Clarence Ashley- the coo coo bird:1929

[Edisonfan]

(Double-click the video above or click this link to watch the video on YouTube in HD.)

[Wolfe]

Neat. I swear I was just listening to Ashley play this song with Doc Watson (ca. 1961) about three days ago. I like Ashley's stuff, from the 78 days and when he was "rediscovered" during the folk revival of the early 60's.

Here Joe Bussard plays both sides of that disc :

(Double-click the video above or click this link to go to the video on YouTube.)

[kirtley2012]

One of the records at the top of my wish list, Clarence Ashley was great

[hbick2]

Clarence Ashley was a huge influence on my life. I have been playing music professionally since the 1960's. I started playing Bluegrass banjo in the mid-1960's and was fortunate enough to take lessons from J.D. Crowe. In the mid-70s I switched to playing old-time banjo and have played it ever since. Tommy Thompson, of the Red Clay Ramblers, and I lived in the same apartment complex in Chapel Hill in 1972-73. That may have been where I first heard about Clarence. I never met him, but I did see him play. One of the first vocals I learned to play and sing was the Coo Coo Bird. I've been playing it now for 45 years. In 2012, I recorded an album with the two original members of my band, the Buzzard Rock String Band, along with Vince Gill and Charlie Cushman. That was one of the songs I included on the album. I play it on almost every show my band does.

Harry Bickel
Louisville KY

[kirtley2012]

Clarence Ashley was a huge influence on my life. I have been playing music professionally since the 1960's. I started playing Bluegrass banjo in the mid-1960's and was fortunate enough to take lessons from J.D. Crowe. In the mid-70s I switched to playing old-time banjo and have played it ever since. Tommy Thompson, of the Red Clay Ramblers, and I lived in the same apartment complex in Chapel Hill in 1972-73. That may have been where I first heard about Clarence. I never met him, but I did see him play. One of the first vocals I learned to play and sing was the Coo Coo Bird. I've been playing it now for 45 years. In 2012, I recorded an album with the two original members of my band, the Buzzard Rock String Band, along with Vince Gill and Charlie Cushman. That was one of the songs I included on the album. I play it on almost every show my band does.

Harry Bickel
Louisville KY

Surely taking lessons from JD Crowe is almost like cheating! , I play old time banjo myself, I stumbled around with 3 finger, could never get the hang of it, I'm mainly a fingerstyle guitarist but even then I only use 2 fingers, I wish I could have seen Clarence play, he was really one of the originals of the old time style, the likes of him and Roscoe Holcomb will never be seen again

[Wolfe]

In the mid-70s I switched to playing old-time banjo and have played it ever since. Tommy Thompson, of the Red Clay Ramblers, and I lived in the same apartment complex in Chapel Hill in 1972-73. That may have been where I first heard about Clarence. I never met him, but I did see him play.

Maybe heard about / seen Ashley earlier, because Ashley died in 1967.

[hbick2]

Somewhere in the deep dark recesses of my mind I have a picture of Ashley sitting there with Doc Watson. I thought it was at Newport in 1965, but I can't find any evidence of Clarence or Doc playing there that year. It could have been at another festival or concert. Or maybe my mind has superimposed a photograph I've seen over my actual memories. After all, that was 55 years ago. I do distinctly remember seeing Eck Robertson, Cousin Emmy, Arthur Smith, Mother Maybelle, the McGees and a host of others. I was making an 8mm movie of something at the festival and ended up zeroing in on Robertson. He saw me and waved. I did get to meet Cousin Emmy. She was a real trip, and was delighted to see someone from Kentucky. A lot of it has become a blur over the past 50 plus years, but a pleasant blur. Was anyone else reading this at Newport in 1965? It was pretty incredible.

[hbick2]

"the likes of him and Roscoe Holcomb will never be seen again"

Amazingly, I looked at the newspaper back in the Mid-1970's and saw where Roscoe Holcomb was giving a concert at the downtown public library here in Louisville. I got there plenty early and was able to sit on the floor directly in front of him. At the time, I was just learning to "double-thumb" the banjo. I mentioned this to Roscoe after the concert and he said "sometimes when you start double-thumbing you just can't stop." I always thought this was funny.

[Wolfe]

Somewhere in the deep dark recesses of my mind I have a picture of Ashley sitting there with Doc Watson. I thought it was at Newport in 1965, but I can't find any evidence of Clarence or Doc playing there that year. It could have been at another festival or concert. Or maybe my mind has superimposed a photograph I've seen over my actual memories. After all, that was 55 years ago. I do distinctly remember seeing Eck Robertson, Cousin Emmy, Arthur Smith, Mother Maybelle, the McGees and a host of others. I was making an 8mm movie of something at the festival and ended up zeroing in on Robertson. He saw me and waved. I did get to meet Cousin Emmy. She was a real trip, and was delighted to see someone from Kentucky. A lot of it has become a blur over the past 50 plus years, but a pleasant blur. Was anyone else reading this at Newport in 1965? It was pretty incredible.

^ Intersting anecdote from someone who was there ! Awesome.

There was a lot of great "old timey" music at Newport between 1959 and the mid-60's. Dock Boggs, Mississppi John Hurt, so many others.

Bob Dylan showed up at the '65 festival with an electric band, comprised of ome members of the Paul Butterfield Band and caused all kinds of consternation. That was about the end I think.

Clarence Ashley played with Doc Watson, Clint Howard and Fiddlin' Fred Price at Newport in 1963. I always though Clint Howard a was great singer too.