Author: knowingtrees
-
Little Birdie with Jason and Frank Hamilton
Frank and Jason Play Little Birdie
In the previous post I wrote a about recording recording Little Birdie with puja and maria. That got me thinking about Frank Hamilton who taught me that song when I went to visit him in 2010.
Here’s a recording of Little Birdie as we sang it that day.
I talked with Frank the other day and he sounds fantastic. His enthusiasm and positivity rang through my earbuds just like always. It had been a long time since we talked and I was very glad to hear his voice.
-
Listen to Little Birdie with maria, puja and Jason
I was so honored that maria and Puja invited me to record this song with them for their album, an area of the celestial sphere under the pecan tree.
This video is our first take of the song. It isn’t the one that made the album, but I love this version just the same. This is the album version. If you follow the link you can hear and purchase the whole album which is a truly beautiful collection of music.
A couple of our friends, Jess Baldissero (Joybird) and Jonas Friddle, have recordings of the song, too. You can add these recordings, and the accompanying albums, to your collection at their respective bandcamp pages.
Joybird
Jonas Friddle
-
No school today? Then, let’s go visit Ella Jenkins!
It was the summer of 2015 and there was an excited buzz in the air as the audience was finding their seats for the Young Stracke All-Stars album release show. It had become known that Ella Jenkins had made it to the show, and everyone knew they were in the presence of someone very special. Ella and I had met several times and had even played some gigs together, but we didn’t know each other so well yet. I was quite honored that she had accepted our invitation, and that we could share our music with her.
By the fall of 2015 I had heard that Ella had moved into an assisted care facility not far from the Old Town School of Folk Music, where I was teaching, and the neighborhood where I lived. Eventually, something inside me clicked and I thought, “Oh. The kids don’t have school next Monday because of the holiday. We should go visit Ella!”
https://www.knowingtrees.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Charlie-IMG_7889.mov
⬆️ 🎶 Turn on the sound! 🎶 ⬆️
For the rest of my time in Chicago, we had a regular meetup with Ella when school was not in session. I’d stop at the store to pick up some snacks for the kids, a bouquet of flowers, and peppermint ice cream, which was Ella’s favorite.
We’d all gather in a communal room at the facility. This room had a piano and lots of space for us to spread out our instrument case, winter coats and snacks and little siblings would have room to roam freely. The facility staff was always very kind and graciously put up with us moving the furniture around.
Sometimes we’d have lots of families, other times it was just a few. No matter what we’d always have quite a time singing The Cuckoo, This Train, This Little Light of Mine and lots of other favorites! Often, a small crowd of other residents and their caregivers would gather to sing and clap along with us.
Emma Reading her School Report About Ella
I’m not sure how affected the kids were by being in the presence of someone famous, which Ella was. But Ella’s aura was never about fame. The intense, potent energy that one felt in Ella’s presence came from her love of music and community.
When I think back on my time leading the Young Stracke All-Stars, and teaching in Chicago, these are some of my strongest memories. Not memories like stories, but memories of a feeling that, through our visits, we were all able to gather our lessons in music and community and take them out of the classroom and bring them to life in the larger world. In many ways, that world had, at least some way, been opened to us by Ella Jenkins and her music.
Sharing some artwork. It was in afternoons like these, and other days when it was just Ella in me, that she became a very dear friend of mine. I’m not sure she could always remember my name, but I know that she knew who I was and she was always glad to have me visit. We had an understanding that we traveled together in the spirit of music.
I was lucky that she and I had some quiet, peaceful time together on her 100th birthday, last August. Ella was very tired, but the sound of my uke perked her up and soon she was all smiles and lifted up by the music and singing along and playing imaginary drums. As you might imagine, we sang through some favorites; the Cuckoo, This Little Light of Mine and one of her favorites, The Glory of Love as performed by her friend Big Bill Broonzy.
Celebrating Ella’s National Heritage Fellowship Award
One time I brought my record player so Ella could listen to the Young Stracke All-Stars’ 7″ record.
Ella’s spirit traveled on, on November 9, 2024.
It make me sad that I won’t be able to sing with her in person anymore. Thankfully, at least one of her songs comes to my lips every day.
I feel so lucky to have had the opportunity to learn so much from her and to have spent so much heart-felt time together.
Love you, Ella!
I miss you so much. Thank you for opening your heart to me.
Jason
Putting on a show for all the other residence to celebrate Ella’s birthday.
Always bring some flowers! 
