New York, New York!

Tom Hanway reports:

While back home in New York City, I returned to several old bluegrass haunts, where I jammed with good friends at the Baggot Inn and Paddy Reilly's Music Bar, and played two shows at the Rodeo Bar. I was approached there by John Cecil to do an interview for his upcoming film Get a rope, which is about the blossoming country and bluegrass scene in New York City. I did a 90-minute interview the next day on location at the Rodeo, picking and talking about many of the great New York characters and history. I also composed a banjo tune on the spot, which the producers want to use for the movie soundtrack, calling it 'Get a rope', and breaking in the new Tom Hanway SwallowTail. Filming began two months ago and is expected to take another eight months to complete. Exciting stuff.


The first of these photos was taken at the Sunday afternoon bluegrass jam at Paddy Reilly's, which I started in 1997 - the longest-running weekly bluegrass jam in the Big Apple. Some folks who have been to the EBMA's EWOB Festival may recognise multi-instrumentalist Norris, pictured with me and Jen Larson, a regular at Paddy Reilly's. Jen is a dedicated bluegrass singer, songwriter, and rock-solid rhythm guitarist. Norris, who taught me some neat guitar and banjo tunings, plays with the Ebony Hillbillies, and has a big concert at Carnegie Hall on 12 May. Jen will also play at Carnegie Hall with Straight Drive.


Jen and I got to play three consecutive Sundays at Paddy Reilly's with my old pickin' pal Tony DeLello, who runs the jam, here pictured (sitting) with old bandmate Todd Collins (from Blue Horizon and Burnt Toast) at the Rodeo Bar.


Also at Rodeo Bar are Kenny Kosek, myself, Jim Whitney (obscured), and Greg Garing, who played in several of my Big Apple Bluegrass Festivals, where we performed with the legendary John Herald. At Rodeo, I got Greg to play 'Store bought liquor', a song which he wrote and forgot, but Asleep at the Wheel recorded and kept for posterity. Check out Greg singing it here.


Also at the Rodeo Bar, on twin fiddles, playing in the Monroe tradition, are two luminaries of the New York fiddling scene, Tony DeMarco (left) and Kenny Kosek (right).

Thanks to Denise Hanway for all the photos.

Karl Deeter and I are happy to report that we have put up the official Tennessee Hob website, and we will be updating it with news, photos, mp3s, guitar and banjo tabs, plus a schedule. Karl is getting married next week in Dublin, and we will be having a hoedown at the reception. Stay tuned.