It's that time again. Our church youth group does a spring musical each year; and Cotton Patch Gospel comes up every 5 years or so. So this is my third time putting a band together for the shows. I have gotten pretty familiar with the score, but each time the band members, not to mention the kids' cast, is totally different. This time we have three dads of kids in the show - none with bluegrass experience. But the fiddler is a hot jazz (Venuti, Grappelli) violinist so he won't have any problem. The guitarist is more rock oriented but is a good player, and the bass - well it's bluegrass bass; how tough can it be. The kids do all the singing, and this time they are pretty young, mostly middle-school, so we'll see how that goes.
The point of the topic posting is the score (I checked the topic list, but found nothing active). I love the score for several reasons: first I get to play bluegrass, some clawhammer, and even some good ol' Kingston Trio folk-strumming (which is where I started this banjo thing), and even get to play Dobro on one song. Also, I love Chapin's musical arc - starting with the hard driving bluegrass and progressing to the more mellow clawhammer and strumming. Seems like it sort of parallels the Old Testament to New Testament transition. Third, even though the music is in several keys, including one song that modulates from F to G, it can all be played pretty easily without a capo - although I do go to sawmwill tuning for "Jud" and put the 5th string capo up 4 frets for the one song in E - that really helps keep the tuning minimal. And yet Chapin achieved great variety in progressions and tempos and rhythms. But the best part of the score is that it is just chord charts - so I get to make up my own licks, following the melody, adding some harmonies, finding my own voice. I am not a big tab fan (too lazy probably) and the charts were intimidating enough the first time, but I love that they tell me what I need to be playing to support the kids' singing, but that I have some flexibility.
Anyway, it's a fun and often funny show. If you've never seen it, and are near St. Paul's church in Cleveland Heights, come on down. Friday night at 7 PM, Saturday at 2PM, and Sunday at 2 PM and 7 PM. But remember it is a young cast in the basement of a church. Cheers.