Erin and I stopped by to watch the National Heritage Fellowship award show. Ella couldn’t travel to DC to be part of it, but we had a wonderful time watching together. 
Maria was able to drop by! 
Ella LOVED to play in A minor. She’d say, “They used to call me A minor Ella!” 
Goodbye,Ella! We love you. Click on a photo to see a bigger image.
-
New Music from mx puja singh and Maria McCullough
I’m so excited to share with you some new music from my dear one, Maria McCullough, and a great friend and wonderful musician, mx puja singh. They have a new album which came out this week called an area of the celestial sphere under the pecan tree
Maria and puja wrote and recorded this music over about a week’s time at our house in Albuquerque, NM. What a gift I was give, to hang around and watch and listen to the process unfold as the songs were coming together.
And, I am honored that they invited me to play my banjo on a couple of the tracks. One of the songs is sītā rām (live) which you can listen to right here.
Purchase the whole album at puja’s bandcamp page, https://mxpujasingh.bandcamp.com/album/an-area-of-the-celestial-sphere-under-the-pecan-tree
-
Sailing Down My Golden River – 10 Year Anniversary of our Voyage on the Sloop Clearwater
When I think of the ways that I’ve grown, I know I couldn’t a’ made it alone.
I owe a lot to the sharing, caring, daring wonderful friends that I’ve known.Pete Seeger and Dave Bernz
Up and Down the River with Friends 
Introduction from the crew 
At the jam 
Lots of smiles! 
The Captain (on the left) and a crew member 
Picking some tunes before we embarked. 
Tunes on the sloopl 
The rudder 
The deck. Not much space to sit, huh? 
It was a lot of work to hoist sail. I’m obviously very glad to be done. 
Kate and Janet 
The main sail of the Sloop Clearwater! 
Most, if not all, of these photos were taken by Mary Zerkel.
Miss you and your family, Mary! Thank you!
Lyric and Chord Charts
In August of 2014 some dears ones, in particular Judy Higgins, and I caravaned from the greater Old Town School of Folk Music region of Chicago to Beacon, NY to sing and sail on the Sloop Clearwater; Pete Seeger’s boat on the Hudson River.
Such a trip had been on my mind for a year or two and the swirl of good feelings in our musical community after Pete died on January 27, 2014, blew the idea from my daydreams into reality. “Sailing Up and Down the River with Friends” began.
About 20 of us made the trip for this very memorable voyage. The boat was “a real, functioning sloop,” as the crew let us know during introductions. It wasn’t uncomfortable, but it definitely wasn’t designed for tourists. There was ropes, pulleys and other boat hardware covering every inch of the deck. Where were we going to sit for our jam?!?!?
The crew lead us in the sea shanty, Paddy Works on the Railway, as we pulled together to hoist the main sail. I’m not sure why they chose a railroad song, rather than a sea faring song, but it was a perfect fit. They instructed about 10 of to take hold of the halyard and pull to the beat of the song. The crew counted off an incredibly slow tempo, which made sense immediately when it became apparent how difficult it was going to be to hoist the sail. Slow and steady, with my arms burning, the sail was up and we continued on our way. I was already exhausted! And, I never heard a sea shanty the same way again.
It was a quite, beautiful afternoon on the river with mostly sunny skies. As we embarked there was this one small dramatic dark cloud that sauntered right over us. It loosened a handful of raindrops and for one moment I was nervous that our jam was going to be rained out. But, the cloud quickly carried on, and we didn’t feel another drop. Later I thought, “Ah, that cloud was Pete saying hi in his own particular way.”
As the excursion continued, we had a fantastic jam. It was clear from the crew introductions that they had expected us to follow their lead during the music portion of the ride. But, without much notice, instruments were unpacked and the sound of our music filled the air. We all took turns leading songs, and the crew eased back to enjoy the jam with us. We probably played for an hour or so. Then, instruments were packed, ropes were wound back up and we headed back to shore.
Ten years. Wow, a lot has changed in ten years and that on the Hudson River feels both very far away in my memory, and also much nearer. The time from the Sloop trip to my last teaching day at the Old Town School was five years. Then, my last class at OTS to today was also five years. Hard to imagine that those two stretches of time were equal. Life is so different. I wonder if I’ll ever lead another event like that. Not that I want to! I’m very happy these days with my slower pace.
