|
THE ART OF THE
FIVE-STRING BANJO |
|
|
1.
Rakes of Mallow
2. H’kotsrim
3. Green Corn
4. Irish Medley: Gary Owen, MacLeod’s
Reel, Haste to the Wedding
5. Yugoslav Kolo
6. High Barbary
7. Spanish Fandango
8. Last of Callahan
9. Farewell Blues
10. Dance of the Spanish Fly
11. Three Jolly Rogues
12. Sailor’s Hornpipe
13. Wren Song
14. Greek Dance
15. Darby Ram
16. Lute Song for the Five String Banjov |
|
The first, and
probably the most important recording is THE ART OF THE FIVE STRING
BANJO. Here are the contents. I was accompanied by Frank
Hamilton whose incredible guitar accompaniments gave color and life
to the album that it never would have had on it’s own. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
TRAVELIN’ MAN |
|
|
1. Travelin’ Man
2 Downfall of Paris
3. Billy the Kid
4. Bahaman Lullaby
5. Wind in the Trees
6. Dying British Sergeant
7. Great Assembly
8. Galveston Flood
9. Soldier’s Joy
10. Miner’s Lifeguard
11. Payday at Coal Creek
12. Nine Pound Hammer
13. Diane’s Reel
14. The Hell Bound Train
|
|
Recorded a year after
the ART. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
THE BEAST OF BILLY FAIER |
|
|
Side A
1. Folksinger’s Heaven
2. Dog’s Life
3. Denver Colorado
4. Rose Anne
5. Unpleasantness at the Nook
Side B
6. Together Free
7. Slow and Easy
8. Cuba Song
9. Leadbelly’s Children
10. Live and Let Live
11. Song of the Cuckoo
|
|
This is an
LP I produced myself back in 1964. All original songs.
John Sebastian plays guitar and harmonica on it. It may
have been his first paying music gig. I first met him when
he was a young man apprenticed to a guitar maker. He talked
me into letting him redo my guitar, free of charge, under
the supervision of his employer. I went for it and never
regretted it. When he delivered the rebuilt instrument to
me and I was strumming it to see how it was, John took a
harmonica out and played along with me. He was already a great harp player, as his father was before him, and I think
I talked him into going professional with his harp. He did
so, and I don’t think he ever regretted it either.
Side A has
five cuts. Folksinger’s Heaven, Dog’s Life, Denver
Colorado, Rose Anne, and The Unpleasantness at the Nook. I
play banjo only on the third and fifth.
Side B.
This is the political side of the album.
1. Together
Free, about the loneliness of complete individual freedom.
2. Slow and Easy, an allegorical tale of a black man looking
for freedom in Washington, D.C.
3. Cuba Song, a musical
amusement sketching the history of the Cuban Revolution.
Written during the missile crises between Kennedy and
Krushchev.
4. Leadbelly’s Children. As the years go by I get more and
more comfortable with this song.
5. Live and Let Live. Says it all.
6. Song of the Cuckoo, or Coo Coo, as I spelled it then.
The only song I ever made any real money off of.
For better or for worse, this Album is my contribution to
the Civil Rights movement in the sixties. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
BANJO |
|
|
Side 1
1. Fiddle Tune
2. Pizzaraga
3. Faier's Rag
4. Zzyzx
5. Rhinoceros Waltz
Side 2
1. Just Another Dream (Improvisation in E)
2. Longhorn Express
3. Orion Rising
|
|
This is BANJO, the album I
did for Takoma in the seventies. As usual I hated it until
about twenty years went by and then I could hear what I did
without the self criticism of what I didn’t do echoing in
the back of me head. No vocals. All Banjo.
A lot of
people thought the dog’s name was Banjo. Actually it
was Pizza. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
BANJOS,
BIRDSONGS & MOTHER EARTH |
|
|
1. Dear Mother Earth
2. Song Of The Canyon Wren
3. Matkatamiba
4. Bright Angel Rag
5. Song Of The Cuckoo
6. Cosmo
7. Five String Fanfare
8. For Me And My Baby
9. Kemp's Jig
10. Fragmented Rag
11. The Great Assembly
12. Si Me Quieres Escribir
13. Cluck 'Ol Hen
14. Solar System Music |
|
This is a cassette tape I
made about twenty years ago. I was accompanied by Gilles
Malkine on guitar and, once again, by John Sebastian on
guitar and Harmonica. I still have some remaining cassettes
of it which are fifteen dollars. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
PERFORMANCE AT CAFE LENA |
|
I also have a CD of a show
I did at Café Lena, in Saratoga
Springs,
New York. Of all the live recordings
I ever did
this one is, head and shoulders,
above all the rest in
performance quality.
I never played better on tape. I was
only in my thirties at the time and I am
not
crazy today
about what I did and
said then.
But I think the banjo
playing
is worth putting
up with the player.
It is
unedited. Intros, applause, and all.
I do three or four
Beatle
Songs on it.
$25.00 for the CD.
|
Disc l
1. Doublethink**
2. Bees to my honey Blues**
3. Song of the Cuckoo
4. I’ve Just Seen a Face
5. For No One
6. Wind in the Trees and Dance of
the Spanish Fly.
7. Dog’s Life
8. Ten Times Around**
9. Baby You Opened My Heart**
10. Diane’s Reel
Disc 2
11. Norwegian Wood
12. Jig Saw Puzzle**
13. When You Have Found Your
Superman**
14. Daddy, I had a Dream Last Night**
15. Willy Moore
16. Hunt the Wren
17. Leadbelly’s Children
18. Together Free
19. Folksinger’s Heaven
20. *The Hell Bound Train
21. *Wind in the Trees and Dance of
the Spanish Fly
* In
both these numbers reverb was added by the unknown person
who recorded the program.
**These seven
songs are Billy Faier originals that have never been
recorded.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Live 2007
The Downstairs Concert |
|
|
The songs
1. The Great Assembly
2. Song of the Grand Canyon Mule
Driver
3. Cluck Old Hen
4. Song of the Cuckoo
5. Bright Angel Rag
6. Five-String Fanfare
7. Zzyxx
8. Together Free
9. Dog's Life
10. Live and Let Live
11. It Was a Lover and His Lass
12. South American Tune
13. Whoa, Mule
14. Miner's Lifeguard
15. Folk Singer's Heaven
16. Little Maggie |
|
This CD was recorded on October 13, 2007 in St. Paul
Minnesota
at the home of Gene Henriksen who twisted my arm for
months until I agreed to do it.
As usual I hated the recording, and was reluctant
to have it issued, but Gene assured me that everyone who
heard it thought it wonderful.
And so, recalling the similar feelings I had about
my first LPs fifty years ago, I agreed.
Since
this is a commercial issue and not a handmade CD, the price
is only $20.00. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
1. Rakes of
Mallow
2. Solar System Music
3. H'Kotsrim
4. Irish Medley--Gary Owen, Macleod's Reel, Haste to the
Wedding
5. Yugoslav Kolo
6. Spanish Fandango
7. Last of Callahan
8. Farewell Blues
9. Dance of the Spanish Fly
10. Greek Dance
11. Lute Song for the Five String Banjo
12. Downfall of Paris
13. Fragmented Rag
14. Diane's Reel
15. Dear Mother Earth
16. Kemp's Jig
17. Five String Fanfare
18. Wind in the Trees
19. For Me and My Baby
20. Bright Angel Rag
|
|
I have just finished putting this CD together of all the banjo
instrumentals from three of my albums. the Art of the
Five String Banjo, Travelin' Man, and Banjos, Birdsong, and
Mother Earth. |
|
|