The Dusty Buskers

Dillinger Days.outdoor stage.1-19-08.

Old-timey music

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia:

"With its origins in traditional music of Europe and Africa, old-time music represents perhaps the oldest form of North American traditional music other than Native American music, and thus the term 'old-time' is an appropriate one. As a label, however, it dates back only to 1923...

"The term...originated as a euphemism, but proved a suitable replacement for other terms that were considered disparaging by many...It remains the term preferred by performers and listeners of the music. It is sometimes referred to as 'old-timey' or 'mountain music' by long-time practitioners...

"The current old-time music scene is alive and well...it's possible the interest has been sparked in recent years through the combined exposure resulting from several prominent films, more accessible depositories of source material and the hard work of a few touring bands..."

BUSKING

From "Busking History,"  Busk:Pittsburgh:

"Busking, or street performing, is a centuries- old tradition of entertainers performing for tips in public areas. In medieval Europe, local merchants would invite entertainers to their storefronts, plazas and public squares to attract pedestrians and increase business...

Street performers attract the public into an area and encourage them to browse from performer to store to restaurant and back to performer. This creates a mutually beneficial commercial environment for the stores, performers and the public...

There is also a benefit which can't be gauged in terms of dollars and cents. Performers encourage people to know each other and to be connected." 

Who We Are

From Tucson Friends of Traditional Music News, March 2007:

What motivated you to focus on the traditional style of music?

Fiddlin' Phoenix: I've always had a fondness for it...It feels good to be part of something that goes back to before our time...

Learning and rearranging songs from so long ago is like taking part in an intergenerational version of the children's game 'telephone,' where you take what you heard and say it back to the next person. The songs change with each reworking - in our case, we speed them up and write new verses - invoking a sense of history and yet still remaining relevant today...

Traditional music has so many stories to tell; in it we can see ourselves in the experiences of those who came before us."

How does your style differ from the other local groups?

Dusty Squirrelfisher: Other bluegrass and old-timey groups I've seen focus more on the music; virtuoso picking and bowing ability, intricate harmonies. We focus mostly on the underlying message and cultural significance of the songs...

We cultivate the strong and straightforward melodies present in the song, and in that context often supplement with improvised lyrics based on what we're feeling in the moment. We play music that is usually interpreted in a more understated style with a youthful energy and punk rock edge."