Thanks for the reply. I hadn't thought about the financial/logistical aspect of it. Although, when I see photos of uprights strapped on top of cars, it makes me wonder about the abuse those things must have taken back then.
I had read about the cello being a prominent instrument prior to the bass making its way in, but had forgotten about that. I had to share the idea. Keeping it to myself was giving me a headache! -----Original Message----- From: taterbugmando@googlegroups.com [mailto:taterbugma...@googlegroups.com] On Behalf Of mistertaterbug Sent: Saturday, January 03, 2009 11:26 AM To: Taterbugmando Subject: Re: Bass in string bands Oh lord, Nelson, this strikes me sort of like a Jerry Lee Lewis piano solo...not quite as oblique but still I did the Lassie look when I read your post. It almost makes my head hurt thinking about unraveling the tangled web that must be included in pondering this point. I'm going to go out on a limb and leave myself wide open for an attack by the "more accurater than thou" on the list. I think that it was very difficult for string bands, unless they were doing well and had the means(eg: station wagon/ stretch limo, mule train, devoted servants), to carry along a bass due to just hauling the thing around. Plus, if you look at a lot of old photos photos, there seems to be the presence of more "2-stringed" cellos than basses. I've noticed what looked to be homemade basses and cellos in just about as many numbers as factory made. Seems to me that instruments that size weren't easy to acquire for most folks back then. Not a lot of money floating around you know, sort of like now. Also, a lot of the early string band recordings have bowed bass. As for Riley Puckett ("the Hillbilly Caruso"), I'd say he influenced more guitar players and singers than he did bass players, though I do see your line of reasoning. Overall, I think it goes back to the comment Tim O'Brien made about it all when he said that he thought it was impossible to unravel the web and say that this is this and that is that and draw clear lines between who/what influenced who/what. We're all a product of a great many things and I just don't believe it's possible to seperate the strands and see it as clearly as that. Interesting to think about though. Potato On Jan 2, 10:30 pm, "Sally and Nelson Peddycoart" <sallyandnel...@knology.net> wrote: > While I am sitting here watching Alabama lose the Sugar Bowl, I thought I'd > send a message on a subject I've been thinking on lately. > > I've been listening to the Skillet Lickers and Riley Puckett quite a bit, > and it's made me curious about Riley's role as an influence on bass players > and the inclusion of the bass in string bands. The book I have on Bluegrass > History states that Amos Garen was Bill Monroe's first upright bass player > when added in 1939. It also states that bass players were not common in > country string bands in the 1930's except for the bands of Roy Acuff and > Clayton McMichen (who played with Riley Puckett in the Skillet Lickers). > > Since Bill Monroe was an influence on Bluegrass, Country and Rockabilly, > does this make Riley Puckett the Father of Bass Players in American music, > including rock and roll, but excluding jazz? --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Taterbugmando" group. To post to this group, send email to taterbugmando@googlegroups.com To unsubscribe from this group, send email to taterbugmando+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/taterbugmando?hl=en -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
