Busk Break

The Best of Busk Break: Volume 1, Now On Bandcamp

After nearly four years of constant suggestion, we’re finally launching our first Bandcamp album, The Best of Busk Break: Volume 1! This includes some of our favorite tracks from the last few years: Balkan Death Grip; Mister Gunn & The Pistol Packin’ Mamas; Abby the Spoon Lady & Ben Shirley; Alex Brady, Clarence Gallagher and Antone Costa; Damn Girl!; Jessica Dennison; Mike Gray; Sparrow; Blind Boy Chocolate and the Milk Sheiks; and Kevin Jerome. 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.

Continue reading The Best of Busk Break: Volume 1, Now On Bandcamp

Airhorn Slim’s upbeat charm on resonator guitar and kazoo

What’s not to like about upbeat tunes played on resonator guitar and kazoo? Not much, that’s what. And given how much fun Airhorn Slim is to listen to, it’s worth giving each of these tunes a few listens.

Eagle-eyed viewers may recognize Airhorn Slim from other Busk Break videos, such as Balkan Death Grip’s “Men Trinkte Mashke” performance, as he’s a regular collaborator with other regional buskers. This 2011 session in front of the Woolworth Walk, however, was the first time I’d ever encountered Slim performing on his own.

In this session, he performed his original tune “Can’t Hold Me Down,” as well as a cover of the Washboard Sam song “Who Pumped The Wind In My Donut?” Both are a lot of fun. Continue reading Airhorn Slim’s upbeat charm on resonator guitar and kazoo

Blake Abyss and Amy Alvey’s improv jam on Hang and violin

Watching this video of violinist Amy Alvey and Hang drum player Blake “Blake Abyss” Larson perform together, you’d probably expect to hear that the duo had been busking together for weeks, if not years. As unusual at the pairing of the instruments is, the whole thing comes together in a way that implies the comfort and ease of players who know each other very well.

And, as you’ve already guessed, that’s not the case at all.

In fact, Blake and Amy met for the first time mere moments before this video was filmed. I was on one of my “busk hunts” when I encountered them finishing up a tentative jam in front of the Iron sculpture. They seemed so natural together that I assumed they were touring band, or at least regular buskers.

But that wasn’t the case. After they ended that tune, it became clear that they didn’t even know each other’s names. What’s more, neither were really buskers, and Blake had only been playing the Hang drum for a few months. Continue reading Blake Abyss and Amy Alvey’s improv jam on Hang and violin

Adhi covers “Over The Rainbow”

There are some songs that bypass every bit of cynicism, pretense and stylistic preference. They slip right through the portcullis bars of the psyche, and slide into the unguarded heart where nostalgia and memory live. For me, one of those songs is “Over The Rainbow.” Sure, the The Wizard of Oz plays a part in this, but an even bigger reason is Israel “IZ” Kamakawiwo’ole’s medley version of the song. Played on a tiny ukulele by giant hands, that tune is one of the reasons I first started paying attention to folk and traditional music.

Not that Adhi’s cover bears much resemblance to that version, mind you. It’s entirely his own. But I like this performance as much for the power of the song, which shines through even when given a jazzed up improv treatment. Continue reading Adhi covers “Over The Rainbow”

Adam Kobetich performs “Odessa Bulgar” and “Sally Ann”

It may be surprising given how confidently he plays, but klezmer and old-time inspired banjo player Adam Kobetich had only been working on his busking set for a few months when I first encountered him. Although hardly new to the Asheville musical community, at this time Kobetich was still learning the ropes of street performing, and spoke with me about the trail-and-error process of discovering good tunes for busking.

In this pair of videos from 2011, Kobetich performs the classic gypsy-inspired tune “Odessa Bulgar” and then puts his personal spin on the traditional old-time standard “Sally Ann.” Continue reading Adam Kobetich performs “Odessa Bulgar” and “Sally Ann”

Distinctly Original Tunes By 37

When you record as many buskers as I have, it’s all too easy to fall into the trap of prejudice. Having seen a lot of skinny white girls with dreadlocks busking on the street corners of Asheville, I’d built up a certain set of assumptions. These can be summed up with the following sentence: “I’ll be gobsmacked if she can play anything other than Dave Matthews Band covers.”

It’s great to be proven wrong, and the young woman calling herself “37” was definitely not the kind of person I was expecting to record. I’d been expecting three-chord covers, and instead I was blasted away by a seamless fusion of folk, ska, punk and other influences that simply couldn’t have come together by mere accident.

Highly original, clearly talented, and a little skittish mixed with a heap of defiant, it’s hard not to be strangely charmed by 37’s persona. Continue reading Distinctly Original Tunes By 37

Chris Lyon and Adam Witkowski

Bluegrass-loving buskers Chris Lyon and Adam Witkowski performed a pair of original tunes for this 2011 session of Busk Break. Switching between mandolin and guitar, the duo each played one of their own songs with the practiced ease of friends who have been working with each other for years.

And that’s exactly the case, as they’d been involved in several projects together in Vermont. This performance near Pack Square is the only time either musician appeared on Busk Break. Continue reading Chris Lyon and Adam Witkowski

Abe, Lloyd and Erica

In this video, singer/songwriter Abe Leonard is joined by keyboardist Lloyd Hill and violinist (and Busk Break alum) Erica, performing a pair of then-untitled songs. Originally recorded in 2011, these never-before-seen video was recently discovered in the Busk Break archives.

Why have these never been seen before? Both are very weird songs, being deeply dissonant and also strangely performed. At the time I recorded them, I honestly didn’t think much of either. Two years later, I’m still conflicted about them. It’s time to share. Continue reading Abe, Lloyd and Erica

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

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”

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”