Hi everyone,

I'm trying to get videos of all the songs from the Greg Howard Songbook online. So here's "Blue Ridge (Before and after Sunset).

I'm really enjoying playing these older tunes of mine on the Railboard. For this one I cut a little mids on both sides to give the strings a bit more "acoustic" edge, but it still sounds pretty warm to me.

enjoy:

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RohuO37t-DA[/youtube]

Great way to wake up! I was great to hear that tune in a new light. Great playing, man its solid and has some space but has that classic motor bass I love. And thats a pretty crispy tone, I guess the term warmth always meant ' rolled off treble ' to me(like jazz guitarist). But yea great vid, I was just enjoying the music really but U now we chat all techy here. Anyway, if thats pretty close to how the railboard sounds (with mids cut) Then I dig for sure. kinda like pasv-4 tone. I am almost thinking its a lil more stickup like than the pasv4, not that it sounds like it but is possible Im hearing that? Cheers, instant espresso (yea blasphemy but its from europe so...)

This is one of the very first Stick compositions that I heard way back when....so great to hear it on the Railboard. You can really hear all the nuances of the playing and the piece on that instrument. Love it.

Well done! I'm inspired now to tackle a song or two from Greg's Songbook, which I highly recommend.

Lovely sound, Greg, another inspiring piece for me to admire. The Railboard in your hands is an amazing instrument!
I look forward to more of the same...

-Marc-

One of my absolute favorites from "Stick Figures." That was awesome; well-played and nice to SEE it played (again).
Nice effect with the blackout circle.
A question: with the 1/4" jack on the right side of the R-Block, I definitely see the benefit for players who stand up. When I tried it sitting down, there was an issue with the cable coming into contact with my leg. What do you do about that? Is it as simple as sliding your right foot out further?

Really clear sound, and I always enjoy that tune. I've been working on this one on and off, it's really helpful to "see" it. Looking forward to the others.

thank you thank you thank you!!!

This is my favorite composition of yours, and the main reason I wanted the Greg Howard songbook since the transcription, (extremely accurate thanks to you and Glenn Poorman) is contained therein.

The underlying harmonic composition is so complex yet you make it flow so easily.
There are amazing movements utilizing thirds in the lead tone in the bass, accompanied by the alternating finger motif on the melody side. Then the amazing double stop harmonized scales come in, playfully dancing between major and minor.

The solo drops to an abrupt rubato ( thank you very much Mr. Rubato!) with jagged edges that like glass under a great heat start to meld and smooth over, bringing us right back to the main centerpiece of melody.

This is a great piece which deserved a great video. Recording your seminal "Stick Figures" live with 500 takes into a DAT machine gave it the incredible live sound and permanently fixed it as raising the bar on musicianship and what can be accomplished on Emmett's wonderful instrument.

So, curious ones, get Greg's Songbook- it not only has his key pieces in it, written Staff Tab (tm) but chalk full of information on how to play the varying techniques embedded in all the pieces. The ultimate plus, is you don't need your Stick to practice. "dbro you are off your rocker", well just off the porch a little - one bowed strut good- no kidding Greg also created life size photos of the Stick with all the notes where they should be call KeyMaps (tm)-so you can take it on vacation with you, under a tree in the park, all that good good.

if you don't have "Stick Figures' well you ain't breathing! It's like not owning Led Zep IV. You owe it to your ears and your soul to get this seminal album,

Again, thank you so much for this video and your Songbook!
take care,
Dave Brosky

Are you suggesting that Greg's song book is like some kind of Stickist's DaVinci code or something? If we could only break it...let's see triangle, circle, diamond...no wait its circle, diamond, circle, triangle...

And "Stickist's DaVinci" would be a good album title.

Nice performance Greg! I have never heard this piece before, only seen it on paper in said Staff Tab(tm). I know you have a bazillion hours of practice logged in and many years experience behind your Stick belt, but I am continually amazed at how easy you make playing complicated music on a complicated instrument look and sound. Some thing to be inspired by and to strive for. Thanks for sharing your videos with us.

Mike

ps. and thanks to dbro for finding the words most of us would like to say about these songs.

Just life affirming .......... some of my favorite music ever made.

Brett