Clinch Mountain Backstep by Surefire Bluegrass (Teens!)

I met these teenagers at the Gibson Showcase store in Nashville, Tennessee in February 2008. They are from North Carolina, and were in town for the festival of the Society of the Preservation of Bluegrass Music in America. These young men are certainly doing their part to preserve our music! So, support them, and buy multiple copies of their CDs!!

I thought it was really hilarious when Robby asked Tom to "get a guitar," because there are just hundreds and hundreds of Gibson guitars to choose from, within arm's length, and you can just play any of them you want! I would never be able to make a quick choice like that.

When I was editing this, I left in a few behind-the-scenes moments, for the benefit of those who don't know much about bluegrass, and don't get to see what goes on right before an impromptu jam. I hope you enjoy! I'm glad I was there to capture this moment. I love the showcase store in Nashville, and all the wonderful folks who work there. Big Joe, Chad, C.D., you know who I'm talkin' about!

Cast of Characters: Robby Norris (age 14)on mandolin, Tom Isaacs (age 19) on guitar, John Bryan (age 17) on banjo.

For those of you unfamiliar with bluegrass music, the popular tune Clinch Mountain Backstep is what we call a fiddle tune, because it is commonly played on a fiddle. Fiddle tunes have two parts, Part A and Part B. Part A is repeated twice, then Part B is repeated twice by one instrument. Then a different instrument does the same thing, and so forth.

I can't tell which model mandolin Robby is playing. It's either the Wayne Benson, Doyle Lawson, or Sam Bush. I know it's not the Ricky Skaggs.

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Bluegrass
• Surefire
• SPBGMA

[ArkansasBanjo23]

man that banjo was horribly out of tune.

[IBG67]

@bushna2007 you do realize that literally NO ONE in all of the mountain empire says that, right?

[redneckgirlLRM13]

the guy playin the guitar is my cuz! he plays the banjo at his church sometimes :)

[invictusheart92]

Haha I'm always happy to be reminded I'm not the only teen who is into bluegrass. I've been singing it since I was 12 but I just recently picked up the mando and I can't believe it took me this long to learn it. It would have been so much easier to learn when I had more time before I started college.

[thelmasteve]

good job boys...i am from north carolina and married to a banjo player. one that plays that song everyweekend for the man that wrote it. glad to see its stayin alive...carolyn sparkman

[bushna2007]

Makes me want to chew some tobacky!!

[ultfishrman]

it says in the description this is a fiddle tune but this is a banjo tune written by ralph stanley....

[62BOWTIE]

haha i dont even play a banjer i play the guitar i wsh tom would a picked the banjer

[62BOWTIE]

yea i know it was a piece....

[nasty5oh]

Very Nice

[62BOWTIE]

Boone,NC