It’s In The Can

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Casey Henry

Last Thursday and Friday Red and Murphy and I gathered in Winchester, Va. (Well, I gathered. They were already there.) to film our new jamming DVD. (That possibly had something to do with the profound lack of blogs that got posted last week!) Since our two slow jam DVDs are so popular, we wanted to offer students even more opportunity to practice jamming, but we also wanted to challenge you a little. So this time we did a fast jam DVD. There will be twenty-one songs on it--mostly new ones, but we also repeated a few classics: Lonesome Road Blues, Cripple Creek, John Hardy, and Mama Don't Allow.

Steve Spence, Casey Henry, Malia Furtado

Steve Spence, Casey Henry, Malia Furtado -- capoing up to play "Whiskey Before Breakfast"

The filming went great, although it didn't exactly follow our original plan. We were going to spend Thursday and Friday taping, with Saturday as a spare day just in case we needed it. Well, we woke up Thursday morning and Red was sick---unable to run the camera. So we had to scratch Thursday. (It wasn't a total loss though since Murphy and I played a great game of Scrabble and I beat her! I don't think that's ever happened before.) Scratching Thursday meant that we didn't get to use David McLaughlin, who was going to join us on mandolin that day. He was busy both Friday and Saturday, so as a result, there's no mandolin on this release.

But, you'll be happy to know, there IS bass this time. Our long-time friend Steve Spence joined us playing bass, and we were grateful that his flexible schedule allowed him to come Saturday on such short notice. On fiddle you'll recognize Malia Furtado who played some great, bluegrassy breaks with little advance warning and NO practice!

Steve Spence, Malia Furtado, Murphy and Casey Henry

Steve Spence, Malia Furtado, Murphy and Casey Henry practicing for the next tune, which is clearly a singing song, though I don't remember which one.

We ask more of you, the student, on this fast jam disc. The tempos are close to what you'll find in a regular jam session. In the intros to the songs we give you a heads up as to what chords we'll be using in the song, but the guitar left hand will not be in a box on screen. To be sure you can see the guitar player's left hand on the screen the whole time (usually me, sometimes Murphy), but it's part of the wide shot. And we've included the Murphy Method theme song Hazel Creek, which is in the key of G minor, yes, that's right, minor. That will probably be a new vamp chord for just about everybody!

We will have the DVD out by the beginning of June for sure (in time for Kaufman Kamp!), but we're still trying to think of a title. Suggestions?

14 thoughts on “It’s In The Can”

  1. Martha Carlton

    Can’t wait for this new DVD to come out. Wish I could think of a title, but the ones I can think of are not at all orignal…”Fast jammin’ with Murphy and Casey”… “Murphy and Casey jam it up, FAST”… “Can YOU jam fast with Murphy and Casey”… Martha

  7. Martin Bacon

    Or “Hot Licks, Quick Strokes, and Loud, Loud Music” since it is going to be a fast jam.

  8. Dave Eisenhuth

    How about the “The Henry Family’s real world Blazing Jam Session”
    Guaranteed to make your fingers cramp up 🙂

    BTW. Those of us dedicated misfits now have out own group page on the banjo hangout. All things Murphy Method including audio posts, Student progress and generally huge promotion of the teaching method we are all addicted to. And of course quotes from the boss. The Murphisms

    Come check it out and we hope the Murphy’s will join us

  12. Martha Sheperd

    Hot Jam Cold Jam Bring Along a Demi-jon.

    No. no. Howz about Hot Picks And Fast Licks ?

  14. admin

    Thanks for all the creative suggestion everyone! Actually I think we’re going with simple and straightforward: Fast Jam and Murphy and Casey.

    Casey

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