!!! Angel Men are you.
Hoku5 4 years ago
Fantastic! I've always loved bluegrass and mountain music only to be told it wasn't "black" music. Well this group proves that Mother Africa is behind most music in America. Excellent job! You are an inspiration to other black folkies like me :)
SabrinaMessenger 4 years ago 2
Bravo! Rare and superb...and honest and real. Can you feel it?
fakyew 4 years ago
Solid stuff guys! Sounds great!
2ndgeneration 4 years ago
This is awesome.....WOW! I really enjoyed this!
cathead77 4 years ago