Pretty Polly

Hi,

On the left is my painting of Pretty Polly (Click to enlarge). It features Pretty Polly, BF Shelton playing the banjo and one of the final scenes.

I've done a video of me playing the song; http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ASJjrxxCNmc

Recently got ther video of our band playing the old-time banjo version with Cari Norris:
Bluegrass Messengers Pretty Polly http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CV8fnwYm58I

They are completely different versions. Cari Norris learned her version from her grandmother Lily May Ledford of the Coon Creek Girls. My version features the lyrics found in my painting.

I want to thank Austin Wilder (who did the vid with Cari) and also Richard Blasi who has done about 20 videos for me now, for their gr8 work.

I'm planning on doing at least 50 videos and maybe more in the next few months. Mine are usually done in one take. I'm doing mostly learn to play videos now.

Hope you enjoy them,

Richard

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year!

Yes I'm late. I've been busy on my latest project- making youtube videos. On the left you can see my painting of Bury Me Beneath the Willow (Click to enlarge).

Now I've done a video demonstrating how to play the song: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tshjEAGnMWY

Plus here's a live performance of Bury Me Beneath the Willow: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BAUCTLXbm5U

My goal is do a series of videos to share what I know about the guitar and music. So I'm doing educational videos along with performances. Right now I'm mostly focusing on my old-time/bluegrass painting songs. I have 19 paintings and need to finish Banks of the Ohio which I will do this week.

I'll put more of the youtube links on in the next few weeks,

Richard

All The Pretty Little Horses MP3

Hi,

On left is my first Bluegrass Series painting (Click to enlarge) titled- All The Pretty Little Horses. It was completed in 2006. This painting features several optical illusions as well as soem inventive tricks- the horses turn into the baby's face and the butterflies turn into the lamb. There are close-ups on my art site: MattesonArt.com

I'm combining music and art and this blog features an MP3 of my arrangement. It's based on the version Alan Lomax's collected that has the "way down yonder" bridge.

It's a beautiful lullaby and is sung by my niece, Kara. We did six demo songs last Saturday at my brother-in-law Bob's home studio.

I thought she did a great job learning the songs on the spot. I'd go over the melody a few times until she got it. Some of the six melodies we did were complex but this one is fairly simple- two parts with a slight variation on the second verse.

Click on the MP3 file:
http://bluegrassmessengers.com.temp.realssl.com/all-the-pretty-little-horses--bluegrass-messengers.aspx

Hope you like it,

Richard

Red Apple Juice MP3

Hi,

Here's another way to combine music and art,

my mp3 version of Red Apple Juice. Painting by Richard L. Matteson Jr. in 2009 (Click to enlarge)

I learned this version in North Carolina circa 1998. This is me singing Red Apple Juice and playing guitar done Dec. 2009 with my niece Kara singing harmony:

http://www.bluegrassmessengers.com/Data/Sites/1/mp3%27s/04%20Red%20Apple%20Juice.mp3

Richard

New Videos, MP3's

Hi,

My new series of videos has started and a few of them are on you tube:

Salt Creek (Live): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZLug7KVqXtA

Careless Love (Live): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gxF9w2WnIig

Bury Me Beneath the Willow (live): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BAUCTLXbm5U

Bird in a Cage (live): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=89CG1nqm4v0

These are some live performances playing at la Vida Java on Dec. 16, 2009. The performances aren't great because we are still learning the songs but other people can learn the songs from them- that's the main thing.

The first part of my project is- I'm doing videos of live performances of my Bluegrasss Series painting songs and additionally educational instructional videos.

The second part of my project is: I'm writing new lyrics versions of bluegrass/old-time fiddle tunes.

I also recorded some demos MP3's with my neice Kara, who has a great voice for these tunes. Even tho there are some small mistakes the demos are fine for listening to and learning the songs.

Richard

feature; news

Hi,

On the left is a pic of me performing Red Apple Juice last Thursday at Quills.

Mom's Music, where I teach, did a feature of me on their blog. There's a photo of me and Chet at our concert in Sept. 1992.

http://momsmusiclouisville.blogspot.com/

I'm trying to get the educational video series going. The good news is that Cari Norris, Lily May Ledford's granddaughter will be sharing her talent and playing afew of my painting songs.

Come out and see us at Quills, on Baxter, around 8:30 Sat. Dec. 12. Some members of my band, Bluegrass Messengers, and I will be accompanying her.

See you there,

Richard

Bluegrass Videos- Performances

Howdy,

I'm getting ready to start a series of educational videos that I'll be putting on YouTube. They will feature live-perfomances of songs by my band as well as solo clips of me talking about the history and showing how to play the songs on guitar.

We're doing a trial video tonite at Quills on Baxter around 8:20-10:00.

Tomorrow we're playing at Compound Art Gallery Trolley Hop Concert (Art and Music) at 7:00

Friday Dec. 4 6:00pm- 12:00
Compound Art Gallery 713 E. Main St. Louisville KY 40206
Admission: Donations

Band Schedule:
6:00 Cadillac Shack
7:00 Bluegrass Messengers
7:30 Exit 9
8:20 HeatherField
9:15 Honey Highway Country and Blues Show
10:15-12:00 Tattoo Babylon

The next video is scheduled Sat. Dec. 12 at Quills on Baxter 8:30 PM

Come on out!

Richard