Carr, Joe 2012-06-08
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General Interview Information
Interviewee Name: Joe Carr
Additional Parties Recorded:
Date: June 08, 2012
Location: Levelland, Texas
Interviewer: Andy Wilkinson
Length: 02:19:31
Abstract
South Plains, New banjo instructor, Alan Munde stepped down, Banjo, There is some desire to play the banjo still, Students pop up every now and then to play, The banjo, Early Childhood, Born in Denton, 6 years old, moved to Dallas, Acoustic folk style guitar, Audio library- Dallas, Folk style records, Foggy Mountain Talk, Blue grass- it was the first time he heard a word used, To describe the type of music he enjoyed listening to, Used to be embarrassed by enjoying the music, Mom married step dad – Joe was 9 years old, Family business, Window displays, Uncle, Left for the Navy, Left Joe with all of his stuff, Within his possessions, Joe inherited three, Kingston Trio albums, New Port Folk Festival, Led Belly, Ted Mitchell Trio, Ultimately enjoys the “older” music rather than the newer, Music, Hand wrote out all the words to the Ballad of John Bo, The Grapes of Wrath, Band, North Texas- Denton, Texas, Put together a group, Gerald Jones- from Gainesville, Texas, He played Mandolin, Joe was playing the banjo, 1972, A nun wanted to know what a mart-in-eye was, She mispronounced the word for martini, The bartender knew it was the same nun from before, Joe met Gerald at the University of North Texas, Mothers Preserves, Banjo, In high school found a pawn shop that had a banjo, Found an instruction book, that’s how he learned, Self taught, By the time he went to North Texas, he had a banjo and A guitar, It was a regal (made by Fender), Discovering Bluegrass, Impressed with the specific finger style players, Violinist- she could play the music that was written, Woodrow Wilson high school- a picture they are looking at, 1969 when he graduated, 1975- Bluegrass competition- did well, they thought they were, Hot stuff, Went to work full time in Forth Worth- Public Welfare Department, Degree in Social Work, On the evenings he would play the music, Chelsea street pubs, Made 1200 dollars a week for a four piece band, He had to make a big decision, working full time, or Play music full time, Guaranteed two months of work, Ended up quitting his job, Married to his first wife at the time, Married shortly after he graduated, The band decided to become independent, So they moved away from the Chelsea street pubs, They kept moving away to less and less successful gigs, Recording, Roanoke, 1975, 3 rd or 4th album that the producer did, Very first album was Alan Munde, Joe did not know Alan at the time though, Jazz Grass, “If it’s not fish or foul”, A year before Country Gazette, 1978, 3 core people, He just drove up for the weekends, Country Gazette, Played a big Festival, Indian Springs Festival, He played below his level of full ability, He had a discussion with himself about playing, With out having nerves, Personal battle, 78’-82’, They called themselves “America’s bluegrass band”, Mike never played any different, as the bass player, Changed, the band got better, Joe was the chameleon, Daughter was born in 81’, Missed a lot of her first years, so when his son was going to, Be born, he left the band in 83’, He wanted to be more involved with the babies, Did not want to miss anymore of their childhoods, Bill Monroe music, To find himself in a band of a musician he admired so, Much, meant a lot, Rolland preferred to play the mandolin, so Joe played the, Guitar for the reunion band, Almost like it was the original band, On the road, The idea of being lonely driving down the highway, It’s the same concept of playing a set, doing really well, And not having anyone to tell, or share with; that is sad, Joe enjoyed non bluegrass festivals more than actual, Bluegrass festivals, Reason: he would get to see unique music that otherwise, He wouldn’t have been exposed to seeing
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