Chinese bluegrass video

This is a fine example of "Chinese bluegrass" performed by Mei Han's Red Chamber 紅庭 with John Reischman and the Jaybirds. The instruments include an iluqin, mandolin, bass, pipa, guitar, sanxian, banjo, and ruan. The song is "Katy Hill." (via @mgorbis!)

[#1 posted by PalookaJoe , February 24, 2009 11:28 AM]

That just made my day!

[#2 posted by igzabier , February 24, 2009 11:30 AM]

yee-haw or should I say pi -pa, exscellent, beautiful, thanks

[#3 posted by Slicklines , February 24, 2009 11:38 AM]

Most excellent. Thanks for posting this.

[#4 posted by hokano , February 24, 2009 11:54 AM]

Beautiful. A few minutes of living in the Firefly 'verse.

[#5 posted by Editz , February 24, 2009 12:13 PM]

Can they play the theme from NPR's Car Talk?

[#6 posted by Anonymous , February 24, 2009 12:25 PM]

If you're interested in the blend of bluegrass and traditional Chinese music, check out Abigail Washburn: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=4840756

Also check her out in the Sparrow Quartet (with Bela Fleck). This clip is from their tour of China last year:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GvgJ9Hg7T4Q

[#7 posted by FreakCitySF , February 24, 2009 12:31 PM]

Anyone else immediately think of the Country Bears?

[#8 posted by Anonymous , February 24, 2009 12:39 PM]

is this what the secretary of state HRC meant when she said the US and China working together can start fixing the world's economic crisis? jk Either way Chinese bluegrass is awesome. I hope some folks in Kentucky 'have the internet' so they can watch this. Maybe soon we'll see some Shakespearean Kabuki? oh joy!

[#9 posted by FoetusNail , February 24, 2009 12:48 PM]

Love traditional Chinese music. The interesting thing is the pipa is almost exclusively played by women. The erhu, a two stringed bowed instrument, is more often played by men.

While traditional music is difficult for Westerners to enjoy, don't underestimate the capabilities of these instruments.

Check this out.

[#10 posted by Neon Tooth , February 24, 2009 1:16 PM]

Funny I thought this was about the Chicago band "Red Chamber" http://www.myspace.com/redchamber

[#11 posted by Mark Frauenfelder , February 24, 2009 2:13 PM]

This makes me happy!

[#12 posted by Ito Kagehisa , February 24, 2009 2:25 PM]

Abigail Washburn is wonderful, especially her work with Uncle Earl & Reyna Gellert. She's a nice person as well as a fine musician, too.

[#13 posted by Anonymous , February 24, 2009 3:37 PM]

For some reason I am reminded of one of my all-time favorite Camper Van Beethoven songs, "Mao Reminisces About His Days In Southern China": http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=97jw861TpQ8

[#14 posted by Daemon , February 24, 2009 4:22 PM]

next up, "Dueling Liuqins"

[#15 posted by DsrdUsrNm , February 24, 2009 4:28 PM]

Having studied Acupuncture in the bluegrass hills of western North Carolina, I can kinda see where this is comin from... Nice!

[#16 posted by kabuko , February 24, 2009 4:46 PM]

that was so happy!

[#17 posted by D3 , February 24, 2009 4:53 PM]

Beautiful! Thanks for sharing.

[#18 posted by TroofSeeker , February 24, 2009 4:59 PM]

That was surprisingly delightful! The Chinese instruments seemed like cheap crap to me (meaning poorly made), but the musicians did a great job. A washboard and jug and they're in business! The Dukes of Hong Kong, anyone?

[#19 posted by Anonymous , February 24, 2009 5:14 PM]

This was great, but it got me wondering if there had been anyone playing dueling sanxians (ala The Deliverance) along the Yellow river before the big dam was put in service....

[#20 posted by barnaby , February 24, 2009 5:58 PM]

I don't use the term Wikedbadass very often, but this certainly merits its use.

[#21 posted by High On Markers , February 24, 2009 6:48 PM]

how great - and how great that someone remembers Camper Van Beethoven

[#22 posted by JIMWICh , February 24, 2009 9:16 PM]

That there hoedown was hǎo tīng!

[#23 posted by Takuan , February 24, 2009 10:00 PM]

full of joy?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=38s4mVY2b_Y

[#24 posted by Anonymous , February 25, 2009 12:30 AM]

@TroofSeeker
You're probably not used to the sound of Chinese string instruments. Compared to their Western counterparts, the Chinese instruments have a much smaller "sound box." The sound box provides resonance and harmonics to the notes played, and with a smaller one, the Chinese instruments sound shriller and not as rich.

[#25 posted by pinehead , February 25, 2009 12:35 AM]

That was badass. I remember being a kid raised around bluegrass music and hearing talk about Chinese bluegrass bands (this would have been in the 1980's). Apparently the music is quite popular in certain Chinese circles. Seeing the two genres of instruments playing together here was rewarding. :)

[#26 posted by Anonymous , February 25, 2009 4:38 AM]

This was fantastic. Sanxian is my favourite Chinese instrument, very underappreciated.

Japan can do mean bluegrass as well:
http://homepage2.nifty.com/ts-sonic/discography/main-1.html#appalachian_shamisen

[#27 posted by Tony Moore , February 25, 2009 5:07 AM]

i'm in love.

-T

[#28 posted by Clayton Hove , February 25, 2009 1:26 PM]

Come and listen to a story about a man named Mao
A poor communist, barely kept his party's vow...

[#29 posted by Anonymous , February 25, 2009 9:14 PM]

Wow! I never liked blue grass but that was really good!

[#30 posted by Anonymous , February 26, 2009 8:58 AM]

@Clayton:

Oh man, that's good.

[#31 posted by Ito Kagehisa , February 26, 2009 3:28 PM]

MARK AND PESCO - you absolutely have to see this!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sCFJ3LURCtc

I was looking for an Uncle Earl gig to post in the electric mountain old time apple thread and I found this nearly indescribably weird gem.

I swear, this is going to be the sole topic of conversation the next time I see Reyna Gellert.

[#32 posted by oliverlangan , March 15, 2009 10:51 PM]

I am late to this one, but I also highly recommend Béla's 'Tabula Rasa" collaboration:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7VWZuxPBkKM

http://www.amazon.com/Tabula-Vishwa-Mohan-Bhatt-Fleck/dp/B000002VYK

Three metal-stringed instruments: banjo, er-hu, and hindustani slide guitar.