"BITSA' BANJO!
Although Joe is better known as half of JOE GORDON and SALLY LOGAN, he has always had a great love of Ragtime and Traditional Jazz since his early days in Skiffle Groups and Jazz Clubs!
His playing of Ragtime Banjo has surprised many listeners, and his first CD, "JOE GORDON'S RAGTIME BANJOS!" attracted many favourable comments. Joe was invited to play at the EDINBURGH INTERNATIONAL JAZZ FESTIVAL that year, and he has been a regular ever since!
For the Banjo Enthusiasts!.......Joe has two main banjos. A restored WEYMANN, which is VERY ornate, and a "BITSA"??!!
Well, Joe
says,"It has 'bitsa-this-and-bitsa- that'! A lovely old John Grey
neck that really suits me.And the rest is made up from a mixture of bits.
I bought this a number of years ago, from my good friend Alastair McDonald,
and decorated the resonator myself. ( It has 14 coats of lacquer!)
It has been all over the world with us AND in the wars! Broken neck. Cracked
peg heads and resonator. But I have always ended up having it repaired,
usually by Jimmy Egypt up in Glasgow. He does a marvellous job! He's a
complete craftsman.
My WEYMANN I bought from Jock Westwater in Edinburgh. I had bought a BACON & DAY SILVER BELL PLECTRUM from him, but I found the neck of that too deep for my small hands. So I swapped for the WEYMANN. It too, is lovely to play. I'll be using it on my next CD."
For those interested in sound, I use SHURE SM 58's for vocals, and a MICROVOX SWAN NECK CONDENSER mic that allows me to move aound if I want to. It attaches to the pot with velcro.
"JOE GORDON'S
RAGTIME BANJOS!"
"Joe Gordon is a wonderful talent....his voice is as golden as his playing....the title cut STRUT MISS LIZZIE will have you hooked!....Joe has included several 'Rags' that show his command of the instrument....since acquiring this CD, it has become one of my favorites"
' JAZZ BANJO MAGAZINE,USA.'
"It was a sheer delight to hear "JOE GORDON'S RAGTIME BANJOS!" at the Edinburgh International Jazz Festival this year.It's a rare occasion to hear Scott Joplin Melodies played on Banjo.....I would not hesitate to book this talented band again"
'MIKE HART, Director of Ediburgh Jazz Festival....and 'Fellow Banjoist!'
TRACKS
: The Red Hot Rag;
; The Fish Seller; Pineapple Rag; New Orleans; Sally's Rag;The Entertainer;
A Porter's Love Song To A Chambermaid!; The Easy Winners; Do You Know
What It Means to Miss New Orleans? Calliope Rag; You Brought A New Kind
Of Love To Me; Knucklebuster Rag; Rose Of Washington Square
You're Some Pretty Doll; Buddy Rich's Nightmare! Meet Me Tonight In Dreamland; Bye Bye Blues; April Showers; Syncopatin' Shuffler Strides Again! Dapper Dan; Georgia On My Mind; Cakewalkin' Babes; Ragtime Dance; Blues My Naughty Sweetie Gave To Me; Perfection Rag;Those Jazzy Banjo Blues;The Powder Rag; Shimmy Like My Sister Kate The Cakewalk Rag; If You Don't Believe I Love You; Creole Belles
Sound Clips from "More
RAGTIMEBANJOS!"
Click on title to hear clip
Buddy
Rich's Nightmare
If
You Don't Believe I Love You
Ragtime Dance
Sound Clips from
"RAGTIMEBANJOS!"
Click
on title to hear clip
The Red Hot Rag
New Orleans
Srut Miss
Lizzie
Sally's Rag
"The authenticity you have presented on this CD, more
than matches the very best!......fellow 'jazzers' from Toronto could hardly
believe that a performance of this calibre came from Scotland. Congratulations
Joe!"
'The late JIM McHARG...founder of The Clyde Valley Stompers & Canada's Metro Stompers.'
****CDs CAN BE PURCHASED HERE. PRICE £8, PLUS POST & PACKING
Cartoon by Joe Gordon
***Book: "JOE GORDON'S RAGTIME
BANJOS!"
Joe playing solo with backing,
or as a 2/4 piece outfit.
***For a full 5/6 piece trad outfit...plus Trombone or Clarinet, book
"JOE GORDON'S RAGTIMERS!"
Telephone:
01563 820507
Tel: +44 (0) 1563 820507
www.joegordonandsallylogan.co.uk