It’s been a tearful experience to look through these photos, many of which I haven’t seen since they were originally taken. In that time, Zelda, who was a member of the Young Stracke All-Stars, completed her undergrad degree. I live with Grace and Maria now, which has been the most delightful surprise of the past 10 years. I was able to have lunch with Anthony and Dana, who I hadn’t seen at least five years, earlier this summer. Many of the others I see on an occasional virtual jam or concert. We all played a lot of music together during my Chicago years and I feel so lucky that, even if we don’t get to play together very much anymore, I still consider them close friends. I know that, if the opportunity presented itself, we could jump right into a version of Pete’s Sailing Up and Down the River, just like old times.
-
Songwriters’ Exchange with Jason & Jess – Replay from June 18, 2024
Jess Baldissero is not only a good friend, she is one of my favorite songwriters. I was honored that she sat with me earlier in the week to discuss the discoveries and accidents of the creative process. We shared some laughs, talked about good times and hard times and we each played a few songs.
Audio and Video
Audio Only
Getting to Know Trees knowingtrees.com · Songwriters' Exchange with Jason McInnes and Jess Baldissero
Three tracks from The Hermit, my debut solo album are streaming during the pre-order period. The full album will be released June 28, 2024 on Bandcamp.
http://joybird.bandcamp.comPick up Jess’s music, featuring her band Joybird, at Bandcamp also.
-
Don’t Know What to Play? Put Your Worry Away and Try Dreaming
Musical Dreaming – it’s a practice that I took part in, but had never really considered until some great chats with my old friend John Donahue.
I think about John and his musical dreaming a lot when I meet with frustrated students.
Dreaming with Your Guitar .pdf
They wanted to play more. They’re just too busy. They’re frustrated with the pace of their progress. They’re overwhelmed and don’t know what to practice.
I get it. I feel that way about music all the time. Thankfully, I’ve developed some strategies to get me out of such a funk and this is one of them.
Next time you don’t know what to play, or are bored or frustrated with the same old songs, try some dreaming.
The video is the best description I can make of this process. I’ve also made a .pdf that has some drawings that can be useful, but there’s very little instruction on it.
I hope you find this useful.
-
Guest Post – John Mead Teaches the Guitar Solo from Dead Flowers by The Rolling Stones
“This is a great solo to start on—it’s simple, clear, and articulate; it will teach you how to hear clear phrases and how to hear bends (which make up a significant part of the solo). It will teach you a couple of fairly sophisticated ideas while being very simple and satisfying to play.”
John Mead
We’ve been working on Dead Flowers in some recent Guitar Crew meetups and recently a student asked “Do you know how to play the guitar solo?”
I thought, I don’t but I know EXACTLY who does.
Check out this killer lesson from one of my very closest friends, and a truly gifted educator, John Mead.
Sure missing hanging out with this guy! You’ll notice that John makes the point that, “THERE IS NO SUCH THING as a ‘pentatonic major scale.’
Now, if you know me and my teaching, you’ll know that soloing with the major pentatonic scale is a core skill of my introductory improvising lessons. Ha!
But, I totally get where he’s coming from and there’s a lot of truth to it. If you’ve had those introductory lessons from my, I highly recommend digging into this lesson to put some of those concepts into practice and to take you’re playing to a new space.John is an incredible teacher, player and music philospher. Give him a shout if you’re looking to turn up your guitar playing. John’s there to help you make that happen.
-
“How do you do THAT!?!?!?” Learn a Song By Ear: An Approach (Free Self-Guided Lesson)
When I was first taking guitar lessons my teacher told me to bring in a cassette of any song that I wanted to play. I was so blown away when he’d hear it, having never heard it before, and by the end of the lesson have written down how to PLAY THE SONG. How did he do that?!?!?!?!?!?
He taught me some stuff, but he definitely never taught me how figure how songs for myself.
In the years sense, I’ve gleaned a lot about how people learn by ear. And, being on the other side of the teacher/student dynamic I often hear my student bewilderment as to how I can play by ear. And, I found that while many hear me be able to do it, they didn’t have a grasp of WHAT I was doing.
At first the task seems quite daunting but once it’s broken down into a few manageable steps, it’s really not so difficult. It does take time and effort, but I am fully convinced that it doesn’t take any special talents or innate abilities.
This is a self-lead lesson where I present very short videos that describe the exact process I use to learn a song by ear.
Give it a try and listen to how it goes. Drop me a note to let me know how you do, and if you have any questions or concerns.
Enjoy!
Learn a Song by Ear by Jason McInnes
