My Cheap & Simple Stove Top Pot Still

[The Chemist]

Hey, VG, if you like some of them old farts, you'd probably like my great-uncles--The Delmore Brothers. They did some quite sophisticated harmony back in the day on their own, in addition to playing with Merle Travis and Grandpa Jones in The Brown's Ferry Four. (I play as well, but classical piano!) Can't say they taught Merle everything he knew but they could certainly pick! Interesting combination of six-string and tenor guitar.

[Virginia Gentleman]

Are you kidding!?! Oh course I know the Delmore Brothers' stuff. Great, great harmonies. I have some of their recordings, and also some Brown's Ferry Four. You're descended from country/bluegrass royalty! We mess around with "Brown's Ferry Blues," "Blue Railroad Train," "Lay Down My Old Guitar."

[Blueraven]

Well Lord Have Mercy..

Kick the cow and start the still!

[Blueraven]

Heyn VG,

I mostly flat picked Randal Collins and Old Joe by Norman Blake. Plus stuff I made up. Ever heard them?

Blueraven

[Virginia Gentleman]

Alright, this is getting weird. Norman Blake is a favorite as well. Seen him a number of times (sometimes with Nancy) up here at the Prism. Hell yes I know Randall Collins and Old Joe. Some of my favs by Norman are Last Train from Poor Valley, Ginseng Sullivan, Railroad Days. I tell you what, ya'll alright.

[Guest]

Well your right it is weird.

Ya know I took guitar lessons when in the 1st grade and for a yr or so from Frank Malloy in Macon. He was Porter Wagner's and Dolly's fiddler on the Porter Wagner Show in Macon when she was just started out. She may have came along a little later. Of course I didnt know that then or even pay any attention. Amyway, that's how long Ive been picken..

Anyway, those 2 songs I really liked and figured out how to play them about as good as he does..

Does your group do harmonies?

[Virginia Gentleman]

Good stuff. Yeah, we do harmonies. I'd say our best are on "Little Georgia Rose," "Where The Soul of Man Never Dies," "Poor Ellen Smith" and "Little Maggie." Always working on them, but I guess we sound alright for a bunch of amateurs. Our banjo player and another guitar player have been playing a lot longer than I have, and can really pick.

Of course, it's a great place to try out new whiskeys and rums, too!

[Virginia Gentleman]

P.S. I love Norman Blake's pickin' and singing style. Nothing like him. Do you know the two Blake & Rice CDs? Damn, they're good, right up there with Rice and Ricky Skaggs duets.

Also, if you like Norman you would like David Greer as well (maybe you already know him). He comes up here pretty often, and is a young, hellacious flat picker.

Going to see Larry Sparks, Mountain Heart, Doyle Lawson, and King Wilkie next weekend at a festival. Sorry for rambling, will have to start an off-topic bluegrass topic.

[Blueraven]

Hey VG,

You mean no boddy flatpicks like WRH dont ya <G>

Thats me <G>

[Virginia Gentleman]

Heh, that may be true Blueraven, just ain't never heard ya. If you play Randall Collins like Norman Blake, then you're getting pretty damn close. Too bad he plays mostly with his wife Nancy now. I don't much care for her music.

[Guest]

VG,

I sure do envy you guys. That really sounds like what I'd like to get going up here. I did play with some folks last yr but they had all the songs picked out and they knew them. there wld be maybe 8 show up. I was used to doing solo and didnt know there songs but cld do back up and slide to them. It was pretty fun.

Yeah right. And ya get to share your brews too..Thats gotta be some part of heaven huh?

Now for brewin': I think IM gonna try to build the EL-2 still. After that I may try the other design.. anyway, times a wasten & so is my last batch <G>

BAYL = bark at ya later

Blueraven

[Virginia Gentleman]

Yeah, it's pretty nice Blueraven. Just sorta happened, it was raining one day 2 years ago, and a buddy and I ran for the shack with our instruments. I put in a wood stove in when the winter came, and added some stools and stuff. Next thing I knew we had 8-15 people every week (lots of "spectators" too). In the winter people bring venison stew and stuff to put on the stove, and we cook up boiled peanuts and the like.

If you can find 1-2 other pickers and any old place to do it, the rest will come.

Soudns good on the still, let us know how it goes. Doing a run tonight myself.