Chinese bluegrass video

This is a fine example of "Chinese bluegrass" performed by Mei Han's Red Chamber ç´…åº 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!)

David Pescovitz is Boing Boing's co-editor/managing partner. He's also a research director at Institute for the Future. On Instagram, he's @pesco.

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FoetusNail

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.
Anonymous

@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.
pinehead

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. :)
Daemon

next up, “Dueling Liuqins”
DsrdUsrNm

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

that was so happy!
D3

Beautiful! Thanks for sharing.
Anonymous

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
Neon Tooth

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

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?
Anonymous

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….
Tony Moore

i’m in love.

-T
Anonymous

@Clayton:

Oh man, that’s good.
barnaby

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

This makes me happy!
High On Markers

how great – and how great that someone remembers Camper Van Beethoven
Ito Kagehisa

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

That just made my day!
igzabier

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

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

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.
Slicklines

Most excellent. Thanks for posting this.
Clayton Hove

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

Beautiful. A few minutes of living in the Firefly ‘verse.
JIMWICh

That there hoedown was hÇŽo tÄ«ng!
Takuan

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

Can they play the theme from NPR’s Car Talk?
Anonymous

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
Anonymous

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
oliverlangan

I am late to this one, but I also highly recommend BÃ©la’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.
FreakCitySF

Anyone else immediately think of the Country Bears?
Anonymous

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!