John Henry: Preview

Hi,

I just finished my painting of John Henry (click to enlarge). Here is a close-up of the center of the painting showing John Henry dying with a hammer in his hand. Behind him is the Oak Mountain tunnel in Alabama.

John Garst, John Henry researcher, helped me with details. John is writting a book about John Henry.

This is a large and complex painting with around 40 characters and 6 scenes- 2 of them hidden in the rock wall.

This is just one scene.

More on John Henry to come,

Richard

New Painting/Daily Country Bluegrass Trivia

Hi,

On the left is my new Bluegrass Series painting (Clixck to enlarge)

Today's country/bluegrass trivia questions are about my painting-a song about a river that recorded by Bill Monroe in 1936 with his brother Charlie- it begins, "I asked my love to take a walk..."

1) What is the title of the song about a river that the Monroes sang in 1936?
2) When was the song first collected?
3) Although the song seems to be a love ballad "in our home we'll happy be.." it's really what type of ballad?
4) When did Monroe and His Bluegrass Boys re-record the song?

Later today I'll post more close-up images,

C U,

Richard

Bluegrass Messengers Vids

Hi,

My youtube video project is still going strong. Mainly I'm focused on providing new arrangements of traditional songs and my "Learning to Play" series where I show you how to play traditional songs.

I've started using Facebook to network and have around 4,000 friends. I'm doing a daily Country/Bluegrass trivia which I'll start adding here if people want to participate.

This is the latest set of videos on YouTube:

Blackberry Blosssom: Bluegrass Messengers http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZS4RxlcpJQ4

Glory To The Meeting House: Bluegrass Messengers http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lw6OwfSaEM8

Duck Chewed Tobacco: Bluegrass Messengers http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nw6x6udPZtg

Big Sandy River: Bluegrass Messengers http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D5qxb2sGPWQ

These are important versions because they are lyric versions of traditonally instrumental tunes. Hopefully other people will pick-up these versions and use them,

That's all for now,

Richard

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