Adam and Emma cover “Red Rubber Ball”

Busk-Adam-EmmaA few days ago, I featured these two performers in a post about my occasional epic fails in recording street musicians. Normally, I make a point of getting at least a reasonable amount of information from the buskers I record, as showcasing them is really the only point of the project in the first place. Not having something as fundamental as the performers names really chewed on me, as that’s not a mistake I generally make.

My assumption was that I’d lost the recording where I actually talked to them about who they are and why they’re busking. Continue reading Adam and Emma cover “Red Rubber Ball”

Adam and Emma cover “Drinkin’ in the Morning” by Trampled By Turtles

EDIT: A few days after I wrote the post below, I was able to find the tiniest scrap of audio at the end of one of the recordings where I confirmed the two performers’ names. I’ve obviously lost the recording where I spoke to them about their other details, but at least one small piece of this mystery is solved.

Busk-Chino-1.Still002Every so often, I’m terrible at recording buskers. Particularly if I’m feeling harried or distracted, I’ll make some fairly baffling mistakes. I’ll forget to turn on my microphone, for instance. Or I’ll get in a position where the light is constantly changing, blowing out the white levels. Sometimes I’ll even forget the very basics, like saying the performers’ names a few times, having them spell it, or asking where I can find more of their content so people who like them can get in touch.

While most of my mistakes come one at a time, every so often I’ll be looking at a video I took and realize I’ve created a perfect storm of embarrassing incompetence. This is one such video. Continue reading Adam and Emma cover “Drinkin’ in the Morning” by Trampled By Turtles

New Busk Break Collection!

Best of Busk Break: Volume 2
Best of Busk Break: Volume 2
We proudly present our second collection of recordings from the street corners of Asheville, NC! It’s the Best of Busk Break: Volume 2, now for sale at Bandcamp!

The new collection includes outstanding performances from Charles Clyde Toney II with Kris Wahl and Eris Valentine; Amy Alvey and Blake “BlakeAbyss” Larson; Brian McGee and Kevin “Krum” Rumley; Taylor Martin and Lyndsay Pruitt; Tomb Nelson and the Stillwater Hobos; Alex Travers; 37; Shane Conerty; Anna Trevor; Logan Mason; and Patrick and Cody. All proceeds go toward keeping Busk Break project alive, upgrading our equipment and tipping future buskers for their contributions. And for $1 a track or a mere $7 for the whole thing, what more could you ask for? Click the link for details.

Jimbo Lockhart and Abby The Spoon Lady perform “Polly Wolly Doodle”

Jimbo Lockhart and Abby The Spoon Lady
Jimbo Lockhart and Abby The Spoon Lady
In this third tune from our 2012 session with guitarist/singer Jimbo Lockhart and percussionist Abby The Spoon Lady, we hear a spirited version of “Polly Wolly Doodle.” For a tune that’s been around since at least 1880, it doesn’t sound too shabby at all.

For those of you who love Abby’s music, we’ll be posting more from this session, including some unseen tunes, in future posts. Continue reading Jimbo Lockhart and Abby The Spoon Lady perform “Polly Wolly Doodle”

Jimbo Lockhart and Abby the Spoon Lady perform “Cluck Old Hen”

Abby The Spoon Lady and Jimbo Lockhart
Abby The Spoon Lady and Jimbo Lockhart
In this video, Busk Break favorites Abby The Spoon Lady and Jimbo Lockhart perform that staple of old-time gatherings across the globe, “Cluck Old Hen.”

This tune was recorded in 2012 as part of a three-song session in downtown Asheville, but was overlooked in that week’s updates. Only recently unearthed in the archives, this video has never before been seen!

For those of you who love Abby’s music, we’ll be posting more from this session, including some unseen tunes, in future posts. Continue reading Jimbo Lockhart and Abby the Spoon Lady perform “Cluck Old Hen”

Abby The Spoon Lady and Jimbo Lockhart perform “Old Joe Clark”

Abby the Spoon Lady and Jimbo Lockhart
Abby the Spoon Lady and Jimbo Lockhart
Busk Break favorite Abby The Spoon Lady performs the classic tune “Old Joe Clark” with Jimbo Lockhart on the streets of Asheville, NC, in 2012.

For those of you who love Abby’s music, we’ll be posting more from this session, including some unseen tunes, in future posts. Continue reading Abby The Spoon Lady and Jimbo Lockhart perform “Old Joe Clark”

Busk Break: The Asheville Waits Band covers “Jockey Full of Bourbon”

The Asheville Waits Band in early 2012.
The Asheville Waits Band in early 2012.
Vocalist/guitarist Mark Conti and bassist Christian Ferri — both members of the Asheville Waits Band (a Tom Waits cover band) — perform “Singapore” from the album Rain Dogs in front of the Iron sculpture.

 

This video was originally recorded on a very windy day in early January, 2012.

 

 

Continue reading Busk Break: The Asheville Waits Band covers “Jockey Full of Bourbon”

Busk Break: The Asheville Waits Band covers “Singapore”

BUSK-AshevilleWaitsBandVocalist/guitarist Mark Conti and bassist Christian Ferri — both members of the Asheville Waits Band (a Tom Waits cover band) — perform “Singapore” from the album Rain Dogs in front of the Iron sculpture.

 

This video was originally recorded on a very windy day in early January, 2012.

 

 

Continue reading Busk Break: The Asheville Waits Band covers “Singapore”

The Slaughter Brothers Band perform their untitled, bluegrass-inspired tune

The Slaughter Brothers Band
The Slaughter Brothers Band perform at Pack Square.
By their own admission, the Slaughter Brothers have been playing in Asheville for the last few months largely because they were “stranded” here after playing a birthday party. But they don’t seem too bummed about where fate has landed them, and now they’re in town “doing their thing.”

Raised in Dayton, Ohio, and professionally based in New Orleans for the last several years, the brothers are joined by local drummer Daniel Hensley on this unnamed tune inspired by “Asheville’s bluegrass music.” Continue reading The Slaughter Brothers Band perform their untitled, bluegrass-inspired tune

Aaron Basskin performs “What To Do”

Busk-AaronBasskin-2
Aaron Basskin performing in Asheville, NC.
Recorded in the same session as his cover of “If I Only Had a Brain”, local busker Aaron Basskin performs his original tune “What To Do” in front of the Iron sculpture on downtown Asheville, NC.

Most of the time, the buskers I meet aren’t aware of the Busk Break project, but as it turns out, Basskin was. He’d seen one of the several videos documenting local jazz band and busking scene favorite Big Nasty, and was highly impressed.

“Those guys are so cool,” he explained with a smile. Although Basskin was mostly playing covers, it wasn’t too hard to talk him into playing an original for his second contribution to the Busk Break series. Continue reading Aaron Basskin performs “What To Do”